Italy - Florence & Pisa

10 Oct (Fri)
We acquainted this young immigrant from Ethopia running a make-shift shoes stall near Rome Termini.
Took the 0955hour train and arrived in Firenze, Santa Maria Novella train station within 1.5hours. Check-in to Hotel Montreal which is a short 5 mins walk from from the train station. Happy with the room esp after 5 nights of budget living.
We then head straight to Pisa in order to maximize the Eurail Pass. Pisa is about an hour train ride from Florence.Walking to the Leaning tower of Pisa.The iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa consisting of 7 tiers (by Bonanno Pisano) against a backdrop of manicured lawns known as the Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) was thong with plenty of tourists.
Rented a "bicycle" to exploring the area around the Leaning tower of Pisa.

Lots of Pinocchio souvenirs as its creator Carlo Collidi orginated from Florence.
11 Oct (Sat) Similar to Rome, the attractions in Florence are within walking distance from each other and very easy to find.



Cathedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore Piazza del Duomo

Piazza San Lorenzo with the open air street market. Ponte Vecchio, a 14th century bridge lined with gold & silversmiths' shops. Beneath is the Arno River.
Peiwen highly recommended Space Outlet near Florence so I did some research and found the address & directions. The Prada outlet is about 10mins cab ride from Montevarchi Station, an ulu station about 1 hour from Florence S.m.v station. Very popular both with locals & tourists. Fulfilled my wish of getting a white bag and couldn't resist getting a matching key pouch at a third of the usual price. Always ended up spurging on vacation. Luckily I can claim the 12% tax refund, another reason to justify my new purchase.
We wanted to head to the Gucci outlet near Rignano Station via train from Montevarchi. The taxi charge a exzorbitant fee of Eur 60 so it was not an option. Unfortunately we got on a wrong train which didn't stop by Rignano and we ended up in Florence S.m.v straight. Decided to give Gucci a miss.

Dining outlets in Florence didn't look as appetising. After walking around a few streets, we settled down in the restuarant next to our hotel. I tried the GIANT Calzone, rolled pizza stuffed with cheese, ham & mushroom. So yummy I almost finished everything and didn't have space to try their tiramisu. I will definitely miss their Calzone..