We arrived in Florence via train from Switzerland the day before the tour started. In comparison to our last visit here over twenty years ago we were shocked at the tourist crowd. We found a quiet little pub not far from our hotel that evening for a sandwich and beer to get ourselves ready for the tourist crowds. During the next couple days we met our fellow travelers. We toured the Accademia and Bargello museums. A fascinating group stop was a mosaic shop. The tiny pieces used required some steady hand work! We didn’t bother to inquire about the price of any of the pieces!

On our drive south from Florence we stopped at the Florence American Cemetery & Memorial. This is a memorial to WW II soldiers. These grounds were given to the US by Italy. This region was a major battleground for the troops sweeping north near the end of the war. The heavily fortified German positions in the mountains resulted in thousands of casualties. A very moving presentation by a local guide described the various battle fronts during that time.

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