Sorry about the multiple entries - if I add photos the formatting goes a bit crazy with the long posts.
To finish off our weekend in Florence, after a bit a of sleep in we set off towards the Duomo in the sparkling sunshine. Since the Cathedral wasn't open for tourist visits, the group decided to burn off some energy by climbing the 414 steps to the top of the Campanile for its fantastic views over the city. Having done the climb quite a number of times before, I elected to go for a stroll instead to check out some of the shops tucked away in little side streets. Our next stop was taking in Sunday mass in the cathedral, complete with scary organ music (according to Claudia), after which many of the group were starving and in dire need of lunch. Once this was accomplished (complete with dogs in the restaurant), we set off to the church of Santa Croce. This church features the tombs of Gallileo, Michelangelo, Macchiavelli and Rossini, as well as intricate medieval manuscripts for the choirs. Back out in the sunshine, the students mingled briefly with Pinocchio before one final fling shopping effort for boots/jackets/wallets/scarves/bags. Ruth stocked up on quills for the Medieval Fair back at school, while Xena showed some impressive haggling skills. Back at the hotel to collect our bags, we discovered that Claudia had only just missed a phone call from her dad. She was a bit sad, but then the thought of other adventures soon cheered her up again.
A bit of a bunfight at the station got us on the regional train back to Perugia and our very crowded bus ride back up the hill. A very late dinner finished off the weekend, with the students already planning a return journey to Florence on our spare weekend - since I ruled out Paris as an option.
8am classes came as a bit of a shock this morning - not surprisingly we have some very tired people, but we are all happy to be back home.
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