Well, it impressed me. Maybe she does it every night of the week, but to remember a complete meal order, with drinks, for nine people in a busy city centre restaurant and then provide an accurate bill without taking notes, deserves a medal.

No medal for our waitress at the workmanlike Casalinga restaurant in Florence, just an appreciative tip. We had walked to the restaurant across the river on our last night of a four-day visit and had worked up a healthy appetite, just as well as the meal was tasty, filling and reasonably-priced in this eatery frequented by Florentines.

Twelve travellers from North Yorkshire flew to Pisa via a budget airline to start the four-day break in mid February. A stop-start train journey from Pisa airport's station had us safely delivered to the heart of the city and our hotel was a 10 minute walk away. The Hotel Casci, subtly camouflaged behind a plain door and two storeys up, used to be one of the former homes of the composer Rossini, although he mostly lived in Bologna.

There is quite a bit of walking to do in Florence but most of it is on the flat and the streets meander to and from the River Arno at a leisurely pace. You'll be stopping all the time to admire the architecture or to have an espresso, reaching your destination a little later than anticipated.

We did have a plan, carefully researched by a member of the party, and it was basically followed. This involved excursions to the majestic Uffizi Museum, a climb to the top of the Duomo, a walk in the Boboli Gardens, a neck-bending look at the Baptistery and multi-stops for coffee and ice cream.

The Uffizi is best visited early, before the crowds pile in. Even in February some rooms in the art museum get busy. Botticelli's work drew the most people and getting an uninterrupted view of his work needs patience. It's easy to become overwhelmed by what is on show and the visit can become exhausting towards the end. But this huge collection of art has been around since the 16th century and should not be overlooked.

Just below the Uffizi is the famous Ponte Vecchio. The "old bridge" was the only one to escape destruction in the Second World War. It now hosts jewellers' workshops and retail outlets where once stood butchers, tanners and blacksmiths. Seen at night the bridge is a delight with its pastel colours reflected in the Arno flowing beneath it.

The cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, known as the Duomo, with its white and green marble exterior sparkling in the winter sun, is likewise not to be missed. The tallest building in the city is free to get in but there's a charge to climb the 463 steps to the top of the dome. It's a challenge to get to the top, it was busy even in February, but once there the 360 degree views over the city are spectacular.

On the way up you stop to view the Last Judgment ceiling by Vasari and marvel how the gigantic dome was built by Brunelleschi as his design used an inner dome to support the outer. You climb, steeply, in between the two domes to reach the fresh air at the top.

Competing for your attention in the Piazza di san Giovanni, near the Duomo, are the Campanile and the Bapistry. Perhaps the oldest building in the city, the Bapistry, has golden bas-relief doors and a spectacular ceiling, also portraying the Last Judgement. The Campanile, at 276ft, is 20ft shorter than the Duomo, was designed by Giotto in the 14th century although he did not live to see its completion in 1359.

To escape the bustle of busy Florence, walk to the Boboli gardens on the south side of the river. Originally the private retreat for the Medici family, the gardens offer a place to stroll and soak up the sun. Walk in through the Palazzo Pitti and past the Amphitheatre, where opera was first performed, to find shady avenues linking statues with open areas, including the L'Isolotto, a moated garden.

High up in the rear of the gardens is the Porcelain Museum, accessed by the Rose Garden. From the terrace a panorama of the Tuscan countryside delights the eye. Walking down from the museum, views of Florence open up and no visit to the gardens is complete without investigating La Grotta Grande, a 16th century folly. Not far from the Porcelain Museum is the fortified Belvedere – literally beautiful view. We needed fortifying by something with a calorific value and the party indulged in some good Italian cooking each evening. Apart from the Casalinga, we tried the Za Za in Piazza del Mercato. It was the only restaurant we saw with door staff who dealt with the queue of customers. We had booked and our table was ready and waiting and we piled in past the grinning doorman, eager to eat. We weren't disappointed. It's a very busy and noisy restaurant but the food and service were spot on.

At lunchtime we stopped when we were hungry and found the nearest café. Freshly cooked pizzas, or a plate of gnocchi, were favourite choices. If you just fancy a coffee, you might face an extra charge for sitting at a table. Just stand at the bar with the locals and enjoy your drink. Staying at the Hotel Casci, we got the service of a four-star hotel at a budget price. Reception staff spoke English and nothing was too much for them and it was a pleasure to be abroad. They booked restaurants and tickets for museums for us before we had left the UK.

Catching an early train back to Pisa gave us the chance to visit one of the world's most famous sights, the Leaning Tower. A bouncy bus ride from the station drops you off at the Campo dei Miracoli, or Field of Miracles.

Along with the tower are a cathedral, bapistry and cemetery, said to contain earth from the Holy Land.

It's the tower that draws the crowds, and trinket sellers who disappear like ghosts when the police show up. The tower leans owing to sandy subsoil but engineers have worked to slightly correct the lean and stabilise the building. Thirty visitors per half hour can climb the tower.

A short break to Florence is a good introduction to Italy and the memories will pull you back for a longer visit. If only I could remember where I left my guidebook… "waitress!"

Staying there:
Travellers are warned to be on the lookout for pickpockets. None of us were bothered but simple precautions, such as leaving valuables in the hotel safe and not carrying wallets in outside pockets were well-heeded.
Hotel Casci www.hotelcasci.com Tel: 055 211 686
The Casalinga restaurant is in Via Micelozzi Tel: 055 267 9243
The Uffizi has a booking system over their website: www.uffizi.com
We found the DK eyewitness Travel Guide for Florence and Tuscany very helpful.