
I am returning to Florence a week from today, December 5. I couldn’t resist being there for the lighting of the Christmas tree on December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. It will be my fourth December in Florence (well, not counting 1959). But what excites me most, is the eleven days I will be wandering about the city my myself. I have a lunch date with a friend, but other than that, I will be alone, a solitary traveler. I will love every day—cappuccino at my favorite bars, delicious food at restaurants all over the city, uncrowded museums and churches, historic streets and piazzas, and a cozy apartment, adjacent to the Uffizi and Ponte Vecchio.
This is for those of you, my solitary traveler friends. Except for my family, I haven’t told anyone about this trip. I will, but for now I’m just sharing the secret with you.