Goodbye to Florence

My friends in Canada told me that Italians don't
eat sweets. Nothing could be farther from
the truth. These lovely pastry stores are
everywhere, and terribly tempting.

Inside the Duomo the votive candles are arranged like
little trees.

The famous Duomo is getting her face washed

An ordinary house on our street.

This morning very early we began our long flight back
to Toronto, with stops in Frankfurt, Germany and
Ottawa, Ontario. We will be tired when we arrive,
but happy to see our children, friends in Toronto, our
cats and our dog again. The other day we visited the
Boboli gardens and saw about six very fat cats being
fed by an Italian woman, who also puts out a litter pan for
them under the trees and empties that out. When I
called one of the cats (gatto), he came and rubbed
against my legs and I realized that I miss my own two
kitties and the dog a lot.

What will we miss about Florence? First the new friends we met
at the art show and in the city, then the astounding
beauty of Florence -- every single day there was
mind blowing and inspiring. Gorgeous, centuries
old art is everywhere, and the city has a pride about
how things are done that permeated our experience
on every level. Our apartment was perfectly located,
and our street was filled with shops, bakeries and the
super computer place where I wrote to you every day.

I'm sure I'm not finished talking about it.

Have a flying-home-happily day.