Bike-Riding-Bandwagon

What to do with a free Friday in Florence? Bike of course! After telling Maria of the great fun I had biking around Florence with Sean, she was eager to jump on the bike riding bandwagon. With picnic supplies in tow, we got our bikes and embarked on a carefree ride through the city, along the river, and across the Ponte Vecchio. It's amazing how much more of the city you can see in a short amount of time with bikes as opposed to walking. We arrived at what seemed like the perfect picnic location: outside the Palazzo Pitti. There were so many people there soaking up the sun and the incredible weather. We plopped down with the masses and enjoyed our Greek yogurts, strawberries and blackberries while working on our tans – or rather her tan and my freckles.

When our bellies were full and skin sun kissed, it was back on our bikes for more sightseeing and exercise. I must say biking on cobblestone was a real pain in my butt, literally! Between the sun and the biking we were both tired by late afternoon and headed home for before-dinner-naps.

After an active day we had no desire to walk far for dinner so we went to a local restaurant called Giugolo. Although my host father says they've got great pizza, I was craving a salad and had to go with my palate. I must say it hit the spot! With arugula, tomatoes, ricotta, baby shrimp, and pecorino cheese my mouth and my stomach were both equally satisfied. After dinner we both had gelato on the mind! After looking at two different locations, they were both closed... I guess Italians like their gelato in the afternoon? Our taste slightly disappointed, we both headed home to get to bed early in preparation for a day trip tomorrow!