Mike & Trace World Tour: Florence

We arrived in Florence at 11am and after checking into our hostel we found a brochure which offered tours in Tuscany on either a four wheeler, horse back or vesper, Mike’s choice of vesper won as the guy recommended it over the horseback riding (Trace’s horse back riding will be next on the “to do list”)

We eventually got hold of the company and signed up for the 4pm tour which included a vesper tour around some small Tuscan villages and a traditional Tuscan meal.

We filled the afternoon with exploring Florence and looking around the local markets.

Gothic Duomo

Sculpture of David (replica) This is the only bridge in Florence to survive WWII – Ponte Vecchio

At 4pm we meet up with our tour guide and a group of people who had also decided to do this tour. After a half an hour wait we were wondering what we had really signed up for. A guy turned up with a mini van who could only fit 8 of the 12 people in it so we along with two Argentina girls drew the short straw and were left to go with the “crazy”guy in his little Mr bean car.

Trace jumped in the back with the two girls while Mike took the front seat. We asked for safely belts and he told us we didn’t need them, We knew we did, so Trace shared with one of the Argentina girls. This guys driving was crazy, we spent most of the time in the middle of the road! There were a few close calls on the way out and we were so pleased to have made the 50 minute drive out to the village alive!

After the experience, Trace thought she would be fine on the scooter (first time ever driving anything with two wheels!). We were given a test course around a little dirt track which we both passed with flying colours, little did we know this would be so different to the track we were actually going to be taking, main roads with quite a few cars on them.

We were in a group of 4 (two American's who lived in Vegas, who knew anyone actually lived in that city!) The American lady failed the test as every time she got nervous she would rev the hand accelerator, this would send her in circles. She has a few attempts at driving but her last attempt was the funniest, as she became more nervous the speed of the vesper increased and then she turned the vesper which made it fall and she did an army roll, it was quiet a site!

Off we set on our vespers, the American lady sharing with the guide. Mike loved every moment of the tour, Trace just hung onto her scooter for dear life the whole way, facial expressions staying the same, the only thing going through her head, “look straight, don't move, oh well you only live once!

We both really enjoyed the tour, below are a few photos of things we saw . . .

A lucky statue - meant to grant wishes… We’ll see!!

Look straight don’t move!

Finally a smile! Right at the end of the tour…

After the tour we were then driven to an old Tuscan castle restaurant for dinner, this was delicious – spaghetti pasta, nochi and a few glasses of lovely wine.

During conversations that night we meet up with an American couple (different to the ones that lived in Vegas) and Canada girl, after our wonderful marketing skills and talking about NZ we have convinced them to come over, so hopefully you will all get to meet them.

DAY TWO

We had decided the night before that it would be a great idea to get up and see the sunrise in Florence seen as we were only there for a night, but after getting back to our hostel at 12.30pm this was not such a good idea. We made it out of bed at 4.45am and thought we knew were we were going but it turned out we didn't and we got lost! Eventually we did make it up Michelangelo hill and these are the photos we have to prove it below, better luck on the sunrise next time!