Well I had a super Birthday! Did not really do too much in the morning just walked the market and hung around Florence. After a nap I went to the Duomo...well tried...I got freakin lost again for over an hour! It is hard because you can not see ahead at all and all the streets are centered around piazzas or little centers so it is not like you can follow a grid either! After finally finding the Duomo I climbed the 463 steps which did not really bother me it was more the spiral stair case after spiral stair case that got to me! I got so freakin dizzy cuz I just went around and around and around and around and around and around forever! The view up top was so amazing though! I got some amazing pictures and yes it was well worth the climb!
I had a fun experience at dinner last nite. I thought I would treat myself to a nice Florentine dinner so I found a local Trattoria (family owned) restaurant. I sat down and immedietly the owner said it was a problem that I am eating alone so he was to keep me company. A very cheerful and nice Italian man. He tried to make me laugh and played funny games with the children. I made the mistake of ordering a litre of wine in celebration, the owner took that wine away and gave me a glass of "you like me better wine" it was a very delicious red wine and I could never empty my glass because the owner Fabio yes his name was Fabio kept filling my glass. After the fourth glass I told him that I must go then he insisted on giving me desert and another glass..... five glasses later I got up to leave on my way out he said you must come back at 11:30 tonite to drink with us! they closed at 10:45. I walked to the bridge over looking the Arno River and watched the sunset in happy drunken stuper. I will probably go back again for dinner tonite but could not make it until so late last nite....all the walking in the sun and heat (it was 85 when I went to bed last nite) heavy pasta dinner and not to mention the wine made me very tired.
Tomorrow morning I will be taking a bus to Siena. I dred my travel days now because these city streets make not much sense. Much love!
