Florence, Italy: Today is a national holiday in Italy - Ferragosto. We have asked and no one can really explain the holiday to us. It is not a government holiday. It is not a religious holiday. It is a holiday to celebrate summer, the end of the harvest and a time to rest. Many shops and restaurants were closed today - but the tourists were out in force.







(The River Arno is often an answer in the New York Times crossword puzzle.)

I had walked 7000 steps and was ready for some lunch. DT remembered a place we had enjoyed on our last visit to Florence, so herded me all the way across town to a non-touristy area and found (on memory alone) Trattoria al Trebbio.

Which once again, brings us back to our room for a rest before watching the evening session of the World Track & Field Championships from Moscow... and a little video chat with Leo while he was eating his breakfast in Los Angeles.
Just before nine o'clock, we went to dinner at another of our favorite restaurants in Florence, Osteria del Porcellino, or as we call it, The Little Pig. Quite an unusual place for a non-pork-eater to dine, but the restaurant is, in fact, named after a nearby statue of a little pig - though they are famous for serving wild boar in the winter.

There appears to be a problem in our Italian dining experience. We have been in Italy six nights and have yet to have a dessert. We haven't even had gelato. What is wrong? This needs to be rectified very soon.
On a random personal note, a Finnish publication contacted me last week asking for permission to use a photo I snapped in Osaka at the World Track & Field Championships in 2007. Permission granted and the story went on-line today.
Pedometer: 10,079 - 4.3 miles. Just barely made my mark today. We spent a lot of time in the room watching the meet from Moscow on EuroSport Television. Tomorrow the city will return to normal and we will be on another walking adventure.
Until my next update, I remain, your porky correspondent.