The Gardens

This morning before leaving for Cinque Terre I decided to put my new Uffizi card to use (for 40 Euro I get unlimited access into all state run museums!). I grabbed my film camera and journeyed across the river to the Boboli Gardens, and all I can say is I will be there every day from now on! The garden is huge! Main paths go from one end to the other but there are also these tiny twisting turning trails that go through hedges and made me feel complelty isolated. Every where I went there was a secret enclave or a hidden trail that seemed to just meander. And about every 15 feet, there is a statue. Not marked and sometimes partially obscured by vines, but it made it seem like someone had erected these just for me, for that one moment I was walking by, and then they would be gone again. This is by far my new favorite place in Florence, it is so peaceful and it would be lovely to bring some bread and cheese and just go read for the afternoon. There are all these birds singing and an amazing fountain with goldfish in it! The fish reminded me of Gilbert and made me homesick for him. I wandered for an hour and probably only saw 15 percent of the place. I came out a random exit and found a really cute local produce stand with all the old Italian ladies buying their veggies for the day. It was such a great way to start my weekend, now off to the beach! Pictures to come soon I promise. My camera won't upload to my computer so it is a real hassle to have to borrow a roomies computer, use a thumb drive and transport them, but on Monday I will share!