Resting...

Since I last wrote, we traveled to Florence, a.k.a. Firenze! I have found that while all Italian cities are very different, they are also very much alike. The architecture, businesses, and general layout are different, but walking down a street in Tuscany in one town is very much like doing so in the next. Firenze is a town known for its beautiful art. There are vendors out with their artwork, painting and selling by day, and it is the center for many art institutes. One of the most famous recognitions in Firenze is Michelangelos sculpture, the David, of the Bible. In the Biblical story, David is a weak boy who is not allowed to go and fight the giant, but in the sculpture, Michelangelo seems to have depicted his heart, rather than his body, making him the perfect man. David is looking to the left because the Italians believe that from the left is where problems come and enemies attack. He seems to be waiting for a problem to ward off with his slingshot. It is incredibly impressive to think that someone without any real technology could sculpt something so massive and so intricate!
The following day we went to the beach for some rest and I played with the little girls down by the waves. The beaches are more like the ones I am used to and less like the ones in Greece that I saw last year, in this area. I hear that as you go south, the water gets bluer and clearer. At our beach, there are mountains behind with snow and the water is very cold, but still refreshing. I was looking for shells with Olivia and a hermit crab bit my big toe and wouldnt let go! It was sort of funny to see me running out of the water shaking a crab off of my foot, Im sure.
Yesterday we went to eat at Ristorante Cerù (pronounced Ch-e-rue) which was one of my favorite things! The food was wonderful and the view was spectacular. Ceru is located on the top of a mountain near Lucca. It overlooks, to one side, the sea, and to the other, the towns. Breathtaking! The owners of Ceru make all of their own food and grow everything themselves - they are completely self sufficient and you can tell that the quality and know how are much better than anything we have had. For dessert we had a flan-like thing with berries on top...delicious!
Today is a lazy day...laundry and the like. I am looking forward to another excellent week!