Back home

The rest of the trip in Florence was equally enjoyable as the first days. I spent Friday morning looking at typical Italian markets where every booth is selling either leather, t-shirts or small things made in Italy like Pinocchio this and that, ceramic this and that and so on. I went inside Mercato Centrale which is a real market with meat, fish, vegetables and fruit along with pasta, nuts and oils. Sat down outside it and ate lunch at yet another place from my book. Not that I was hunting them down I just found myself in front of them all the time. I had the best ravioli with mozzarella and spinach with walnut sauce, yummy, and then continued roaming the city until I met up with my dad who I spent the afternoon with. At half past six we said goodbyes, he was going to Iceland the morning after, and I went to a meeting in a very nice church.

Afterwords I walked some more and finally had dinner at a little trattoria close to my hotel. I just read my book and enjoyed the night. Saturday, my last day, I once again walked all over town, ate lunch, enjoyed the warm weather, went to a meeting again, then walked some more did a bit of shopping, went to the hotel and changed into decent clothes and took myself to the Piazza de republica for dinner. Again had a book with me and read the book, listened to great music playing in the piazza and walked home at the end of the evening. Sunday was just travelling back home. As much as I've become used to spending so much time on my own I must say I would prefer to have someone with me like my kids next time I travel. I couldn't stop thinking about how much they would have enjoyed the place.

But now I'm back in Edinburgh. Need to gather myself today and start work on my dissertation research tomorrow. It has now been accepted and I'm officially working on it. Will be nice when I get my new flat and can start spreading out my articles and everything without thinking I have to move them again.