... Sitting on a train ...
...and taking the oppourtuniy to write a quick post as I haven't in a while and the train trip is quite short so no I'll be somehwere new in no time at all. Though everyone was very confused by my insistence to go to Milan and I now understand why I think forgetting entirely to leave Florence to come here wasn't on my agenda. Though if you ask the reception at my hostel in Florence they'll tell you I was very sure that it was the 19th of August when it was actually the 20th and a thursday but the day of the week wasn't the issue.
I still am a little worried by the fact that I skipped a day somewhere :( and what's wierd is that I knew I shouldn't have been leaving the same day as Sam or spent so many nights in Florence but it was all buried in my subconsious. I did have two lovely days with Sam though and they will, when I am a little more removed from the fact, totally negate the entirely sleepless nights which I'm thinking contributed to my lapse in time. Thinking about it now I'm contemplating Dr Who and wondering how he does it, the complete lack of any plan or structure to an entire lifetime must be slightly depressing and confusing!
Florence was beautiful and would have been an amazing city to just wander but it was so hot all the time. I even got to see some of the Tuscan countryside when I did a wine tour organized by my hostel. I found that Chianti, which the region is famous for, I don't really like. It was sort of big and rich but boring. I did like a 'SuperTuscan' at the first winery and a white Verna....something at the second. We had a lesson in winetasting which was entertaining but I'm not sure I'll be employing all the techniques the next time I'm winetasting; some of them looked quite rediculous.
I got back and changed just before ducking out to meet Sam for dinner. We were going to try a couple of places that my hostel had recommended but after the first one was closed we just browsed a couple of menus and picked one that seemed good. It was an unexpectedly expensive meal - for our backpacking budgets - but very enjoyable and we both just needed to feel a little bit more normal than we were. She had this horrible experience in Genoa and I was in shock over the actions of my roommates the night before.
I have now got a beautiful italian leather bag :) it's cute and funky and smells fantastic. There are markets everywhere in Florence and there are so many leather stalls and shops but it took me ages to find one I really liked there was always something just not quite right. It didn't help that I'd seen a perfect one for a reasonable price but hadn't known wether it was worth the money. It was when I dragged Sam with me to look at that one and it was sold that we found this one! Market price for a shop bag has to be a good decision especially when this bag is better (only just) than the original.
I really need to send a couple more postcards, I haven't written in ages let alone sent the ones floating in my bag. It's been so nice I've talked to everyone in the family a couple of times in the last week. Jane and sally and I had a girly chat in Florence and everyone called this morning and while I had lots of trouble hearing it was great to talk. I can't believe I'll actually see Mum in just over a week!! And then Marta and Dad of course XD which I'd also exciting.
I did have a small problem this morning with not being able to get into the Duomo in Milan - because my shorts were too short. This is me, my shorts are quite sensible really! So I went instead to some markets which were a little crazy and not my kind of markets - every stall just had revisions on the same cheap stuff :(. But I did exprlerience an Italian market where the sellers are yelling specials over the top of each other and produce is cheap. On my way back to town I saw a sale sign and stuck my head in, and found a maxi dress for €10! Tried it on and was pleasantly surprised so bought it and then realized it would solve my trouble with the shorts.
Sunday 23rd August
Lake Como is stunning and a total must for anyone in the area!
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