13 Sep - The Mall

We only had 2 days in Florence. Since we spent the first day at Pisa, the second day has to be shopping right?

 

The Mall is located in the countryside of Tuscany but it is actually quite easy to get around. To get to The Mall, you have to buy the tickets at the bus terminal ticketing office before joining the queue to board the bus. There is a schedule and the timings are very accurate. The tickets costs EUR10 per person (2 way). The bus ride took about an hour. 

 

 

The biggest stores are Gucci and Prada. The prices are much cheaper than the boutiques but most of the items are not from the latest seasons.

 

There is also a VAT refund office and you can get your VAT refund immediately. However, you will still need to pass through the Customs at the airport, get the stamp and mail back the VAT form. You need to provide your credit card details. There is a penalty if you fail to send back the form. Do note that there is a minimum spending of EUR 155 in Italy in order to qualify for the VAT refund.

Important! Remember to bring your passport with you, have the shop fill out the necessary documents for VAT refund and keep the receipt.

12 Sep - The Leaning Tower of Pisa

We took a train from Venice to Florence. It was a lovely 2 hour ride. Florence was warmer than Amsterdam and Venice and for once, I was grateful to the sun for giving us some warmth.

After settling down at the alternative hotel that we found across the street (the hotel we booked had closed down), we took a train to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa (Station - Stazione Pisa Centrale). Like all other tourists, we had fun taking lots of photos with the Pisa.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: Torre pendent di Pisa) is the freestanding bell tower of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa, known worldwide for its unintended tilt to one side. It is situated behind the Cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa's Cathedral Square after the Cathedral and the Baptistry.

 

The tower's tilt began during construction, caused by an inadequate foundation on ground too soft on one side to properly support the structure's weight. The tilt increased in the decades before the structure was completed, and gradually increased until the structure was stabilized (and the tilt partially corrected) by efforts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

 

Source from Wiki

 

 

 

We reached Florence at 9PM. We had our dinner at one of the restaurants opposite the train station - II Portale. The service was average but the food was good. We both ordered the set dinners which came with red wine - Bruschetta with tomatoes + Florentine Steak with roasted potatoes and spaghetti with spicy tomato sauce + Roast Spicy chicken with roasted potatoes. The servings were huge. There was an Italian man besides our table. He was alone and we chatted with him. He was a bus driver and he remarked at how "Asians can really shop and buy a lot".

Hotel Leonardo Da Vinci, Florence

Read my review on tripadvisor here

Updated - we arrived on 12 Sep, Florence time.

Address: Via Guido Monaco 12, Centro Storico, Florence, Italy