Florence, the grandpa angel, and a Travel Letter

April's Travel Letter is about Florence, Italy.I don't want to bad mouth Florence. It's not it's fault. I, like a good Catholic, like to blame myself for the travel failure that was Florence. I was a tourist in the high heat of the day in the high season of June. And it was the tourists that ruined everything.First, they (we) rolled our eyes in reverie as we choke down white beans and pretended they taste better in Tuscany than everywhere else.Then they (we) climbed the Duomo, because they (we) can't resist climbing every dome in Europe.Florence is also a top pick for the youngin's to study abroad, so it was a European city filled with American accents. UGH! I went to hear Italian accents, thanks.There was so much of this... That I was all this...I'm the guy lying down, begging to be put out of my misery.But then this came along and cheered me up...Never have I just LEFT a city spontaneously, but I bolted, lest I spend my entire time squished and sweaty in long lines.I know I made the right decision to leave early, because when I finally collapsed in my seat on the train, a man sat across from me who was the spitting image of my grandpa...I snapped a photo when he wasn't looking to compare with a photo of my grandpa...You have to admit, the resemblance is uncanny. These magical travel moments make us feel like we are guided, that angels are among us. Maybe that guy on the train really was my grandpa who came back to keep me company on my journey. Who knows. This guy didn't speak English, but neither did my grandpa. And he died when I was really young, so... *shoulder shrug*It cheered me out of my sulk. Thanks grandpa!Florence is popular for a reason. I owe it another try, but this time, I'll return in the off season.April's Travel Letter is now in the shop.