VENICE 3
I woke early and hopped out of bed - very quickly and quietly I might add... Only to find it was my turn to struggle with the front door. I contacted the owner who told me to ask for another guest to help. So I had to wake them after all.
Finding a nice place to have breakfast proved harder today. I found a place eventually with an older woman who educated me rather forcefully - by banging repeatedly on the counter - that you must not sit down unless you pay extra - and I had already paid.
I went to use this places' toilet too but it was squatting only and I wasn't game.
I spent a good couple of hours wandering around Venice admiring the shops and the streets, getting lost and working out where I was. So long as you have a vague idea where the Grand Canal is and a good sense of where San Marco Piazza is - you'll be fine, I found.
When I returned to my flat I found two of the four guests I shared a room with were still asleep or in bed. "You're in Venice guys,"I thought - but each to their own I guess. I packed early and hoped my 24 hour ferry ticket would still have some minutes left. Lucky for me, it did ( it shouldn't have had mind you) and I caught a different ferry, my fifth, I think, back to the train station. I took what I thought could be a daily event from now on... A 12:34pm photo of where I was and funnily enough I received a What's App photo from the Melbourne tribe... JJL&A ... Taken at the same time coincidently.
By the way, I'm typing this sitting at my Assisi window watching an awesome storm.
The train ticket I had bought the day before was a very fast train. For 39€ I was able to buy a first class ticket on a Italo train. It was exciting and worth the money. 300km/hr we reached at one stage. The service was a bit slack though. Like on a plane they offered drinks and things for free. When I asked for a cappuccino all I got was a cup of hot water and some Uht milk. Others around were getting piping hot brewed coffee because they didn't want milk. When I looked at her quizzically she realised I was missing something so she gave me a tube of instant coffee. I decided then and there it was espresso coffee for my from now on in Italy. ( I write this now as I'm drinking my instant cappuccino in my B&B in Assisi )
FLORENCE 1
I arrived in Florence at around 3pm and was greeted by Hannah and Vaasant Krishnan who are living in Florence at the moment (and they were the main reason I was making this stop over really). It was a warm welcome and they escorted me back firstly to my accomodation - The Empire Palace - a hostel right next to the Saint Laurence church - this is the view out the window
Then they walked me to their place ... But before we got there I was blown away by the Duomo
It was huge and I was to discover the third biggest cathedral in the world. It dominates the landscape from wherever you look and took ages to even walk around. 16€ it was going to cost to climb it ... Plus the queuing ... Which I have an aversion to. So other plans were starting to form.
I met Sukun and Krishnan, Vaasant's parents once again - they were visiting H&V for a month less a week for a visit to London in between. They were great hosts to me on Day 1 in Singapore and so it was great to see them again.
We went for a bit of a wander in town before heading across the Arno - I think that is how you spell it - and up to San Spirito Plazza for tea. The town was a buzz, as the cast of 'Inferno' was in town for the premiere here on the weekend. I'll have to try and catch it here in Europe, as there is no guarantee it will be on in Launceston when I return.
The sunset over the Arno was beautiful and many were out on the Pointe Vecchio ( the main bridge) to watch it. I loved the story of the Medici family's disdain for the peasants in the town - they built a corridor over this bridge and up the road to avoid having to associate with them on the way back from the Uffizi ( the office) to their residence ( Pitti Palace) - not much "pity" if you ask me.
Today also this bridge had many people selling their own paintings on the street, only to pick them up and walk around hiding them behind their backs as the police wandered through. When the police were gone, they set their makeshift "stalls" again.
Great meal. All you can eat "Appetisers" and a wine for 8€. Then we wandered back to H&Vs and eventually home for me. I was in a 3 bed room with the single beds awful close - an ensuite for the three of us too. When I went to bed 11 pm the other two hadn't arrived. I woke when the middle person did and said hello but no response. I didn't hear the other person arrive. It was weird sleeping so close to people without knowing who they were.
So - a long entry but a big eventful day. Tomorrow .... A whole day of Florence.
No comments:
Post a Comment