Day 31: Baptistery and more Walking

Couldn't sleep so I was up at 4:00 -- so quiet and peaceful! It is the time I usually wake up when I'm home (I've been getting up closer to 6 here when I hear the birds sing). I love being up this early -- time for prayers when everything is still.

At 5:55 am the Florence Sanitation department decided to break my beautiful silence by picking up the contents of the dumpster that has been sitting in front of the townhouse ever since we got here -- well at least I was entertained while they did it!

Everyone was on their own today -- 3 couples off on different adventures -- one set to Milan, the other to the hills of Florence, and Steve and me to the Baptistry!

Steve and I first went back into the Duomo (there was no one in the line!). We were hunting for some wooden angel candlesticks restored by one of my Facebook friends -- no luck. We did go down to the Duomo museum which we hadn't been in before. I didn't duplicate pictures from our first day here but here are some I took:

I love this picture -- the stairway to nowhere -- how many of us have taken it?

The place I was looking forward to visiting was the Baptistry. We were 4th in line to enter as it opened this morning. I had taken pictures of the doors on the first day so I didn't bother today -- I focused on the inside after I caught my breath -- it is stunningly beautiful! The pictures I took can't do it justice. I prayed in that space for all who had been baptized there over the centuries and for all those around the world preparing for baptism. 

Again, these photos are inadequate to capture the beauty, tranquility and depth of spirit and love in these walls.

Next we headed towards Trattoria Mario's again for lunch but first I had to take this picture of the statue of the red dog hanging out the window:

A cup of coffee at Steve's favorite place Li Vinile:

Next was lunch! We were seated at a table with 4 people visiting Florence for the first time from Israel. Steve and I shared two dishes -- ribolitta and pasta:

   

We headed back to the townhouse and rested for 2 hours and then went back out. Gelato at Grom and then a trip back to sit in Duomo square -- with a picture of Brunelleschi statue -- he's situated looking up at the dome he designed:

Next was Steve's physical therapy appointment and then dinner at 13 Gobbi:

 

And tea and drinks at the Westin -- beautiful view at night:

And here are some of the random pictures I took today:

We walked into an open church and said prayers:

A beautiful day -- 

Total steps walked today: 23,685 -- 9.11 miles.