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| Siena |
The past couple of days have been sort of a whirlwind. We
left Campomarino on Sunday morning with Firenze (Florence) as our final
destination. It was a great day to drive as the roads were empty.
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| Ponte Vecchio |
On our way to Florence, we made an afternoon stop in Siena.
We visited the Piazza del Campo, site of the Il Palio horse race (look it up on
Google/Youtube) one day after a victor was crowned. The dirt from the race,
along with the thrill of Civetta’s victory, still filled the square.
After a light lunch, we headed to Florence, and our albergo
(hotel) Hotel Leonardo Da Vinci. Last night we took it easy, then went out for
a walk through Piazza Santa Maria Novella on our way to dinner in Piazza Della
Republica. 
When I awoke today, my birthday, I knew we had a lot on our
plate. Mom, Linda, and I headed out into the city after breakfast and went to
the leather market, Piazza Della Signoria, the Ponte Vecchio, and to the Boboli
Gardens, where we had amazing views of Brunelleschi’s Duomo in the distance. Mom got my birthday gift for me on the Ponte
Vecchio, a medallion of San Michele for my chain. We also found out that
disabled visitors and their guests get into museums and galleries for free
without waiting. Just go right up to get a ticket, and then go in. Not worth
the trade, but still a nice perk.