Nowhere is.
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Up early, into Florence Central as passengers aboard a bus with the most spirited driving I’ve ever encountered on public transport. Saying Bravo as we got off wouldn’t have been enough.
A decent looking record shop on the way in selling BBC sessions of various bands.
The main square by the Uffizi gallery is full of interesting and famous statuary.
The gallery itself is amazing, full of staggering yet familiar pieces that were collected by the Medici family.
Venus de Milo, 3 Leonardo’s in one room, Botticelli’s Venus, Caravaggio’s Medusa and many more.
Ponte Vecchio from a window
We headed from the museum via the Varasi corridor to the Ponte Vecchio. There are still functioning shops on either side of the walkway although almost all are selling jewellery or watches.
Then into the crowded centre and its impressive green & white marble clad cathedral.
We had an enjoyable ramble around then I took a tram out to the airport to collect our hire car.
We headed back down via Arezzo and Perugia across to the East (spectacular drive) where Gill’s brother has a small house in the fortified hilltop village of Piticchio.
The locals had a big screen out in the square and were watching the Italy Albania match.
To the beach at Senigalia today.
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Got to go to Florence on a school trip in sixth form, very fond memories of the place. Really should try and revisit some of those places now I’m not quite as much of a pompous arsehole as I used to be at 17 
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It seems like a great city and needed much longer than we had. Will go back in an April or October when maybe cooler and less busy.
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Yesterday started with a walk around the walls of the town. Some lovely views.
(from the bedroom window)
Then the 20km drive to the Adriatic coast just below Senigalia. Many sections of the beach are privately owned by various entities and in between these sections are public (free) access areas where you’d bring your own sunshade/lounger etc.
Gill’s brother had booked to go on a private, dog friendly section with a nice seafood restaurant behind.
Nice anti pasti with (clockwise) anchovies, very finely sliced parmesan & ham, a couple of taramasalatas, and the tenderest slivers of squid (not the rubbery stuff I usually encounter.
Seafood carbonara
Tagliatelle
Then nap o clock and occasional swims. Water temperature must’ve been almost 30c.
Back to base for football in the nearby bar. When asked, they were happy to have the England game on although few of the locals were really interested in our efforts!
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We’re headed to Lake Como (with kids 7 & 13) in mid July
Anyone have any top tips?
Sunscreen . Already 30C at times. Not been there so can’t be useful😉
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Mosquito nets? 
Stay at the Villa d’Este.
Don’t take the kids
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Get a good child minder to look after kids 1-6 & 8-12
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I don’t know Como that well, but if you’re self-catering there’s a very nice indoor market there - fruit & veg/cheese/ham/etc.
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We’re staying in the city as a base for 7 nights before heading to Bellagio
Safe to say that’ll be my first call once we arrive 
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In the village where we were staying, a retired journalist (frequently a war correspondent in Iraq/Iran) has set up a surprisingly extensive toy museum and showed us round what is an extraordinary collection starting from carved stone figures (often made as whistles) which had been buried with children in Iran in archaeological sites being dug pre 79 revolution & Ayatollah Khomeini. Then onto soldiers ( boys) and dolls (girls) before getting into pressed metal clockwork toys and then his great love, model railways (all the gauges) and model cars. It was interesting to learn that while countries like UK and Germany had fairly sophisticated model trains quite early on, in Italy (which was far poorer) such things were way out of reach. Here there were dioramas with rolling stock from 30s, 50’s, 70’s and 90’s each meticulously crafted and filled with age appropriate bits and bobs.
He’s doing another now modelled around the fortified town and is 3d printing tricky elements like the many window shutters and the clock tower. Amazing energy someone in his late 70s.
Buses for @MonitorGold10
More images, video here.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/kzGo7czLBuXmqxDu9
We’d decided to do a drive along the Adriatic Coast NW of Senigalia past Fano & Pesaro to the picturesque Monte San Bartolo national park. The coast road there offered amazing views both inland & out to sea.
Eventually we stopped in the pretty village of Fiorenzuola, and made our way down to the beach which was notable for the amount of driftwood which seemed to gather there and which visitors then fashion into sun shelters. Stunning place.
Back in Piticchio for sunset.
This morning we set off and drove down the coast past Ancona to Pescara and then cut across through the mountains down to Naples (Scafati) ready for a visit to Pompeii tomorrow. Signs in the mountains suggest that you might possibly see bears, wolves or some kind of large deer though sadly not today. It is a fantastic drive though.
However, we did manage to see this little critter (maybe 40mm long) in our bedroom this morning!
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