Another woozy morning, but it was worth it. If you want to party hard, hard, hard, party with Theatre Folk. They are experts at forgetting their troubles and getting happy. Some breakfast, plenty of coffee and water, then a shower and packing for the day’s travels, taking a later train so I can have lunch with Allesandro a Bernard from The Global Theatre Project. Once I was clean and packed I checked out, put my bag in the hotel storage closet and retired to the rooftop of the hotel to sit in the cool sunshine, enjoy the view of Florence, and write. I wrote and dozed and thought and wrote and dozed some more. The sun felt so good and it didn’t take long to realize that my gas tank is getting low and that by the time I wrap up this trip I’ll be running on empty. Jackson Browne said it best:

Running on – running on empty
Running on – running blind
Running on – running into the sun
But I’m running behind

My new friends Allesandro and Bernard picked me up and took me to their place for a wonderful lunch of sausage and white beans with a home made tomato sauce and wine. We had bread, wine and home made Calabrian salami, very spicy. While Allesandro cooked we all exchanged our stories. Bernard is a Canadian expat in Firenza. Allesandro is a native of the amazing city. We talked and laughed and ate and drank and swapped stories. It was a continuation of the amazing dinner the night before with Clelia, Luka, and the madman Adriano. I could so easily live that life. So easily.

Lunch ended with home made walnut liqueur and a trip to the local gelateria. Then we made a run to the Piazza de Michelangelo which,offers a fantastic view of Florence. We also stopped by the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte, a 12th century church with original frescos painted throughout, and a mosaic above the altar to rival the basilica at San Marco in Venice in beauty if not in scale.

It was getting late and I had a train to catch. I was left at the station with much cheek kissing and smiling demands that I return soon. I know I will. But first, a visit to the Eternal City.

Roma