The southern trip ended on the 22^nd. Most of the CESA group took the bus back to Riva. With a free weekend I went to Florence with Smalls and Molly. We left around 8 am and headed for the train station at the bottom of the hill. The train ride was brief, but dirty. Before we boarded a poultry train whipped by the tracks dusting us with feathers and chicken filth. 

Rome and the other trips had been very busy so we opted to relax for a few days. We stayed in two different hostels. The first was disgusting. Never stay at the riverbank hostel or hostel via san Croche. Someone had converted their apartment into a hostel, it smelled of cigarettes and garbage. To its credit there was a really great loft with a table.

We spent the day walking around the city and in the Piazza San Lorenzo. There is a ton of shopping. I was tempted to buy several leather bags but stuck to post cards. Florence is also known for making beautiful papers. I went into several carta shops to see the different styles.

Molly and Carrie took a nap around 5. It was a nice night so I bought a bottle of wine and walked to see the sunset at the Ponte Vechio. The view from the Ponte Grazie was perfect. On the way back from the bridge I stopped in shop and bought a hand painted bottle stopper. We went to bed fairly early in order to wake up ready for a full day.

The next morning we checked into our new hostel, the Hotel Stampaoli. The accommodations were very clean and charming. The staff was very friendly and I would highly recommend staying here. We walked around the city stopping to see the replica of David and eat gelato near the bridge.

That afternoon we took a tour of the Uffizi gallery. This gallery had a lot of famous works and reminded me of the survey course I took back at tech. I hadn’t prepared myself to see Botticelli and almost went into shock.  A few rooms were closed including the Caravaggio. This museum had everything; Da Vinci, Titian, Ruben, and Lippi. I leave soon for Barcelona and will write more on this museum later.

That night we went to a restaurant recommended by the hostel clerk. Florence is known for its Bruschetta and was a clear choice.  The next day we walked around and climbed to the top of the tower outside the Duomo.  I loved Florence and will elaborate more later on.