I am never leaving Tuscany

My decision to stay over in Milan was more coincidental than planned. Any route I would have taken from Geneva to Italy involved a transfer at Milano Centrale, and I thought it made sense to spend a quick few hours seeing the city, then moving on to Florence. I did wonder if this would be enough time, and it turns out...

IT WAS. The Duomo was beautiful, but other than that, I cant say I really loved anything else in Milan besides my hostel (which was definitely the best one I've stayed at so far). I think if I could afford to shop in Milan, my opinion might improve. But as it stands, I'm glad I wasnt scheduled for any longer than I was there - in an hour in Florence, I felt like Id already seen more.

My hostel is just 2 minutes away from the Duomo, which was my first stop (although I must admit that the Milan version was more impressive). From there, I went to Piazzale Michelangelo, where you can get breathtaking views of the city for the sacrifice of a 10 minute hike. Florence is so beautiful - the architecture, the river, the Tuscan hills in the background.

Another highlight was the Basilica di Santa Croce, where I got to see the tombs of Galileo, Michelangelo and Machiavelli, of all people. I finished the day by going to the Uffizi Gallery, where I spent a nice couple of hours. I'm still not the biggest art fan, but I can appreciate the effort and talent it takes. I am planning to go see the David in Galleria Accademia, if only because everyone and their mother keeps saying I should. After that, I will be sufficiently arted out for a few days.

The weather in Italy has been great, especially in comparison to what I left behind in France and Switzerland. Knowing that I have Germany next makes me determined to enjoy the plus-15 weather while I can. Tomorrow I will be doing a very hectic tour of Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano. I keep hearing raves about the Tuscan countryside, so Im really looking forward to it.

For dinner, I had this great alfredo pasta and some life-changing gelato. I'm now a little buzzed on the red wine that my hostel provides as an aperitif. When in Italy...