Trent’s European Travel Diary - Fabulous Florence

It's such a romantic idea cycling through Florence on a sunny Saturday afternoon, or at least that's what I thought! Today Trent takes us in and around provincial Florence, avoiding the crowds and appreciating some of the brilliant sights. - Jenny x Last weekend I spent Saturday taking my bicycle on the train to Florence. As I am sure you know, Florence is a beautiful city, but I was not at all prepared for the number of people that descend on this beautiful valley on the weekend. Luckily I had my bicycle, so I could mow them down. I didn't fancy queuing for hours to see the museums (maybe I will return on a weekday for those), so I spent the day cycling from one piazza to the next. I started at Piazza Del Duomo, rode on to Piazza Della Repubblica and dodged the finely clad tourists at Palazzo Vecchio on the way to Ponte Vecchio. Later I headed up the hill to Piazzale Michelangelo to view the city and the rest of the valley in its entirety. On my way back down I stopped in a little bar for lunch and thought I would be adventurous by ordering something from the menu that I was not familiar with. I am not much of a meat eater, but I ended up with a big plate of meat and pasta and a local beer to wash it down with. After lunch there was time for a quick gelato and a ride up in the hills above Florence before getting on the train back to Pontedera. - Trent