Florence

We got our fix of art and exquisite food in Florence, thereby making it our favorite city in Italy so far. After we visit Rome and Capri, we'll weigh in again.

The line at the Galleria dell'Accademia averaged 2 hours under the scorching sun. That was unacceptable to us so Jon put on his shadiest face and set out to bribe a sketchy tour guide. And the shadiness worked. We each paid an extra 5 euros, cut the line, and went straight to the most magnificent structure I've ever laid my eyes on - Michelangelo's David. An hour later, we exited the museum and found that the family who was standing behind me had moved up around the corner but had another hour to wait. That made paying a little more money more than worth it!

Today, Jon and I made a quick half-day trip to Cinque Terre, which are five villages along the coast of Italy. These small towns had so much flavor and are known for their dry, white wine, pesto, and anchovies. Don't know what got into us, or me, but I felt compelled to order an entire bottle of wine during dinner. It was AMAZING wine, but we couldn't even finish half the bottle. So we sent it to the table next to us, another American couple on vacation. They were elated and we were relieved to not have to waste a drop of it. Win-win, I'd say.

We're taking a train to Rome in a few hours. Since art class in undergrad, I've dreamed of seeing the Sistine Chapel. I hope it lives up to all the hype and my expectations.

Good night. Zzzzzz.