Academia Ristorante

We were a bit early but they let us have a drink outside in any case. Then Susan Daren Pohl and her husband Gary met us for lunch which was delicious. It was so nice to see her ...only 60 years.

The Uffizi was next but I forgot to take a photo.

It was interesting but G isn't into art much so it wasn't a long visit. We walked along the river back to the hotel and a cool spritzer.

Academia

I love the sculptures of the prisoners struggling to escape the marble. David is magnificent!  George says he is tall!

Leonardo Museum. Florence

Fascinating to see the sketches built to scale. Amazing mind!!

Delicious supper overlooking Santa Maria Novella

Bruce, carbonara and a spritzer. So much better than airplane food.

Florence after the showers...

And we're off....

All week members of the Watermill group have been arriving in Italy for a few days sightseeing before the art retreat begins. Today was our turn to land in Florence for a couple nights.

The flights are never much fun. Racing between flights, trying to sleep crammed in an uncomfortable seat and then endless lines, security, & border check in France. I look forward to a large cup of coffee and something delicious to eat with maybe a nap once our room is ready. 

Packing up!!

The suitcases are out and filling up for our Italian adventure starting next week.  First a couple days in Florence seeing the sights, lunching with Susan Darren Pohl and soaking up some history.  Then a train to Pisa where we will be picked up for a weeks stay at Watermill in Posara.  This is a restored and renovated mill complex with lovely rooms, delicious food and lovely grounds.  We will be painting and visiting local sites to capture on paper.  A quick day trip to Cinque Terre will break up the week .  George isn't a painter but will hang with the other non painting spouses in our group of 18 from FMBAA.

We are all looking forward to this week after the awful season we had with destruction from the hurricane and recovery efforts.

At the end of the week we train down to Civitavecchia to board the Enchanted Princess for two weeks of visiting ports around the Mediterranean.  We debark in Barcelona for a couple days then back home.

It's going to be hot!!  My packing is creative and I hope enough.  Couldn't do it in just a back pack but we are trying to keep it manageable due to the train travel.   

More to come!!!

Michele Barron Buelow

239-209-1434

kzooartist@sbcglobal.net

michele.buelow@gmail.com