ITALY! Part 5: Florence

Today we took a field trip to Florence. I was so excited about seeing the birthplace of the renaissance, that I woke up extra early so we could get a good start on the day. After a short drive to town, followed by daddy getting lost in the suburbs of Florence, we arrived.
We parked near the train station and immediatley headed to a cafe near the church Santa Maria Novella for breakfast. It was the same cafe where mommy and daddy shared a limonata on the honeymoon 11 years ago. After enjoying the wonderful frescos of Maria Novella, we headed for the Duomo and the Bapistry with its bas relief doors by Gliberti. Daddy and mommy were completely enraptured by the bapistry doors- the detail, the passion, the depth, etc. I just kept staring up at the incredible green and white zebra stripes of the towering duomo- even pointed at it as we strolled around the outside.

From there, we walked across town, wading through uncomfortable hordes of tourists from the US, UK, Germany, China, and elsewhere. The tiny streets of Florence felt claustraphobic and stiffiling with all those tourists. It was first time on this trip that we felt crowded. It was a stark contrast from the simple peaceful Tuscan countryside.

We escaped the hordes across the Arno up the hill to San Mira Monte. I fell alseep on the long hike up the hill, leaving mommy and daddy to huffing and puffing the stroller up the steep hill. But the view at the top was worth the trouble. A gorgeous panoramic vista of Florence, dominated by the duomo rising from the center of the terra-cotta maze. From here, the plague of tourists could only be imagined. We took some photos, duplicating an image mommy and daddy created on their honeymoon 11 years before.

Finally, we met up for lunch with Uncles Kurt, Steve, and Kevin and Aunts Joyce, Beth, and Kendall. Daddy fed me wonderful cheesy pasta and mommy gave me tasty peaches. What a great day. I slept all th way home . . .