Florence is as beautiful as I remember it, possibly made even more spectacular by the blue winter sky that greeted us on arrival. We easily located our apartment nestled in a narrow cobblestone street close to the train station and just around the corner from the Medici Chapel. Our first few days were glorious. The sun shone and we relished exploring the sights and shops. Then KAPOW! Down we went with some bug that put us all out of action for a couple of days. The only sightseeing we did for a while was looking down a toilet bowel as we heaved away. Well, on a positive note we think we each lost several kilos so that means good times ahead. We now feel ready to venture out again and face the world.