It is just as depressingly scary as it sounds to be living through the financial crisi in Italy right now. So one thing that definitely makes up for it is the wealth of magical ways you can pass your free time here for free.

Yesterday my boys and I spent the late afternoon walking around Piazzale Michelangelo and the church of San Miniato overlooking Florence. There’s nothing like breathtaking beauty to recharge your batteries and keep your pessimism at bay.