Pisa and Musings

What have I done lately?
Well on 24 Nov.  I took the Pisa train to check out the sites everyone has been going to for centuries.  The train was about an hour with minimal stops and not too expensive.  Met a really nice elderly man who who was off to visit his sister in Signa.  He was telling me, in Italian how beautiful the weather was that day and what he was going to do.  I, in still broken Italian said had no clue what he was talking about.  He switched into perfect english and he was off.  
Got off in Pisa, wandered (20 minutes by foot) toward the Piazza del Duomo, which houses the Bell Tower (leaning tower of Pisa), Duomo Di Santa Maria Assunta (cathedral), The Baptistry of John the Baptist and the Historical Cemetry.  Really interesting and not too many tourists. I think the guys trying to sell selfie sticks and crap to the tourists were almost as plentiful as we the masses.  Lunch was incredible cheeses and salamis with a good chianti of course.  Got the super deluxe train back to Firenze Santa Maria Novella (FSMN) to us locals then went neighbourhood wandering to see what is happening in the area.  I will write more on that in another post.

Nov. 25/26/27
Wandered through the streets and stayed pretty close to home.  
I did laundry (washer in house) then bagged it up and headed out to find a laundromat to dry it.  Only cost 3 euro for 30 minutes.  
Ava and I have been seeing lots of great stuff from outside but so far have not ventured in, unless of course it was offering food and alcoholic beverages.
Have been trying to get oriented to the city, but it is not easy.  Everything heads off into who knows where and for why.  Streets are so narrow that it is a lesson in survival just walking. Ava got hit today by a car mirror; and she was pressed up to the building on the sidewalk. They did stop to see how she was, thankfully ok and for breakaway mirrors.  I suspect minor bruising on the beer glass arm is imminent.

MUSINGS
Apartment - The apartment is pretty good.  On the ground floor, quite spacious with two bedrooms, bathrooms and good outdoor space that includes a small garden and roof deck. 
If I were to live in a city as this then it is a good contender.  The heating has been sketchy as it is hot water and I think they forgot to move it from summer to winter settings.  Looking into google translate before I tamper with the gas boiler.  Kidding!
Internet - North America it is not.  We complain of the $$ we pay for service but it does have its benefits.  The modem is great, size of an iPhone and you can take it room to room. Not sure how they do it.  The kitchen is typical euro style but does not hamper any meals.
Groceries - Love the grocery shops here.  Packaging is what it is about.  And the booze prices are incredible, almost half price for scotch and then wine is , well wine.  Had some really bad shit made in Sicily, so hopefully when I visit there it was the stuff they wanted to get back at the rest of the country with.  HAHA
Today I saw whole Turkeys for sale in the Esselunga supermarket and they even had pumpkin pie.  Never underestimate the Americans wherever they are.  Thanksgiving will be had.  I guess I was wrong when I laughed at the two young American girls yesterday discussing which foil roasting pan to get.  Who knew?
Weather - has been incredible to date.  Some good rain storms, not quite of Vancouver magnitude but pretty good none the less.  Coldest during day to date is around 9 deg.  At night it went to zero only once.  Today (27 Nov) was extremely windy and will be so tomorrow.
NOTE:  Mosquitos never die in Firenze.  They are still out and about and looking for blood. Thankfully they prefer Ava over me.  Must buy the girl a thank you beverage.

Firenze -  The city is growing on me.  It has been almost 2 weeks and I am finally getting the hang of it.  By the end of the two months I am sure I will have grown to really like it as well as knowing where the hell I am about 70% of the time.  Firenze has it quirks such as shops closing for a few hours in the afternoon.
Don't even think of using the crosswalk of which you clearly have the priority if you are timid, lame, elderly or have bad reflexes.  I figured out the secret today and that is to proceed like you own the crosswalk, don't flinch when they cut in front or behind of you, stare the buggers down and acknowledge them when they do stop.  Reward for good behaviour is an incentive to some of these people.  Also, watch for the crazy Vespa crowd.  Think of cyclists in Vancouver and you pretty well can double their attitude and it may come close to the Vespa crowd.  Hell, you can even buy shirts and stuff with Vespa's on it.  

Florence Italy, Day 7...Where have I been?

So...it has been 7 days since Ava and I have landed in Florence.
My sincere apologies for not writing sooner but the internet in our rental was not up to snuff (as most of Europe) and we finally got it sorted out so we can connect to the rest of the world.
It was quite a journey getting here. Ava came from the west coast of Canada and I from central (for the purists).  I got to Amsterdam first and had a 6 hour layover.  Of all the airports to have such a layover I am so thankful for AMS., it has to be the best for shopping and relaxing while in a controlled area.
We boarded this teeny tiny plane to Florence,  I had to do deep breathing during boarding and take off just to counteract my phobia.  But I survived and the 1.5 hour flight above the clouds with little hints of land below passed by uneventfully.  PHEWWW.
Since I have been in Florence I have spent the first week getting acclimatised and oriented to this place.  As with most (99%) of Europe the streets are narrow (1 moped and a granny wide) and you really have to watch your ass as you go about your business.  I have yet to hit any museums or other tourist oriented facilities.  After all I am here for 2 month so no sense rushing these things.
I have seen from the outside most of the famous landmark buildings such as the Duomo, Basillica Santa Croce, Pitti Palace, Boboli Gardens, Ponte Vecchio (daily crossing) and so many other landmarks that it just blows ones mind as to how much this city has to offer and has contributed to the development of our world history.

The neighbourhood we are staying in is on the Oltrarno side of Florence and it is a really family oriented place.   I am on Piazza Torquato Tasso and it has a playground, trattorias, shops and very close to all and just a 15 minute walk into the centre of Florence for all the really great stuff to do.  I am really looking forward to the Christmas festivities as the city is already getting hyped and from what I have seen in the couple of evenings I have been out it will be spectacular.

My first big outing was today and I headed out to Ikea.  Ya, Ya Ya.. relax.  I needed some stuff to make my stay here better and on the weekends Ikea has a free shuttle from Santa Maria Novella (SMN) station.. that is the massive train and bus terminal in town.  So I crammed onto this bus with the new students, old babushkas and crying little snotty nosed children ( I thought Italians believed in corporal punishment lol) and was in and out in one hour.  YAHOO!!

I am planning trips from my base in Florence for this week and the criteria is that the destination be no further than 1.5 hours by train.  That actually leaves a lot of destinations in the running.
One of my first stops will be Pisa and then Fiesole which was an exclusive domain of the Etruscans and just a short bus ride away.

Now that I have a good internet connection and am totally settled in here in Florence, been to my first Scottish Pub, I will be more diligent in my musings on this site.
I think this has gone well considering my good meal of lamb, veggies, copious amounts of good affordable wine and grappa.

Until my next posting I hope everyone is well and having as much fun as I.

Ciao.

To Italy and beyond

I everyone.  Apologies for the delay in posting anything new for quite a while, 3 years or more is a long time.
Since my last post I had left Europe at end of October 2012 and made my way to Merida Mexico, where my intention was to stay for 6 months, learn some spanish and to just bathe in the culture the city has to offer.
Well, that turned out to be a disaster in every way imaginable.  The house I rented was in a beautiful historic part of the old city.  The house itself was nice, great layout and private back yard with roof top deck.  That is where it ended.  There was no water in the tanks (tinaco) and the electricity shorted every time the switch was used.  The final straw was when the fridge caught fire in the middle of the night.  Unfortunately that has left a bitter taste with me and I am told to give Mexico another chance. Maybe one day it will happen.
I baled the next day back to Vancouver.  I thought it would be good for me to go back as I knew I could get centred.  It worked, at least for 2.5 years.
While in Vancouver I reconnected with old friends from school, work and childhood.  As well I met many wonderful people whom helped me get fit (Mr. C), have a fit and made my stay in Vancouver really enjoyable.
In July of 2015 I returned to Ontario and have been staying with my sister in the country.  While it has been relaxing, just a little too much so for me, the pull to travel is overwhelming.  I thank Cindy and Rick for putting up with me.  And I hope they reciprocate that thanks.
I am now starting another journey with my good friend Ava.  We have known each other for over 30 years, have lived together and travel well.
I leave today for another 6 month adventure through Italy, Croatia and area, Istanbul, Cyprus and back to Italy for the end.
My intention is to post on a regular basis so please keep checking in on what we are up to.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your life.