Pozzo Di San Patrizio

St. Patrick's Well took 10 years 1527-1537 to complete and was commissioned by Pope Clement the VII while seeking refuge in Orvieto during the Sack of Rome. The water at the bottom is crystal clear and 200 feet in depth is 248 steps down and back up and has 70 windows.

Orvieto continued

Here are some pics of the day!!

Orvieto

Train success again! I will tell you the train system to smaller towns is not the easiest to figure out and austerity measures in Italy have seem to affected manning informational desks at the stations.
As I mentioned before the train only list the final destination city and not all the stops between. So, after research online I picked the train we needed and off we went to Orvieto. (I must admit that I had my doubts and was happy when it really did stop there)
Then up the funicular to the old city and then (Ashley will have her own version of this walk in which I said "its not far and I don't want to figure out the bus")
Funny, the bus really only runs up and down one maybe two streets!! :)
Anyway, luggage in tow uphill on old cobblestone streets for about what seemed forever to the Hotel Duomo.
Nice large rooms at the Hotel Duomo but not as friendly of staff as at David in Florence but I think this maybe due to the language barrier. In Orvieto knowing some Italian will be helpful but not a must you can still communicate with many to get what you need.
Orvieto is about the cutest town ever! It is beautiful and the Duomo facade is jaw dropping, pictures attached but do not do it justice.

Firenze Finito

We did Florence in one long day and a morning and are still in awe of what we have seen.
I think we saved the best for last, The Medici Family Chapel (Cappelle Medicee) the Dome was Built and Designed Buontalenti, the Sacristy was done by Brunelleschi and tombs and a staircase done by Michelangelo.
The works done by Michelangelo are works that were done later in his life and are considered some of his greatest. After seeing them one can see why, they are breathtaking!! The Medici is not one of the crazy crowded tourist sights (such as the Galleria dell Accademia where David resides) but should be on any art lovers bucket list.
Later we will post an entry about if you are limited on time and the things that are a must and those which you could skip if needed in Florence. Also, handy tips regarding tickets and lines to avoid and how to avoid them.
I just want to say Florence you were amazing!

Muses dell'accadia David

The Michelangelo's David and his slaves sculptures was on my bucket list. The slaves were so moving, it was as if they were breaking out of the marble bit by bit. No photos were allowed in the museum so I got creative and shot David In another way
FUN FACT: in 1544 a peasant lost his life when David's left shoulder came off and fell on top of him.

Hotel David

The hotel So cute and the staff is wonderful (they are trying so hard to teach me Italian) oh and they have happy hour (free wine and beer) also as one of the snacks was BBQ corn nuts... Not kidding

ATM

After intense currency exchange studies I discovered that using your own ATM card (of course check with your banking institution before you leave as they may have fees) gives the best exchange rate.
I had never done such a thing overseas before and therefore would be exiting the Andrea comfort zone! I then read that most Italian ATMs had English option. This is a lie or I picked the wrong ATM. Crap!! However, I figured it out in Italian, it worked and end result I received Euros.
I am glad I did it instead of backing out and bringing all cash. I thought what's the worst that could happen? I don't have any money for the trip....oh well it all works out somehow in the end. Right?!
The rate per ATM was 1.31 Euro per US dollar. The cash rate has been 1,41 to 1.46 plus fee (ranging from 12 to 19%).