Every June, Piazza Santa Croce is turned into an arena filled with sand, grandstands and the calcio storico. The four districts in Florence compete for the championship in a game which combines soccer, boxing, football and wrestling. There is a 50 minute parade to start things off, complete with traditional costumes, flag throwing and such. Chia and I watched from our friend’s apartment overlooking the piazza. Here she is with one of the participants!

Even with Piazza Santa Croce filled with sand and sports, we continued our shopping adventures in Florence. I really like these suede smoking slippers, but the ones I truly adore are navy blue cavallo…and no, they are not made from horses!

Dinner overlooking the Arno from Oltrarno side was great! Chia is not in the photo, as she was making new friends who were feeding her prosciutto at the table next to us!