Trafalgar Tours Italian Scene - Day 9
We took the optional tour to
Bellagio on Lake Como which was beautiful (37 euro). Unfortunately, because of the noise from the boat we were unable to hear the guide. We spent time walking around the small town and found a restaurant for our gelato/restroom stop. The part of the group that stayed behind said there wasn't much to do or see in the town where we left the bus. After boarding the bus, we traveled to
Pisa for a brief visit before heading to Florence. Pisa was another tourist trap full of market stalls and vendors. We took a few pictures and then ate at McDonalds (mainly so that we could use the restroom).
Arriving in Florence around 3:00 we had time to explore, but the
Novotel Hotel was not near the city center (5 miles). There was an optional dinner in the Tuscan Hills (61 euro). We opted to take a taxi into Florence which was quite expensive (26 euro each way). I'm glad we took the time to go into the city because the following day was rushed and it gave us a chance to explore and have a nice quiet dinner in a local square. Like other places we have visited on this trip, I would have liked much more time to explore. One place that
Pitti Palace just a short distance from the
Ponte Vecchio. A big influence in Florence was the
Medici Family, many of whom although not of royal descent, went on to marry kings of other countries.
