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.