A Day of Rest-in Firenze

Up, up and away to start the day early with a refreshing ride through Florence just like old times along the Arno river and through the streets. When I got back there was just enough time to catch a train out to Lucca, another small Tuscan town close by. There we wandered the streets without a map or any direction of what to see or what to do. It felt so good without the pressure though and we didn’t feel like tourists and there weren’t many around anyway. We intermingled with the locals and got to see some beautiful churches and the famous wall that encloses the city.

After a little bit of shopping, our stomachs were growling for some lunch so we stopped at this restaurant that happened to have a garden in the back were you can sit outside and eat a peaceful meal. I ordered the rigatoni with zucchini flowers and white fish. It was absolutely delicious because it wasn’t in a chunky tomato sauce- rather it was in a light oil sauce with a touch of sauce. The portions weren’t so big, but in the end it was just enough to hold me over for dessert. The bread they served was homemade and nice and crispy. We savored every last bit of our slightly expensive meal.

We found our way back to the train station and I was anxious to get to Florence to watch the game! Italia played Slovakia and ended up losing but it was the experience that made it a great game for me at least. We sat in a bar in Florence surrounded by hardcore fans for both Italy and Slovakia. Because Italy didn’t play so great, there were a lot of screaming and yelling and disappointed people. Ridiculous. I still can’t get over the fact that they played so bad, but that’s life. I was excited to be in Italy for the World Cup but it seems like the place to be is the US!

The night was just beginning and we were off to grab gelato at the famous gelateria place in town before running to the bridge to snag a spot for fireworks. The show didn’t start until after 10 but then it lasted until almost 11! It was incredible and didn’t seem to want to end. We were mesmerized by the different colors and continuous flow of fireworks. The people went nuts and I think the whole city gathered around the river to watch- and to get eaten alive by the mosquitoes that seem to be ready to attack no matter what time of year, whatever temperature and wherever you are.

Of course we couldn’t leave Florence without having a pizza, so we stopped at a pizzeria at 11 o’clock at night and ate personal pies. I got a nice, thin, crispy pie with tomato sauce, capers and anchovies- Pizza Napoletana. I have to say it’s one of my favorites. The restaurant was crowded for 11 o’clock and people were still coming at 12. People are hungry at all hours of the night here- beautiful.