Florence

Florence, my penultimate stop. The birthplace of western renaissance, home of Michelangelo’s David and Brunelleschi’s Doumo. As my trip was intentionally loose I found myself with a few extra days. Too few to have a good run at another city, I decided to extend my stay in Florence as the hostel was nice and the cost of living was better than Rome or Venice.

I got out on at least one wine tour to the Chianti countryside and am traveling with a few bottles of wine. I brushed up on my Italian gesticulations, and spent time with fellow travelers. I got out the the gym one last time. If two guys my size went there at the same time.. We would use all the plates in the place. Clearly not a hangout for body builders.

Florence ( Firenze for the Italians ) feels the closest to San Francisco of any of the cities I’ve visited thus far. It’s still a city but the pace is a little more relaxed and the people are reasonably friendly.

With my trip coming to a close I found myself yearning for home more frequently. I seemed less interested in the sites, and I had certainly reached the point of being done with religious art. I did some more shopping and just generally relaxed as I slowed the pace of my trip down again.

The hostel I stayed in was quite nice. Again I had a day or two alone in a 4 person room. The facility was really large and both the staff and visitors were friendly. In addition to it’s own bar, which is reasonable common, this place also had it’s own cafeteria. In addition to a pool it also had a steam room and sauna, so it’s no surprise I decided to stay here a little longer. ;-)

With my pack laden down with the addition of a few wine bottles and some salami that I would attempt to sneak through customs I left a very comfortable stay in Florence and caught the train for my final stop: One last day in Rome.