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Awoke to a brilliant sunny day. Met a charming British couple over breakfast…the husband a stone mason in London with a unique appreciation for the amazing stonework in Florence.

To get ahead of the surge of midday tourists, began our day with a climb to the top of the Duomo's signature dome…the very first Renaissance dome. Scaled 463 steps to the summit of Brunelleschi's masterpiece. Winding staircase straight up the walls of the Duomo, then along the inside rim of the dome past amazing stained glass windows and fantastic frescoes, and finally up narrow, slanting staircases until you're actually walking on top of the interior walls. Popped up (finally) through a floor panel. Met by cool breezes in the face and sweeping panoramas of Florence and the surrounding hills. Passed crowds on the way down…we chose the right time.

Simple pizza for lunch, then off to walk the gardens south of the Arno. Our first visit to the Giardino Bardini…with numerous flower gardends, winding hillside walkways, and high views of the river and the historic center beyond. A simple 17th-century villa sat perched at the top. The Duomo was warmly lit in the distance.

Our entrance ticket allowed us to continue into the adjoining Boboli Gardens…the famous gardens behind the grand Pitti Palace. Entered the Bobili after a quick tour of Forte Belvedere, an imposing fortification on the hilltop. The fort's ramparts and "ratholes" reminded of our trip to Germany…we know Keegan would have enjoyed this part.

Wound our way through the Boboli Gardens…tree lined paths leading to garden rooms with flowers or statues or fountains. At the rose garden at the top of the Boboli, we drank water from one of several continuous drinking fountains…this one saved us from dehydration on our last visit, a.k.a., the death march. Watched a heron fish for its dinner. Returned to the Pitti Palace to visit two galleries: the Galleria del Costume (our first visit to these ornate state apartments) and the Galleria d'Arte Moderna.

Dinner after a shower and much-needed respite. In the mood for pasta, so we returned to Baldovino. Fresh caprese and warm focaccia rabie. Two fine pasta dishes: spaghetti alla carbonara and gnocci with asparagus and bacon. Friday night drinks nearby. In one bar, watched the final 15 minutes of an American Idol type show but with Italian opera hopefulls. The Friday night crowds were out in force, and bars were full by 11. Pleasant temps outside; very warm inside…curiously, saw three people with heavy scarves…inside!! Cool Italian beers kept us refreshed.

Cool temps and a soft pillow made for a restful night. The slight overnight rain was finishing up as we awoke. Had a light breakfast of cereal and pastries at the B&B communal table. Met fellow travelers from Southern California and North Carolina. Shared tales of "where from's" and "where to's".

First stop of the day was the Museo della Casa Fiorentina Antica. The historic home is being restored and transformed into a museum. For now, only two floors are open…but its free…no complaints 🙂 The heavy stone architecture and wall mosaics are notable.

Walked past a who's who of Italian designers on our way to our next stop…the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella. The bulding's facade was done in iconic white and green marble, like the nearby Duomo. The interior was impressive but restrained…with some very beautiful frescoes. Around the corner, visited the Farmacia di S.Maria Novella…"the oldest pharmacy in Florence" (maybe in all of Italy? I can't remember). The pharmacy had its roots from 1381 when Dominican friars made rose-scented water (supposedly to ward off the plague). The pharmacy itself opened in 1612 in its current location. The rooms smelled of roses.

Time for lunch. Tattoria Anita (another Suzanne recommendation) hit the spot with hearty Tuscan cuisine at reasonable prices. Our pasta dishes were simple and delicious. Jeff enjoyed his breaded chicken cutlet. My "mixed meat" platter was a bit more…adventurous? Tuscan style roasted potatoes on the side of both dishes. Due cappuccini, per favore.

Visted an underwhelming museum highlighting Leonardo Da Vinci"s scentific inventions. A couple of the video presentations were very well done, but the overall "museum" was poor…definitely overpriced at 5€.

In striking comparison, our next two stops cost nothing and were rich and captivating…two lesser known churches full of history.

First, the (relatively) small Basilica di San Lorezo, situated on a busy public square towards the Mercate Centrale. The church is in mid-renovation…more like early-renovation…so interior scaffolding obscured much of the ceiling. But the front altar and visible ceiling were colorful and grand. A gentle, elderly priest dressed in white greeted us, asked us where we were from, and told us about his travels to the U.S. before he was so gray (as he tugged on his short gray hair to accentuate the point). He said goodbye with a heartfelt "Viva America!". We gave a few euros towards the renovations.

Wandered next to the tucked-away Basilica della Santos Annunziata behind the Accademia. Entered through a glass-covered inner courtyard and then into an unexpectedly enormous church. In addition to the usual elaborate main altar, this church had more than a dozen side chapels…each one crammed full of shiny and/or colorful and/or chiseled object d'art. A secondary altar at the rear, was decked out in towering silver pillars and candles. Breathtaking.

Finished the daylight hours with a stroll along the Arno with the sun setting. Skullers practiced on the calm river. Sidewalks were full of fellow sun-worshipers.

Dinner was at yet another Suzanne recommendation…and a third winner in a row. The Coquinarius wine bar served up mouth-wathering, creative fare. Our pastas were our best yet: a rich tagliatelli with a meaty rabbit sauce; large raviolli pillows of cheese and spinach topped with a ham sauce and stringed zuccinni. Two fresh salads followed for the entrees. A bottle of Chianti Classico. Deserts of warm chocolate souffle and creamy cheesecake. Best meal so far.
Finished the evening with late drinks and music in the Santa Croce area which seems to be the young, hip place to be. Overall, Florence has a lot of late night energy to soak in.

The streets were wet after light overnight rain, but the clouds were breaking. Packed quickly. One last breakfast in the hotel. One final walk to S.Maria Della Salute.

A pleasant walk to the train station via Campo S.Margarita. Passed produce-laden boats and carts with fresh seafood. Naturally, the sun came out to warm…downright sweaty as we reached the station.

Boarded the 10:43 Eurostar train bound for Florence. Binaro 3. Carrozza 6. Posti 55/56. Waved Arrivederci to Venice as the train slipped across the lagoon.

In Mestre, a mother and child boarded and sat next to us for the duration of our trip. I'd say it took us about 5-minutes to name this hyperactive child…Luigi il Menace…or Devil Child…you choose.

Bright red poppies lined the tracks as we passed through Padua. Puffy clouds and filtered sun set off brilliant green fields of grapevines. Lush valleys between Bologna and Florence…like scenes divided by blacked-out tunnels. Hillside groves of olive trees. Secluded towns with signature church towers.

Arrived into Firenze Santa Maria Novella. A short 15-minute walk to our B&B via the sunny Piazza del Duomo.

We're staying at our old favorite B&B…the Dei Mori…and its downstairs neighbor, the Badia Guest House where our room is actually located. The Dei Mori hostess, Suzzanne, is the quintessential B&B greeter. She is an American married to an Italian, and takes great pride in her adopted home. She oriented us to new or lesser known highlights, since we have been to Florence before. She also pointed us to four of her favorite local restaurants.

Grabbed a quick pair of wonderful, warmed sandwiches at nearby Cucciolo Pasticceria. Took a long re-orientation walk past a few of our favorites…Piazza della Signoria and the Uffiza Gallery. Walked along the Arno River to grab some warm afternoon sun photo of the Ponte Vecchio. Had a quick gellato stop at an amazing artisan spot, Gelateria Santa Trinita…Jeff declared this his favorite gelato in Italy! Passed the Pitti Palace. Turned around at the Porta Romana and the edge of the old city. Returned via the Ponte Vecchio…sadly where locks have aparrently been banned since none were insight.

Ventured into the Baptistry of San Giovanni…the jewel box in front of the Duomo. The golden mosaic ceiling was breathtaking.

Dinner at one of Suzzane's recommendations: Trattoria Baldovino, behing the Basilica di Santa Croce. The food was wonderful, creative Tuscan flavors. The colorful bruschetta. Jeff's amazing tortallacci di patate–oversized tortallinis with a hearty meat sauce–and his petto di pollo–juicy chicken witha rich sauce of tomato and olive. My filetto di manzo all' aceto–a marbled beef filet in a dark, sweet basalmic reduction. Etc. Etc. All the dishes were mouth-watering. (Did I mention our dessert? Crostata con creme arance.)

Wandered back through Piazza Santa Croce and Piazza della Signora to finally shower and sleep :). What a VERY long day!

A light, but persistent rain joined us for the walk to the train station this morning. Bought tickets for a day trip to historic Verona. Also made reservations for our trip to Florence tomorrow. Unlike our frustrating train experience on our last European vacation, these purchases were simple and clear and involved no lines or humans. (Fingers crossed.)

The 10:04 Trenitalia service departed promptly at 10:24 from Bin 10. Rain? Cappuccino break? The slow regional train took about 2 hours till we arrived at the Verona Porta Nuova station. Bought a one-day Verona Pass. Grabbed a quick burger. Hopped a crowded #11 bus to the historic center of town.

Began our walk at the ancient Roman Arena…the third largest in the ancient Roman world. A simple-yet-massive structure. Best of all, you can walk up and down and all over the arena, unlike the Colliseum in Rome.

After gazing at mural-painted buildings and snapping a few people shots in the narrow Piazza Erbe, checked off another stop on the Verona Card at the towering Torre dei Lamberti. A uniqe perspective revealing tall churches and bell towers rising above the squat old city. The Dolomites stood grey and ominous in the distance.

Returned to earth. Walked to the impressive Chiesa di Santa Anastasia. Started in the late 13th century…continued through the 14th and 15th centuries…and completed in the early 16th century. This church has everything…everywhere. Beautiful painted ceilings. Ornate chapels and altars. Vibrant frescoes in every nook. Stone sculptures, terra cotta reliefs, and lofty stained glass. Something to see in every direction.

The distinctive Duomo was next on the list, and far more restrained than the previous S.Anastasia church. The current cathedral building dates to the 8th and 9th centuries, with the current interior dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. Many impressive chapels and amazing paintings. The architectural remains (e.g., mosaics, columns) of two previous basillica (early 1st century, and pre-7th century) are visible under the floors of adjacent cloister buildings.

Crossed the water-logged Adige River via the Ponte Pietra…an ancient Roman bridge. Climbed and explored the Roman Theatre, its multiple terraced vistas of the city, and its architectural museum.

Re-crossed the Adige. Wound through narrow, shop-lined streets. Wandered into the courtyard with the "famous" House of Juliet…of Romeo and Juliet fame. Tons of people rubbing the right breast of Juliet's statue…for true love? Intricate graffitti on most surfaces of the narrow entryway. .

Bought an umbrella. The rain stopped. Returned to the Arena. Caught the #11 bus back to the train station. Bin 4. The 7:15 intercity train back to Venizia Santa Lucia…arrived about 8:45.

Oh look. Rain. Well…just a drizzle. Broke in my umbrella…its orange. Warded off the cool rain with food and drink. Two more fantastic pizzas from the Trattoria Da Silvio…Jeff tried the "Capricciosa" with ham, artichoke, and mushrooms. My Divola was top-notch. Two more cool refreshing beers.

In spite of travel-weary feet, we headed back out to wander the peaceful evening streets. As we hit Piazza San Marco we were immediately reminded of its late night beauty. Large puddles doubled the points of light. A quartet entertained a dessert audience and sent chords echoing across the Piazza. At midnight, the bell tower signalled the end of the day. And an unexpected surprise: the newly refurbished clock tower quietly added its chimes to the chorus above. And then the sounds stopped and the Piazza was silent.

Our last night in Venice, and we can't seem to say goodbye.

A convenient way to chart a day in Venice is to pick a church in the distance and wind your way towards it. today, we visited eight. A historical game of connect the dots.

Set off after breakfast under a blue sky. First stop was the nearby Santa Maria del Rosario…"a Rennaisance masterpiece"…on the Giudecca Canal. We had passed this collumned facade many times in previous visits, but never ventured inside. A pleasant stroll down the canal fondamente and a quick jog to the right brought us to the church of San Sebastian..

Two off-the-map churches on the way to our next stop: Chiesa di Santa Maria della Visitazione (from the 15th century) and Chiesa di San Raffele Arcangelo (from the 12th century). One of the nice things of these hidden spots is that they allow photographs.

Lunch of hearty pastas at the Impronto Cafe. My tagliatele with mushrooms was wonderful.

Window-shopped to our next destination: San Polo, an ancient church from the 9th century. Another 9th century church followed…the beautiful San Giacomo dall'Orio. The non-descript San Stae was next…our least favorite of the trip.

Our last stop was the hidden gem, San Giovanni Elemosinario. Tucked away in the market approaching the Rialto Bridge. The church was built to blend in with the neighboring merchant buildings, and yet the interior was elaborate and peaceful. A highlight of the church was the faded frescos in a tomb beneath the floor.

Finished the day looking at paper mache masks, handmade marionnetes, and Murano glass. Jeff found a magnificent oil painting from a favorite shop…Scriba, along the walls of the Friari. We have stopped into this shop on every visit.

Relaxed with a beer before dinner. Watched dozens of swallows flitting back and forth above the courtyard gathering THEIR evening meal.

Took a recommendation from a local shopkeeper and ate at the tucked-away, bustling Ristorante San Trovasco, owned by four brothers. My penne alla putanesca was divine. After-dinner drinks (mojitos and bellinis) and tirimisu at Impronto Cafe.

Serene, late night photos of the desolate Monday night city. The Grand Canal was silent except the occasional vaporetto.