Day 7 - Florence, Italy - a Guest Post by Sarah Hebert'12 and Diana Ohrt'13

This morning began with another delicious breakfast gazing out onto the early morning harbor of Portovenere. We departed this beautiful and tranquil town at 9:30 and traced the coastline to the region of Tuscany and our ultimate destination, Florence. Known to the locals as Firenze, this city has been deemed the art capital of Italy having been the birth place of the Renaissance. We finally reached the city around noon and had an hour to grab a quick bite to eat and briefly acquaint ourselves with the city.

At one o' clock we met under the looming presence of the Neo-Gothic Bell Tower adjacent to one of Firenze's crowning jewels, the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral. We met with our interesting and highly knowledgable tour guide for a one hour walking tour of the city to intimately experience some of Firenze's most prominent places and structures. Some of these points of interest included the Ponte Vecchio, known for it's stretching expanse of exquisite fine jewelry and other lush goods. Another noted point of interest was just a short walk from this famed bridge, which brought us to the Uffizi. This unique space is renown as an art gallery which was supported by the prominent Medici family and is lined with statues of figures of individuals who were integral as catalysts during the Renaissance period. Some noted figures in this gallery included da Vinci, Machiavelli, and Amerigo Vespucci (does this first name look familiar?). We smoothly navigated the tight medieval alleys and streets to bring us to the sun-drenched Piazza Della Signoria. A main feature to this bustling square includes copies of great masterpieces including Michelangelo's David, the Fountain of Neptune by Ammannati, and the symbol of Firenze, The Lion which is referred to as "il Marzocco" with a copy of the "Florentine Lily" originally made by Donatello. A final highlight was the Palazzio Vecchio, a truly archaic relic of medieval Italy, steeped with history, it makes it's home in one of the most significant public places in Italy.

Ponte Vecchio Bridge - Florence, Italy

After the guided tour, we were free to roam the streets, indulging in delectable gelato and immersing ourselves in the Florentine atmosphere. Our tour guide Elena told us a main specialty of Florence is their leather goods, and we certainly could not resist. Euros abound, we bought bags, shoes, jackets and more, taking a solid sampling of Florence's finest. And so, after two and a half hours of shopping, we reconvened once more under the bell tower to depart the piazza. After many hours in the roasting sun, not even the cool tastes of gelato could ameliorate the heat, and so we were more than willing to find a safe (and cooler) haven on the bus.

Members of the team in front of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral - Florence, Italy

Once reunited with Massi, our beloved bus conductor, we battled our way through obdurate traffic to finally arrive at our hotel, the Royal Palace in Montecatini. We dined at eight o' clock on local lasagna, veal and potatoes, and lemon and strawberry sorbet. After dinner, the girls scuttled away to their rooms, eager to shower and recuperate in hopes of being reinvigorated for tomorrow's travels to Milan and our next game.

We would like to say Grazie for reading our blog and Buonanotte!

Diana and Sarah