On this day, Nick posted a copy of the birthday card, he made for me, to  our trip mates. It contains a  current photo of us, and one taken during the year we met. Today was indeed a day for us to look back at the time we have spent together,  because it was our 49th anniversary.

I wrote so much about Venice that one might think it was my favorite city of the three Italian cities that  we visited on our honeymoon (Rome, Florence, and Venice), but actually, my favorite was Florence. The city’s walkable historical center is packed with culture, history, and charm. It has beautiful Tuscan scenery, unmatched art, iconic architecture, and exquisite food. And we were going to spend our 49th anniversary there!

We had a two hour walking tour with our guide, Gaston, seeing some familiar sights and some new ones. The familiar sights began with the Cathedral de Santa Maria del Fiore, universally known as the Duomo, the size of which dominates the city. There are 463 steps to the top; we climbed them back in the day. Here is the inside of the dome.

Then came the baptistry doors, designed by Ghiberti, a copy of which is at Vassar College. Next, we walked down to the Ponte Vecchio and circled around to the Uffizzi Gallery,  which has many statues of noteworthy Italians, including Dante Alligheri and Amerigo Vespucci, surrounding it. \

After that we went to Piazza della Signoria, the main public square.

Among the sights that were new to us were statues of a wild boar and a lion, and a carousel.

After the tour, Nick asked Gaston for a lunch recommendation. He told us about a place that locals enjoy called Trattoria Anita, which was a short walk away. We were able to get a table for eight.

On our first trip to Tuscany, we  tasted Tuscan steak. We have recalled that  steak  through the years, because  it was  the most tender and tasty steak that we had ever tasted. We ordered it. Anita asked how we wanted it cooked, and Nick answered, “Medium rare.” Anita  replied that she could ask the chef to cook it that way, but if left to his own choice, he would stop at rare. When in Florence, do as the Florentines do. Rare it was! We loved it, along with  artichokes tempura and a bottle of Prosecco for the table.

One of NIck’s doctors recommended a gelateria called Grom. When Nick asked for directions to Grom,  Anita replied that the gelato there  was for tourists. She suggested a place  that the locals frequent. I didn’t make note of the name of it, but Nick ordered stracciatella, and I, pistacchio,  and of course we exchanged tastes.

Next on our agenda was shopping.  The members of our group  of eight went off in different directions to shop. I am not a shopper, but we were able to have some  success. First  I found a  “Firenze” pin for my hat. Then we were able to find a plate for our kitchen wall on which we have displayed plates from our travels. Also, a dear friend asked me to try to get a painting of an angel done on wood for her like one she had bought years ago. We had been looking for one since the beginning of the trip, but we were disappointed, because we were not able to find one.

The walk back to the bus was long, but I loved  observing the shops and the shoppers. That night we were surprised when our hotel served us “Thanksgiving Dinner”: pumpkin soup, juicy and tender roast turkey with mashed potatoes, and  raspberry cheesecake. Everything was prepared perfectly.

After dinner our group sang to us and wished us well, and i was touched by everyone’s  sincerity. Father Kumar asked what the secret to a long marriage is. I replied that every morning when you wake up, you need to fall in love with your spouse all over again. That is what works for me!

12, 571 steps