“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”     -Maya Angelou

I could never fully articulate the irrational and uncontrollable hatred I have for mornings. They really sneak up on you and even sleeping for ten hours after being awake for more than thirty…it really, really is awful. Day three began with a morning breakfast at the hotel at eight in the morning where we loaded on carbs and caffeine to get us through the day. Once we finished our coffee and croissants, we headed out on a guided walking tour with a native and she took us around the significant parts of Florence.

The best part of this tour was the very end in which we were able to see one of Michelangelo’s most famous works: David. I was unaware beforehand that I wouldn’t be allowed to take pictures inside the museum, but I’m sure this particular statue needs no description. It stands at the end of a corridor prefaced by his earlier sculptures, well lit and at the center of attention. He stands about six meters high and is actually very overwhelming upon first glance. He stands as the personification of the anatomical perfect man, save for the enlarged hands that represent the hands of God when he took down Goliath. It has currently been the most awe inspiring spectacle thus far.

After the tour, we (the usual group, Lauren, Jess, Crista and I) were on our own for lunch where we found some absolutely delicious paninis and we ate as we walked back to the hotel. Once there, we loaded onto the bus and took the trip to Visconti.

For those who do not know, Visconti is an Italian pen manufacturer that has been described by Oprah as being the best pen ever made. We were met at the facility by the owner, Dante, who gave us a tour and described the process of making the world’s best pen. The meticulous detail and the craftsmanship involved in each set of design and production is absolutely incredible. He ended the presentation with a tour of the gallery which houses every style of pen his company ever made along with the watches that recently went into production. Thanks to some research, I discovered that these pens range from €80 to €5000 ($100-$7500) for the basic version up it a commemorative Declaration of Independence style that has a readable document “tattooed” on the pen, with the help of an included magnifying glass.

We got back to the hotel around six and again were off to find our dinner. After ample searching, the four of us found this charming little restaurant called Coco Trippone where I had a creamy risotto dish. Bold decisions were made by Crista where she tried a Tripe dish (google it if you don’t know what it is) but I assure you it tastes exactly as it sounds. The night ended with booming laughter and a few wine decanters emptied but all in all a very pleasant and wonderful evening.