Florence. The “must visit” Italian renaissance city of history and art.

A unique destination containing all of the seeds that have become the modern western world.

Certainly, one of my favorite cities. I have been here many times over the decades. Even spent a summer here studying Italian cooking at the culinary Institiute.

Please take a look at this comprehensive report on this fascinating city: Florence. Tuscany. Italy. | Lew’s Walkabout (lewswalkabout.com)

Also, if you ask her to see it, CAMarchand has made up a printed booklet of her photos and descriptions of all of the famous Churches of the city.

I recommend everyone I know to come here. Soon. Every time I come back it is harder to visit with the ever-increasing crowds, congestion and upscale shopping replacing real life.

But on the other hand, I never get tired of the Italian food, wine and the Italian character. It is hard to stay out of Italy.

This visit we had an apartment with an OK kitchen strategically located between an excellent local market and a fine supermarket and we shopped for ingredients every morning and cooked every evening.

Not much more to say. Here are a few photos of our climb up the ancient road to the 2,500-year-old Etruscan settlement of Fiesole, which overlooks and predates the Roman settlement of Florence.

We are travelling tomorrow, west to London to see some plays on our way home for the holidays. Will check in from there.

Thanks for coming along.