Monday 2nd January

Benvenuto a Firenze!
We left Venice this morning and just after midday, took the fast train to Florence. And fast it was - at one stage early in the journey, the screens were showing the speed, and it was around 218 kph. From Bologna to Firenze we were mostly in the dark - travelling via tunnels through the mountains.
Our hotel in Florence, the Laurus, is just a short walk from the train station, and also just a short walk from the Duomo. Our room is very nice, and yet again, breakfast is included and we've got free wi-fi. This afternoon we have identified a few tours we would like to do - a couple of them have been booked and confirmed, and we are waitlisted for others. We had a lovely meal at a little restaurant not far from the hotel - and prices were much better than in Venice, which we found to be quite expensive. Sadly, Florence seems to have just as many smokers.
From a quick walk around this evening, the shopping appears to be quite promising, so looking forward to checking it out over the next few days.