Sunday 7th in Florence

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John was up early and took a long walk to get some pictures of Florence empty. He discovered that there were others who were up, still partying at a number of all night bars near Santa Croce. And of course there were people awaiting the start of the schedule at the train station. John stopped for a coffee and sweet roll at the only café open other than McCafe (MacDonald’s café) across from the station.

Upon awaking to her birthday Peggy discovered some fleur de lys earings from Volterrani e Raddi jewelers just down stairs across from our hotel. Peggy’s family has gone there for gifts for generations and John is keeping up the tradition. After breakfast we walked to San Lorenzo Chapel where the Medici are buried. It is an amazing building in that the chapel is many stories high and holds the bones of the greats of the Medici clan around the walls in large sarcophagi. A short walk to a side chapel takes you to the room where Lorenzo II and Guliano are buried in tombs that were designed and carved by Michelangelo.

Walking back to the Duomo and Baptistery we considered the long line to get in and decided to move on to Santa Croce where we visited the Leather School to let Gino know that we used his referral to an atelier who made Peggy’s leather skirt. The church was closed to tourists so we sat at a café and watched the tourists groups moving back and forth in front of Santa Croce.

We had an early lunch at a little café, Club Culinario Toscano da Osvaldo, that was recommended as truly Tuscan and we were disappointed, although the service and food was good. After a relaxing lunch amongst many locals we went back to the ranch and rested before going out again, this time Peggy wearing her new leather skirt and looking really great. We went up to the top of the hotel Antico Torre on Via Tornibuoni across from Ferragamo. The bar is on the top of the building with stunning views of the city and the river. What a way to end the day and Peggy’s birthday. “There is no better way to spend your birthday than in Florence with the man you love.”

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