Think of my poor husband following me around Florence ohhing and ahhing the males nude statue that reside on every corner. Me not him.  Well, his day is finally come.  In an extensive and never-to-be forgotten tour of the Medici’s Pitti Palace today, I saw him on the ceiling of one of the rooms!  He had a lot more hair when his likeness was taken in the 1500’s, but I’d know those thighs and shoulders anywhere.  David aka Hercules.  Since we have been married, the main endearment I have always used is “hund.”  Yes, I know that means dog in German, but it is actually the diminutive of Me-Hunda (my man in a language David made up), which I have sometimes been known to shorten to “hundi”.  This is very puzzling to everyone, because he calls me the same thing, Me-Hunda also meaning “my woman.”

Somewhere in the middle of the Pitti Palace, I realized that Italy has changed me.  The creative juices are all juiced up and ready to go.  I am dying to learn Italian.  I want to come back here and live for several months in order to write a time-travel novel where a hip young 21st century young lady is swept back in time to one of the rooms of the Pitti Palace in the 16th century.  And because Italy makes you believe that dreams can come true, I just might do it!!!

For those of you whose visit to this wonderful place is in the future, see the Pitti first, before the Ufizzi.  It is uncrowded and much more magical a setting for the paintings.  Plus it contains my two favorite Raphael’s.  I am inexpressibly sad to see this time almost at an end, but I know I will visit it again and again in my heart.  With Herc.

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