We arrived in Florence Saturday afternoon by train and headed out to explore shortly after checking into our lodging.  Our B&B is centrally located in historic Florence within a short walk of the Duomo and the Piazza della Signoria.

We stopped first for a little lunch at a restaurant with a patio overlooking the Orno River that offered a great view of the iconic Ponte Vecchio bridge.  It made a wonderful spot for picture of ourselves with the bridge in the background.

Next we started a hike to Piazzale Michelangelo which is perched on hill across the Arno River in the Altrarno district.  After walking up a few streets, we came to a rather intimidating long, steep flight of stairs leading to the top but we keep to our goal.  Just before the start of the stairs, there is a somewhat hidden, beautiful rose garden.  We only discovered the garden because of the kindness of a passerby we stopped for directions.

When we arrived at the Piazzale Michelangelo, we were rewarded with a spectacular, panoramic view of the city.   Jackie grabbed some nice photos including that of the Duomo and the Giotto’s Bell Tower.  The view from Piazzale Michelangelo was the perfect way to start our adventure in Florence.