Friday!

I woke up this morning and tried to catch some of the game, but I had no internet in my room and did not feel like walking down to the kitchen, so I turned over and hoped for the best.  Later, when I finally woke up, I learned the worst.  C'mon Rangers!  Wake up!

I spent this morning taking care of a few things online and generally taking some time off.  In the afternoon, my friends from Auburn arrived in Florence for a fun weekend!  After we got them settled in their hotel, and took our time figuring how to get train tickets to Venice for Sunday and bus tickets to the small town of Friesole before that, we were able to do some sightseeing.

I took them to see Santa Maria Novella, and I think they enjoyed it.  I appreciated seeing it a second time and noticing some details I missed the first time.  On the way to the Duomo, we happened to notice a small church, Santa Maria Maggiore, that was open, so we stepped inside.  What a beautiful little church!  Yet another example of how Europeans have been able to pack so much art and beauty in random little churches around the cities.

By this time the Duomo was closed for the day, so we took our time walking around the Baptistry and Duomo and just taking in the sights.  I then took them down past Orsanmichel to the Piazza della Signoria and the Palazzo Vechho, where we looked at the statues and tried to figure out where to get dinner.  We eventually settled on Trattoria Nella.  I eat a mixed salad, fettucine bolognese, and a slice cream and chocolate cake.  We also shared some delicious house Chianti.  We tried to be true Italians, and took our time eating and talking, outlasting 3 runs of other tourists coming in to eat.  We had some "small world" moments.  One couple was from Houston (Kingwood), the wife used to live in Mobile, and the husband worked at Johnson Space Center.  After I told them my research topic, he gave me their email and phone number to contact them when I return to the States.  What a nice couple!  Later there was a large family, all from Bryan/College Station!  There were not Aggies (one man admitted to being a Baylor Bear), but they again were nice and friendly.  It is amazing who you can run into.

By that time it was getting late, so we took a quick walk down to Ponte Vecchio before heading in for the night.  Tomorrow should be a very busy museum day since we have reservations at the Accademia (home of David) in the morning and the Uffizi Gallery (largest collection of Renaissance Art) in the afternoon.  I should have some more interesting stories to tell!