the hangover

Paris was amazing...after we left, we headed for Florence. Both of us found ourselves wandering through the streets of Florence wondering why we were in such a daze. Then it hit us...we had the Paris hangover!!! No matter where we went next, it just wasnt Paris. After an evening in the doldrums in Florence, we decided to shake things up a bit. We splurged and bought a half day walking tour. It was a great purchase. We had a great guide and we learned all about the history and art of Florence as we slowly began to appreciate where we were and what we were seeing: the medieval architecture changing to renaissance, the meaning of the artwork and how the renaissance masters really brought us into the world of 3D and reality, the beauty of the Duomo and how it came to be after 200 years in the making, the influence and story of the Medici family and how they really (almost singlehandedly) ushered in the renaissance style.
Then, we went shopping...all afternoon...and the next morning...and a bit more the next afternoon (dont worry we did stop multiple times for gelato at our new favorite place Gelato Grom...hello chocolate, chocolate chip!.) Also, we saw Michelangelos David (truly even more incredible in person than can be portrayed in books) and toured the Uffizi Gallery (the worlds largest collection of renaissance art).
After 3 days in Florence, we felt satisfied and decided to head for the hills. We changed our itinerary slightly (arent we crazy and spontaneous!) and headed for Siena, which is where we are now. We have enjoyed a relaxing day here (its a bit cooler than Florence, thank god) and went out to a nice dinner, spent time hanging out in the huge piazza (Il Campo) and enjoyed our wine tasting from the honeymoon registry (thanks Marcelle!!). We then enjoyed a leisurely stroll around town and some gelato (surprise surprise). Tomorrow, we head off for Cinque Terre where we hope to enjoy a few nice hikes, relaxing on the beach, and a romantic dinner for two (thanks to Alicia and Seth!!). We hope everyone at home is doing well and we do miss you all and look forward to seeing you soon.

Ciao for now.

J and J