Florence (Normalcy)

I found this to be the most normal Italian city. There were far less tourists (though it did seem to be a hot spot for American students to do an exchange), which was nice and not heaps of "must see" places. A few things actually stand out in my memory, the rest is really a blur of romance & relaxation.

1. The ultimate bike gang: Everyone in Florence has a bike, not a five speed newbie, but a very old, very charming & colorful bike. I assumed that it was because people living in Florence had impeccable style, but it is actually because they are so often stolen that there is really no reason to buy a nicer, newer one. I thought they were perfect and I had to drag Warren away many times (he insisted on photographing every interesting bike he saw, which took up much of our time spent outside of the hotel).

2. The David: After waiting for nearly two hours to get into the Vatican museum, we woke up early enough to be waiting at the door when David woke up. I'm not one to typically need to see these sorts of attractions while traveling, but I'm really glad I did. Michelangelo is one impressive fellow - David is flawless and attractive and really demands a few minutes of starring at, which is completely appropriate for people of all ages, because this is art, folks. He (and his accompaniments) are larger than life!!

3. The greatest meal: This trip was about local food for me (and of course romancing). I read up on what was special for each region we visited and in Tuscany (where Florence resides) one of the more interesting specialties is combining pear with cheese. I spotted this interesting combo on a menu (pear & cheese ravioli) and ordered it, of course. It is no understatement that I can't recall something tastier that I have ever put into my mouth. To make it better, Warren's meal was also divine (penne with truffle, blue cheese & artichoke). We were food drunk and drunk drunk & if I were ever in the vicinity of Italy, I would seriously consider making a special trip to do this meal all over again!