Italy # 7

Arrived here in Florence yesterday after driving from Lucca and Esther we managed to restrict ourselves to 140km/hr this trip, but have topped 170km/hr on previous autostrades! Dumped car at airport and got the shuttle into the city right next to our hotel.

Speaking of our hotel...we have a 2 storey suite of rooms designed to commemorate Paul Anka's last entry into the charts!!! Dated is one word you could use, probably was great 30 years ago, but it's certainly interesting.

Spent 2 days here and walked and walked!! People everywhere - its like being in a Footy Park crowd all the time, but not a Power game of course. Today lined up for two hours to see the Uffizi - every Renaissance painter you would ever want to see, but we particularly enjoyed the Bottocelli room and Michelangelo paintings, unfortunately the Durer room was closed and we only got a brief glimpse of the Rembrandts.

Although Easter Sunday sounds like the perfect time to see the Duomo, the crowds are so huge we can't get near the door, but we are going to try go to a service tomorrow.

Now to the shopping!!! leather jackets all round, trying to avoid the dodgy traders, thanks Kaye for your tips! Vicky is circling - like a shark - ready to bite the bottom of a handbag seller. Bulgari tops the price list at 1200 euro ( $1900 ). It was interesting that we were treated seriously by all the fancy designer shops - no pretty woman situations - to the extent that in Bulgari we got the blokes card and it was handshakes all round!

Eating lots of pasta and drinking cheap grog and watching CSI in Italian. Two more days here - with Michelangelo's David and the Duomo tomorrow - and perhaps a pair of shoes !!