Rebecca and family moved to their place in Firenze this afternoon, and I did laundry and a visit to the supermarket the morning. I walked over once they were in their apartment which is a half-block from the Duomo. Their terrace looks right onto the dome and campanile (bell tower) – and there’s an elevator to get to their top floor place – ah! They had lunch at a restaurant downstairs and I had already had lunch at home, so I was just hanging out on their terrace, with a little breeze, just staring at the Duomo. After their lunch Bill was hanging with the boys while they were playing their video games, so Rebecca and I took a walk – a passagiato.
We headed toward the Ponte Vecchio, doing a bunch of window shopping and noticing the Lego store for a visit tomorrow. Owing to the number of people on the bridge, and how it tends to look like a continuation of the stores on the banks of the Arno, Rebecca didn’t realize we were on it until I pointed it out. We stopped for the obligatory photos in the center of the span, and continued on to Oltrarno – the other side of the Arno from the center of Firenze. On the next street was an Il Papiro store which sells beautiful marbled paper made in Firenze, lovely journals and similar items, quill pens, ink stamps, etc. Rebecca remembered the journal I bought for her from the store in 2006, she had a photo of it, and showed that to the woman running the shop. She bought another journal and an “R” ink stamp – which I guess we can share.
I suggested we walk over to Piazza Santo Spirito where I have always enjoyed sitting and people watching. We sat at a café and had 5pm drinks and just relaxed in the shade, then back to their place before dinner. The restaurant they chose is Cacio & Pepe, and Rebecca wore her Cacio T-shirt while James had to be pressured into wearing his Pepe, and he got it off soon after sitting down. The staff got a kick out of the T-shirts! I had cacio e pepe, Bill a wonderful bistecca alla Fiorentina – great food yet again. Bill took the boys back to the apartment and Rebecca and I did some walking around the area and came across a couple singing opera. During a break I asked if they were studying opera, and they are. A fun end to the day as I headed back home.
We headed toward the Ponte Vecchio, doing a bunch of window shopping and noticing the Lego store for a visit tomorrow. Owing to the number of people on the bridge, and how it tends to look like a continuation of the stores on the banks of the Arno, Rebecca didn’t realize we were on it until I pointed it out. We stopped for the obligatory photos in the center of the span, and continued on to Oltrarno – the other side of the Arno from the center of Firenze. On the next street was an Il Papiro store which sells beautiful marbled paper made in Firenze, lovely journals and similar items, quill pens, ink stamps, etc. Rebecca remembered the journal I bought for her from the store in 2006, she had a photo of it, and showed that to the woman running the shop. She bought another journal and an “R” ink stamp – which I guess we can share.
I suggested we walk over to Piazza Santo Spirito where I have always enjoyed sitting and people watching. We sat at a café and had 5pm drinks and just relaxed in the shade, then back to their place before dinner. The restaurant they chose is Cacio & Pepe, and Rebecca wore her Cacio T-shirt while James had to be pressured into wearing his Pepe, and he got it off soon after sitting down. The staff got a kick out of the T-shirts! I had cacio e pepe, Bill a wonderful bistecca alla Fiorentina – great food yet again. Bill took the boys back to the apartment and Rebecca and I did some walking around the area and came across a couple singing opera. During a break I asked if they were studying opera, and they are. A fun end to the day as I headed back home.