A World of Our Own

Sorry it has taken awhile but how do you discuss a day in your life that left you in awe. A day that was breathetaking and indescribable. There is no way I could say anything to do Florence justice.

After leaving Pisa, our minds were already full of scenic views, memorable landmarks, and historic stories. Right when we stepped in Piazza Santa Croce I could feel my brain trying to takeas much in as it could handle. And there were great sites like the Uffizi gallery, but the queues were too long for us to get in. But you have to trade off some sites to see others in the city known as the cradle of Renaissance.

First, we saw the Santa Croce basilica. The tombs of Michaelangelo, Machivelli, Dante, and Galileo are inside this staple of Florence.



The town hall of Firenze is the Palazzo Vecchio. This is where the Senators would make historic decisions. There is also a museum inside.



The Duomo, the city's cathedral, is an architectural masterpiece. The bell tower and baptistery are also highlights to the city. The structure is so huge, it felt like walking around the cathedral took forever.








The Ponte Vecchio is built over the Arno River and consists of dozens of high end shops (mostly gold jewelry).




The view of the Arno River from the middle of the "old bridge" (i think thats what Ponte Vecchio stands for)



The Piazza della Signoria is the site of dozens of amazingly detailed sculptures. It was the original location of Michelangelo's David. Here is the replica which now stands in its place. The original is now under the roof of the Uffizi Gallery. (I took video of the others statues so if you want to see them you will have to sit through hours of home video.) David is meant to depict the Biblical David that defeats Goliath. The sculpture symbolized the defense of civil liberties.



There was also a huge shopping area where most people went for souvenirs. Don't be surprised to see me in a Firenze sweater jacket! But before we saw all those sights we had to do something very important. We had to have the world famous Vivoli gelato! The gelato was in a little cup, costing a couple Euros, but it was so dense and the flavors danced in your mouth. Hands down this was the best gelato ever! Ever since that day, I have craved the cold sensations. Mary Anne had a Pistachio gelato and I had a caramel pear flavored gelato. Oh man, just thinking about that ice cream is making my mouth water, especially with the current heat in San Ramon. We had a lot of gelato in Italy because of the heat but nothing came close to Vivoli.





After about several hours of seeing as much of the city as possible there was one more thing to do. We were in Italy so we had to do it...



Sorry Amici's this pizza was waaaaaaaaaaaaay better. We had a late lunch and only ate half our pizza's so we missed the ship's fine dining again. But another chance to finish that pizza was worth it. I couldn't read the menu so I really don't know everything that was in it.

Sadly, eating gelato and pizza that good ruins every other time in the future I will eat those items. Yeah, unfortunately, I'm now a pizza and gelato snob.

Seeing Pisa and Florence, driving through Tuscany, this was the greatest day of the trip. It wasn't just the landmarks, it was the little details, the helful people, the smells, the history...it was EVERYTHING. The bottomline, you could just feel LOVE. I felt love everywhere...EVERYWHERE.

Days like this make you realize how lucky you are. Before I went to bed, i played my Ipod and the song that I heard that just summed up the day was

A World of Our Own by Surface.


Somewhere a dream away
There is a better place, a brighter day
Somewhere that's safe, somewhere that's free
Where we can be together

So just close your eyes and let me take you there
To somewhere only dreamers ever go
It won't be just a fantasy (Oh no)
If you believe with me
The two of us all alone
In a world of our own

This Italy thing seemed always to just be a dream to us. When we finally stepped foot in the country, the sun shined and nothing else mattered. We were away from all of our problems. Our cell phones didn't work. We were isolated from our world but there was no feeling of loneliness because we were together.

Anything is possible. These sights, feeling this good, it never seemed possible. But this fantasy had come true. Even though there were thousands of people all around us, this was our world. A world built by each other by Love.

A world of our own
Where we know we belong
A world of our own
Where love is sure and strong can never die
And lovers never say goodbye

Someday a light will shine
And there will come a time
That's yours and mine
A time so sweet
So clear and true
We'll see right to forever


Different locations mean different things to different people. Hawaii has always been our paradise. But something about Florence touched our hearts. Like I said, it was indescribable, but whatever it was will remain with us forever. And we only were there for a few hours but while we were there "we knew we belong[ed]"

Thankfully, we still live in that world together. It was "a time so sweet, so clear and true" and because of that experience "we'll see right to forever." Something about Florence built us a new forever. The feelings I felt that day just are still so strong within me. I can't even explain the level of closeness we reached that day. In many ways, this was the beginning of our trip. Because after walking through Florence, we just had a greater appreciation for everything else we would experience for the rest of the trip, a greater appreciation for each other, a greater appreciation for everything we have. And that growth in maturity lasts today and if we are really lucky, it will never end.