The only reason we went to Fiesole was to escape the historic, cultural overload in Florence for just one day. The bus ride took us through interesting real people's neighborhoods, from the city to suburbs and finally up the winding hill to Fiesole.

After 30 min, we landed in Piazza Mina. Directions to all the sightseeing spots were right there. We opted not to pay entrance fees to see historic sites anymore. So we walked up the steep street on the north side towards the Convent of San Francesco. Half-way up we saw a local park, where we found a few lookouts that offered fantastic panoramic view of the whole Florence region. From that point on, the street is getting more steep, but the view is getting better. I think the Convent is at about 1000 ft altitude. Some of the views are partially blocked by buildings or walls. The Convent is free admission and worth a casual stroll in the grounds.

We walked back to the Piazza and found a perfect lunch spot in the outdoor restaurant of Hotel Villa Aurora. Food, service and view were awesome. Afterwards, we strolled down the main street to see the shops. We also took a side street and made a loop tour around the neighborhood. There are homes and small shops scattered about. We did not see a lot of fellow tourists, so we felt like we were locals just taking an afternoon walk.

Next time we will check if the bus runs at night too. It would be great if we have a sunset dinner in Fiesole and watch the Florence city lights before leaving.