Last night we were treated to a huge thunderstorm in the middle of the night. I know this because I couldn't fall asleep for hours, and because the thunder was very loud. So today was an easy day of sightseeing. We drove north to the Casentino region - mountains and forests.
First stop was Poppi, a small hill town with a castle on top. Castle closed on Mondays, but pretty pictures outside. Lots of driving through the National Forest with a lunch stop of leftover pizza in the car. It was a little too chilly to eat outside.
By afternoon we reached La Verne, home of the monestary that St. Francis founded. We didn't make it into the sanctuary because of the service going on, but we could hear the monks (or some group) singing. Plenty of opportunity for picture-taking, though.
Back to Arezzo, we promised Claire to stop at the Ipercoop where she had never been. Apparently, it is the Super Target equivalent. The exciting part of the shopping experience (more exciting than choosing what pasta we'll have tonight for dinner and the chocolate for afternoon treat) was the sensor I set off going into the store. The security guard had to come take me to a room and wand me (no common language for us here). Turns out I had not clipped my sensor in my new sweater, so he took a scissors to it immediately and then set me free to shop! It's frustrating to not speak the language, but we seem to manage, and grazie goes a long way with a smile.
Today we spent the day in Florence (Firenza) taking in the art. Most magnificent, of course, is Michelangelo's David, as well as the Duomo. We also enjoyed Claire's guidance through the Uffizzi Gallery - another "must see". We wandered over to the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) and window shopped along the bridge. We weren't in the market for expensive jewelry.
