Our Adventures In Rome, Italy Part 3

This is Part 3 of our adventures in Rome along with a side trip to Florence

Below is one of many fountains that we saw in Rome

We were walking on one of the bridges that crosses over the Tiber River and when I looked down I saw this bicycle that obviously had seen better days

A bridge over the Tiber River

Another one of many fountains that we saw in Rome. This fountain was very close to a street side flower shop where I took some photos while Veronica picked out some Tulips to take back to our room

Below are 2 of the fountains that were part of the The Altare della Patria or Italian unification monument also known as the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II

Some evening photos

  

 As Veronica and I were taking an evening stroll we walked down these stairs where we came upon a young couple and the male was singing an Italian song to his girl. He was looking at his phone while getting the lyrics to the song . Once we got to the bottom of these steps we could hear him still singing so I took the opportunity to take a quick photograph of the young couple

The next morning was Valentines Day and I had arranged a high speed train trip to Florence which should have taken approximately 2 hours. The rail line had some type of issue(s) going on so we ended up stopping at several locations on the track..I am assuming that we stopped to let other trains go by or continue on their route before we could continue on. It took us twice as long as it should have for us to arrive in Florence. We couldn't really complain because we had purchased 1st class business seats in the "silence" car where business men and women can work on their laptops or conduct business in a quiet environment. The rail staff brought newspapers by and offered us drinks and snacks along the way. The seats were very comfortable and the rail car was extremely clean. They had a screen that showed where we were along a rail map and it also flashed how fast the train was going. The fastest we went on both the going to Florence and returning to Rome portion of the trip was 252 km/h or 156.586 mph. The ride was so smooth and quiet that it was amazing that we were going that fast. Because of all of the stops along the way while heading to Florence it gave Veronica and I a chance to see some of the small walled in towns that dotted the tops of the higher hills, which overlooked the valleys and land below.

Upon arriving in Florence we headed to the hotel that I had made reservation at... the Grand Hotel Cavour

When making the reservation I had asked for one of nicer rooms as it was a special Valentines treat for Veronica. I had no idea what we were in for because as we were checking in we were advised that we had been complimentary upgraded to one of their nicest suites. Neither Veronica nor I was expecting such a gracious and beautiful suite (sweet) upgrade. We also received a complimentary buffet breakfast the next morning. Everyone at the hotel were super nice. Even after we checked out they let us store our backpacks in a secured room so that we could walk around Florence without having to drag everything with us, which was especially nice since our return train back to Rome was not until 5PM. We ended up walking ourselves tired and returned to the hotel early, picked up our backpacks and hung out in one of their lobby alcoves for an hour or two, at which time the hotel staff called us a taxi so that we could get to the train terminal in plenty of time to catch out return train to Rome. If you should ever get to Rome, I would highly recommend the Grand Hotel Cavour. Not only is it a beautiful hotel, serves a really good buffet breakfast, has a superb staff it is also within sight of the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore,  also know as the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower and is the main church in Florence.

We had our own balcony that looked down upon the street below

 There was a separate sitting room that had a 2nd TV in it

The room had a really nice bathroom with a separate tub and shower

Some of the sights we saw while walking around in Florence

The Basilica di Santa Croce is the principal Franciscan church in Florence, Italy, and a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church. It is situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce as is the fountain shown below

  

Views of the inside of the Basilica di Santa Croce

Below is the Tomb of Michelangelo which was being renovated when we were there

Below is Il Porcellino (Italian "piglet") which is the local Florentine nickname for the bronze fountain of a boar. The fountain figure was sculpted and cast by Baroque master Pietro Tacca (1577–1640)

Visitors to Il Porcellino put a coin into the boar's gaping jaws, with the intent to let it fall through the underlying grating for good luck, and they rub the boar's snout to ensure a return to Florence 

The Ponte Vecchio is a medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy, noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common. Butchers initially occupied the shops; the present tenants are jewelers, art dealers and souvenir sellers.

Below is an archway that covers a pedestrian walkway which leads up to the Ponte Vecchio..Old Bridge 

  

 The Uffizi Gallery Museum as seen from the opposite bank of the Arno River

  

Below is the interior of the Santi Michele e Gaetano Church in Florence

  

This is the end of a long day walking the streets and visiting the sights in Florence. We took a taxi from our hotel and headed to the train terminal to catch our train to return to Rome. We got back to Rome after dark.

This ends Part 3