We spent most of my 40th birthday walking through the town of Florence, exploring the train station, several churches, many open-air markets, and at least one gelato bar.

But the highlight – literally the highpoint – of the trip was our visit to the top of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. Tim, Oakley, Aspen, Lindy (on Tim’s back), Ange, Karen, and Jocelyn climbed all 463 steps to the top of the dome, with my aging bones in hot pursuit. The steps were narrow and often spiraled up (and then back down, of course) steeply.