Ciao! Firenze!

As I write it is Wednesday and Susan and I are on the fast train to Rome. On Monday we left Lake Garda and drove to Sesto Fiorentino, a city just northwest of Florence and convenient to the airport and rental car return location. We found accommodations in a beautiful bed and breakfast located in a olive grove. It was such a peaceful, welcoming and relaxing place. When we arrived in the afternoon, workers were harvesting olives - a process I had never seen. With netting under the trees and ladders positioned in the upper branches, the workers literally rake the olives off the flexible tree limbs, dropping them into the netting below. Then they gather up the netting and pour the olives into plastic bins. It was fascinating to watch them work, relieving tree after tree of it's ripened olives.

We were up early on Tuesday because Whitney had an early flight home. We so enjoyed our visit with her and celebrating her 25th birthday in Italy.
After getting Whitney to the airport, we enjoyed a delicious cup of Italian coffee back at the B&B. I especially enjoyed having my cup of coffee out on the veranda. It was so relaxing to read about Dante in my book, while looking out at the valley below. The cool morning was beautiful and the setting was serene. I enjoyed listening to the birds singing and the gentle rustling of the olive trees in the breeze and smelling the sweet smell of rosemary in the air. I could also hear the sounds of the olive reapers moving their ladders and raking the branches and having conversation as they worked. It was one of those glorious moments that I will remember forever!
After a delicious breakfast we got ready and headed into town and caught a train into Florence. We needed to do a bit of shopping and we also wanted to climb the Duomo. Seeing Florence from the top of the Duomo was beyond spectacular!! And seeing the paintings at the top of the dome from within arms reach was indescribable!
It began to rain as we boarded the train back to Sesto Fiorentino. We went to the supermarket and bought our dinner of bread and meat, cheese and olives which we enjoyed back at Casavaliversi.

It rained all night long and continued this morning, adding a morning fog to the scenery. We said goodbye to our hostess, Simona, and turned in the rental car and took a taxi to Santa Maria Novella - the central train station in Florence. And, now we are headed to Rome. We look forward to meeting up with our friends, Gary and Karen Chamblee, in Rome in another hour or so and finishing our trip seeing the sights if Rome with them.

We have learned so much on this trip and had so many new experiences. We have navigated planes, trains, automobiles, buses, taxis, boats and on foot. We have eaten new foods, seen so many new sights, learned a few Italian words, like "grazie" and "ciao," and been blessed beyond measure to meet such wonderful people! I can't wait to share pictures and stories with all of you when we get home! Until then, ciao!