Sorry for the delay in posting. Our internet connection in Florence was not the best so I waited to post about Florence until we arrived in Rome. As you can see from the pictures above, our room in Florence was “fit for a king” with a canopied bed and a large room. The Hotel Loggiato die Servi is on St Marks Square just a few blocks from the Duomo. The hotel was a former monastery that had been renovated, and the rooms were beautifully appointed. The stairwells provided a delight around every corner. The view from our room was amazing as we could see the Duomo over the roof tops. We begin our time in each city with an orientation walk so we can get our bearings and know how to navigate the city. Daniella, our guide, is talking to our group on the front porch of the hotel giving us a brief overview. We then walked down toward the Duomo seeing palaces on every street with beautiful courtyard enclosed by iron gates. These palaces are still in use as private homes, hotels, or businesses. We arrived at the Duomo to see Brunelleschi’s Cathedral Dome and were treated to a surprise visit to the Duomo Museum to see Ghiberti’s original Baptistry Doors of Paradise. We also saw an unfinished Michaelangelo Pieta and many other beautiful pieces. We finished our first day in Florence with a hearty Tuscan feast at Angelo’s Restaurant, complete with a flaming main course. On to more of the beauty and history of Florence tomorrow.