Looking for the more romantic side of Florence.

I had been so looking forward to being in Florence, that it was hard for me to admit that actually I was finding it to be a rather grubby city. In the hopes of finding something a little more along the lines of...dare I say it?-"Room with a View", but lacking enough time to really get outside of the city, we headed off to what looked like a higher point.

Apart from the roads, and the traffic, walking up to the Piazzale Michelangelo where the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte can be found nearby, was certainly scenic and more like what I had envisioned Florence to be like.

There was a really lovely restaurant and trellises and roses etc... overlooking the city which we would have been eager keen to bring the rest of the family back to for dinner but sadly it turned out to be an American bar!

Inside the Basilica, it was incredibly dark. It was near impossible to see the beautiful interior and paintings. Everything they say about Italian churches is certainly true. Outside there was a lovely cemetery. Well worth a visit.