Lucky for us, we were just a 10-minute drive to the train station and a 15-minute train ride into the heart of the city of Florence. We started the day early and I am so glad we did. There was hardly anyone on the street as we walked to the Duomo and got to see the square and hear the bells before the area filled with tourists and vendors. It was such a beautiful site!

Pisa is just over an hour drive from where we stayed outside of Florence and great for a half-day visit. The Square of Miracles with the famous leaning tower, is truly beautiful. Outside the square there are all the touristy vendor stalls, but once you step inside the walls the green grass is immaculate and the white marble baptistry, cathedral, Campo Santo and the tower just gleam.

Planning getaways for all of us is a balance of opposites in a way. I love adventure of travel and seeing and learning new things, while Matt would love to just rent a home and stay put for a whole week.

After our full day of skiing and night sledding in the Alps, we were exhausted. The following day was Sunday and I did a little digging to find out where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints would be meeting in the area so that we could attend. I assumed there would be a small English-speaking Branch (congregation) right there in Garmisch where we were staying, but I was wrong. The closest English Branch was an hour away in Munich.