I know I am supposed to tell you that as the birthplace of the Renaissance, Firenze was incredible.

I don't conform to expectations sometimes, and this time I will tell you that I was not a big fan, to say the least. First of all, it was hot. Then there was traffic and noise everywhere. Then there were a hundred thousand street vendors trying to sell me a leather coat on a day when it's 85 degrees outside. Then there was the crowds. Then there was admission costs for everything. Did I mention the mass of idiot tourists?

Anyway, it was definitely an experience to see some of the most ornate things I've yet to see in Italy. The Duomo is incredible on the outside, but strangely plain inside. There's even a STORE in the Duomo (yak) that caters to your tourist needs. Anyway, we wandered around this hot city looking for the places where the tourists were not, and were not successful. I suppose what it boils down to is that I prefer the smaller towns.

It was fun to pull Kara through the streets though, we were both pretty tired from all the travel and exploration on foot. She particularly enjoyed the 422 steps of Giotto's Tower only 36 hours after the Cinque Terre trip.