Florence

Well, I have been in Florence for three days and I am ready to move on. It has been alright but not exactly what I had expected. I think my expectations were really high for Florence and it hasn't quite been all that I had hoped.

Florence is a beautiful city and it is really easy to walk everywhere, which I have done. But the lines have been ridiculous. Because I didn't know when I was going to be in Florence until last week, I was unable to reserve a entrance ticket for the Uffizi and the Accademia Museums, the two major exhibits in Florence. So of course, the lines are long.

When I arrived in Florence, I spent the day walking around and visiting some of the churches. I went into the Duomo and climbed the 414 steps up the Campanile. The view over the city was incredible! I spent the day mostly by myself which was nice. In the evenings at the hostel, I have played cards and visited with fellow travellers. But they have been really late nights (3am) with early starts (7am) the following day. So I think I am getting a little run down.

Yesterday, I went early to the Uffizi museum and only had to wait 45 minutes in the line. I met Chris from Edmonton (now Calgary) and we spent the day together. It was definately nice to have some company. The Uffizi museum was great. There are so many pieces, mostly religious themed, and it took a few hours to walk through the entire museum. The highlights were the statues and of course Boticelli's "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera". Following the museum, we walked around and visited some more churches (I am definitely starting to get churched-out!) and climbed up to Piazza Michelangelo for a great panoramic view of Florence from the south bank.

Today, I have not felt good (combination of too much wine last night and not enough sleep) so I have tried to minimize what I have done. I did get up early to go to the Ognissanti church. When I arrived, a mass was beginning so I sat through the service. I was actually able to follow most as the order of service is similar to the services back home at church. It was a very peaceful way to start my day. Then I just got frustrated. The Accademia and Bargello Museums (the two places I really wanted to see today) didn't open until 12pm. So of course when I arrived at the Accademia, the line was ridiculously long. I stood in line for 2 hours and eventually bailed as there was porbably another two hours until I actually reached the museum entrance. The main site is Michelangelo's David statue, which I saw when I was 10. I will try to go early tomorrow before I leave for Venice, but at this point I don't really care. So after the waste of a few hours I called it quits and went back to the hostel to chill out. I did venture out to the Ferragamo Shoe Museum with Elena, a roommate, which was incredible. So it wasn't a total waste of a day. But I am definitely ready to move on to something different.

My next stop is Venice which I hope will be fun. I do think it will be pretty chill as I just intend to walk around the city and enjoy the views. The hostel I am staying at has breakfast and dinner included so it will be nice to sit down to a "family-type" meal. I definitely miss the company over a meal.

But at this point, I really feel like I am ready for a new country. Italy has been great. I have seen a lot, had new experiences, met some great people and learned a lot. But I feel satisfied. I think when things are feeling repetitive, it is time to move on.

So, I will try to post from Venice but I may be in Slovenia the next time you hear from me. Sorry this blog seems so down... I think I need a boost of some sort (no more liquor though!) I have been on the road for almost two months (7 weeks) so I think I am at a turning point in my travels. I feel tired and overwhelmed, I miss certain places (yes, I still miss Egypt and of course home) and unsure of what is still to come. But it is also exciting - I am conquering new territory and pushing my limits and I am definitely out of my comfort zone and I am learning things about myself everyday. It is scary though - I feel like a different person. But I guess that is the point of travel: self discovery.

Well, ciao from Florence. Love, Lisa