Travel: Florence

Our big surprise today was how far the Italian train system has advanced in the last 20 years.  Our train ride from Rome to Florence took 1-1/2hours thanks to the fast trains.  We calculated an average speed of 143 MPH!

Our hotel in the center of Florence.
The lobby.
Our room in the city center.

Good news is our hotel for the next 4 days, Pensione Pendini, is located in the center of the town with period furnishings.  It’s quite nice!

Our top floor room has a great roof view including:

Towers of the Plazzo Vecchio.
Rooftop view of the Duomo.
Center vIew from our window.

We were not surprised to see how crowded Florence was after our visit to Rome.  We had read that Europe in general is overwhelmed by tourists.  Guess we will consider shoulder or off seasons going forward.

We went for a walk to the nearby Piazza della Signoria.  Here are some of our favorite sights.

Replica of Statue of David
Rape of the Sabine Women, 1583.
Perseus decapitated the snake-headed Medusa, 1545.

3 thoughts on “Travel: Florence”

  1. I will be in Florence from December 27 to January 17. My digs are in an Air B. N B type place, but good enough for a starving student! Yes, I’m returning with the University group and reverting to Italian. I’ve almost given up on the Spanish! This was too good a deal to pass up.

    All those monuments are very familiar landmarks. Climb up to the top of the towers, go to the market near the Duomo, and of course do all the museums. Have fun.

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