Tuesday 27 September: More Tuscany

Raffeallo turned up at last - he is a charming, urbane sort of fellow who is much different in person than he sounded on the phone. Still, he wasn't giving anything away, so we will go ahead with our change of plans. We got the washing done, then drove into Florence.

First impressions were not good. The road from Borgo S Lorenzo is hard work, and when we finally caught sight of the city it was shrouded under a layer of brown smog. The huge dome was only just visible. The outer areas are a mess, and of course the traffic is chaotic. We parked in a side street behind the Medici fortress and walked through the adjoining park in the direction of the town centre. There's a lot of litter and graffiti, and a general air of dirt and shabbiness.

We found an internet cafe and booked a hotel that is convenient to both the Avis office and the station. We then walked to the main square to see the famous Duomo (cathedral) with its adjoining bell tower and baptistry. Again, first impressions were not very good. There's no denying the size of these buildings, but they are all in need of cleaning, and the dense crowds prevented us getting a really good look in any case.

Back to the agrotourismo for dinner. Raffaello hosted a "typical Tuscan dinner". The other guests were the Dutch crowd staying at the "villa" - another house on the same property. It was a whole family group of 18 people, and it turns out they are the ones with the loud music. Anyhow, the dinner was excellent, conversation was good, and we all enjoyed ourselves.