More Florence exploring
The last two days the temperature has dropped here in Florence. A bit chilly for us California folks, but we are prepared. Not so sure we are fully prepared for Scotland coming up in January, but for now we are still staying warm.
Bill and Melina went to the Pitti Palace, and Zach and I headed to the (attached) Boboli Gardens. He was not interested in checking out the palace so we spent several hours in the gardens running, exploring, jumping, playing in mud, puddles, finding a dead rat (ick), and lounging. There are some gorgeous views in the gardens. This is one of my favorite places in Florence, so to buy myself some more time walking around, I created a scavenger hunt for Zach. He loved it, and of course I had to come up with a prize. The scavenger hunt required all my creativity for the day so I went with cash for the prize, 5 euros. He found everything and was thrilled with his prize. I was thrilled with my 3 hours away from the hustle and bustle.
We escaped the cold the next day (at least for a little while) by going to afternoon tea. Melina is a huge fan of high tea, so we have been trying to have an afternoon tea experience in each of the cities we visit. So far Paris - all vegan - and Boston Library have been my favorite. Mel’s favorites are the Paris tea and the San Francisco afternoon tea she did with her friends.
Today, our last day in Florence, we had to be out of our airbnb at 10am, but couldn’t check into our next place in Fiesole - hills above Florence - until 3pm. It was little challenging in the cold as we have all our luggage with us. First stop, haircuts for both kids which took up an hour. Next was a coffee/snack break at a cafe with a big back room and room for us with all our luggage. We had coffee, snacks, played a couple rounds of Uno and all used the bathroom —- important when you are out and about with no homebase. After that we made our way over to the other side of town for an art class. I found a private art studio that offered classes for kids and they were able to fit us in last minute. A bit on the pricey side ($250), but a unique experience for sure. And, the bonus was Bill and I could leave all the luggage there and explore on our own while the kids did their art. The not bonus part was the art studio was on the 3rd floor, so up 4 flights of stairs with all our luggage. That definitely winded me. Melina loved the art experience and the personalized instruction on her drawing. I think she got a lot more out of it than Zach. But, it was a good experience for both of them. Zach did a clay project and a fire project which involved a blow torch and a hairdryer. I am glad I was not there for that part. Bill and I wandered and then picked up the kids and we all headed to the bus stop. Next stop, Fiesole.
