Ponte Vecchio, 1990, Florence, Italy

On Tuesday, I am off to Italy for five weeks. After a few days in Rome, I will be spending four weeks in Florence studying Italian language and culture. The picture above was taken in 1990, the first time I visited Florence—actually the first time I visited Italy. I was traveling with a friend on a Eurail Pass. We did six cities in six countries in two weeks. This was long before the internet—when you could travel without reservations and let the tourist offices in the train stations find you a hotel. Florence was my favorite place. I loved the architecture, the art, the smell of antiquity, the age of the city. I returned several times, but I haven’t visited Florence for about 18 years. I am excited to be spending time living in this fabulous place for a month. The course, for Seniors 50+, is offered through the Istituto Michelangelo, an Italian language school in Florence. If any fellow bloggers happen to be traveling through Florence in October, let me know. We could meet for coffee or gelato.