It's getting hot here and it's only May 23rd!  Fortunately, we have AC.  I know I mentioned this before, but one of the best things I like a about our apt. is waking up in the morning, throwing open the shutters, inhaling the fresh breeze and watching the swallows, pigeons and doves soaring against the backdrop of the morning sky.   There are no screens between us, so I can hear the variations of their songs and then the church bells chime in.
    

     Nicole baked me a delicious torte de mela (apple tort) for my birthday cake--one of the dolce we learned make in our cooking class.  It was a challenge using the oven which functioned as a microwave, too and reading the directions in Italian.
    
  This weekend, Esme came to visit from Paris where she is living and working in her uncle's fashion related business.  Esme is Nic's close friend from Porter's and is taking a gap yah (see youtube.com "Gap Yah") too. 

We went to an international fair called Terra Futura (future of the earth) in the huge Fortezza de Basso and here you see us trying on the head massager.  (Esme's long, red, flowing locks attracted lots of attention in the sea of brown capelli around Florence.)  I got a free 20 minutes foot massage.  There were booths where people were sprawled on mats on the floor receiving Reiki, Shiatzu, Thai massage--you name it--booths of clothes, food, sustainable energy, music, dance.  Gonzo (very cool).

We topped off the day with a visit to our FAVORITE restaurant Zeb where we ate homemade pasta and chicken and torte de pere chiocclato (moist chocolate pear tort--always sounds better in Italian) and chatted with Alberto and his Mamma, who own the restaurant.  It's on the way up to Piazzela Michelangelo and San Mineato, so of course, we had to sprint up the steep hill to work off those carbs.
     I am planning a trip down to Petriolo and Sarturnia to plunk myself in some thermal mineral springs before it gets too hot.