Firenze

This morning we went into the small town of Lecchi for espresso and a danish to prepare for our trip to Florence. Pat stayed at the house to beautify, Annie, being more considerate than Shelley and I, brought a danish back for Pat before we departed for Florence. The route to Florence is the same as our trip to Montecatini, so it was an easy drive and only about 1 hour. Annie had printed directions and we arrived perfectly at Piazzelle Michelangelo. Parking surprisingly was free; il bagno, however, was not. Buying an espresso got us a visit to the toilet at the nearby Bar Michelangelo. A short bus ride into downtown dropped us off at the main train station for a walk in the rain to San Lorenzo Market. The sun came out a short while later. The covered market is where all the locals go for fresh meat, cheese, pasta, bread, etc… There are all kinds of unidentifiable meats and animals hanging up and displayed in cases. We lined up with everyone else and got some beans and bread, some red wine, and a couple of sandwiches sliced fresh for us. After eating lunch and haggling with a few merchants in the market, we decided to take in some culture. We visited Santa Croche, L’Accademia (not able to get in) and the Uffizi. We finished the day with a lengthy hike across the Ponte Vecchio and back up to Piazzelle Michelangelo to watch the sunset. We stopped to get a few items at a market to supplement our leftovers. Pat and Chris tried to get fuel but pay at the pump has a totally different meaning. Another game of Up to Ten and Back Again to finish the night. Chris lead the entire game up to the 16th or 17th hand; this, ladies and gentlemen, is a big deal. Chris's unorthodox strategy usually keeps his score in the basement. Needless to say, Pat will probably complain about having to stay up to play, but he won every game. Dammit. Off to Rome tomorrow. Ciao!