We started with a nutritious gelato breakfast, and then walked along both sides of the river, seeing it in daylight for the first time. We crossed Ponte Vecchio, the famous bridge with the gold and jewelry shops built onto it. The sheer volume of jewelry on display was a bit overwhelming, and we didn't stay long. As we worked our way to the southeast part of town, we took our time and allowed ourselves to get lost in all of the meandering tiny alleyways that form the residential neighborhoods of downtown Florence. These curve and twist up and down and side to side, and there's just enough room on the side to step out of the way for the frequent motor scooters and cars that fly through.
One thing we've learned in Florence is that there is not much relationship between the width of a road and the amount of interesting things we'll see - the tiny, narrow roads are homes to antique book stores, art galleries, and gardens. We also saw families with their young children, which makes this seem much more like a real place.
We emerged from the neighborhood alleyways and onto the path that leads up (and up, and up) to Piazzale Michaelangelo. The weather was beautiful and clear, and the view was worth all the steps. Lisa and I started taking pictures, and we weren't the only ones - we spotted several clusters of professional photographers and videographers with weddings, a cello player, and a modeling shoot. Lisa and I have agreed to skip the next wave of fashion if it's based on what these models were wearing.
It was about 4 o'clock when we arrived at the top, and we decided to stay and watch the sun set. There's a cafe overlooking the view, where we sat and enjoyed the cool breeze and Prosecco (Lisa's new favorite wine for a sunny day).
As the sun went down, we headed down the hill and explored the touristy areas around Uffizi museum. This was actually very cool - there was a woman playing some beautiful songs on guitar in the courtyard, and a street artist working on a painting.
We stopped at a little family restaurant on a side street for dinner, where Lisa had the best lasagna I've ever tasted, and I ordered beef stomach. The only good thing I can say about stomach is that it tastes marginally better than it smells. I made it about halfway through my dinner; fortunately, Lisa's lasagna was big enough to feed both of us.
At home in our apartment, we collapsed - the accumulated jet lag and time change just suddenly hit like a load of bricks. However, we're slowly adjusting to the time zones and this morning we are up at 10am!
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