Crossroads Tour: Florence, Florence, Italy

My original travel journals were split across August Phoenix Hats and a few other websites. February 2021 marks the 12th anniversary of the beginning of my travels. To celebrate, I’m reissuing my journals as Director’s Cuts, with the complete text as well as larger and additional photos. My Crossroads Tour series details my travels to Florence and Istanbul in May 2011.

My first task this morning is to time a walk to the train station, from where I will depart for Genoa tomorrow. I browse for breakfast to-go and cross the street to buy a day pass for the city bus. My first blisters appear at 11 AM.

I hop the D Line back to the hotel, and take a short walk to the Pitti Palace. I spend over two hours in the costume gallery alone, about half of that time sitting at the computer in the back room, looking at slides of all the pieces that are in storage. (My notes on these collections as well as journal entries from my arrival and Day One, were lost on this trip).

After an obligatory stop at the Library Store and lunch at the cafeteria (a typically Italian caprese salad and a caffe latte) I step outside just in time to hear a cacophony of church bells which I capture on this short recording. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).