Family Vacation: Florence

Our last city on our family vacay was Florence. It was a rather brief stop-over (hence fewer photos), but still a pretty cool city. I feel that we all would have liked it much better had it not been swelteringly hot the whole time.


Departure/Arrival board in the Venetian train station. I love the way the destinations and the information scroll through and change.


Ponte Vecchio... another huge bridge with shops on it (similar to the Rialto in Venice, but bigger.) The top is actually an art gallery if I remember correctly.


Grandma on the Ponte Vecchio... i.e. shopping/her natural habitat


Calling all Vespas... seriously, was there a memo saying "all Vespa riders, park here!"?


Straw Market! Pretty much a super awesome covered (and by covered, I mean by a huge stone roof) market in Florence. My grandma bartered for me and got me a really nice laptop bag. Apparently Florence is big for leather.


With my Grandpa on the Ponte Vecchio


Our "spot" if you will. Free seating in Florence (and most European cities really) is hard to come by. So... we found a low lying window-sill and made it our own. My dad took a photo of us here that is WAY better than mine, but he has yet to email it to me. Also, see those slushies? SO good. Made even better since they were sold to us by the attractive italian guy who told me each time we went in there (twice) or when we walked by afterwards how beautiful I was/how my eyes were like the ocean. See, flattering, and amusing if you're in the right mindset.


Touching the Boar's nose at the Straw Market for good luck! As you can see, he's a pretty lucky guy.


Another view of the Straw Market... it was very cool. And hot. Oh lord was it hot.


Do Not Disturb... Apparently at this hotel you REALLY don't want to be disturbed... Notice, the guy on the sign is flicking people off.

And thus ends the photos from Family Vacation 2008. From there, the fam went back to the States (after a hellish experience in New York overnight) and I went on (with out major difficulty) to Lyon.