I slept in today which in my dodgy hotel room here at the Hotel Piccolo is both not surprising (think windowless cave) and also a miracle (think really hot room with allegedly working AC and paper thin walls). First stop today was to the train station to get my ticket to Venice tomorrow - talk about memories from the numerous times I was there during the 9 weeks when I studied here 12 years ago! After successfully getting my ticket at the self-service machine (I hope!) I then rented a bike and headed out of town on a route the bike company (Florence by bike - highly recommend) suggested to a town called Fiesole. I think it's just over 5 miles outside of town but about 1000 feet high so it made for a challenging ride for this recently inspired but still novice bicyclist...
It was hot and I was drenched by the time I made it to the city square but holy cow, it was gorgeous! Unfortunately I didn't have my camera but the mental images will stay with me forever. I had gorgeous views of Florence and the Tuscan countryside - I could even see a storm approaching (and could hear the thunder) so I knew to keep my stay in town short and ride back before I was drenched in the middle of nowhere. I also found a park with a few swings and was "caught" by a couple of people walking by and as I swung like the happy little adolescent that I still am at heart!
I relaxed in my cubby hole room for a while when I got back as the "storm" hit Florence (don't have any clue how much it actually rained since I was secure in my windowless room here) and then headed back out around 6:30. I wanted to pick up a few things and then hopefully make it to one of my favorite parts of town the Piazza Michaelangelo at my favorite part of the day (dusk!). For those of you who have never been to Florence, this piazza and church is across the arno (river) and nestled on a high hill with absolutely gorgeous views of the city and Tuscan hills. Needless to say, the pics speak for themselves and once I post them you will see exactly why that area of the city is a little slice of heaven. Absolutely spectacular...
I was then going to go to dinner at one of my old favorite spots (Aqua al 2) that I randomly remembered after googling recommended restaurants but once I finally found the restaurant it was getting late, the line was long, I was hungry and just plopped into a piazza nearby for some food. I was a little frustrated, wanting my last meal in Florence to be spectacular BUT, within a few minutes of sitting down at this random restaurant in one of my favorite piazzas (Piazza dela Signoria), I heard some live music from around the corner and low and behold, the man was playing a VERY special song to me - Father and Daughter. What a moment! I was almost in tears and knew that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. So, after an average meal, some limoncello and gelato, I am "home"...feeling extremely grateful to be here, sad to be leaving tomorrow and yet again reminded that life is the journey, not the destination. Just finished web camming with my sis and precious nephew Casey who I will be seeing in Boston in a mere 4 days - kinda crazy to even think about!! Now for some shut eye, I hope and plan to get up "early" (as in maybe around 9) to enjoy my last few hours in this beautiful city that will always hold a piece of my heart.
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