[Italy Day Six: Florence]

[day one] [day two] [day three] [day four] [day five] [day seven] [day eight] [reflection]

The group on the Arno River, the baptistery of the Santa Maria del Fiore, my new journal, old bridge in Florence, my new hat and backpack.

I wake up in a fog of sleepiness today. I pull on my clothes after my shower and walk down for "brekkie" as Danielle calls it. I am too tired to lift my coffee to my lips. I sleep on the bus on the way into town and force my eyes open as we start the tour of the city. 
We see Michelangelo's David. It is magnificent seeing it in real life. It is huge, smooth, detailed, perfect. We continue our walking tour of Florence with our guide Ricardo, whom we called Mustachio. We are all antsy as we pass shop after shop filled with clothing and leather. We turn off our radios that Ricardo uses to give the tour and whine about how tired/bored/angsty we are. Finally we are released. 
Danielle and I go off together, we go shopping, barter, and eat paninis. We later meet up with Makiah, Maggie, Mara, Ellie, and Jacob at the Uffizi Gallery. I see Botticelli's Primavera andThe Birth of Venus.  It is so exciting for Mara and I, having given our presentation on him. I cannot believe I am seeing the paintings he physically worked on. 
After exploring the Uffizi, Mara, Danielle, and I take off to go leather shopping. My great finds of the day are a straw fedora, a leather journal, and a leather backpack. I also bought quite a few souvenirs for people back home. 
I am exhausted, my legs and feet ache, and I have to muster up the energy to perform. We are singing at the Santa Maria de Ricci. We perform another beautiful concert, and the audience is one of the most receptive I've sung to. 
After the concert we walk to dinner. I sit with Jackie, Nancy, Danielle, Jessica, Ellie, and Jenna. "We had a fun dinner, didn't we." reminisces Jackie the next day. We talk and laugh and throw a wrapper back and forth between our table and Connor's plate/head/glass. I get another caprese salad, which I am sick of at this point, so I trade Nancy for her potatos with rosemary. Danielle and I hide our faces in the red curtain and send Aamot subliminal messages. "Craig we are tired, please do not make us go out tonight!" It works. 
We head back to our bus, everyone sporting their new leather bags and jackets. Maddie and I make up a chant "Look at us, in our pretty little outfits. Walking like, pretty little girls" in call/echo form. Gina is impressed. 
We get back to the hotel and I hang out in Choi and Anna Westmark's room, talking. By bed check I am in my room, alarm set, pajamas on, ready to sink into the hard bed with the soft covers. I will have no trouble falling asleep tonight.