Florence, Food, and Fun

Dearest readers,

I spent the day in Florence on Friday, and it was wonderful. If you're friends with me on Facebook, you can see the pictures from our great adventure here.

After some problems with the trains (somewhere in Italy there is always someone in sciopero, which means on strike) we finally made it to one of the most beautiful cities on Earth. We had no plan, no schedule, and the whole day before us - and it couldn't have worked out better. We spent the day strolling along le vie, stopping occasionally to take pictures or to take in the sights and sounds.

By far the greatest part of my day was seeing the Duomo. In the center of town, it looms majestic over all of the other buildings.

When I rounded the corner and caught my first glimpse of the dome, it literally took my breath away. I know it's very cliché, but pictures just can't capture the beauty of this cathedral.

The experience was awe-inspiring. To know that this beautiful, ornate structure was built for the purpose of worship, to see the reverence the architect had in creating a house for God, and to realize that something manmade, something even as magnificent as this, can't even compare with the glory and riches of heaven... an unforgettable moment, for sure.

Speaking of moments, I had one of my first, "I'm in Italy. I am in Italy. I'm in Italy!" moments when I saw the Duomo. Then I had another one when I saw the Ponte Vecchio (literally "Old Bridge") on the Arno River. All in all, it was a wonderful day.

On Saturday, we got up and went to the market again, where I stocked up on clementines and tomatoes. I also found a black leather jacket for 10 euro. I'm still unsure I can pull off the black leather look, but I've been working on my rebel image. Just the other day I ripped the tag off of a mattress. Watch out, James Dean. 

Saturday night was girls' night with Elisandra and Mac. For dinner we made lettuce wraps drizzled with honey soy sauce, and had a variation of bruschetta with pesto and tomatoes as an appetizer. After that we enjoyed an assortment of truffles from our favorite gelatería.  Delicious.

We will probably be going on our Sunday afternoon walk pretty soon. I'm reviving the tradition Annahlyse and I had in Norman, taking some time to wander the city and be refreshed. It should be a great day.

A presto, i miei amici!