Rome is already behind us and I woke up this morning in a palace in St. Croce, Firenze. We took a high speed train that brought us here in less than two hours. Florence is hot (in the 90's this week after a string of 70 and 80 degree days in Rome) and flooded with 20 something kids...and my daughter fell in love with it immediately and asked if we could move our family here "immediatamente!"
We were welcomed into the apartment by a member of the family who owns the palace to watch a medieval spectacle from her windows which are on the other side and open out onto St. Croce square. The town had constructed a temporary arena in the tight space between the church and the other buildings lining the piazza to welcome in the athletes of this part of the country to play an odd game that seemed to combine bare knuckle boxing, wrestling, and rugby...all done in the hot sun by players wearing strange pantaloons and running on a sand floor. It was thrilling to watch from such important windows and so Gail and I imagined we were royalty, trying not to yawn or grimace lest the crowds and tv cameras below catch us at an (in)opportune moment!
Afterward we had our first home-cooked dinner, thanks to a grocery run through the crowds gathered for the spectacle and special passes permitting us to go in and out in the tightly secured area of the square. We had chicken parmesan and a fresh rocket salad with the best red and juicy grape tomatoes I have ever had. We drank a little red wine and a licorice liquor before taking a walk at 10:00 PM after the streets had cooled off and quieted down from all of the festive commotion.
This morning I rose at 7:00 am with the sunlight coming through my shuttered windows and illuminating the vaulted and decorative ceiling above. I am well rested and eager to see what lies before us today...it is all literally outside of our windows!
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