Italy - Evening in Florence~

Another sunny & warm pleasant day in Tuscany.  After lunch, Courtney & I caught a lift to town to do our laundry.  One load each - I bought one package of liquid detergent.  Deciding to err on the side of caution, I poured in a tiny bit.  Good thing - as there were plenty of suds in seconds.  We finished up just in time to meet our companions at the train station.  Reservations were set for dinner in Florence, at 7:30 p.m.

Grand Hotel Minerva~

  It seemed as though we were walking through the set of a movie & felt a little that way too.  The tone of the city had changed.  From yesterday's hustle & bustle to this evening's hush.  Tables were being put out, people seated & ordering wine.

Early evening~

 The shops were an interesting & varied assortment - each window display vied with the next.  Almost any type of item you can imagine must be here - somewhere!

Dinnerware~

The Bison in the leather shop had to be my personal favorite!

Bison!

The clothing was amazing!

Beaded dresses~

 A golden Alligator head?  On my wish list for sure - not.

Anyone want one?  

We were walking along, watching our step on the uneven stones of a narrow street.  Suddenly, I heard the sound of steel shoes on stone!  Loud!  Echoing off the high walls of the buildings behind & around us!  Incredibly loud & getting louder by the second!  A shod horse in a fast, very fast trot!  By the time I turned & pulled out the camera, he was right on top of us!  I'd seen him once before yesterday, quietly pulling a buggy for tourists.  Tonight though - this was a horse on a mission!  Doing every bit of a 12 mph trot - it was obviously time for home & dinner!

A working horse!

 Many of the doorways had small lanterns, glowing gold in the deepening shade at street level.  The doors were mostly rich, carved, thick wood.  The perfect feeling of old world charm.

Entries~

Many people were walking along the river, at a slower, more relaxed pace.  A popular spot for photos too.  The river flowed so slowly, it was smooth as a lake & a perfect mirror.

Arno River~

Everywhere you looked, ornate workmanship met your eye.  The feet below were on a light post along the bridge rail.

Light post base~

We crossed to the far side of the bridge into another area of high end shops. At the crest of a small hill, directly across from several jewelry establishments, were two guards armed with both side arms & automatic weapons.  

Lots of Jewelry~

My mother always loved jewelry & loved shopping for it. She would have been so excited to have shopped here. On one of our last day trips to Lyons, CO, Mom bought a ring for me & one for herself.  I wore the one that had been hers, on the trip.

Florence & the Arno~

We found a street side restaurant with enough empty table space for everyone to find seats.  We were ready for a glass of wine & water - before time for our dinner reservation.  I tried my first Spritz.  Really refreshing & with ICE!  Ice at all in drinks - seems to be a rarity in Italy.  Our timing was perfect & by the time we'd finished our drinks, it was time for dinner.

Such a social country~

Again, the food in Italy is so good!  We used Google Translate to decipher our menu's.  Even if we weren't quite sure what we'd ordered - it didn't matter - it was all good!  

Socializing~

By the time we'd finished, the sun had just set.  The remaining light reflected off the walls of the buildings & the air felt rich with color.  We walked & talked, soaking in the experience & the place.

Sunset~

Dark came quickly, the lights added a surreal golden glow to the historic setting.  It was amazingly quiet too.  Low voices, no cars & the beauty of a Florence night.

As we walk the city~

 One of our group had attended graduate school in Florence & shared some interesting stories of her experiences.  No one wanted the evening to end, but we had a train to catch.

Arno at night~

We crossed back over the bridge, on our return to the train station. 

The glow~

It was totally magical - a magical city in an amazing country.   To think that I hadn't thought I'd mind if I'd missed the trip!  Italy hadn't been on any of my bucket lists.  Courtney had to do so much convincing, to get me to even think about going.  But now, here we were, enjoying every minute of the experience.