FLORENCE: So I had 3 days off to kill before I have to be in Naples for the weekend so I decided to go to Florence. Now, I had been here (gulp) 14 years ago, and though there are plenty of cities in Italy I haven't been too, I thought I'd hit a familiar one so I'd feel slightly more at ease. Plus I knew a day had to be wasted taking care of stupid stuff like paying rent, sending winter clothes back home to lighten my load, and do laundry, so why not do it in Florence. No logic really it just seemed easiest. Actually there is some logic because doing all this travelling does not necessarily inspire one to explore other cities when you've got days off. The familiar is calming and repairs all those nerve endings fried from back to back jobs and being nightclubbed. I arrive in the evening in Florence and jump into a cab to take me to my online lastminute.com hotel which turns out to be a block from the train station, but the taxi driver and his wife insist it is worth the 10 euros on the meter. I'm in no frame of mind to argue and merely damn them to hell in the elevator up to reception. My hotel is very basic but perfect for a 3 day layover. The windows open to a courtyard which saves me from the street noise (not that this will matter as you will find out).