Florence

Florence was some of the best times of my life. I met some girls from San Diego, while in Rome, and decided to tag along with them and go back to Florence. There really is something magical about the city. Apparently there is a statue in Florence and if you rub its nose the story says that you will come back to the city. I did this without knowing the story, and thought it was really cool that it actually worked. I was sure to rub it again because I will come back to that city.
Anyway the girls I was with were a lot of fun. Very happy go lucky, the more the better type of people. I was a little worried at first that I would be interrupting their vacation by me being there but I got lots of reassurance that I was more than welcome to be with them. I ended up staying on their floor a couple of nights which means I saved about 20 euros by not getting a hostel. I am getting good at not paying for rooms. I met someone named Bob Crocker who is about 50 years old and works 6 months of the year and travels the other 6. He is all about sleeping under the stars. All his friends say that the number of toys (he means jet skiis, trucks, boats, guns etc.) a man has is what determines how good of a life they have. Bob thinks its based on how many nights you have slept under the stars. By that he means without a tent, just sleeping with a tarp over you and a sleeping bag around you. He had quite an interesting perspective on life. Anyway..

In the beginning of the week though I was still staying in a hostel, and we were staying out pretty late every night just having fun. Not serious partying, just hanging out and laughing type of stuff. I was getting back to my Hostel pretty late/early in the morning and every time I would book another night. This is because I would always just book one night because I didnt know where I would end up the next day. I ended up getting to know the front desk people quite well because of this. One night in particular, which I will talk about more later, I got home really early, and the girl at the front desk saw me come in, threw me a key and told me I was all checked in, I just needed to move my luggage. I moved my luggage into the room and realized that I had a queen size bed with a flat screen TV in front of me, a private shower and bathroom, and a pretty decent view. I was getting VIP status. She upgraded me for free also so I was paying just as much as I would if I was staying in a dorm. That night we went out to a couple places and I met a girl from Rome. She was very pretty, quaint, and spoke good English, with a cute italian accent. We went to Pisa together the next day. Basically some of the crazier funner times of my life and I would love to share the story when I get home.

I would meet Katie, Melissa, and Mitra for lunch every day, and we would usually hang out the rest of the day doing all the things that Florence has to offer. The view from Piazza Michaelangelo is one of the things that Ill never forget. Hiking up there with a bottle of wine and just relaxing and appreciating the views and the conversation with a couple of friends is my idea of a good night.
I am pretty sure I have been to every museum and every place of interest in Florence by now. I dont feel rushed at all any more. I love just sitting in a piazza and having a cup of coffee. There is a certain swagger that comes from being in Florence.. at least for me. I am getting hit on like crazy. Older Italian women especially, its a little creepy. I walked by the Duomo and had all the artists shouting at me. It was pretty funny. Hearing ¨David Michaelangeo be my model¨ yelled at you is just a bit of a confidence booster.

I saw a flier for a rock show one night that was on the very edge of town. I got there, had some wine, but apparently was really early. I went into the warehouse that it was being held at and was told to come back at 11. So I walk around a bit and see a giant sign with Florence and an X through it.. meaning I am about to leave Florence, so I went back. Got to the venue at about 1030 and all the band members were in there. I was invited in, and sat down at these giant last supper type tables. I didnt really know what was happening until bowls and bowls of pasta appeared out of no where and I was given a plate and spooned a giant mound of food. There was so much wine there as well, in the biggest jugs Ive seen. So I am sitting and having dinner with all these musicians who speak really good English just talking and having a good time before the show. The show starts and its just really heavy music with no lyrics. Think italian explosions in the sky. Really cool night.

I went wine tasting another night with myself and 9 girls in a 13th century Italian wine cellar. We got to taste really good balsamic vinegar, really good olive oil (which they made you drink). A different type of salame for every wine, and some great aged parm cheese. I of course impressed everyone with my wine knowledge, and picking out flavours, even if I was pulling a Greg some of the time and just BSing. They especially liked the ¨oh yeah I can tell this was aged in an oak barrel, with a leather strap¨. The Chianti region is beautiful. Santa Croche is beautiful.

We took a day trip to Cinque Terre and it is easily one of the most beautiful places in the world. Go on google and look at the pictures. The cliff towns are all so well preserved and awe inspiring. The hike from the bottom town to the top was a little tough at times but very rewarding. I was very impressed that the girls were able to do the hike without too much of a break. I took my backpack and carried around all our food and clothes and shoved everyones purse in there so they wouldnt have to carry anything. It reminded me of Dad on our family trip to the Grand Canyon. We stopped in every town and relaxed or had a cup of coffee. Bought some sandwiches or local wine. The local wine by the way is some of the best Ive had on this trip. The whole hike is through the vineyards for the most part and the cliffs are littered with vines. We hiked down to the Ocean and layed out for a bit, I found a nice big rock to sit on. There was a waterfall that I went under to wash off and cool down. In the last town me and Mitra actually went into the Ocean which was beyond freezing. We have a picture of us soaking wet and freezing while someone is sitting on the beach in a jacket and scarf, just to give a little perspective.

The girls from San Diego are definately going to be friends for a long time. I am really happy about meeting them and I think its cool to meet them in this situation. I dont think they are the type of people that I would just become friends with if we met at a coffee house, or walking around on the street. Hopefully that means I am getting over a little bit of judgementality and vanity. Hanging out with them for so long made me learn alot about myself. ´Our eyes look outward, but we need the eyes of someone else to help us look inward´.

I started thinking alot about what I was going to do for the next month. I have seen pretty much everything that I really wanted to see on this trip. I have experienced all that I was thinking I would experience. And it only took 2 months. If you look at the route that I took I think it would look like it would take 4. There is so much about Florence that I love. If I had a job there I dont think I could ever leave. I could easily be a barista or something at a coffee shop. We´ll see.