Via Faenza, 77... or something like that

There are things I don't get about Italy. Like their "flexible" sense of time, like their incessant cigarette smoking (like, did they just not get the memo that it's like, bad for you? I guess that was the same memo about high carb diets...) And the fact that numbers seem to not really matter all that much to them. But, more on that in a moment...

Woke up bright and early, ate our last cozy in room breakfast at the Grand Royal Hotel (highly recommended), and caught the 7:55 Circumvesuvius train to Naples, where we were to meet our train to Florence. Oh, here's another example. I get to the train station, where I see a "Tourist Information" office and I think maybe i'll ask them what track my train is coming in on, since it's not posted yet, and I want to make sure I'm in the right place. Well, a big sign says "No Railway Information!" even though I'm like, in the train statino. Okay, well, fine, they're juat a tourist place. I find the windows marked "Railway Information" and they are all closed. Inexplicably. So I finally go into the ticket office, attempt my awful Italian and gather that the man has told me to watch for the diaplays. Anyway, we did make our train, sat next to 2 walking cliches (late 40s businessman dressed in fancy suit with botoxed fake blonde in fur and furry boots) who insisted that theirs were the window seats and ours were the aisles when we knew full well it was the other way around though I refused to compalin since I was quite happy on the aisle, and perplexed as to why when I booked the reservations, they didn't book us in the single pair instead of the 4 person little unit. Cindy was fuming mad that the couple deliberately stole our seats, but felt eventual satisfaction when the conductor told Mr. Businessman that he had to pay extra for the botoxed blonde for some reason and forked over his credit card. Probably she didn't get a validation or something. The train system here is ridiculous. I don't get why every other country on the planet seems to have very easy efficient systems for buying tickets, etc. Here you have to stick your ticket in a yellow box to "validate" it which sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. On the metro you slide your card, except when you don't. It really seems like a confusing system and I don't see why everyone else can do it right but the Italians had to make the whole thing harder than it is. But anyway, the trains are comfy in first class :)

We made it to Florence and searched up and down the street for the Hotel Porta Faenza. Via Faenze, you see, has an interesting numbering system that appears to have old numbers and new numbers on the walls, so you'll walk down the street and see something like "33" then "59" then "24" -- it's all totally random, I had to call the hotel to find out where they are! But we found them, the place is good, and we got all settled in.

In the afternoon, we stopped for some Chinese food. Yes, okay, yes, we ate Chinese food in FLorence, what do you want me to say? We both have a limited tolerance for Italian food and needed a break. We'll have some tomorrow. But anyway, then we went to the Accademia to see Michaelangelo's David as well as the other stuff there. That was impresive! But I still don't see why they insist on displaying these white statues against white walls. How 'bout a paint job?? Anyway then we went to the Duomo, with that incredible dome ceilnig with all the art on it, and yes, I climbed up 463 steps to see the top! Needless to say, Cindy did not. But I got a great view and quite a workout! And it's amazing they let all these people cimb these stairs that way. I see it and think "lawsuit waiting to happen..'

After that we were pretty much wiped and we came back to the room to recouperate. Went out attempting to find the good gelato, but didn't want to venture too far as once again, of course, we're exhausted, so I settled for generic gelato. Tomorrow though I am going to get the real stuff -- yum!

Now we're back and I'm gonna try to post some more pics since I've got free wireless for the time being...