Oh, just another day in Florence…

Yesterday, I took a tour of two wineries near San Gimignano after a beautiful drive through the Tuscan countryside. The wines at both vineyards were terrific as were the samplings of bruschetta and olive oil. We learned about winemaking, tasting, labeling, and all about specific wines for this region. It was a perfect half-day tour to get out of metropolitan Florence. I may or may not have shipped cases of wine home.

Afterwards, I just strolled the streets of Florence. It was such a pretty day, I took photos of the Duomo and Cathedral along with Giotto’s bell tower (I haven’t been inside yet as the only day available for tickets when I booked was for tomorrow, June 12). What a gorgeous Gothic facade! Truly stunning.

At this point, I wasn’t really hungry as I had sampled enough wine and bread at the wineries, so I thought I would grab a few staples at Conrad and head back to the apartment. I obviously wandered in the wrong direction, but I passed a Pizza Man and decided to get a pizza for take-away to eat later. At this point, I was exhausted from walking and sightseeing. Renting an apartment was a brilliant idea. It was like a cool, quiet, safe haven with a kitchen at the end of the day.

Today, I’m taking well-deserved break from being a tourist. I managed to whip up some spaghetti and salad for lunch with a chilled bottle of vino. I’ve actually had a few lunches at my apartment which has been ideal for both saving money and relaxing. It’s not all play and no work, though. There’s a perfect spot near a window that I’ve been using for what I’m calling working lunches. I’m teaching three summer classes online, so I have to set aside time to grade and answer emails, vacation or not. Today seemed a good day to do that as tomorrow is shopping day! 

Ciao! ❤