56. Holiday in Florence-31.08-06.09.17

The journey from Luton to Florence.

My first visit to explore the delights of the busy Florence SNM station. The SMN refers to the station's location just opposite the church of Santa Maria Novello. When originally built, the station was even closer to the church but it was expanded and rebuilt at it present spot in the 1930s.

After a day's busy sightseeing, I stopped off at the station for an hour whilst my wife and son returned to our nearby hotel to take a break from the searing sun!

After a busy day sightseeing and doing galleries I took a walk from our hotel to Florence Campo di Marte station. This is not a tourist destination like Florence SMN being one used by commuters and locals coming in the the surrounding region. On a Sunday evening it had few trains stopping with most passing through at a modest speed.

My wife,son and I had a lovely day out in Pisa and, naturally, we went by train from Florence SNM. The journey took about an hour and was in a very nice and comfortable, if not a little utilitarian, air conditioned stock.

After a full-on day of shopping and sightseeing my wife and son went back to the hotel to have rest before going out for our evening meal. I called in at SMN station for an hour or so in the heat of the early evening. I was able to wander about with impunity getting no suspicious looks from railway staff or the armed station security staff. Very different to how one is made to feel at a major (or not so major for that matter!) UK station.

Our final day in Florence and the weather broke! By the time I visited the station in the evening, it was cloudy and we were in for some rain. Indeed, that night there were some spectacular thunder storms.