So we are at the focus of the holiday which is Tuscany and more importantly Florence. We are staying at a campsite that I was last at about 35 years ago and I have already found that the woman at the reception probably served me ice cream back then so you can gather the place has not changed much. I would recommend the site, it’s beautiful and close enough to Florence to make a bus journey easy yet far enough out to get way from the hustle and bustle.

Florence is clearly beautiful, a city that has kept it’s identity for art and archicture. It is exceptionally romantic even when you are dragging three children, who don’t understand why there is no beach or swimming pool to go to, around with you. The cathedral still dominates the city and the terracotta roofs set the scene for the rest of the city.

It’s all as I remember it’s stunning, the food is great and it’s so hot BUT it’s busy stupidly busy. There are queues for everything which for us make it impossible to do, three kids and a two hour queue to see a naked guy from the Bible don’t make good friends so for us it’s walking around looking at buildings and eating ice cream.

Talking of David. I think the kids have been finding the nudity of the art a little disconcerting. There are quite a few statues of naked people

David’s willy is everywhere, on postcards, shorts, fridge magnets, cooking aprons, calendars, you name it. Mae’s comment on the whole thing is “Why is his hair so neat?” No comment. …… my only observation was “why has the king of the Jews not been circumcised” to which the answer was “what is circumcised? ” the following conversation can not be published but was met with disbelief, shock, incredulity and finally fits of giggles, mostly from izaak.

As well as the classical art the locals have been having fun with the street signs. We found an array of signs that had been pleasantly played with.