Rome with Noah, Troy and Momma: Florence, Italy

Earbuds and Stickers for Guided Tour of Florence, Italy

After a good night's sleep, we got up early to catch an express train to Florence, Italy for a guided tour. We used https://graylinerome.com/out/florence/ and had an excellent excursion on the 'Full-day Florence by high-speed train at your pace'.
We met our group outside the Rome Termini Train Station around 7am and got our Grayline I Love Rome stickers and earbuds for a self-guided tour for parts of the trip. The train from Rome was an express train and did not take long at all to get us to the Florence S. Maria Novella Train Station. It was a short walk to the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella with its cobblestone Piazza della Stazione lined with shops and cafes. Their Christmas tree filled the square (it looked much better than the one in Rome across from the Typewriter. Our tour then took us to the Ponte Vecchio - a medieval stone bridge that has souvenir and jewelry shops lining both of its sides from one side of the bridge to the other as it crosses the Arno. Being the middle of the day, the bridge was packed with tourists (packed with more tourists than even I care to push through). We did not stay on the bridge long. I could have enjoyed it more later in the day with less crowds, I think.

Our tour then went on to the Loggia dei Lanzi which is on the Piazza della Signoria and showcases numerous statues and murals. It also has the Florence City Hall and a copy of the Statue of David. We did not see the real Statue of David, but seeing a full-scale replica is pretty impressive. There were also the Fountain of Neptune and the statue 'Perseus with the Head of Medusa'.

Then we toured the Uffizi Museum which included 'The Birth of Venus', 'The Duke and Duchess of Ubino Federico da Montefeltro' and the 'Wrestlers'. If you want to see these works of art for yourself, go to this museum. You will be very impressed.

After we left the Uffizi Museum, our group had a really good lunch next to a leather goods store. We did not buy any of the leather goods but they gave a nice presentation on the craftsmanship that goes into their handmade products. We had a little time to ourselves after lunch to walk around the area and explore shops, just the three of us. We found a restaurant and bar while it rained a little but had cleared up before we had to walk back and meet our group for the return train to Rome.

Basilica of Santa Maria Novella with Christmas Tree

Ponte Vecchio bridge, too many people

Better picture on bridge with no tourists behind us.

Piazza della Stazione

Momma, Noah, Troy

Fountaine of Neptune
Piazza della Signoria

Statue of David Copy
in front of Florence City Hall

Copy of David in front of City Hall

Momma, bottom right

Perseus with the Head of Medusa
by Benvenuto Cellini
Loggia dei Lanzi in the Piazza della Signoria

Before walking back to the train station.

The three of us boarding the train to leave Florence.

I definitely would recommend this day trip for anyone in the area. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Having a local guide show you through the winding streets and listening to your own recorded tour at your own pace is a very relaxing way to explore Florence, Italy.

We finished up this evening in Rome with dinner at the Ristorante Rossini. It is located in the Hotel Quirinale and connects to the Performing Arts Center (Teatro dell'Opera, Opera House) and is conveniently located just across the street from our Hotel Opera Roma. Great place for a late dinner. It has a nice courtyard with seating if the weather is good.

Our next day was our tour of the Colosseum.