Some wonderful sunny days. Flights to Pisa and hotels in Florence both have enough spaces in December to risk last minute bookings when you’ve seen the weather forecast — but that’s not our way: so this has been sheer good luck. So we took advantage of the blue skies to “do” the Roman site at Fiesole — which perhaps in itself isn’t very exciting, but which does have a very attractively presented small archeological museum which is certainly worth the bus-trip up from Florence.
However, it’s not been all galleries, churches and sites. A certain amount of rather terrific food and drink has been consumed (for mid-culture sustenance, there is Eataly: and after a tough day we can recommend again Olio e Convivium, and Il Santo Bevitore, and a new discovery Il Desco). None will break the bank. And it is a tad depressing that a place as rich and cosmopolitan as Cambridge hasn’t anywhere to touch them.
But no, I shouldn’t say that’s “depressing” even in jest. What’s depressing is the evolving ghastly political news from America. And the continuing profoundly damaging mess that Brexit looks certain to be, thoughts of which are bound to nag away as you wander the side streets of old Europe.