Arrived in Switzerland!

Well, I made it to Switzerland!  However, I still need to recap yesterday’s adventures.

I started out yesterday morning with a walk along the Arno River which runs through Florence.  I got a good look at the famous arch bridge over the Arno called Ponte Vecchio.  It’s pretty impressive that a bridge built in the 1300s is still standing.  I walked along the bridge and wondered through the shops on the bridge until I came across a café on the other side of the river.  I stopped and had a wonderful chocolate croissant and a cappuccino. 

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio with a rower braving the cold morning

My breakfast outside the cafe

After breakfast I headed to some shops and found a cute pair of Italian leather boots.  Then I accidentally came across an outdoor market.  The market sold everything from WWII antiques to handmade soaps to postcards from the early 1900s.  I spent a lot of time wondering around and purchasing a few gifts.  Then, I went and had some pizza… because no trip to Italy is complete without pizza. 

My lunch... it was a bit much

I did a bit more shopping during the afternoon and early evening and then had a bite to eat at a restaurant close to my hotel and some gelato from Grom (a popular chain of gelato shops in Italy).  I have to say, I was very sad to have to leave Florence.  I loved my time there!

This morning I had a four hour train ride from Italy to Zurich.  I had a stop in Milan and everyone there looked like Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada”.  The rest of the train ride included outstanding views of the Alps.  I passed hundreds of mountains, waterfalls and lakes on my way into Zurich.  I didn’t get many pictures since the train was high speed and the windows were a tad dirty.  Hopefully I will get some good pictures tomorrow on my trip to Mount Pilatus.  Tomorrow is my last day in Europe, so I am hoping for good weather and a great trip to the mountains!