Florence, Friday 23 May, Day 30

As predicted, we woke up to a grey drizzly morning. We had tickets for midday at the Uffizi, so we had a low key morning, an expedition to the post office to post a package, to find a tabacc to post some post cards, and for Anne to check out the many scarf vendors and increase her scarf collection. On the way we encountered the tail end of some sort of Florentine procession - brass horn marching music and chaps in striped pantaloons swaying down the street.

We got our tickets and eventually into the Uffizi at the appointed time. Very crowded and for a while we seemed to be caught in a crowd of people who, despite the signs saying no photos, persisted in taking photos of one another standing in front of the paintings. Here is Giotto's Madonna. Stand in front of it with your back to it while I take your photo. Here is Martini's Annunciation. Stand in front of it looking at me with the same inane expression while I take your photo. And so on. Given how many paintings there are in the gallery I wonder how far they got before the novelty wore off.

The Uffizi is amazing but the gallery is so large and rich that we stumbled back to the hotel afterwards and spent the rest of the afternoon very quietly in a darkened room.

By dinner time the weather had cleared and all the tables were out along the lovely curving street that snakes past outside. After dinner we bade a fond farewell to Cristina, the super hardworking, utterly charming young waitress in the Trattoria next door. She was genuinely kind and warm towards us, and made our visit here extra special. Thank you Cristina.

Off to Siena tomorrow.