Day 31 Tuesday 17th June 2008

We parked at the station in Figline Valdarno and took the train to Firenze. The service was quick and we were in Firenze by 10.00am. We walked to Galleria dell’Accademia but the length of the queue put us off. We continued on and found the Palazzo Bargello, the sculpture museum. The sculptures and other items were very interesting and were from all ages from Roman to recent. There were some items from around the world. 

After a drink in a bar we continued on to the Palazzo Vecchio but decided not to pay the entrance fee. We looked around what could be seen of the Palazzo without paying for the gallerias and continued on towards Santa Croce to see the pitch and facilities for the historic football being played there and shown on TV. We found a bar and had lunch. From there we walked down to the river looking for somewhere to sit in the shade for a rest. The best we could do was the colonnades at the Uffizi. 

After changing some travellers’ cheques in a Cambio at an exorbitant fee (and this was less than they first asked for) we walked across the Ponte Vecchio to the Pitti Palace. There we were disappointed to find that they had made alterations to the entrances. Previously you could go into the courtyard to the café there and then buy tickets for the various museums. Now you have to buy your ticket before you go in the courtyard. As we had visited most of it before we returned over the bridge to go to the street market at San Lorenzo. We did not purchase either a belt or new camera bag and went back to the station. We bought the tickets and then an ice cream as we had a few minutes. The train was away on time, lucky we spotted the change of platform, and we returned to Figline Valdarno. Food shopping at the Coop on the way back to Bellavista completed the day. 

There was just time to dangle our feet in the pool while the weather lasted. It has now started to rain.

Start Mileage  14280		Finish  14289	Miles travelled = 9
								Total Miles = 2804

Day 32 Wednesday 18th June 2008

A rest day. Hot and sunny for most of the day. The day was spent in domestics, washing and associated drying. Updating website. Lying by the pool, even sampling the pool but not swimming as it seemed very cold. Perhaps tomorrow. Later we went shopping for food at the local Coop and had a bit of a walk round Incisa.

Later we had a bit of a walk up the road and found a big church, convention centre and all sorts of other buildings really in the middle of nowhere labelled as an international centre. Curious.

Start mileage 14289			Finish 14293		Miles travelled = 4
								Total miles = 2808