Milano Day Five to Firenze Day 1: Solo to Sociable

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

I’ve become so comfortable at the Sina della Ville that I hate to leave. But alas, it’s time to move on — from Milano to Firenze … from enjoying my own company to testing my tolerance for a group of twenty strangers.

Today I boarded the train from Milano Centrale to Firenze Santa Maria Novella, retracing my steps from yesterday’s rehearsal run. I was terrified I’d miss the train (I get that way when I fly too — no idea why). But all went smoothly: I found my train, my car, and my seat without incident. The ride was wonderfully smooth, and the two-plus hours passed far too quickly. I arrived in Florence mid-afternoon, and the Hotel Glance was an easy five-minute walk from the station.

Our Road Scholar group — twenty-one travelers in all — gathered for orientation with Patricia, who will be our guide for the next eight days. It’s quite the mix of people: a family of three (parents and grown daughter); an 85-year-old cellist who once performed with the Philadelphia Symphony and her artist daughter; a veterinarian, his wife, her aunt, and her partner; an advertising man and his judge wife (yes, on-the-bench judge); a retired Purdue professor and his wife; a couple from California; a woman from New Jersey and her brother-in-law from D.C.; plus three solo travelers besides me — a retired woman (her hometown escapes me), a chemist, and a Bosch retiree. Such an opportunity for people-watching — and I don’t even like people!

After brief introductions and an overview of what’s ahead, we received our marching orders — the do’s, the don’ts, and our trusty headsets, which I suspect will become at times our best friend and our worst enemy. :)

We wrapped up the evening with a short walk to a nearby restaurant, Fuoco Matto — which translates to “Crazy Fire.” Dinner was simple and perfect: salad and pizza, both deliziosa.