One of the nicest things about where we live is, that, although we are in the country we are still close enough to spend the day in Florence or Rome quite easily and not too expensively. And another nice thing about being here is that the English speaking expats will get together from time to time to meet and enjoy a meal together. So before the end of the year, my friend Grace and I were off on the train to Florence for lunch and to meet some folks stationed at the Naval base in Naples. Liz Knapp and Michael Louise were up visiting the area with a friend. Liz arranged a meeting through an expat group on FaceBook that I am part of. And she brought me some sweet pickle relish. What a wonderful woman.
It was a gorgeous, sunny day in Florence.
Also joining the group were Teri and Ray. They live near Lucca. So coming to Florence for the day is easy for them too.
Here’s Grace with Ray. We all got there a little early so we could make a stop at the international market. (I got sweet potatoes! Hmmmm)
This is a different market. Just look at all these goodies!
Here we all are at lunch. It was so nice out that we sat outside.
Hmmm, this was my really good lunch. Grilled Chicken with salad. The salad had a blue cheese sort of dressing. That’s a big deal for here. It was tasty.
For those you always like to know costs. My lunch with wine was 20 Euros. My round trip train ticket from Castiglion Fiorentino to Florence was 18 Euros. Grace and I picked to travel from there instead of Arezzo because they have free parking. We drove a little further, but saved 6 or 8 euros.
It was great fun to meet new folks and to catch up with Teri and Ray. A nice way to end the year.
Sounds like a great day! Wish I were there with you and Grace.
I have never visited Italy but I do dream about going there. I am also saving some funds to make my next visit a successful one.