We had a wonderful tour of the main sites in Florence by our apartment's owner. She is a tour guide for the big cruise lines. There are thousands of tourists here from all over the world..... and this isn't even high season! We learned a lot about the Renaissance and also about life in Italy. Both were extremely interesting! We learned how rich the Medici family was in the Middle Ages, and how they made it very possible for young artists to develop creations of incredible beauty! The big dome over the cathedral, the bridge over the Arno, the many famous statues.... were things we had heard about all our lives, but seeing them in person was spectacular. That said, we are returning there on Thursday to visit the museums that were closed today.
After we left our guide, we managed to get lost! We also have been eating authentic Tuscan dishes, most of which we have not really enjoyed. Jim does like the wild boar, though! Took the Metro home. Very easy to commute here.
People here feel very overwhelmed by the high cost of living. Gas is over $9 a gallon. Lots of people seem very poor. They live in multistoried apartments... Their laundry hanging out the windows. They are very afraid of Russian and Chinese and Italian mafia! Interesting!
That said, we are going back to the hill towns tomorrow. They are definitely our favorite!
