Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence, Italy

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I went for a walk/jog this morning.  I walked toward the Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte, a monastery about 30 minutes from my sister's house. I then ran over to Piazzale Michelangelo, the famous lookout over Florence. There is a replica of the statue of The David and great views of the city below. I don't think we've gone anywhere in this city that hasn't been beautiful or artsy or full of character...or tasty. We have really enjoyed our stay here and have really been able to take in the culture, the food, the traditions, the way of life and of course, the concept of an aperitivo.

An aperitivo is basically a light snack of meat, cheese, a glass of wine or Prosecco  (an Italian white wine)...or in my case, an espresso then a glass of Prosecco along with a sweet of some sort. It is usually eaten between lunch and dinner. Of course Italians eat lunch and dinner about two hours later than Americans do. So an aperitivo is usually around 5 pm with dinner at 8 pm. Italians go to bed after 11 pm.  My sister joked that we've taken the concept to a whole new level.  Curtis called it an a-party-tivo. We got a good laugh out of it! But it sure has been really fun to spend time with my sister and brother in law in this fantastic city! 


The church of St. Croce, below,  where famous people are buried. 

The Duomo and the government building called the Palazzo Vecchio that means old palace. 

This bridge is very famous called the Ponte Vecchio. It is pedestrian only and is a tourist and shopping area.

The statue of The David by Michelangelo. This is actually a replica. The original is in a museum.


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