Florence, or Firenze

So after our few days in Ravello we headed up to Firenze. It was just what we needed.  A bit cooler, a bit busier and not as many steps (a mere 100 up and down from our apartment each day).  We really chilled in Florence; we ate in every night but one and got into the routine of the locals...strolling down to the market for a morning cappacino (drunk standing, of course) and the gathering of ingredients for that evening's meal.  Our afternoons were spent wondering the streets and sampling a few gelatos.  We stayed in an apartment called Raperonzolo on Via Monalda, which I would thoroughly recommend. I never noted down the two restaurants we out at, but both were in San Spirito square and both were delicious.

Ravello

At the beginning of September we went to Italy for one of my dear, dear friend's weddings.  We made a holiday of it of course and spent 5 days on the hills of Ravello, followed by 3 days in Florence (Florence post to follow).  Ravello was truly beautiful.  We stayed in this awesome little apartment with specular views - B&B Il Limoni it was called.  I would throughly recommend it, but the steps up and down are not for the faint hearted.  We hired a boat to explore the Amalfi coastline, ate lush seafood, sat on the terrace outside our room and watched the views, read (Cider with Rosie), visited a butcher who had a whole cow's head in his fridge, ate those amazing bright green olives, danced the night away in Club Africana, skinny dipped in the sea post Club Africana and climbed over 4000 steps (my thighs are seriously pumped now).  The wedding was also beautiful. My camera didn't accompany me I'm afraid...sometimes it's nice to leave that to someone else and just enjoy the day.  Which I did, hugely - thank you darling Nikki. Anyway, enjoy...spot the old dude cooling off in the sea with a massive cigar. Xxx

sailing the solent with dad

I took a week off at the end of August and went sailing with Dad. It was lush - we had such a giggle.  Dad took me and Daisy on a 12 mile walk one day along the path that leads out to the needles.  Dad and I have both only ever seen the needles from the sea (with our heads in buckets on more than one occasion) so the walk along the cliffs was brilliant....although my legs hurt a lot.