Tuesday 4th Oct

The train time just disappeared yesterday!  Arriving in Florence is the same as any other big city you don’t know. Just a bit confusing to start with. It also doesn’t help when you walk to the street and corner of where your accommodation is and there is no sign of it. You begin to think this is a scam!  The bar owner on the corner knew exactly when I asked if he knew of the name of the place, he very kindle smiled and showed to a hotel 50 m away, who’s name doesn’t bare any resemblance to the place I was looking for. Turns out I have a small room in an apartment block.   Basic, old, but clean. 

Going back to yesterday’s ramblings. To finish Sunday’s story.

As St. Marks square was rammed as was every other street in the area, I headed for a vaporetto stop and caught the first that came along which was to the Lido.  Good move, I thought I hadn’t been here before but remembered it when I started walking down quiet streets that Janice and I had been when we came in the early 2000’s.  It was much nicer than the main island, away from the vaporetto stop and surrounding restaurants it becomes quieter quickly and nice strolling. 

I walked a loop to the beach and back, gelato and coffee along the way then time to head back to the main island to meet up with a couple of friends from MaccAstro who had arrived that afternoon for a holiday. We had dinner together, got bitten by mosquitoes together!  Then I headed off to the tram, got lost in the little streets (I was going to say “back streets” but they are all back streets) and unintentionally found a vaporetto stop that took me (slowly) to the bus/tram location along the Grand Canal.  After that it was the tram and bus back to the hotel. 

Back to Florence, yesterday. After getting sorted out at the room I headed for the Galileo Museum and passed the Cathedral, queues to get in, queues to get the tickets to get in, sold out for next 2 days. I don’t think I as too bothered about that.  In comparison the Galileo Museum was quiet no que no crowd. 

I think I was bit in awe when I came out. A lot of the pieces involved skills quiet remarkable for periods they were made in, not just the telescopes I was obviously going to be interested, as there weren’t that many, but all manner of instruments. I have loads of photos …….   To bore you with😀

It’s become warm here at the moment, very sunny, mid 20’s.  So just walked about for the remainder of the day.

This morning walking about and found the market. I wish had these in the UK.  I had to spend time getting my rail tickets sorted out as the Interrail web site was not letting me book my next trains on it for Saturday when I am going from Rome to Nice.  The ticket office at the rail station booked it for me, with no issues and friendly as well.