Thank You, Florence

A perfectly tranquil last day here in Florence. Slow to start, then plenty of walking and seeing beautiful squares, markets, and buildings. Ran into a crowded square that had antique cars on display - definitely a highlight. Pizza, gelato, beers, wine, and World Cup with a ton of Dutch fans. My time in Florence has been very special, and I have two people to really thank for this: Houman and my Vietnamese dinner partner. I was very lucky to meet Houman my first night here in Florence, and we hung out every day since then. Couldn't have asked for a better person to explore the city. You made my time here completely perfect, Houman, including great conversations, a ton of laughs, and a new plan to visit Iran - and so I want to thank you again. You're a great person with a kind heart. Oh, and you have the best mustache I have ever seen - don't shave it!! Second, my dinner partner from Vietnam, who I saw not only the first night I cooked but again last night when I was cooking. Our time together was incredibly brief, but the depth of our conversation was beautiful. You're an amazing woman and I hope you continue to have a great time here in Florence. Your work for the Red Cross is truly inspiring. Just remember that it's ok to open up to people at times. Not all the time, but sometimes. Thank you for being a fantastic dinner partner, and an inspiring soul.

I'm all packed and about to head to the train station on my way to Venice. So excited!! This is definitely going to be the most touristic of all my travels in Europe, but I've heard about the beauty of Venice my entire life, so I'm excited to check it out. Reka, my buddy from Norway, has already secured us an AirBnB, so I'm going to check in and then he'll join me tonight around 11pm - just in time to watch Italy play Costa Rica in the World Cup at midnight. 

Random wooden statue in the middle of the river in Florence - very tempted to knock it over

My younger sister's name is Rictavia but we call her Rickey, so even though it's not spelled right it was still nice to see this sign. 

Medici Chapel

San Lorenzo Market

Just inside the grounds of the Medici library and museum 

I love this picture because I included Houman in it - see him in the background? 

Sickest mustache!!

The Peanut Gallery

This ladybug hung out on my arm and my watch for about 10 minutes. I consider ladybugs good luck, so this was a great sign for me (yes, I'm corny…and I don't care what anyone thinks about it :-)