I often avoid il centro (downtown) on Saturdays because I always think that there are too many people milling about. Today, I decided to go for a walk in the early evening down Borgo degli Albizi. I was planning on going to my favorite profumeria (profume shop), but it was closed. I then noticed that many of the shops and bars were also closed.

Today when I went to the palestra (gym), one of the guys whom I often see there said "ciao" to me from afar when I arrived. We had talked a few other times as I responded to his comments about the zanzare (mosquitoes) and the caldo (heat) in the palestra.

Dave and I decided to head down to San Niccolò where the partita (soccer match) would be held on a few big screens outside. We didn't leave the house until after the primo tempo (first half) with a score of 0-0. The restaurants that we walked past were virtually empty with the staff sitting in front of TV sets watching the game. The Piazza Santa Croce was quiet with hardly anyone around.

Today I met with Dinneen, an American who came to study Italian for a month, for a drink this afternoon. We sat in the Piazza della Signoria at Rivoire facing the Palazzo Vecchio. We enjoyed our drinks and sat for a few hours talking, watching people walk by, and trying not to get attacked by the pigeons.

Toni is the star player of La Fiorentina, the Florentine soccer team, and is playing in the Mondiali (World Cup). People have been a little disappointed because he non ha segnato un punteggio (hasn't scored a goal) yet. But everything changed in tonight's game against the Ukraine.

I had been wanting to go out for an aperitivo (appetizers) with friends for awhile. Dave and I have only been once with another couple last year to Angels. We ordered drinks and were able to nibble on many different pasta dishes and salads. It was a fun and inexpensive way to go out, try a new restaurant, and socialize with friends.

Dave asked me the other day why I say ciao so many times when I hang up the phone after talking with my friends. It took me a few conversations to notice that I say it three times in a row almost every single time. I would generally end a typical conversation like this, "OK, a presto. Ciao ciccia. Ciao, ciao, ciao." (OK, see you soon. Bye sweetie. Bye, bye, bye) with my voice fading with each ciao.

The past few days have been hot. And everywhere I go, I hear something like, "Fa un caldo bestiale!" (It's terribly hot!) There are a million ways for everyone to lament over this hot weather. Most of the time, suffice it to say, “Che caldo!” (What heat!) As one of my Florentine friends, Massimiliano, told me. "Non si contenta mai...il tempo è troppo caldo o troppo freddo." (No one is ever happy...the weather is either too hot or too cold.)

When I walked down Borgo la Croce today I saw many Italian flags (as shown in my picture) to show support for the Italian team for the Mondiali di Germania (World Cup in Germany). Not even on national holidays have I seen flags outside shops like this. During the Olympics this year, I didn't see a single flag put up anywhere. For the last two partite (soccer matches), I even saw lots of guys wearing t-shirts with the Italian flag on them and a few even had the Italian flag painted on their face.

I generally have good boundaries. I try not to help every person I see on the streets of Florence holding a map. I want to help them out, but I realize that unless they are crying or asking me, I just have to not look at them and walk by. It can be quite challenging at times since the number of tourists here in Florence has doubled in less than a month!

My friend Rossana called me on my cell while I was out walking down via Guicciardini yesterday at lunch. I had just thought of her a moment or so before that, so I was surprised to hear her voice. "Vieni stasera alla meditazione? C'è un sacerdote che farà la Messa in casa!" (Are you coming tonight to the meditation? There's a priest who will be doing mass in my house!).

For our fifth anniversary Dave and I wanted to go out for sushi. I looked at my list of sushi places here in Florence and only a few are open tonight. Our first choice, Eito, is closed on Mondays. We decided to go to Wabi Sabi in viale dei Mille near the stadio (football stadium).

Today I went to Elisir, which is a perfume and skin care shop in Borgo degli Albizi, where I have become friendly with Rossella. I see her about once a month to get facials and buy products. She and I diamo del tu (use the familiar you form) although her husband and I diamo del Lei (use the formal you).

Today I met with my brother-in-law's sister, Linda, who came to Florence for the morning from Siena before heading off to Bologna. We scheduled to meet at 10:30AM at the Museo di Storia della Scienza. I was hoping that my tessera (card) for the "Amici degli Uffizzi" would be accepted, but the man at the biglietteria (ticket counter) told me that the museum is private and so he didn't accept it.

I have been looking forward to meeting Jeff Shapiro for awhile. I found out that he was going to be at McRae bookstore last month, so I decided to buy one of his books, "Secrets of Sant'Angelo," when I stopped in one day. There were only two copies left in the shop and I wanted to make sure that I got a copy before Jeff came to the bookstore. That night I began reading the book and kept telling myself that I'd just read one more chapter even though it was late. My eyes were droopy, but I persevered and kept reading as long as I could.