Firenze

Florence deserves a little recognition in the blog. This was our last stop in Italy and our most easy-going and enjoyable city experience. In the birthplace of the Renaissance, there is extraordinary art to see. We didn't go out of our way to see it, however, as the only museum on our list at that point in the adventure was the Museo Galileo, the science museum. It was filled with scientific instruments collected from the Medici and Loraine families, the powerhouses of Florence. 

On our first night stroll, we popped inside a church to find Adoration going on. A woman invited us to write our prayer intentions and thanksgivings on a slip of paper that she provided. She said a group of Sisters would read through them and pray for us if we wanted to place our sheets at the foot of the altar. It was really sweet, and it reminded me of Night Fever in NYC. They even had the baskets organized by language!

We headed right across the river to Piazza de Michelangelo where we saw this view:

Wouldn't you know that when we walked out of our door on Sunday morning to go to Mass, we learned that the Florence Marathon was that day. 11,000 runners. Pretty neat!

On our final night in Florence, we spent an evening at the opera. Well, almost. Neither of us had heard opera before, so we listened to a set of arias, which lasted for about an hour. We heard from Mozart, Rossini, Puccini, Verdi, and Di Capua. What a delight! It was the perfect send off from a country rich in culture, food, hospitality, art, and of course, our memories!