I was feeling better by the time we reached the Italian port of Livorno, but was still not 100%. I spent most of the day on our walking tour of Florence scoping out places to sit down in a hurry if I needed to. It was an amazing day nonetheless.

We’d contracted for private tours in Italy, and Marco, the driver from Miles and Miles, www.milesandmiles.net, picked us up at the ship and drove us to meet Ricardo, our guide for the day in Florence. He was awaiting us at the Ponte Vecchio, where jewelers’ shops are closed up in behind metal doors that make them look like out buildings, but open up to magnificence in glass and light.

Anita had tagliatelle with rabbit ragu and vegetable ratatouille. “Look at you, getting all adventurous,” I said to her.

Both Marco and Ricardo were amicable, knowledgeable and wonderfully approachable. We learned so much about their jobs and families, their backgrounds and lifestyles, and even olive oil consumption. They felt like old friends by the time we parted.

Ricardo was not only an art history scholar but also an artist; his knowledge of both the city’s history and the art it holds was tremendous. I appreciated his perspective as a painter; he was acquainted with technique and could describe how materials and practices have changes through the centuries. Some of the materials found in Renaissance paintings are still used today. Ricardo is a big fan of the Medici family; certainly any patron responsible for the likes of Michelangelo is one to be admired. And Ricardo is just a kid, 25 years old. We wanted to adopt him.

I could go on for days about the history and art of Florence, but I won’t. You just need to go there. What I will say is that I was fascinated by how small the city actually is and how easily traversed. And how every time we turned around there was a UNESCO World Heritage Site in front of me. Another thing that caught my attention was, as happens in most of Italy, the city beneath the city. Etruscan and Roman cities that were excavated and then refilled with sand and built over in modern times. They had to do this or every inch of ground would be an archaeological site and there’d be no room for people.

Ricardo showed us the highlights of both the Uffizi Gallery (the first museum in the world) and the Accademia. Being able to see Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Da Vinci works up close and personal was a thrill for the artist still inhabiting a tiny corner of my brain. I loved that Ricardo not only showed us the major works everyone goes to Florence to see, but also his personal favorites which might easily be passed by. He obviously loves what he does.

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Ricardo deposited us at a great little restaurant hidden in Florence’s back streets call Coquinarius, where we ate pasta and bruschetta and more great bread. I had cheese and black pepper tortelli with mushrooms and black truffle sauce. Anita had tagliatelle with rabbit ragu and vegetable ratatouille. “Look at you, getting all adventurous,” I said to her. The restaurant’s walls were a creamy white and lined with shelves of wine bottles and old European ad posters. It was the perfect place for lunch.

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After, as we walked through the city, Ricardo pointed out the Tabernacles of the Plague, the small frescoes on corners where people could pray during that dark time without going to church and being exposed to possible contagion. I started looking for them on every corner.

Our last stop was Il Duomo di Firenze, or the cathedral called Santa Maria del Fiore. The pink, white and green marble is striking, and of course the dome’s last judgment frescoes are amazing.

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We had some time before Marco was to meet us to drive us back to Livorno, so, hmm, what to do. SHOP! The market stalls in the squares all have beautiful leather bags, jackets, wallets and gloves, silk scarves, and all the tee shirts and sweatshirts you could ever want. Mike is now attending the University of Florence, or at least that’s what his sweatshirt says. I nabbed some leather goods and Anita bought some scarves. And Steve, once again, acted as Sherpa.

I was glad to get back to the ship, still a bit weary and glad the day didn’t require too much walking. I forwent my evening cocktail and stuck with the ginger ale.

Tomorrow – the Tuscan countryside!

Deborah