Bye Diane & Laurel... :(

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I'm trying to get all caught up in one fell swoop....

FRIDAY APRIL 3

Too sad to think this is Diane & Laurel's last day. We began by chatting to our Asian psychiatrist friend at breakfast - turns out he's heading later this year to San Francisco for the American Psychiatrist's Association convention...so Diane gave him a list of good San Francisco restaurants. Never hurts to be nice to a psychiatrist.....

Our dear Frederica had made reservations for us at the Galleria Academie...we definitely could not leave Florence without seeing Michelangelo's "David". We scooted over there, now feeling fairly confident negotiating the streets in downtown Florence.

To stand in front of "David" is a humbling experience. We were all speechless...which is good, because a very irritating museum security guard kept loudly saying "SHUSH!!!" to the crowd. We - and others - looked in vain for the "No Talking" signs...and decided she could use some help from one of the 8,000 psychiatrists in town....

In any case, seeing the massive statue was almost overwhelming...we were so glad we were able to get in. We looked at other parts of the museum...but, as in Spain last year, sometimes even achingly beautiful ancient art can get become a bit too much. Almost all, of course, was religious in theme and no question of great value...but we didn't stay too long. Seeing "David" was what we had come for and it will certainly be one of the highlights of the trip for each of us.

Found a quiet restaurant, after going through the market outside the Galleria and buying some mementoes & gifts...had a good sister talk...then walked back to the B&B by way of Via Very Expensive...Diane tried on a few clothes at an incredible boutique, "Save the Queen" (has anyone heard of that store??)...and ended up buying a fantastic shirt that looks great on her. The other 3 of us cheered her on....

Got Laurel & Diane to the train station and bid a sad adieu. I wish they could have stayed longer...but as Nancy says, Next time!

Nancy and I then spent a fantastic evening, organizing dirty laundry & taking it to a laundromat close to the B&B. We were prepared to do it ourselves, but turns out it was a wash/dry/stuff-into-your-laundry-bag place...we just left it & the woman there had it in the dryer when we returned later. How nice is that!!

While the laundry was being done, we went next door to a famous Perfumerie...it was gorgeous, selling all sorts of wonderful soaps, perfumes, herbs, etc...but, again, just a wee bit expensive, with the Euro doing so well. So we were content to once again just admire but not buy.

Our laundry was done by 8pm; dropped it off at our room and went for a light dinner at a restaurant near our B&B. It was fine...until a VERY odd woman (overly-made up, big bleached blonde hair, botoxed to the 9's) sat down beside our table and proceded to make cell phone calls, whispering mysteriously into her cell phone between bites of her pizza. It was truly a Fellini-esque moment.

Then our waiter extravagently swished by and deposited 2 unrequested espresso's in front of us. OK, we thought...nice touch; we hadn't ordered it & neither of us wanted the coffee, but we politely had a few sips as it was clearly complimentary.

Uh...no...we got the bill and there was a €4 charge for the 2 espressos. Nancy PROMPTLY called the waiter over...the owner actually came over and with a flourish cancelled the charge for the coffees. Very very odd. This was in addition to our waitress at lunch stiffing us out of €10 when she brought our change...while she was apologetic when we pointed out the mistake, we couldn't help but think it was a scam - one that probably worked a number of times.

In any case...tomorrow we pick up our car & put our lives in my hands as I attempt to drive through Tuscany for a week. We're heading to Cinque Terre on the west coast first. God help me, negotiating the Florentine traffic....

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