Our body clocks are finally getting sorted, so we mostly woke at 7am (instead of 4, 5, 6 and 7am). After showers and the light breakfast included in our room rate, we packed our bags while JD dealt with yet more work stuff. (It's making him unusually grumpy, so I hope he sorts it out soon.) We got to the train station and after organising tickets (a little more pricey than I'd expected at 43 euro per adult for the cheapest fare), we then sorted out some extra cash, some food, and then 15 mins before our train, Jos announced he needed to go to the toilet.
We were getting increasingly anxious when he still hadn't returned by 10:30 (our train was due to leave at 10:35am). It turns out that the loos are pay-to-play, and Jos didn't have any cash on him. He must have looked sufficiently desperate (he later said he was sweating and quivering with urgency) that someone took pity on him and gave him the one euro required, and he got back to us just as I was starting to curse him.
We dashed to the platform, found our carriage and our seats with about half a minute to spare. My feet are still desperately unhappy with me (blisters on the balls of my feet, below the second toe on each foot), so I can't walk very far or fast at the moment.
The boys are now getting their first glimpses of the Italian countryside as our train hurtles along at well over 125km/hr in suburbia, up to 250km/hr in the open countryside towards Florence, our ears popping with every tunnel we go through.
***
Florence is bustling. Like Rome, I remember Florence as being quite quiet, but clearly that was because I was there in winter. We are staying in a third-floor walk-up just off the open air market (think Victoria Market on Sunday, but with a lot more butter-soft leather goods. Jos is eyeing the jackets off and pleading for one. I'm rather keen myself.
After a light lunch at the Mercato Centrale, at a fancy food court type thing (on the floor above the specialist food purveyors, like those inside the buildings at Vic Market), we split up: I went off to do a load of washing, while JD and the boys went off for a bit of wander about town. We got back to the apartment around the same time, and are having a bit of a rest before we venture out for high tea (wine) and later, dinner.
We were getting increasingly anxious when he still hadn't returned by 10:30 (our train was due to leave at 10:35am). It turns out that the loos are pay-to-play, and Jos didn't have any cash on him. He must have looked sufficiently desperate (he later said he was sweating and quivering with urgency) that someone took pity on him and gave him the one euro required, and he got back to us just as I was starting to curse him.
We dashed to the platform, found our carriage and our seats with about half a minute to spare. My feet are still desperately unhappy with me (blisters on the balls of my feet, below the second toe on each foot), so I can't walk very far or fast at the moment.
The boys are now getting their first glimpses of the Italian countryside as our train hurtles along at well over 125km/hr in suburbia, up to 250km/hr in the open countryside towards Florence, our ears popping with every tunnel we go through.
***
Florence is bustling. Like Rome, I remember Florence as being quite quiet, but clearly that was because I was there in winter. We are staying in a third-floor walk-up just off the open air market (think Victoria Market on Sunday, but with a lot more butter-soft leather goods. Jos is eyeing the jackets off and pleading for one. I'm rather keen myself.
After a light lunch at the Mercato Centrale, at a fancy food court type thing (on the floor above the specialist food purveyors, like those inside the buildings at Vic Market), we split up: I went off to do a load of washing, while JD and the boys went off for a bit of wander about town. We got back to the apartment around the same time, and are having a bit of a rest before we venture out for high tea (wine) and later, dinner.
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