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But the village was first mentioned in 844 and changed hands several times between the local abbey, the bishop of Milan, and the Dukes of Milan, until it was settled as part of the Swiss Confederation in 1807 and became part of Switzerland in 1848. That accounts for it having at least a pretty church.

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This modern building is the cause for its riches. If you find it, you still won't know who is hiding there, because there are no signs and no names anywhere to be found. The building cost $50 million to build, and it took less than two years for the company residing in it to pay it out of tax savings. I would call that a good investment. The calculation is mine, and I didn't calculate the further savings in the pay checks, because social security cost is much lower in Switzerland.

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This car somewhere in Arabia shows the typical monogram of this mysterious tax payer. It is Gucci who has its world head quarters in Switzerland. If you believed they were in Florence, you were wrong. So was I, until I found out about it tonight. So remember to buy as much Gucci as you can, you make a very small community a lot richer by that.

Gucci is quite proficient at playing the elusive company, I found while doing this research. Whereas the label is known anywhere in the world and quite happily linked up with Florence, there are almost no offices situated there. And I found a blogger looking for the headquarters of Gucci in Germany. He failed, by the way, because there aren't any offices in Germany. In truth, there are almost no offices of Gucci anywhere outside Switzerland because all correspondence is handled by local agents.

On your first day in florence I would recommend taking a large sum of money (nothing short of 300 dollars) and going crazy.  Buy what you want a disregard the prices.  If you're reading this before your going I would start setting aside for this now.  No matter how much self control you have I dare you not go buy at least one thing and wish you had bought a dozen others.  This way you won't have to leave Florence wanting and you can go home with presents for somebody (most likely yoursefl).  This will also familiarize yourself with the city.  Some  places were you must go are the San Lorenzo Market, a three block market packed to the bursting point with leather goods.  Also, go to the Ponte Vecchio if looking for gold and silver jewelry, plus it is just about the most beautiful bridge you will ever see.  Aside from those two places there aren't many must hit places so just walk around because shops line every street with fares from food to more jewelry to suits to souvenirs.

CLIMB THE DUOMO

Florence's most impressive church has an impressive feature.  A winding claustrophobic path of steep stairs can be taken from the bottom of the church to the very top.  This is an expierence like no other because first of all these passages transport you back to the renessance.  They're completely stone and in some places spiral and in others they just wind so it gives you the most enbelievably feeling on earth.  Once you're on top, it's even better.  You have a birds eye view of the entire city and the clay-redish rooftops is all you can see inside the city limits.  And then you look a little further and you see the hills.  The mountains outside of florence are the most amazing thing ever which hold castles, villas and endless expanses of olive trees.

EXPLORE A ROAD INTO THE HILLS

There are many roads which wind into the endless expanses of the hills outside florence and each one of them is equally stunning.  Ask your hotel concierge or any one like that for a map and a suggestion of a road outside florence to hike, take a cab to the city limits or werever the road starts and start walking.  I garauntee that after a half an hour you will be immersed in little town Italy.  Chances are that after a while you will run into a town, so walk through and explore the town, have lunch or dinner, maybe shop a little if you have any money left from your first day and either keep walking or call a cab service to bring you back (or you can walk back if you wish)

HIKE TO FIESOLE

Fiesole is a scattered little hill town and hour and a half hike from the outside of Florence.  It will be much like what you did when you hiked into the mountains except this time you will have an objective.  Along th way you will pass many olive farms, probably a villa and many nice houses.  You will know you are there from the clock tower which is at the lower portion of the town.  Across from it is a bus stop which will most likely be your escape route.  I would suggest having lunch then walking further into the town to see real Italy.  If you pick the right road you might even find your way to the very top of one of Italy's many mountains giving you a great view.  Whatever you pick to do I would suggest taking the bus back because more often than not you will be pretty beat by this.

UFFIZI

Unfortuantly I didn't get to go to the Uffizi during my time in Florence because I only had 3 days so instead I hiked to Fiesole.  What I do know is that many of the renessance's great works of art are kept here including The David and The Birth of Venus.  Deffiantly a must see if you ever go to Florence.

Travelling can be difficult. After all, it has the potential to be the best of times and the worst of times. It can make or break relationships. Being a fussy traveller makes any trip harder. I am not terribly hard to please; I merely have standards of cleanliness and comfort. As such, I took care to do as much research on travelling as I possibly could before embarking overseas.

I checked Trip Advisor, skimmed Frommers, and borrowed Lonely Planet from the local library. I visited and revisited, sometimes as much three times a day, various low-cost flight sites: Kayak, Expedia, and Travelocity among others. I googled and yahooed until my eyes were blurry. I checked and rechecked RailEurope until I was aware of certain train schedules by heart. In the meantime, I also worked and saved my money. By the beginning of September, we had an itinerary!

Despite being thorough in my research, after the trip was said and done, I realized that there were some things every traveller (especially a fussy one), should be aware of, though no guidebook cares to mention them.

WHAT EVERY FUSSY TRAVELLER IN EUROPE ON A BUDGET SHOULD KNOW

SOAKER TUBS ARE AN AMERICAN LUXARY

Forget about the much-hyped Roman baths - there are NO baths! At least none in low to medium grade hotels, hostels, or bed and breakfasts. What you can expect are small and smaller showers. No exaggeration necessary, in some showers, even I (a slim woman of 110 lbs) had trouble turning around in without hitting either my head on the shower cord when reaching for soap, or my back and behind against the wall or knobs when picking up the slippery soap.

VARIETY OF ETHNIC FOODS IS A CANADIAN SPECIALTY

If you adore bread and cheese, you'll adore France. If you adore bread and thinly sliced meats, you'll adore Italy. If you (like me) are only in like with sandwiches, your love affair with either country may hit a roadblock. Having lived in my home city for the past ten years, I expected the rest of the world's cities to offer similar variety: subtle Japanese sushi available around the corner; cravings for greasy Chinese to be sated past midnight in Chinatown; spicy and tasty Indian foods to be so ubiquitous, it may be found in the work cafeteria. Indeed, fusion food outlets are a norm not a specialty here - butter chicken is often on the same menu that also offers bison burger. Not so in Europe! If you find a supermarket selling meat and bread in the same place, you're in luck! Otherwise of the ten food stores on your block, three will be selling bread, three will be selling meat, two will cater to desserts and the other two will be offering wine for less than ten dollars Canadian. In short, bread, wine, cheese, and dessert in abundance, but little else.

BE READY TO FEEL INADEQUATE

European men and women are always fabulously turned out. No one looks as though they spent less than an hour, never mind fifteen hurried minutes, on their outfit. Also, I did not see one obese person the entire three weeks plus that I was there. Instead, model-ready girls graced Parisian cafes while trendy Italians strolled confidently along cobblestone side streets. It seemed I was doomed to feel less than adequate, especially in Paris where streets were filled with nothing other than pouty pretty blondes and brunettes, one and all toting dreamy leather bags while tossing long locks into the French fall wind.

GET USED TO THE SMELL OF CIGARETTES

Everyone and I mean everyone and their smaller than 20 lb pooch smokes. Although most public places no longer allow smoking indoors, it is not uncommon to have a cigarette waved in your face as you walk down a sidewalk, or to have one flicked past you as you turn into a doorway.

PREPARE TO DUCK, DODGE, DIVE, ROLL, AND DODGE AGAIN

People have said Edmonton-ians are bad drivers - hah! Scooters go everywhere from alleys to sidewalks, to roads. Everywhere you go, people are hurrying, muttering apologies as they plunge ahead anyway, knocking your purse about or jostling a shoulder. Friends may pull you aside as a scooter roars past or a car whizzes by. Horns are honked and curses are yelled. Traffic in European cities is not unlike an acute game of dodge-ball, one which may land you on a bench permanently.

On the other hand, France and Italy also had many things to offer. Here's my top five:

FRENCH PASTRIES

I have never tasted a better chocolate croissant or honey nut strudel than in France. All over France, the pastries were top notch. If I could have bottled that warm delicious fragrance of patisseries, I would have, and undoubtedly sold it for millions as love potion. In fact, I did not and still do not like croissants with the exception of the two weeks spent in France!

ITALIAN PASTA

No surprise there! However, I must take the opportunity to rave about the best spaghetti al ragu I have ever EVER tasted in my life! It was in a restaurant called Da Cecio in Corniglia, Cinque Terre. F- had the pasta with pesto and was very pleased by it as well. Fair prices and a nice courtyard overlooking the sea - it was a find! As well, in a cafe called Donatello right by the Duomo in Florence, Italy, I had the opportunity to eat the best ravioli I have tasted in my 27 years on this planet: Ricotta ravioli in a mushroom and truffle sauce...mmmmm!

FLORENTINE GELATO

One can usually buy gelato anywhere in Italy and parts of North America. It's not uncommon, but what is uncommon is the unusually creamy and delicious gelato I had in Florence. It never failed to delight and was a fabulous find. My favourite was from a little corner gelato store just across the Santo Sprito bridge. For 1.50 euro, you may choose two flavours. Afterwards, we'd climb back on the bridge to gaze at passersby and the hustle of Ponte Vecchio.

PARISIAN SCARVES

I was not a scarf girl until I went to Paris. Some things may be extraordinarily expensive overseas, but cashmere scarves were not among those things in Paris. In the Marais neighbourhood, we found an outlet that sold us scarves for no more than 2 euro a piece, and all were either 100% or 70% cashmere. Not surprisingly, I loaded up on pashminas as well.

ROMAN ART

All of Europe is covered in historical buildings, bridges, and fountains. What makes Rome so special? Well, to be frank, it's got the best art - both new and old. Baberini's fountains still grace Piazza Baberini, Navona and the base of the Spanish steps. Raphael's masterpieces are kept up in the rooms named after him inside the Vatican Museum. The Coliseum's ancient grace still awes today. You may still trace the steps of emperors gone by in the Old Forum. And if you wished to purchase sizeable pieces of art, then the only place to go for originals and copies of famous works, is Piazza Navona. Nowhere else in Europe, not even during the art walk / sidewalk exhibition of art in Nice, France were so many large oils available. Nor were their techniques as nice. Rome - there's a reason it's known as the eternal city.

The traffic never stops and the honking horns are continuous. However, noise is not the problem. People crowd into alleys and mazes of roads. One might draw a connection between Mumbai and New York City. But New York City is Nirvana compared to this city. As many as 20,000 people will crowd into a single acre of land. 60% of Mumbai's population of 13 million is made up of slum dwellers, which nearly equates to 8 million slum dwellers. Although I have listened Mumbai as the worst place in the world to visit, I encourage you to go and see how the people there live. Before you start to complain about your small apartment try sharing a 300 square foot dwelling with a dozen other people. Mumbai came to be two centuries ago when mangrove swamp began to fill with leaves, dead fish, and human and animal waste products. When the fisherman moved out room became available for others to live. Only recently did water become available to the dwellers. Many have tapped into a water supply by the means of DIY. This slum resembles the spiritual values of an inner Harlem and visually resembles that of Mexico's Neza-Chalco-Itza barrio slum. If you do travel to Mumbai please take caution as to what you eat and drink. If possible, bring an entourage of doctors and medical marvels.

Best Place to Visit: Florence, Tuscany - Italy

Florence lies right on the Arno River is best known for its history during the Middle Ages and Renaissance era as well as for its strong art culture and building architecture. A beautiful skyline can be seen as you look across the city and is a key attraction to the beautiful city. While visiting Florence be sure to see the many tourist attractions as they are like no where else in the world. Italian paintings can be seen at the Uffizi Gallery and sculptures at Bargello. Michelangelo's famous statue of David can be seen at the Academia Gallery. I encourage you to travel to Florence to see the attractions but also to get a taste of the Italian culture, I also encourage you to literally get a taste of the Italian dinning. It's prettier than Mumbai, but you will never know unless you travel to both of them, so please do so.

Top 10 Sights

The Duomo

Santa Maria del Fiore, the Duomo or Cathedral, is the very heart of Florence, dominating the city with its massive dome. The dome, designed by Brunelleschi was the largest of its time, completed in 1436 without the use of scaffolding. The Duomo is clad in Multi-coloured marble and is visible all over the city - towering over the neighbouring buildings, or glimpsed looming at the end of a narrow medieval street. If you have the energy, climb the 463 steps to the top and enjoy magnificent views.

Baptistry Doors

There are 3 sets of beautiful and artistically important baptistery doors, the most significant being the east doors commissioned by Ghiberti in 1401, and depicting scenes from the New Testament. Seven leading artists of the time entered a competition to create the doors, and some of these examples are regarded as the first products of the Renaissance. Michelangelo named these doors "The Gate of Paradise". However, the ones in place are copies; the originals can be seen in Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (just behind the Duomo).

Ponte Vecchio

This famous bridge, literally the "Old Bridge", was built in 1345, and is the oldest in Florence. It has always accommodated workshops of one kind or another, though by 1600, the butchers, tanners and blacksmiths, who polluted the river with their offal and waste and caused a choking stench over the city, were evicted. The shops were renovated and rebuilt, and leased to the inoffensive jewellery trade. To this day, the bridge is lined with pretty shops selling modern, classic and antique jewellery to suit every budget. The bridge escaped the bombs of WW2, some say as a direct result of an order from Hitler, while others say the bomber pilot approached the bridge at sunset and could not bear to destroy such an ancient and beautiful structure. So he dropped his bombs elsewhere, out of harms way.

Galleria dell'Accademia

This is the Academy of Fine Arts, founded in 1563, and the first European school to teach the techniques of drawing, painting and sculpture. Many of Michaelangelo's important works can be found in the Accademia, including a statue of St Matthew and the "Four Prisoners", dramatically depicting muscular figures struggling to escape from blocks

of stone. The most dominant work is the "David", Michaelangelo's magnificent, massive, nude classical statue of David, the biblical hero who killed Goliath. David, sculpted in marble in 1504, has recently been beautifully restored.

Palazzo Pitti

Started in 1457 for the banker Luca Pitti, this enormous building was intended to show the powerful Medici banking family that it had a worthy rival. Ironically, ongoing building costs bankrupted the Pitti heirs and the palace was bought by the Medicis who made it their main residence. The rooms are lavishly decorated and, today, exhibit many treasures from the Medici collections. The Renaissance style Boboli Gardens, are laid out behind the palace.

Uffizi Gallery

Originally a suite of offices for Duke Cosimo1, this is probably the oldest art gallery in the world. From about 1580, Cosimo's heirs began to use the building to exhibit art treasures belonging to the Medici family. Today, the gallery is laid out in such a way to guide the visitor through the development of Florentine art from the Gothic period to the High Renaissance, and beyond. A number of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures are also displayed.

Church of Sante Croce

Legend tells us that St Francis founded this church himself. The current building, started around 1294 to replace an older construction, is the biggest Franciscan church in the world. The beautiful, austere Gothic structure contains the tombs of several famous Florentines, including Michaelangelo and Galileo. There are also sixteen chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils.

Piazza della Signoria

This unique, spacious square is enhanced by the majestic Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's town hall (1322), and the Loggia dei Lanzi (1382), a graceful, airy loggia, housing famous statues by Cellini and Giambologna and ancient Roman statues of priestesses. Further sculptures in this unique square include an heraldic lion by Donatello, the spectacular Neptune Fountain by Ammannanti, Giambologna's statue of Cosimo 1 on horseback and a copy of Michaelangelo's David, all dating from the 1500's..

Piazza Michelangelo

The piazza is situated on a hill slightly south east of the city centre. It dates from 1860 and is home to copies of Michaelangelo's famous statues. There are far reaching views over the rooftops, spires, towers and domes of Florence, the largest being the rich, red dome of the Duomo itself. Beyond, lie the misty purple hills of Fiesole.

San Lorenzo Market

This outdoor market has an excellent selection of good quality and reasonably priced goods, such as leather gloves, jackets, belts and bags of all descriptions; scarves, pashminas and ties; painted trays; costume jewellery and Florentine souvenirs of every type.

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Bargello

Superb collection of beautiful Renaissance sculpture, including works by Michaelangelo, Donatello, Giambologna, Cellini and others.

Medici Tombs

 Adorned with some of Michaelangelo's finest works.

Casa Buonarotti

Michaelangelo's house for a short time, housing some of his personal belongings and works.

Palazzo Davanzati

Typical home of a wealthy Florentine family of the 1500's.

Church of Santo Spirito

 Augustinian church dating from 1250, with beautiful colonnaded aisles.

Church of San Lorenzo

 Parish church of the Medici family.

Church of Santa Maria Novella

 Gothic church housing important artworks.

Convent of San Marco

Beautiful, simple setting for a superb collection of devotional frescoes by Fra Angelico.

Brancacci Chapel

Frescoes depicting the life of St Peter, commissioned around 1424.

Mercato Centrale

Big, covered food market tucked away in the depths of the San Lorenzo market.