The adventure in Italy continued in Florence and Pisa.

The train stations in Italy are something to marvel at. To buy or get information, you first need to take a ticket and wait for your number to be called. It was a good system as Italians don't know how to queue. We even managed to help fellow English speaking travellers with this unique way of purchasing tickets- feeling proud and accomplished having known what we were doing.

Having arrived in Florence we got a taxi to the hotel. After the dramatic scenes of Venice I have to say I was a little put out with the surrounds of Florence. That opinion changed very quickly once we ventured into the city centre by bus and turned a street corner where we were overwhelmed by the sight of the cathedral and Duomo. It does not look real, almost like a cardboard cut-out in the middle of a few buildings. It was phenomenal. That night we just familiarised ourselves with the city and all thoughts of disappointment I had disappeared as Florence became probably my favourite destination of the lot.

The following day we had to investigate the Duomo and its surroundings. We hiked up the 414 steps of the bell tower. The steps were narrow and with it being two-way, this was fairly challenging at times. We made it to the top where there was a glorious view of Florence and the main dome of the cathedral. Well worth it!

After the morning exertion we decided to enjoy a wee sit down, which took place in a solar powered tuk tuk and we then went on the Florence tour with our driver Bill. He was very good and informative, and it was nice hearing about all the other monuments and famous spots such as the famous bridge Ponte Vecchio.

From our base in Firenze (Florence) we headed to Pisa for the day, just an hour away on the efficient railway. We wandered to the famous squinty tower, obviously have to get a few poses with the landmark. I liked the vibe in Pisa. The leaning tower itself is what brings most people to the city but it had a bit more to see than just that. We had a very relaxed day followed by dinner back in Florence accompanied by a gelato on the steps of the Duomo.

The buses in Italy are second nature to us now and we enjoyed people watching during the trip. We even spotted an elderly gentleman who had no less than 19 pockets in his attire. Kept us amused for a while so it did.

The last day in Florence we went for a wander to soak up the atmosphere. I loved the quaint little streets and at every turn you came across another beautiful example of renaissance art! The place was buzzing with tourists and this was off season, so the squares must be rammed during the height of it.

We got dressed up for dinner on our last night in one of our favourite spots, the Piazza Della Signoria, known as the outdoor museum. It has several statues dotted about including the famous replica of David - now I don't know if it was the Chanti but I could have sworn David was winking at us! That evening brought more excitement as Jeffrey our waiter informed us of a celebrity night in the Palazzo Vecchio, George Clooney no less was in attendance!

The night also saw the Festa Della Rificolona, families with children from all over the area meet at the Piazza Della Santissima Annunziata, and walk through the city, carrying candlelit paper lanterns as a religious ceremony. It was something to see. All the lanterns were different. Amazing.

So farewell Florence - 22 I have only rave reviews about you. Also Pisa number 23, anything for a good photo op.