For dinner yesterday, we went to a bar/restaurant in Riomaggiore which is the first city in Cinque Terre. We took the train to get there. The restaurant was up on a cliff and had a beautiful sunset view of the Ligurian Sea. For the most part, the entire city was only accessible by foot. I had lasagne bolognese that was very good. When we went downstairs to pay, we saw a freezer full of packaged frozen food and no kitchen. Turns out, the restaurant was too small to make their own food, so they served microwave frozen food. What a way to eat dinner in Italy! After that experience, we got 
back on the train and went back to Monterosso. On the walk back to our hotel, we passed a Gelateria which is a gelato and coffee shop, and stopped for gelato. And I had only lemon gelato, yet again. This morning, we got up and ate breakfast at the hotel buffet. After breakfast we checked out of the hotel and the owner was sad to see us leave so soon. We walked back to the train station with all of our luggage and got on the express train to Pisa Centrale station where we switched trains to Fiorenze (Florence). From the Florence train station we walked to our new hotel which is right on the Republic Square. Under the square is the original Roman Forum of Florence. We had some lunch on the square before we went on a boring tour at the Ufizi Art Gallery. Our guide was nice but the paintings from the Medieval period were dull and uninteresting to me. The Ufizi Gallery contains the prized collection of original statues that were donated from the last female of Medici family who had no heirs. This was not a common practice during the 18th century but she gave the collection to the city. After the Ufizi gallery, we walked across the ancient part of Florence, past the Duomo. Even though my grandma and I had already been there several times, we wanted my Mom to see how big it is. We also saw the Gates of Paradise which were beautiful. Finally we ended up at a restaurant called ZaZa that I had been to before, and I had the same exact thing for dinner since it was so good. It was grilled veal steak with roasted 
potatoes. My mom had a cappuccino that came with a heart swirled in the foam. I didn't even try it. When we got back to our hotel room, while I was writing this blog, there was a really good street performer singing opera with a man on an accordian. Since it was right outside our hotel window, it was intense and loud. She was making a lot of money in her tip accordian case. We are headed out to find more gelato!
back on the train and went back to Monterosso. On the walk back to our hotel, we passed a Gelateria which is a gelato and coffee shop, and stopped for gelato. And I had only lemon gelato, yet again. This morning, we got up and ate breakfast at the hotel buffet. After breakfast we checked out of the hotel and the owner was sad to see us leave so soon. We walked back to the train station with all of our luggage and got on the express train to Pisa Centrale station where we switched trains to Fiorenze (Florence). From the Florence train station we walked to our new hotel which is right on the Republic Square. Under the square is the original Roman Forum of Florence. We had some lunch on the square before we went on a boring tour at the Ufizi Art Gallery. Our guide was nice but the paintings from the Medieval period were dull and uninteresting to me. The Ufizi Gallery contains the prized collection of original statues that were donated from the last female of Medici family who had no heirs. This was not a common practice during the 18th century but she gave the collection to the city. After the Ufizi gallery, we walked across the ancient part of Florence, past the Duomo. Even though my grandma and I had already been there several times, we wanted my Mom to see how big it is. We also saw the Gates of Paradise which were beautiful. Finally we ended up at a restaurant called ZaZa that I had been to before, and I had the same exact thing for dinner since it was so good. It was grilled veal steak with roasted 
potatoes. My mom had a cappuccino that came with a heart swirled in the foam. I didn't even try it. When we got back to our hotel room, while I was writing this blog, there was a really good street performer singing opera with a man on an accordian. Since it was right outside our hotel window, it was intense and loud. She was making a lot of money in her tip accordian case. We are headed out to find more gelato!
I am so jealous of your travel! What an experience. It is great to get your new perspective on some things that you have seen before. I am so glad that you are trying to live more like a local rather than hanging out at McDonald's in Italy! What have you seen in the way of art or history that you found most interesting? Enjoy the rest of your trip!
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