Well. I didn’t get up at 8 to go run. Or 8:30. Or 9.. it is what it is. I did get up at 9:30 and decided I’d run later, of course. Mom was already awake and had perfected the coffee maker and had a cup ready and waiting for me. We sat and sipped and sampled some little pastries Andrea left us.
We got dressed and went to pick up my leather jacket around 11, we brought it back to the room and then hoofed it across town to the Gallery of the Academy of Florence, where the statue of David stands. We met up with our tour group and I was almost immediately annoyed. Our group was literally only 7 people, but one man.. ONE MAN.. was ruining it. He kept interrupting the tour guide, Natalie, mid sentence with a random question having nothing to do with anything she was talking about. It didn’t help my irritation any that it was crowded and getting hot-like low 80s.
We made it inside and through 2 rooms before getting to David. Mom and I walked around, got our pictures, took it all in-tried like hell to listen to Natalie, who was still getting her commentary cut off by this man.. so much so that other people couldn’t ask her anything at all, and that man kept getting close enough to her that we all heard everything he asked or said to her through the headsets. And I’m talking crazy things like, “well, we’re going to go to this other museum, is it easily accessible? How long of a walk is it to get there? How long with that take us?” Like how in the hell is this woman supposed to know how long it’s going to take YOU to walk somewhere? Sheeeeesh.
So, for the first time in my life, I turned my headset in early (Mom’s too, although she had turned hers off a long time ago lol), and Mom and I carried on through the museum without the tour. We escaped the crowded museum and started down one of the roads. We passed yet another (more like 400, but somehow this one seemed special) leather shop that Mom just had to go into. She spotted a purse she loved and after talking with the lady awhile we decided to go eat lunch and if she was still thinking about the purse, we’d come back and get it after we ate..
Which is exactly what happened. We ate at a restaurant with outdoor seating beside the big cathedral. We shared a caprese salad and a pizza. I tried the famous Aperol Spritz.. I’m not a fan. I’ll stick to wine from here on out. lol After we ate we went back to the purse shop and got mom her gorgeous leather purse, shes still giddy over it!
We walked back to our room, and she swapped out her purses and we put on dresses for dinner. As we walked out Mom spotted a hair salon and asked the lady if she’d wash and style our hair.. and boy did she! Mom was so happy to finally have her hair styled nicely-we bought a curling iron but it doesn’t quite work the way we thought it would and the hair dryers aren’t quite strong enough-that or we don’t have the patience-to get our hair the way we like it.
Once our hair was curled, we started our journey to locate the great smelling restaurant from yesterday. It only took us an hour and a half to find it.. some of that was because we’d pop in and out of a store here and there.. but mostly because I just couldn’t find it-until I did. The host sat us in the garden and it was already off to a better start than yesterday. I had my wine, Mom got a coke-and the waiter put ice in a wine glass for her, lol! So, we cheers’d my Chianti Classico and her Coca-Cola Classico in a fit of giggles!
Our main meal was awesome.. Mom had some type of ravioli like noodles stuffed with potatoes and covered with a meat sauce (phenomenal) and I had spaghetti carbonara (also phenomenal). I knew mom loved it because I only got to try a bite 🤣 My spaghetti noodles were fatter than a noodle from home, and I am here for it! It was delicious! We were so full from eating every bite of our dinner that we couldn’t even attempt desert.
We slowly meandered back to the room around 10:30. I changed my clothes and got my run in and then started a load of laundry when I got back. We attempted to watch TV, but there wasn’t anything in English and this remote isn’t as fancy as the one in the hotel, so it wouldn’t swap the language for us. I was too tired to read subtitles. Mom went to bed while I’m sitting here waiting on my laundry to finish so I can put it into the dryer before going to sleep. It feels like it’s taking a lifetime!
We have an early morning tomorrow.. we have a full day trip to Cinque Terre, the National park on the northwestern coast of Italy. There are 5 towns that are connected by tiny roads, steep hiking trails, and trains. I’m so very excited! It’s probably going to be another trip highlight, for sure!
Sounds like you both are having a blast, seeing amazing things, places and some people. Lol. Weather appears to be great as well.