We began our last day in Firenze with a challenging climb up the dome of the Duomo. To say that the climb was arduous is a massive understatement. The climb had all the symptoms of being a claustrophobic nightmare (tight, cramped, dark, poorly ventilated). Climbers were rewarded with a beautiful view of the city, basked in the shine of a newly risen sun. Once we had descended and gathered our bearings, we left for the Chiesa di Santa Croce; final resting place of celebrated artist Michaelangelo Buonarotti (this place was also Michaelangelo's childhood church), legendary scientist and scholar Galileo Galilea, and brilliant statesman and author of "The Prince" Niccolo Machiavelli; among other notable Italians. The face of the exterior is striped marble, much like the design of the Duomo. To the left of the front steps, a large statue of Dante (of "Dante's Inferno" fame) overlooks the square before the church. Next we embarked on a private tour of the mysterious and secluded Vasari Corridor, a once secret passageway, that connects the Ufizi gallery to the Pitti Palace. The passageway was used in the 16th century by the powerful Medici family (at the time, the masters of Firenze and much of the Tuscan city states) to cross over the Arno River without having to mingle with the commoners and as a safety measure against potential assassins. The corridor is now secretive gallery of sorts, housing several wonderful paintings from various artists from around the world. From it, you also get a view of the exclusive balcony seats the Medici used when attending the Chiesa di Santa Felicita. The tour was very relaxed and quiet, as only small private groups are allowed, and a friendly guard escort haunted our footsteps, to ensure guests did not touch or damage the artwork. Once we exited the corridor, we grabbed a quick lunch and hopped on the train for Pisa. Once off the train, a quick bus ride got us to the Field of Miracles, the area in which the Leaning Tower, and Pisa's Duomo, Baptistry, and Camposanto Cemetary are found. Much like the statue of David in the Accademia Gallery, I was a little awestruck to get up close and personal with a sight I had seen in movies and books all my life. The cathedral was impressive with it's golden gilded ceiling, and the body of St. Ranieri, a 12th century merchant turned man of the cloth who gave all his fortune away to preach sermons in that very church. The body lay in a glass coffin high up on an alter to the right of the pulpit. The church also housed the tomb of Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII. We walked across to the Baptistry, which we climbed for a great view of the Duomo and the Leaning Tower. From there, a quick visit to the Camposanto Cemetary; a large rectangular structure with tombs set up on either side, and built into the floor and walls. We opted out of climbing the Leaning Tower. After that, it was back on the train to Firenze to find dinner and prepare for our last stop on out Italian Adventure, Roma. Stay tuned for Roma day 1!