After enjoying the piece of bread &amp; coffee the hostel considered colazione (breakfast), we took a bus to DT Firenze.  A few sandwiches &amp; €5 gelato conos later, we climbed the 463 stairs to the top of the dome of the <a href="http://www.duomofirenze.it/index-eng.htm">Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore</a> &amp; enjoyed a 365-degree view of Florence.  We toured the rest of the Duomo &amp; attended the English-led Mass later that evening.  We of course also found plenty of tasty treats (aka chocolate-covered waffles &amp; melone gelato) at the open-air market...along with Stephen's Nintendo-inspired T-shirt that we visited many stands to find.  After Mass, we stopped by a ristorante in a nearby piazza for dinner that boasted any item on the menu + a glass of wine for €10 before braving the rain back to the bus station.  In our travels we stumbled upon a hotel in the heart of DT with available rooms, that turned out to be quite a smart choice.  We recommend <a href="http://www.hotelperseo.it/">Hotel Perseo</a> to anyone travelling in Firenze!  Fantastic rooms (Jennifer likes that they conserve energy by having key-activated electricity), delicious breakfast, &amp; friendly English-speaking staff!