8:30 am

In Florence. I had a really good day yesterday. I met some girls from California on the train. We wandered over to the Youth Hostel together. There, I met this guy, Mark, from Leicester, England. Another cute Brit! We went to town together. Went to the Duomo, up top where you can see the whole city and beyond. Breathtaking -- literally. 439 steps! Then we just wandered. It was nice. Everything's closed on Monday, so we walked and walked. Towards evening, we were looking for a place to have a beer. Not to be found. No outdoor cafes here. So we walked around some more. Tried to find the action. Finally, we got on a bus for the hostel, thinking that we could jump off if we found a place -- and we did. It was a small place with only one other person, but it was the real Firenze. Then we wandered, hoping to remember the way to the hostel, when we came across a gelateria. We had to have some more! We managed to find the hostel again -- and that's where the action was! They were selling beer -- much cheaper than in the bars -- and people were hanging out, talking. Talked with a British couple who had just been in Yugoslavia, where the Slovenians had just revolted. It was so cool to talk to people who were there and not just read about it. Traveling is fantastic. I hope Mark and I have fun touring the museums.