Now, I am writing today’s blog from Florence! We took the quick 50 minute train ride from Pisa to Firenze and met our new landlords who we are renting from for the next 5 days. It was pouring rain when we arrived a couple days ago. Our boots and bags were soaked and we stuck out like sore thumbs trying to read our drenched map in front of the Duomo. A sweet old man walked over and must have thought we were trying to ge
t to the train station because he kept saying “choo choo!” and pointing in the direction we just came from. Finally, we found our destination and was greeted by our landlord, Marco. He was a very nice Italian man who lived in San Diego for a short time, so you can bet we had heaps to chat about. J He took us up to what he referred to as the 4th floor, but in the US, it was really the 5th floor. (In Europe, the first floor is called the ‘ground level’, and the floors add on from there). There was no elevator so we were hauling our bags up a narrow stairway with exactly 86 steps. (we officially have buns of steal). The complaining stopped once we saw the views from our new Florence “home”. It has a kitchen and living room painted with bright yellow walls, and our bedroom is light pink with a window on the right side of our bed facing out to the Duomo and the window on the left facing out to the green Tuscan hills. Red brick roofs litter all of the nearby apartments and small buildings. The only instructions Marco gave us was: “Do not take a taxi or a bus anywhere. Walk everywhere!” We are in the heart of Florence. This is how ‘real Italy’ feels, and I love it.
I could write all day about how much I love this country, and I might do just that. Having our own kitchen has left us with a whirlwind of cooking experiments. Pasta is a must of course, and tonight we added mussels and clams to our concoction. We are getting so full every day on pasta or pizza, I am thankful for our 5th floor walk. Cheese is cheap and wine is even cheaper at as low as $2 for a whole bottle. I am in vino heaven! We spent the first couple days under plastic tents drinking coffee and watching the rain pour down. Most of the cafes and restaurants have out door eating areas, and even when it storms, you still find people eating outside. They put up big tents and tarps around the tables and people get really close together, sipping on coffee and even wine, in the early morning. 
Today, we were blessed with 70 degrees and perfectly sunny weather!!! When we started planning for this trip, we chose the off season months of October and November, mainly because the crowds would be minimal, even if the weather wasn’t perfect. But today, it felt like late Spring with hardly any tourists anywhere. It was absolutely perfect. Adam and I hiked up to Piazzale Michelangelo which had the most stunning view of Florence (and a turquoise statue of David). It was about dusk and the sun had a warm, golden glow over the city. Breath taking and “wow” are the only words I have to describe today, as I know it will be one of my fondest memories of Italy. Although my hamstrings hurt from the steep walk up, it was well worth every step, and highly recommended! Better views from the Duomo itself and it’s free! ;)
We have 1 more day here and we’ll be touring the Uffizi Museum tomorrow, where the weather is supposed to be just as nice. The gelato is ridiculously tasty. So far, we have tried Hazlenut, Mocha, and Cheesecake…. More tomorrow, I can guarantee it. ;)