Our holiday in Florence was much too short! Three days was definitely not enough time especially since there was a huge thunder and lightning storm with hail showers for most of Sunday. It was hailing so hard and sideways, that we were all pelted with ice balls once we opened the window:
On our last evening in Florence as we were walking over the Ponte Vecchio bridge, we stumbled upon a musician named Tadeuz Machalski playing guitar on the street. His music was so beautiful... you'll just have to watch and listen to the video:
The bridge that we were crossing, the Ponte Vecchio, is actually the only bridge over the Arno river that was not destroyed in World War II. Initially, the bridge was lined with all types of shops including butchers and fishmongers. But, in the late 1500's, the Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand I, made a law stating that only jewelry shops would be allowed on the Ponte Vecchio to eliminate the smell that the butchers and fishmongers brought to the bridge. Today, the bridge is still filled with jewelry shops.
Despite the bad weather for touring around the city, we still had some great dinners with Gayle and Jim (thanks again you guys!!) and spent the evening following the storm out on the town.
We definitely did not have enough time in Florence and we hope to make another trip back before we leave Italy!
