Florence

Well we are getting close to being caught up on our blogs...minus a few videos we still hope to post. But we are currently enjoying our last day in Florence. Let's jump back to day one.

Our first priority in Florence was LAUNDRY! You can only wash your underwear in the sink so many times before the stink won't wash off...haha. Fortunately, we were only a few minutes from a laundry mat...it sure makes you appreciate having a washer and dryer in your home! Goal 2 was to buy/reserve our train tickets to avoid another situation like the one we encountered from Paris to Interlaken! Got the tickets...avoided the long lines by learning how to use the electric kiosk on our own...YAAAY!


After taking care of business, we researched some local eateries within our very tight budget and found a local Italian restaurant (trattoria). The food, spaghetti with marinara and ravioli with cheese and spinich, bruscetta (however you spell it...you get the idea) was probably some of the best we ever had! We would have stepped out of the box and experimented a bit more, but due to grumpy waiter's lack of English and our lack of Italian vocabulary we decided to play it safe by pointing to what others were eating! After our Indionnesian experience and knowledge that that locals enjoy pig brains and horse meat we were thankful our meal didn't include either.





After our meal...we found a gelato stand that came highly recommended in our guide book. Gelato is famous in Florence, however we have found it to be fabulous in every town so far. Pete actually likes the gelato in Paris best so far...and I was a huge fan of the watermelon gelato in Bruge. They say to get the full experience you need to blend different flavors...but Pete ALWAYS gets the strawberry as one of his picks. While enjoying our gelato we walked across the old bridge, Ponte Vecchio, where a man played classical guitar for all the people to enjoy...It was magical and so romantic! Too bad we didn't bring our cameras to capture the moment.





Speaking of capturing moments...It's been difficult to take photos in this town, between the narrow sidewalks and KILLER scooter drivers! You really have to watch out for these guys as you cross the street...they don't seem to care if the light is red and seem to enjoying speeding up as you attempt to cross the street! So far, we've only lost a toe...just kidding! Don't worry mothers, we have been super precautious :)