Driving to Florence

Driving in Italy is an experience. After renting the car at the airport, we head to Florence. Before we left home, I Googled all our destinations and printed off their wonderful color maps to guide our way. Our journey today is simple, drive from Fiumicino to the Auto Europe office in downtown Florence via the Autostrada. The Autostrada is mostly 2 lanes with the left lane for passing, or as many Italians call it, the "Mercedes lane" because it is used by expensive cars that drive very fast. As most of you can guess, Kenny loved the left lane.

After a quick stop at the Autogrill for cappuccinos and paninis, Edwin took over the wheel. It didn't take him long to get the feel of the Autostrada. The scenery for the ride was amazing. We had heard of the hill towns, but could not believe they were everywhere. From a distance, you could see an expanse of stone buildings on the tops of hills -- unbelievable! Along the roadsides were farm land, many freshly plowed waiting for the next crop. I expected to see a lot of cattle but saw sheep instead. Some of my favorite sites were small backyard gardens filled with rows of greens growing. I can't wait to get off the highway and explore these small neat gardens that provide food for those who lovingly tend them.

So with all this beautiful scenery, why am I posting a picture of a semi? Because it was the only good photo I got while riding on the Autostrada! And you have to admit a hotdog named "Wudy" is pretty funny.

With our Google map in hand, we exited the Autostrada outside of Certosa for our drive into Florence. With only two wrong turns on our part, we made it safely to our destination, thanks to Google!