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Firenze (Florence)

Not that I have anything against my fellow countrymen - but it's nice to get away from recognizable languages when traveling abroad. And it never ceased to amaze me overhearing Americans sitting in a cafe near the Pont di Vecchio complaining about the food, complaining about their attorneys back home, complaining about skin rashes, complaining...

All that whining probably explains why Florence was the only place where I encountered Italians that were less than friendly, and unwilling to put up with my broken Italian.

However, after a few days, we did manage to find places in Florence devoid of American tourists - and the natives became proportionally friendlier.

While the art and sculpture in Florence was memorable, with a few exceptions, the architecture did not compare to that of other cities we visited. Il Duomo was an exceptional masterpiece.

I do have to praise the food in Florence - wonderful! Florence's gnocchi was the best that I encountered in Italy, and the open markets made for delicious picnic lunches.