Day 8

Captain’s log day 8: we slept in (again) and started the day slow with ajwain tea (again) If you suffer from any type of digestive issues, I highly recommend this. We keep looking for that little shop we bought the seeds from and can’t find it…I’m beginning to wonder if it was real. We leave to meet Belle at Rooster Cafe for brunch in between her classes. It’s a charming little restaurant that has some American brunch options and as such is filled with students from the US. Our server is from Philly and reminds me of home for a moment. As amazing as this experience is, I am most definitely missing my fam and peeps and routine and dog and bed and cooking. After brunch, Belle and I go to see Michelangelo’s David. Tickets were sold out, so I am grateful we booked in advance. David is spectacular. Mikey was only 26 when he started hand-carving this masterpiece out of a block of marble. I also learned that it was originally supposed to be one of twelve statues on the roofline of the cathedral, which would have prevented us from ever truly appreciating its beauty. After making Belle take an inappropriate picture, she heads to class and I meet Nicole for an aperitif near Palazzo Vecchio, where there’s a replica of David and other beautiful statues in the square. There are so many beautiful squares in Florence. I try to find purple shampoo as the salt baths have turned my hair green. The lady at the farmacia recommends a chamomile shampoo instead. I’m loving the homeopathic suggestions. We go through Piazza di Santa Croce where they’re setting up for the Calcio Storico, which is some sort of rugby/soccer/MMA match that takes place every year. Sounds nuts. We walk over Ponte Vecchio, the historical shop-filled bridge that crosses the Arno river. There’s a light drizzle but it’s bringing in a cool breeze that’s very welcomed. It puts me in the mood for gelato, and my dad happens to call; he can sense gelato moments. We then head to scuola del cuoio, Florence’s leather school, where they offer artisanal leather training inside a monastery. It’s so friggin cool. Even the birds outside the school sound so happy. Inside the school they have a little shop with items the students have made and will emboss your purchases on site. It’s an awesome experience and definitely a place to put on your checklist. There’s a ton of leather shops and sidewalk stands here, but there’s something special about this school. They wrap up our purchases in beautiful emerald green velvet bags and we make our way back across the bridge. We find an outdoor restaurant and eat some odd but delicious “tomato soup”, truffle pizza and baked sea bass. We head back to the flat and decide to make it an early night; we’ve got to be up at the BCOD for a day trip to Cinque Terre tomorrow. We put on our jamjams and watch a documentary on the Colosseum because we’re history buffs now. Arrivederci schnookems!

PS Jackson has been killin it in his showcase the last few days. Thanks to technology I can follow along even in another country.