J-R’s Birthday
Since we have to split up into smaller groups for admission to many of the sites, we’ve started calling in the light all together first thing in the morning in the courtyard outside of one of our hotels. Today we take a 5 minute walk to the famous Uffizi Gallery, home of works of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Rafael, Botticelli, Giotto, etc. On the way our tour guide shows us a memorial to those injured and killed in the attempted terrorist bomb attack on the Uffizi in 1993, and John and Leigh pose in front of it. Afternoon is free time and the Girlfriend and I hike up the hill to the Piazzale Michelangelo, with beautiful views of Florence. Evening is a sweet, devotional and hilarious birthday dinner for J-R at a restaurant overlooking the Arno River. Gold crowns are given out to people who have birthdays near J-R’s, John does a blessing, some participants share about a Traveler of their choice, Jsu Garcia has the whole room cracking up with a comedy routine about the trip, and we blow out candles in our desserts as part of the birthday celebration.
