First Day Back on the Bike!

Today was the first time since my surgery that I rode my bike again. It was an important day for me, as it marked my recovery! I was lucky to share it with my best friend in Florence, Leif.

Since I arrived in Florence two years ago, Leif has been a great support, he has taken me all over Tuscany on our bikes to teach me the roads and the ropes of tour guiding, and he recruited me to guide tours in Tuscany.

Being my first time on the road again, we did a flat ride through the city streets to Parco delle Cascine, where we did several easy laps together and then stopped at a lampredotto stand for paninni!

Thanks, Leif!

The Swallows Singing Out My Window, Welcoming me Home!

One of the numerous things I love about Florence are the swallows that arrive here every spring and depart when the weather gets too hot. They are beautiful birds that nest in the eaves of the teracotta rooftops in Florence. They sing outside my window, where they live, and wake me up every morning at 7am. Then they dance and sing for about 2 hours, and off they go to the Arno River to eat the mosquitos. Everything is silent until they return at dusk, when they rejoice, having spent the day enjoying their festa.This year, the swallows returned to Florence before I did. It was such a delight to be welcomed home by their singing and their happy dances in the air.