We wake up today, have coffee and enjoy breakfast downstairs at our hotel before heading out to see the city of Firenze. It’s hot again today, and I feel like I can stop writing that as it will likely be hot for the rest of this adventure. We go through the piazza and buy perfume, peek into Basilica of Santa Croce and make our way through the hundreds of people before having a light lunch at Signorvino. We enjoy the conversation of two ladies who seem to have spent a great bit of time together as children but have just reunited. One is likely from England and the other has a thick French accent. They talk about their parents and share stories about their siblings. Their conversation sounds like one that may lead to healing and understanding. (The tables are close together in these Italian restaurants!)
Next, we head up a long hill to see Forte di Belvedere. It’s closed today so we continue on up the hill and through fantastic, hilly neighborhoods with sprawling mansions and gardens and old rock walls for miles. It’s heaven for me and I’m so thankful my foot is not bothering me today.
We see Giardino Pubblico di Tivoli and climb the many stairs. As we make our way back to our hotel, we see Porta Romana with tall wooden doors in arches that are many stories high.
We enjoy some time in the pool before heading to dinner at Spice India. The service here is amazing. The authentic Indian food is incredible. We order chicken marsala, lemon rice, cauliflower with potatoes, a red cheese dish and a selection of naan bread. We eat until we can’t eat anymore, and we agree that this might be our favorite meal so far. The restaurant is very clean and has a lovely Indian charm. At the end of our meal, we are introduced to mukhwas, a mixture of fennel and candied fennel seeds, nuts, anise, coconut, coriander and sesame. It is meant to be ingested as a digestive aid as well as to freshen the palate.
We’ve now been out for three weeks with another three weeks to go. Though this is the longest we have ever been away from home, we are content and comfortable. There are days such as today where we wake up and agree to do some walking but do not have much on our agenda. Our minds and our bodies can use the periodic slow down. There is so much to see in these amazing, historical cities but one would have to spend a week or two to touch the surface. We agree to explore what we can on foot, enjoy the city and not remorse about the things we do not see. We’re here, and the city is beautiful. We go to bed early and are thankful for a good night’s rest.