Topdeck Florence Via Pisa

This sign makes me laugh a lot. I'm fairly sure it's a school warning sign so as not to squash the children. Very cute.

Tour guide Owen telling us about Pisa. He told great historical stories. I loved them.

Everywhere I go I'm acutely aware that I'm touching buildings that people have made by hand hundreds of years before me. Just incredible to think what these buildings have seen and heard in their years.

I was surprised how big the lean actually is. Hard to see in any picture. Owen told us that they built the first three levels of arches and then went off to war. When they got back to finish it off it had sunk and re-settled. So they thought "ah well, we'll just straighten it up" If you look carefully above the third level of arches you can see the next level starts leaning back the other way just a little.

"A bastard is you!" The RSPCA in Italy seems a lot more forthright than we see at home. Lots of these signs about abandoning cute little puppies on the streets.

Lovely sunset view from the roof top bar at our hostel in Florence.

Took this while walking, I wish I'd gotten her positioned further to the right.

In Florence we went on a walking tour with a local guide, Elsa. Such a lovely woman. She had a very soothing voice and spoke about the rich history of the area with a gentle warmth and passion. I asked her where to get the best cake in town.

In the foyer of the Macchiavelli Castle. Da Vinici designed the little cupid on the right. He lived there with Michelangelo and a bunch of other important dudes. Leonardo and Michelangelo hated each other and eventually Leonardo moved to France. He took the Mona Lisa with him and left it in Paris. They didn't steal it from Italy after all.

In World War 2 Hitler blew up all the bridges in Florence so the people couldn't get across the river. He left one bridge (right hand side) because he thought it was pretty. It's covered in old shops and is really lovely. All the buildings on either side of it are newer because it's one of the only things to survive. What a poo head.

LOTS of gelati in Italy. I think I gained about 10Kg gelati and waffle cones.

I thought Paris was scooter central! I'm not really sure how they get out of these parking spaces. Tightly packed.

Elsa was right about the cake shop. Top 2 in the Great European Cake Comp that Harriet and I embarked on (we vowed to try cake in every city we went to, Paris and Florence drew).

My view down the bus where we spent many hours. Roughly 8 hours every 2-3 days.