DAY 35: On Top

Breakfast buffets are thebomb.com… yogurt, cereal and fruit… cappuccino maker… rolls, ham and cheese… ate breakfast, enjoyed 3 cappuccinos (equivalent to one American sized coffee) and made my lunch. We had a long morning on trains since we took the longest route possible to Florence- 3 transfers later, we arrived in the sunny haven of creativity. Upon arrival, “The Harv” HAD to get his cappuccino, so we all stood with Luigi and his tribe piggybacking, awaiting the “2 mile” trek to our hotel. On a side note, I can’t believe outdoor companies make bags as big as mine and expect normal people to haul them around. Luigi weighs more than a normal person… I should write Arcteryx a thank you note for finding the most durable zippers and clips made. So… I quoted 2 miles, because according to “The Harv,” our hotel was a longgggg walk from the station, about “2 miles”… 5 blocks and 10 minutes later, we have the Duomo to our left and Hotel Maxim on our right. After 7 flights of stairs, we collapse into our rooms and change out of sweaty clothes. Montanans are naturally acclimated to cold weather, so when we all rolled out in shorts and t-shirts, the locals in their fur and down looked at us with crazy eyes. To aid in cooling off, Kate and I HAD to get gelato- cocco again of course, because I have an addiction to anything coconut- lotion, Thai food, bras... Onward and upward to the Piazzale Michelangelo (Garden of Michelangelo sculptures) and San Miniato al Monte (Church on top of the Mountain)- basically across the Arno River to the top of the city (2,649 stairs later). If I can give one piece of advice to anyone travelling, even if you only have ONE day, FIND YOURSELF ON TOP of the city (literally and figuratively), in the late afternoon. The view, journey, air and light are so romantic and ethereal- glancing over the Medici Estate, Ponte d’Elecio Bridge and Cyprus trees kissing the setting sun, I wondered how I could ever leave? It’s no wonder Leonardo and Giotto are so famous- they had heavenly landscapes at the tip of their brushes.  Benedictine monks swept the premises in white robes, preparing for their daily 5:30 p.m. Gregorian chants. I feel like I’m in another world… close to perfection- more sunshine, less Japanese tourists and I’d be set.

My ACL’s strength was tested on the steps down towards town- the exhaustion that takes over simply from traveling i.e. sitting down, standing up, lifting, going down stairs, going up stairs, semi-comatose-zombie-like-mind-meld really gets to you after awhile. By the time we got down to the river, I felt like a Looney Tune getting slapped in the face by Bugs Bunny’s metal glove. A quick timeout at Zoe’s for a refresher supplied energy enough to continue on… until Jesine ran out of the American Steak House “Sizzler,” waving us down claiming it was the coolest place ever! We were welcomed by Francesco, the British bar owner that loved hauling tons of sand in for Beach Parties and Karaoke… and he served burgers. I know what a good burger tastes like, I surely won’t find it in Florence, Italy… I opted for a chicken fajita and we all shared a tank-o-Italian-beer with a lit firework on top (seriously). The shit was shot for nearly 2 hours, and we discovered our way toward our home for the next 10 days… only after a few groupies HAD to get gelato. I'm required to give a presentation of “Madonna with the Long Neck” at the Uffizi tomorrow, so I figured I should do a little homework while I’m here… it's funny that going to churches and museums are considered school... I have an A+ in life for sure.

Travel days result in short stories… unless you forget something or get on the wrong train… if blogs start to get stale, I may jump on random trains just to get thrown off, put in jail or end up in who knows where- for the sake of the story… and sanity of my fans. I think the best way I could have prepared for this trip, besides re-thinking my completely inappropriate clothing choices, was to read the Bible. I feel like I’m in Sunday School again… if only I had paid attention 20 years ago… I’d know everything! I have to say the great thing about going back to school is that I don’t take it for granted or worry about memorization and volume as much as I appreciate what I'm wrapping my brain around, voluntarily… I know what I’m looking at and enjoy deducing and appreciating the history behind it. There are NO stupid questions, it is the best way to feed your curiousity.  We may get old, but knowledge never ages.  Though it may take age to realize that fact J

This is all I’ve dreamt and more… best decision I’ve made in 26 years. Ciao from Firenze!