Day Eight: July 7th, 2019
Road trip to Venice! Spent a lot of quality time on the bus today. We stopped in a cute little village in Italy for lunch and had a delightful meal of salad, paninis, and gelato. Once we reached Venice we took a vapretto ride to the Rialto stop and walked to the hotel. We had a short amount of time to drop off our bags and get ready to walk over to dinner. We stopped at St Marco square and a massive monsoon thunderstorm blew in. We took shelter under a walkway and watched the storm flood the streets. You know it's a serious storm when your tour guide, who has been to Italy countless times, takes a video of it to show her fellow tour guides. We then had a seven course dinner that involved many courses of seafood and lots of pasta! :) Day Ten: July 9th, 2019
Florence and Michelangelo's David The drive from Venice to Florence was a blur. We arrived around 2:30 in the afternoon. We quickly settled into our newly remodeled hotel and regrouped for a Renaissance walking tour of Florence. We then visited the Accademia Gallery to experience stifling heat and humidity - and view some of Michelangelo's masterpieces. We had an amazing steak florentine dinner that evening. I enjoyed every course of the meal and savored my first chainti. The wine flowed freely and we all had a wonderful time. Many of us went on to an Irish pub next to the hotel and continued saluting the tour. :) It was one of my favorite nights of the trip. I have many fond memories of this evening in Florence. The hotel we stayed in was fabulous - it had great air conditioning, comfortable beds, and a great shower. :) |
Day Nine: July 8th, 2019 Spending the day in Venice The day began with a 2 1/2 walking tour of Venice with our local guide. We stopped in a local artisan shop for a mask making demonstration. Our walk ended with a tour of the Basilica di San Marco. I rested some in the afternoon to avoid the cruise ship tourists and rest my injured foot. I grabbed a sandwich for dinner, but that ended abruptly when some birds grabbed my sandwich right out of my hands on the square. :) The evening began with a lovely gondola ride through the canals of Venice. From there several of us in the group explored a nearby rooftop bar to enjoy some lovely views of the city of Venice. The evening ended with a delicious ham pizza and getting caught in a rainstorm on the way back to the hotel. |
Day Eleven: July 10th, 2019
Free time in Florence and the Uffizi Gallery I had time in the morning to catch up on some sleep and journaling. Then I wandered around Florence and took in some sites at my leisure. For lunch I sat outside to have a lovely Margherite pizza and beer and do some people watching. There were lovely water misters and an awning that helped me handle the hot and humid weather. The vibe of Florence is amazing. A visit to the market was a great deal of fun - there was bartering and calling out - a really fun energy. I managed to make a few purchases to remind me of my time in Florence. In the afternoon we met up for a guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery and I met a tour guide who was able to greatly increase my appreciation and understanding for art. Took myself to a restaurant my friend Jean recommended for dinner. Florence = eating, drinking, shopping. I will gladly return to this beautiful and vibrant city! |