You Can't Get Lost In Florence

I think one of the things I've enjoyed most is just wandering through the city. Those who know me know I have the worst sense of direction so I was thrilled to realize that no matter where you are you can always find the Duomo. It has a tendency to just pop out at you when you round a corner. If you can find the Duomo, you can get to the main Piazza and from there its an easy walk down the Ponte Vecchio (with all the gold shops) to our fab apartment across the river.

Market Update
Best Market in Florence - Marcato Centrale
This is a covered food market with fresh cheeses, meats and breads. It smells wonderful and you can get everything you need for a great picnic - including a great $3 wine.

San Lorenzo Market - This is a sprawling marketplace with stalls selling mostly leather bags and jackets. The locals don't bargain as much as you think they would (unless you're Todd and use the magic of economic haggling on them).

Ponte Vecchio - This is a bridge over the Arno lined with little gold shops (18K) on each side. It reminds me of the souqs in Saudi with all the windows dripping in gold. The jewelry is gorgeous and the prices aren't bad...until you convert the Euros into Dollars.

Today's Itinerary
--San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels. Michelangelo's mid-life tribute to time, death and redemption. Go to see the master's coconut breast statues of Day and Dawn.
--Lunch from the Mercato Centrale on the steps of San Lorenzo
--Bargaining in the San Lorenzo Market
--Wandering around the shopping district in the Santa Croce district
--Birthday dinner for Todd at Quattro Leoni in the Oltrano. (Sting has eaten here!) The menu was in Italian and we left our translation guide at home so we ordered what sounded good - we ended up with Tuscan white beans with our pasta. Odd, but good.