Florence

Florence really proved to be everything it was rumored to be. There are certain places that you almost expect to let you down, simply because they are built up so dramatically - and I was half-afraid that Florence would prove to be one of those instances where the reputation would out-strip the reality. Instead, it was absoutely amazing. I know I've made this point before, but I still contend that the Europeans are simply far more sane than we are. They just seem to "get it" in a way that we don't - they own less and spend more time on travel and actually use their vacation time. The Italians, in particular, really seem to value protecting their free time and enjoying as many hours outdoors as possible - I don't think I've ever been anyplace that had a more overpowering love of ice cream (there is a shop seemingly on every corner, and really, really good ice cream - well, it looked good from the window as I passed by on the way to get another salad). I had expected Florence to be insanely crowded, but, for the most part, it wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared. I'll talk more about some of the museums I visited later, but even those were fairly easy to get into without a long wait. Anyway, let me post a few pictures and I'll have more specific comments when I get some sleep.