(continued from Day 2)… After our disappointing non-visit of the Boboli Gardens that overlook Florence, we were back the next day, student cards in hand for a 50% discount. We didn’t want to miss out on the highly-recommended views over Florence, and we’d both also roundly expressed an eagerness to find somewhere to do some quality sunbathing on this most glorious of days. Instead of walking up the hills to the top entrance like yesterday, we strolled round the side of the Piazza Pitti hopping to find the bottom entrance, which we did indeed.

The gardens were beautiful with lots of lovely intertwining pathways, tree-lined avenues, statues and fountains. The only aspect notable in its absence was colour – the place could have been even more beautiful with some flowers thrown in here and there. Without them it was all green trees and beige gravel. Perhaps the lack of flowers is a maintenance issue, in such a large collection of gardens? I am just so loathe to being made to pay through the nose for something almost entirely natural that I could almost be forgiven for demanding that more should be done with my, and all the other thousands of Euros in entrance money. The only staff around were those collecting money at the entrances, and even the water in the ponds and fountains was a dirty opaque green, devoid of life. Perhaps I am being harsh, I can’t claim to know the first thing about garden maintenance really.

Of course, this is all not to say that it wasn’t still a marvellous place. Having exhausted ourselves by walking around a maze of paths, we chomped down on our baguette on a grassy knoll overlooking cascading lawns leading down to a fountain, and then sunbathed in the allegedly 30-centigrade heat for 1½ to 2 hours. Such relaxation seemed a far cry from the bustle that must have been going on in the centre, and as such I would absolutely recommend any visitor to Florence visits the Boboli, the two different aspects of the city seem to go ironically hand-in-hand.

After that we headed to the top of the gardens near the entrance that we had failed to enter the previous day, and took some photos of the fantastic views, including some from the ancient Fort Belvedere, which had been shut the day before anyway (imagine how distraught I’d have been if we’d paid the full entrance fee yesterday and then discovered the Fort was closed!). We also saw a couple of green lizards scooting about in the heat, which is always a welcome sight as an Englishman – a reminder of the massively different climate that allows one to take a slight moment to imagine what the weather might be like in Britain, as a wry smile creeps across one’s face.

We exited via the top entrance and then paid a quick visit to the nearby sister gardens, the Guardiano Bordini, included in the ticket price. More fantastic views were on offer up here, albeit of Florence from a slightly different angle, and pleasantly there was also a small selection of colourful flowers too. After a quick nose around we headed back down the hills towards Florence centre and back toward the hotel. On the way back we had our first taste of Proper Italian Ice Cream from one of the very cute little gelateries that open onto the streets around the Piazza della Signoria. I enjoyed a mint-choc-chip beauty. The incredible taste brought back lots of childhood memories for me… there was a time when I’d pick up a mint-choc-chip ice cream at every available opportunity but I hadn’t had one for what seems like (and to be fair, this probably isn’t even an exaggeration) ten or fifteen years. Go to Florence – buy an ice cream of your favourite flavour and prepare to have your taste buds redefined!