Our Italian adventure continued with another train journey to Florence, the biggest city in Tuscany. The heart of the city is the 'Duomo' - the Cattedrale de Santa Maria del Fiore.
Construction of the Duomo began in 1296 and one of it's main features is Brunelleschi's Dome, with it's stunning artwork lining the inside.
It is 463 narrow, uneven stairs to the top of the dome but the view makes it all worthwhile...
The city of Florence is found on the Arno River and the oldest bridge is the Ponte Vecchio. The only surviving original bridge (the others destroyed in World War II), the shopped lined bridge was built in 1345.
In Florence we picked up a rental car and drove through a very wet Tuscany to the UNESCO World Architectural City of Heritage site of San Gimignano. This charming 10th Century fortress on a hill is dominated by a series of towers.
The narrow streets weave their way through the city and it is very charming and peaceful.
The location in the Tuscan countryside isn't bad either...
Our final stop before leaving Tuscany was Pisa. You just had to check out the famous leaning tower, which was surprisingly a lot smaller than expected but great to be able to see.
You make your blog so interesting John. I have been to all the same places except for San Gimignano. In 1986 I was able to climb right to the top of the Leaning Tower. It was not long after that that the people were stopped from climbing so I was fortunate to have that opportunity. I look forward every week to what will be next. You have a real eye for taking fantastic photos.
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