Back from Florence and Umbria

I'm sitting in the apartment off Via Flaminia, catching up on email. It's cloudy, and Mike is watching the Rome series on DVD. Florence was lovely as always, home to both Botticelli's Venus and Michelangelo's David, two of the most gorgeous people ever created, in my opinion (Venus and David, not Botticelli and Michelangelo). Mom was ever the patient and efficient guide. Note to everyone who wishes to visit the major museums of Italy: reserve tickets in advance! We slid past people who were waiting three and half hours to get in to the Uffizi. If you know me well, you know what sublime joy this gave me. Jolan was an amazing museum-goer, stopping in front of each work of art, jotting down in a little notepad things to remember. We ate less-than-stellar pizza and pretty good gelato, no match for anything in Naples (pizza) or Della Palma in Rome (gelato). Our 24-hour visit to Mariano and Marie Laure Cittadini-Cesi in Umbria was dreamy. They live in a medieval palace, truly, complete with cavernous fireplaces, heavy wooden beams, frescoed walls. It was stunning. I will post photos later! This week has gone by much too quickly, as we knew it would...