From Pisa to Calenzano and Florence. The end of an incredible adventure!

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Pisa to Calenzano to Florence
I woke up early to explore more around Pisa and headed south in the afternoon. Calenzano is a small suburban town of Florence. I booked the hotel because it was cheap, and actually quite enjoyed the town. I spent the afternoon shopping and relaxing in the hotel. There isn't much to see in the town, so I wasn't missing much. By 7pm I realized I hadn't eaten anything all day so I headed out to find a restaurant. I only walked 7 or 8 blocks and found a great little place. It was already busy, so I figured it would be a great place. 
Sidebar-- restaurants apparently don't usually open until 7pm for dinner.  Italians eat super late. 
I walked in and asked for a table for one, but all the small tables were already full.  An adorable italian couple asked if I wanted to join them, and of course I accepted. Their English was much better than my Italian, but our conversation couldn't really go into much depth. I was really happy to be a part of the experience, though!  I had a fantastic pizza and a caprese salad. So good. I'm going to miss all this amazing food. 
I turned in early and spent the night on the Internet (first and only hotel with free wi-fi) trying to organize my last day and scheduling transportation to my hotel and to the airport.  
My amazing reception people at my current hotel just called me to remind me (like I even knew in the first place) that tomorrow is daylight savings time.  Sheesh, that would have made for an interesting day tomorrow if I was an hour late to the airport!
So after falling asleep somewhere around 2:30am, I woke up at 8 to get a head start on my final day.  The hotel had a decent breakfast.  I quickly organized all my belongings and recent purchases and found the bus to Florence.  About 5 minutes after I got on, I saw that they had their local market going on, so I quickly hopped off to explore. The sights and smells alone made my day.  I loved watching the little kids walking around. Everyone is so beautiful here. 
Once I arrived in Florence for the second time, I made it a point to explore and walk around as much as I could. Our first experience was a little dampened by the fact that we were driving aimlessly in the dark and rain, and were really frustrated. I'm so glad I came back.  Today it was much busier in town.  Lots of people everywhere. It's a lot more difficult to get lost when there's a constant flow of people going from monument to museum and so on. I just wandered all day.  I'm so glad I bought these shoes, they have saved my life on this trip. I shopped, wandered, took photos, gawked at the Hermes and Prada stores, ate gelato, and traded a lighter for a bus pass with a stranger.  I found an awesome little place hidden on a side street to have a super late lunch.  It was the best meal I've had yet.  Some sort of bruschetta crostinis and a penne pasta with the chef's choice sauce.  I'm not exactly sure what it all was, but it was a little cheese, tomato, spice, and amazing.  With a little Parmesan and a ton of fresh ground black pepper (what's up uncle Charlie!) I was so completely satisfied after I devoured the entire dish. The place was really cute, too. I took pictures, like the awkward tourist I am.  😊
After a lot more walking and being disappointed that my camera battery died, I found my way back to my hotel. I'm finally realizing that this is the end of my adventure, and my heart feels like I'm breaking up with Italy.  I love this place.  The people, the sights, the smells, the land, everything.
You can count on this face returning in the not-so-distant future. 😊
People say Italy changes your life.  I didn't understand what they meant when they said that, but now I'm fully aware.  I'm very glad I got to experience a foreign land on my own.  It's a humbling, a little scary, and very exciting adventure.  I think I pushed myself to do things that were... Different... And I couldn't be happier. All the people I met have affected me in a way I wouldn't have expected.  I'm so grateful and eternally thankful for this beautiful country.  Buona notta, Italia! 

Thanks to everyone who followed along with me in my travels. I hope you got a little taste of what I experienced, and I can only hope it makes you want to come here.  So, do it! We only have this one life to live, and the people here will make damn sure you know how to enjoy it.  

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