We slept very well during our last night in Europe; I guess we are getting used to travel.

Nancy and Gyorgyi in the front flower garden

We got up at 6am and made the final preparations. Our flight is on schedule and the weather is near perfect. My only concern is connecting with the proper highway from Budafok, but that is a minor problem I hope.

At 8:40 am we started out a little early; Gyorgyi told us generally which way to go onto M0(emm nulla) to get to M1 for Vienna. I first missed the turn to M0 then went past the exit to Gyor and Vienna. Once on M0 the comedy continues. Jansci said to take M7 but this turned us back to Budapest. Fortunately, I recognized this and turned back and got onto M1. It took us an extra 10 minutes so it was good that we had a little extra time. Shortly after getting on M1 there was a huge tie-up and we moved very slowly from 2 lanes to 1 lane. It took 29 minutes to resolve this. After that there were no more tie-ups.

We stopped at the Mol station about 1 km from the actual border and had a WC break and grabbed some sandwiches. We also fuelled up. I used up almost all of my Hungarian Forints.

We didn't know how long it would take to get to the airport but we felt we could get there for the assigned 10 am. Along the way a car honked at us and Ladislav waved. He saw us and led us to the airport, we just had to follow. Nancy was so relieved. So we arrived easily and after a once-over, Ladislav left in the car; there were no problems. We gave him a small tip as well for all of his trouble and excellent work.

We met Eva, our friend from the first flight, in the Vienna airport. She was going home with her son and his girl friend. We talked for quite a while in the airport bu we were sitting 3 rows back in the airplane (airbus 310). This time we were seated beside a young man who was travelling back from Croatia. He was tired because he had to get up at 4 am to catch a flight from Zagreb. His name as Amir; he lives and works in Toronto; a very nice guy. He had to get up many times as we had to get by him. In retrospect, we should have had him sit near the window.

There were 4 movies on the flight, two more than usual. The first two were poor, a chic-flick and a kid movie. The third one was a comedy with Tina Fey. The last was Iron Man II. I actually put my earphones in for this one. It ended just as we were about to land.

The food was good on the plane -BBQ chicken and rice with a very good non-lettuce salad with cranberries and wild rice etc.,wine and coffee. For our second light meal we had pizza, it was hot and delicious. The crew came around several times and offered juices and pop and water; it was very welcome. One of the flight attendants was injured (cut her hand and wrist) and they called for a nurse or doctor. There was a woman doctor on the plane and she bandaged her up.

One interesting thing happened as we passed over Iceland. The captain came on and said there was something on the left side of the plane to see. Everyone look. It was another plane (L1011 I think) on a too similar flight path. Then about 5 minutes later we got to see it on the right side of the plane. It was slightly (500 feet maybe) above us. I think too close for comfort. Later we saw it several kilometres to the right of us. Both planes were travelling at the same speed so it stood still.

Note: Iceland is black (volcanic ash) and Greenland is white(snow and ice) !

Our flight was about 40 minutes early in arrival(6:45 pm EDT); so we did not have to travel the full 9 hours. All in all it was a pleasant flight with very little turbulence, but the seating is very close and the passage to the WC is tight - so tight, I caught my pant-leg on a seat and ripped it. The one real "casualty" of the flight.

When we got off the plane we were welcomed by hot, humid summer weather - 30C and very humid. This always seemed to be the case.

We arrived at the limo service early but there was no problem, the man came right away and we were taken away to Oshawa.

We arrived home at 8:30pm and were warmly greeted by Stephen who has done a great job looking after the house during our absence. Thank you Steve!

We had a little celebration drink, or two and were off to bed at 9 pm EDT. What a journey of 28 days it has been, with many happy and exciting moments, no tragedies but a few misfortunes and more than a few wrong turns, thanks to "mother" our GPS on loan from Tamas we had few problems. Many memories and pictures and movies to come.

The new swing in Gyorgi's back garden.
Nancy had a wonderful trip and so did I

Well, the transformer does not work even with new fuses. Two have blown without any load. So the new transformer is Kaput.
I hope I have enough battery power to complete the blogs.

Today we took a nice walk towards Zalakaros; is a lovely day and the temperature will hit 28 C. It is nice and sunny .
Nancy has no trouble with the 2 km walk; it shows how much she has improved her walking. Actually, I am more tired from the walk.

At lunch or ebed we have our big meal. Lacy and Agi have come as well as Attila. Panna and Bea have gone to Budapest to visit a Zoo and will return too late for the lunch.



We start with lovely chicken soup with a few noodles. It is lovely. Then as tradition, we eat the chicken (tyuk) from which the soup was made. There are two types of sauce; one tomato and the other a wonderful white sauce made with lots of garlic. Following this we had fried food - cutlets and mushrooms with a rice dish containing corn and peas. Both are delicious. Finally we have dessert. The multi-layer cakes and 2 types of retes (touro and mak -cottage cheese and poppy seed). Agi made these and they were baked here.

There was lots to drink -wine, beer or cola. Attila and Agi stuck with cola since they were driving. We had lots of conversations about Canada and life in general. Sometimes my Hungarian was clouded by the wine but we managed very well...some new words were learned on both sides.

Later, Violetta, Szabolcs and the children came over and we again exchanged conversation... more English now. Violetta will be starting to teach school at Agi's school in September. She has an interview for the job this week. She is quite apprehensive since it is her first teaching job. I told her she will do just fine.

It has been a tiring day and we have a light supper and are off to be by 8 pm. Tomorrow will be our last day in Hungary and then we will be off to the airport in Vienna.
Nancy, Gyongyi and me just before leaving Garabonc.

We slept very deeply, however, I should not have slept so well since I left the computer plugged into the new power transformer. When I awake, it was dead. I thought it was a fuse which is built into the transformer. With the assistance of the clerk at the desk I found a store which sold the fuse. In retrospect, I should have brought the transformer too.

The hotel breakfast was good but they use a machine to deliver coffee, capoccino etc. and it never does the same as a real person. The breakfast included eggs with ham inside; very good. We were off about 10:30 am for our trip of 350 km to Garabonc.

View from the heights over Trieste.

Everything was going very well until we neared Ljubljana in Slovenia. There was a large traffic tie-up. About half an hour. When we got closer to our cut off to Zagreb it was closed. The traffic was very slow and we had to merge into one lane. We went through a tunnel and onto an open road. I knew something was wrong since the mountains to the north were getting closer. We turned around and headed back to Ljubljana right into another tunnel tie-up. We found an exit for Zagreb but down the road was a really big tie-up. Construction work on Saturday and another merge into one lane. This was over an hour.

On the open road now we made our way to Zagreb. More delays for passport and a 1 euro toll. Then onto the road to Budapest
with the 5 or 6 euro toll in Croatia.
At the Border to Hungary there were delays. One line was very slow so I picked another. Lucky here because they were looking through luggage in the other line.

I phoned Tamas and informed him we would be there in 30 minutes.

Another happy greeting for all. Mother had got us through. We had a lovely supper of bogracs goulosh and lots of wine. We talked for hours and then went to bed and slept like logs.

Nancy in the town centre of Siena.

Siena's Duomo shines in the afternoon light.

Siena... is wonderful but busy! Too many cars, buses, motor scooters etc. The town is nice but you have to be careful all of the time. It looks like cool weather today, but in Italy it warms up in a hurry when the sun is out. We wear bluejeans since it is cool.

Breakfast at Hotel Romana was very good. The eggs are back and there were some tomatoes. They serve breakfast outside under a canopy in the courtyard. Very nice touch.

Unfortunately NO INTERNET. They offer a computer with an Internet connection... no wifi !

Our morning was a trip to the centre of the down town to get some souvenirs we missed the day before. A long walk for what we bought but I promised Nancy no more long walks... oh well.

The drive to Trieste will be long so we try to get an early start. First we make a wrong turn (I did) but it is solved by "mother" fairly quickly. She sends us North to Firenze instead of East to A1. In Firenze there is a traffic tie-up but only 15 minutes or so. it also started to rain. The road to Firenze is 4 lane but narrow. The speed limit is 90 kph and for good reason. Cell phones are a nuisance here... people use them when driving. One guy in front of us was weaving in and out and slowing down and speeding up... on a cell phone.

The trip between Firenze and Bologna is full of hills and tunnels and large trucks. You must concentrate on being in the right lane at the right time. Not my favourite drive but only 75-90 km.

After Bologna the road is flat and straight and all toll road. We have brought our supermarket sandwiches but they taste terrible. The tomato has a strange unripe taste. Most of mine does not get eaten. It is better to purchase the sandwiches st the roadside restaurants. One mistake.

Things go very well for some time until we get well past the Venice turn off.... then everything STOPS. For 20 minutes we barely move. Merging lanes from 3 to 2 seem to be the reason but there could also have been an accident. The we start but go for a couple of km and then we stop. This is more dangerous since the guy behind be nearly hit us... in Canadian terms.

The trip from Venice to Trieste is slowed by traffic and rain. We get a sudden downpour but it does not last. But the skies are very dark. The temperature drops from 24 to 17 C.

Finally we end the tollway 23.40 euros later.

We get off at a Trieste exit and find we have to drive 20 more km. However, it is along the North coast of the Adreatic Sea and is very beautiful.
We have been on the road from 10:30 till 5:30 pm 7 hours with 3 stops.

Hotel we are going to make our last stay at is right down town. We drive by it once but soon ask for directions. They do NOT call the Hotel the "Citta di Parenzo". Just "di Parenzo".

The room has two twin beds. We fix this by putting them together. The washroom is lasrge and the room adequate.
Parking is by valet service only. This adds 16 more euros on to the expensive hotel bill.

We decide to open our bottle of siena wine... no cork screw ! Our room does not have one nor does the hotel have one. I tried the "shoe" tick but it does NOT work. I try to buy a cork screw but the only thing I can find is a bar that will open the bottle for us. I bring the bottle back to the bar.

When we decide to go for supper, I find that my money purse is empty of my euro envelope. My heart just about stopped.
We realize that it probably slipped out into the middle of the car when we were going to make the 23 euro toll charge. So we ask the desk clerk to contact the valet company to see if they can find it in the car which is several km away. We have to wait 35 minutes and luckily the envelope is found and returned intact ! We are SOOOOOOOOO relieved.

Now it is about 8 pm and we head out for our last Italian meal. The girl at the desk has given us a restaurant that is not too pricey but has good Italian food;the Al Vecia Canale. It is busy and not presumptuous. The food is great and the price right. Nancy finally gets her grappa and is out like a light when we get back.

What a day !

Well I did not sleep well as I tried to figure out how we would recharge our devices if we could not get a new transformer.
We packed and had breakfast. I started the computer up and read the file about the next hotel in Siena that we were going to.

When Katya came in about 9 am, we told her our problem. She said there was an electronics store in Piano di Sorrent. She phoned the store and Tonino explain things to the manager. We made a hasty trip down town to see the store manager. He went over what our transformer would do and asked if I wanted one to run a hair drier. I told him I only wanted to charge a netbook or a camcorder not start a bigger device. He came up with what I needed and for 15.40 euros we were on our way. I tested the device and it worked.

We bid farewell to everyone and gave Tonino a special little gift of 20 euros to make up for all the trouble we had given him He was very appreciative. In return we were given Casale Russo hats and a bottle of limone. I took a picture of the staff at the desk (Gratia, Teresa and Tonino), I will send them a copy. We will truly miss this place and the people in it.

We ended up having to pay the 38 euro parking ticket even though it was outrageous.

With the new destination in "mother" we set off. The trip out of Sorrento is not as hair-raising as the trip in although no less scary. We were on the inside of the ledge. IT takes more than 40 minutes to get back to level ground. We followed "mother's" advice and the Napoli signs and soon we were on A1. We made two stops at the Auto Grills along the way, one for gas as well. We had a heavy downpour but it did not last long. As we approached Siena the skies got darker and there was a thunderstorm nearby. Mother took us right to the front door. We registered and after a few questions of the desk clerk we were on our way into Siena... I tried to get the name right trying not to call it Sorrento. Our room is adequate, no air-conditioning but it is cool so this is not a big deal. We do have a ceiling fan which is very cooling.


Siena is a fortresses town with 4 or 5 gates. We headed in and roamed though the narrow streets... watching out for cars and motor bikes. We arrived at the main square which is quite impressive. Then it was on to the Duomo square. The church here is very impressive and not under much renovation from the exterior. We stopped to wet our whistles and then to find the restaurant we had been told about. At a super market we picked up 4 sandwiches for the next day. We are all set for out trip to Trieste tomorrow.

We had a lovely supper at Trattoria da Gano - slices of t-bone steak in a salad with cheese. We were tired and headed back to the hotel which was not far from the fortress gate.
Siena streets still busy at night

Forgive me if I don't say anything about the weather... it has been sunny almost every day since we have been in Italy. The temperature has been around 30 in Sorrento but sometimes a little breeze in the evening makes it feel cool.

The plan today was to take the train to Ercolana and see the result of the Vesuvius eruption of 79 AD. The train is a fast electric one but there are many stops. The price is only 1.9 euros one way. The trip lasts about 1 hour or less. The train travels quite fast and there are many tunnels until we get on the other side of the mountains.

Nancy near the volcano

When the train arrives we meet up with an English couple who are going to Vesuvius. We decide to do the same. The cost is 16.5 euros each. !0 for the ride and 6.5 for the 800m trek up to the crater. After we get up Vesuvius and park, I have had enough height. So we sold the trek tickets for 10 euros. Nancy was not interested in ascending the mountain either.

Vesuvius from Hercolaneum.

After we returned to Ercolana we walked down the street straight to the "Scavi Herculaneum". We phoned Tonino and told him we would be returning at 17:13 instead of earlier. I finally figured out that SCAVI meant EXCAVATION ! It was not in my little computer dictionary. John Ivanco told us about this place and said it was better than Pompeii... and it is smaller and easier to do if you only have limited time like us.

The Herculaneum site was uncovered after Pompeii and has more detail and better ruins. In fact the detail is so good, one wonders how they allow thousands of tourists to walk over the roads and even touch the plaster walls that as so old. To know that you were seeing something from 79 AD was amazing. Unfortunately some people have left their marks on the plaster as well. As we were living, I realized that we had missed a large area. I returned while Nancy stayed near the entrance. It was quite hot in the sun even though there was a small breeze, it was hot (30+). The part I missed was a courtyard containing a Roman statue and the Roman baths. You could see where the lava had stopped literally at the bath house doors.

Tom in a courtyard of an ancient home in Herculaneum.


We went back on the train after a quick beer (660mL) split between us. A 3 euro price was also nice for a sit-down drink.

We were back in Piano di Sorrento about 7:30 and Tonino was waiting for us. He is really a reliable person.

After a little wine we headed off to Zia Sams for our final supper. We got our favourite waited and had a wonderful meal. I had spaghetti ala mere with tomato and it was delicious. Nancy had the ravioli with shrimp and sea food and tomato sauce. Both dishes were excellent. We decided on dessert. Nancy had a wonderful pie with ricotta cheese and pistachio. I had a cup of limone ice cream. Wow was it cold and tasty. We finished off with a cappuccino each. The bill was surprisingly low and we gave the waiter a good tip and bid him farewell.

It was after this that things went downhill fast. I plugged in my transformer for the computer and as I did there was a big flash and the fuse was tripped off. My transformer for recharging the computer and camcorder was toast. The smell was awful. This was bad and I had felt there was something wrong with the transformer since we started out. Amazingly it held up this long. With maybe 3 -3 1/2 hours left on the computer battery and even less for the camcorder, I was upset... "what to do?" I had tried in Bologna to get a new one with no success... in Sorrento a place much smaller... could I get one ?

We went to bed since we were quite tired from the long day hopeful that things might improve in the morning.

Our first night in Piano di Sorrento has been very good. There have been some interesting side-lights. The water in the shower would only get like-warm so we had very refreshing showers. The hotel is really new. We found out that it has been open only since Dec. 2009; so we are the first of what should be many. The second thing we noticed was that the breakfast menu was very spare. There were several cereals, yogurt,warm buns, sweet buns/donuts, jam choice of cappuccino or espresso. What was missing - cheese, eggs of any type, meat, vegetables. For a hotel this nice, it is something they will have to deal with. The staff is excellent and always willing to do the big and little things that make our stay very enjoyable.

Katya a young Italian girl is at the front desk this morning. She speaks excellent English. Gratia ,older and more filled-out is the other lady at the front desk, but her English is much less.

First thing to do is to get the cell phone working so we can phone the hotel or Tonino (man of many tasks). Katya phones Vodaphone and tells of our problem. We have no trouble phoning Tonino but the hotel we cannot seem to get. After several conversations with Vodaphone in Sorrento, we get the cell working. We have to phone long-distance since our provider is in Hungary. Problem solved.

Today we are off to see the Isle of Capri. We have been told that it is a must see. Tonino drives us down to the docks...glad he is driving. He stops at the ticket place and then runs to the dock to see if the boat has left. It hasn't and we get round trip tickets... a slight mistake.

The boat is a jet catamaran. It is packed with people of almost any nationality you can think of. A man is going row to row trying to sell tickets to a tour. I asked an Englishman and he filled me in. We decide to go with this. The price is right-15 euros and an air-conditioned mini-bus. We are given yellow stickers.

After we get to the dock we must go to the area where the mini-buses pick up tourists. There seems to be a major-domo who directs things from his seat in a cabana. Although this takes about 20 minutes, it is less than others. During our wait, the guide relates stories of Capri and its various residents- from the Roman Emperors to the 19th century eccentrics.


First we go to Anacapri, 1000 m up the rock face. This is both a thrilling ride and a scary one. As we go up the distance between vehicles is even less than in Sorrento...just inches. Sometimes there is only enough room for one vehicle. As we go around the scariest cliff bend, the bus driver puts on the most bone-chilling audio with the sounds of a crazy person laughing. Looking straight down 1000m with this music playing is almost terrifying. When we get off the bus, almost everyone heads for the first washroom.

Anacapri is for tourists with shops of every sort - from expensive to cheap. We decide on a beer and pizza. It is quite expensive but we need some refreshment. We wore a little more because it was cool in Piano di Sorrento when we left. However, it was still fine since there always seems to be a little breeze. The picture you see is from the lookout on the cliff. Although I am afraid of heights, my fear is lessening... maybe the bus ride has got rid of some of the fear. After being terrified, this seems easier.

After an hour or so in Anacapri, we are off back down the terrifying cliff; this time we have a quieted driver. We arrive in Capri (above the Port of Capri) and are told what to see by our guide; we have 1 1/2 hours.

We walk down the path to the beautiful gardens near the first Roman port of Capri. There are many expensive boats moored on this side of the island. This is the quieter (no tourist boats) side of the island. There are two large rocks jutting out into the Strait of Salerno. The other side is the Strait of Sorrento or Napoli.

We stop for a lemon slushy; it is refreshing but expensive. The garden is beautiful and very serene; there is a man guarding it from being mistreated. Signs say NOT to eat anything in the garden. Maybe God should have posted the Garden of Eden ! After the garden we head back to the main corso.

We probably do not need all of the time in Capri town since we have seen most of the vendors elsewhere. We did manage to find stamps...the tibacchi shop had them.

We are driven down to the Port of Capri by the same crazy driver we had before. His humour is better respected this time. He always ends his trip with "That's Amore" by Dean Martin.

We wait for our ship and find that we have to wait another 15 minutes because of the shipping line. We met a South African couple, now living in London. They tell us some stories of travel by car.

I phone Tonino from the boat telling him we will be 15 minutes (quincenti minuti) late. Nice to know the cell works.

We are tired from a hectic day and arrive back at the hotel about 7:30 pm just in time for the sunset...which is gorgeous tonight.

We head back to Zia Sams restaurant, but it is cool and I have to get Nancy's shawl. We have a nice primo of flat noodles and fungi 9mushrooms) and shell fish. We nice, but we would like more. We order a secundo of calamari and shrimp (prawn). We split this dish. We did have an excellent half bottle of Chianti Ruffino. We ended with two cappuccinos. IT took a long time to get our bill and I am not so sure it is correct; but we are tired and we head back to the hotel.


We had a beautiful day with lovely weather and a nice dinner. It doesn't get much better.

This is our last morning in Firenze. After the usual breakfast we prepared to leave the Hotel Boccaccio. It has been a pleasant stay, but the locale around the hotel is not the best. But I said to Nancy, "Is there many streets in Florence that are better?". Most streets have their good and bad parts. Our was close to the city centre and the railway station. A very busy locale.

We got our car back from the garage at 10 am and we were off, "mother" accepted the new destination. I have written out the latest notes on how to get to Casale Russo - the red Castle.

The drive to Piano di Sorrento took close to 7 hours. We stopped 3 times the first for gas and sandwiches and the second to eat and the third time near Naples to get some coffee and stretch. The A3 highway from Naples is in dreadful shape and is being fixed up. The two lanes are very close and the speed limit is 60 km/h. Most locals go much faster.
Once we get onto the road to Sorrento things change. I could only watch the road and not where we were... cliff side or other. Fortunately, the tunnel keep most scary things out of sight. However, when we came out of the tunnel, we had to deal with a cliff side road and motor scooters that weave in and out defying the cars and trucks. I wonder how many motor scooter deaths there are each year.

We finally reach Piano di Sorrento, although it is hard to tell since there does not seem to be a sign. We stopped near a bar and across the road is the tourist information centre. The girl behind the desk is both informative and nosey. She wanted to know how much our room was going to cost. While we were there and had a quick drink, a cop (whom we did not see) put a ticket on our vehicle. When we arrived at the hotel we see it and it says 38.00 Euros. I brought it to the clerks attention. However, she knows little English but seems to understand the problem. I also noticed a police car in front of the tourist information office and a policeman talking with her. Hmmmm I wonder who called the police ?

The hotel or Casale Russo is painted Red like the Italian red. It is something out of a fairy tale. To say it is wonderful is an understatement. Everything has been renovated to a very high degree. The only problem is in communication. Our Italian is terrible but we are learning more words, right Nancy ? We know some words but our grammar is poor. However, Italian is not that bad if you took 5 years of Latin... well that was 45 years ago.
Our room is super. Marble everywhere, a king-sized bed and a wonderful bathroom and view. We have a view over the bay.
Sorrento : view from our window

The hotel recommends a ristorante close by. Sometimes this is a scam... it is not one here. A beautiful restaurant overlooking the bay with an open terrace. Flowers grow up to your table. The prices seem very good, but we are always leery. We order a pizza for Nancy and I get the recommended seafood pasta. They have a real wood fire in the pizza oven. They have Peroni beer on tap, we like Perroni. The two things we ordered were seafood dishes. The pizza is covered with mussels and smaller shelled clams. The pasta comes in a huge aluminum wrap that looks like a swan. The pasta is absolutely wonderful; best I have ever eaten. There was a prawn on top and mussels and other shell fish in it. The prawn was like a small lobster and just as tasty. We had a wonderful meal and topped it off with a cappuccino.

As we dined, the restaurant filled up with families from all over. The price was definitely very reasonable. We will be back tomorrow for supper for sure.

Our walk back from the restaurant was only 3 minutes from the hotel which by now was brightly lit.

Nancy loves the king sized bed.

Wow, we were both exhausted from yesterday's agenda that we slept really, really well. I can't remember sleeping so soundly for so long. I guess we really did too much walking yesterday. So today, I said we would take it easy...not so much walking.

After breakfast we went to mass at a cathedral not far from the hotel. This cathedral has tourists at 12 noon but has mass at 10:30 am. There was not a huge crowd for the size of the church. The priest who said mass (in Italian) had a great voice and it echoed throughout the church. I found him quite understandable, so I tried to relay what he said to Nancy... the Italian? The one thing they do here is stand right after the part of the mass when you say "Christ h died, Christ has risen Christ will come again". In Canada we keep kneeling for several more prayers. I hope they fix this in the next Canadian missal. You look kind of silly kneeling when everyone else is standing. The kneelers were wood so you tried to avoid kneeling if you can. There were some Americans there. I could tell because there were some US dollars in the collection plate. It was a very nice service and the priest was very dynamic in his sermon. I believe from his vestments he was from the cappuccinists... like the coffee...hahahaha !

We then set out for our "side trip". I was hoping we could make a little trip from here to Pisa. It is only another 100 km West. We had to pick the car up at the parking garage to avoid an extra 5 euro charge. However, we picked up a wonderful veal cutlet sandwich and cold water (fressante)- bubbly. One and a half litres of water for 1 euro... the best price in Firenze. This was only steps from the hotel.

We then gave "mother" the task of finding the parking lot in Pisa. She was pretty good actually and soon we were on the non-toll road to Pisa. It was great, very little traffic and no big camions (trucks). We were there in a little more than an hour. Mother kept trying to keep me under the 90 km/h speed limit but to no avail.
Nancy helps support the leaning tower

It was an unbelievable commotion in Pisa. It was like Wasaga beach with no beach. Thousands of people from all over the world. We had a German take one of our pictures and then a man from the Netherlands take one. We arrived at about 12:30 pm and the sun was height and the day so clear that we actually felt the heat. We sat in the shade of the Duomo and ate our lunch. We bought tickets for the Duomo and were surprised that we could take as many pictures as we wanted. For 2 |Euros each it was the best deal.

We then wandered amongst the outdoor vendors. Nancy had her eye on a new purse... her old one was getting frayed. She saw a nice one but the guy would only come down 3 euros on 33 euros. Eventually Nancy go one for just 10 euros, a good deal we hope.

We stayed about 2 1/2 h in Pisa, more than enough to get pictures and do a little sight-seeing. But the crowds were difficult and the vendors were getting very pushy and obnoxious. The vendors everywhere else have some courtesy but not in Pisa.

Nancy never thought she would see this. Our tourist book says there are three things you must see in Italy and now we have seen all 3. Can you guess what the other 2 are ? I will tell you tomorrow if you haven't guessed by then.

We have been without Internet for a few days now. The main problem has been the hotel price and the fact that when I want to send them out next door... he is closed.

Tonight is our last night in Florence and we will have a nice supper before we go to bed.

Nancy had some asthma problems before going to sleep, but she slept soundly all night. There was some street noise but it was mainly muffled by the very strong windows and shutters. There was some singing during the night as some people were obviously drunk.

Breakfast in the morning was very quiet. We were the only two people in the breakfast room. While the breakfast was good; it paled in comparison to the Savhotel in Bologna.

Our plan for the day was to visit 3 places and eat at our favourite place in the evening. We go more than that done.

First was Museo (museum) of the Duomo. Our guide book said this would be a good candidate not to miss. It was. The "Opera di sanata maria del fiore or OPA for short was excellent. In it are housed artifacts (statuary, artifacts, paintings) from the Duomo which could no longer be kept unprotected. In fact many had been removed over the centuries and some ended up in people's homes. The flood in 1996 also caused problems and others were added. We were allowed to take non-flash pictures... what a relief; I didn't have to skulk. We also purchased an audio guide which explained each room and the artifact. We spend about 2 hours here, more than we figured.

Next we were off to see "David". He is now housed inside to protect from acid rain and anarchists. We waited in line in the hot sun partly. We met a couple from P.E.I. (non-Acadians). So we spent the time talking and the time passed quickly. We also became aware that priority went to PRE-BOOKED groups and individuals. One girl came by and offered a quick entrance for 30 euros. It was triple the price. No one really decided to opt for this. The price turned out to be 10 euros each. Everybody underwent scanning and luggage bags x-rayed.
This is an actual illegal photo.

David was in the main room at the end under a dome. He was as good as he had made up to be. 519 cm tall, twice life-size. There were no photos allowed, but when did that stop me. I was not the only one. I was warned once after I had taken my second shot. It was well worth a reprimand.

There was a lot more art but we had seen a lot and the Museo so we didn't stay long.

By this time 1:30-ish we were getting hungry so we headed to the Hot-Spot Ristorante we had dined at the day before. We had pizza and crepe with a beverage. They gave us a 10% discount for repeat business. Great !

We then tried to figure out where we were to go for the attraction ticket we had bought the night before. We thought it was for the Uffizi Museo but it turned out to be for the Piti Palace. Although there was a time for admission on the ticket, the guy at the Uffizi said we could go any time so we went. It was tiring to get to the Piti Palace and then we had to climb 5 flights of stairs. However, the displaces were excellent. They watched like hawks so we had difficulty taking photos. However, half-way through I noticed a window uncovered. The window looked out on the entire city and it was a great place for a photo-op without a hassle.

We then went down 4 floors to visit another more elaborate part of the palace... it was elaborate. The amount of time spent hand-painting domes in this castle was staggering.

From here we decided to eat at our favourite ristorante since they had the 9.8 euro special on at 6 pm. So we poked along, looking in stored, drinking more water.

At 6pm we were again welcomed into the Hot-Spot by our waiter. Tonight we had egg-plant lasagna, fish in vegetables, potatoes, a fruit dish and 1/4 litre of red wine. I also had my cappuccino.

We wished our waiter good-bye because we did not know if we would be back on Sunday.

On the way back, there was a one-man guitar band in the pizza near our hotel so we sat to listen for a while. The weather today was sunny and warm (29 C predicted). But not humid. We have been blessed with excellent weather.

We had been out all day and Nancy said we walked our feet off. They were still attached though. Yes, even I was tired when we got back.

There was a large thunder and lightning storm during the night. It rained heavily but in the morning everything was clean and clear and the temperature in the low 20's.

We again had a very hardy breakfast and talked with the couple from Michigan and we each wished each other well.

We looked at the map and tried to figure the best way to get to the Hotel Boccaccio in Florence (Firenze). We decided to on rely on "mother"- Tamas' GPS. At first it looked like she was lost but after turned around, she had found the right course.
After we had gone through the A1 turnstile I had the feeling that the cell phone was not packed. However, after a gas-up we found it where I had put it. Now it is in Nancy's purse...safe with the passports.

The A1 took us through the mountains of central Italy. There were many tunnels and twists and turns. It could NOT be done at high speed... I think we averaged about 80 km/h... but it was better being safe. The truck line was not too bad our way, but going toward Bologna, the trucks were in large numbers. It was almost impossible for trucks to pass one another. Truckers are generally pretty good but occasionally they wander from side to side making you wonder.

About mid-way through the mountains we stopped at a gas-restaurant-rest area. It was packed. We picked up a long sandwich and cut it in half for eating later.

The middle of Italy is very picturesque; but it was too difficult to even get video since we were in and out of tunnels and I did not want to be distracted.

Because there was a new turn-off for Firenze North we missed our original turn. However, we travelled to the next exit and Mother again lead us through the city. We did not know if she really knew where to go but after several false turns she found a simpler route and led us right to the hotel. The hotel is near the main centre of the city which makes for insanity amongst drivers. However, I just pulled in beside some parked motor bikes and blended in.

The one problem with being close to the centre of town is that there is only valet parking. The extra cost is 23 euros per day. But what can you do, you save on buses or trains and lose on valet parking... an even split. Better than Vienna in a way but more expensive. The room is nice but smaller than the first two we had. There is a room air-conditioning and it works well; it is not in the window. The bed is two couches pushed together(typical of Europe). There is No kleenex.

Nancy noted that there are many nice shops to look into. We also noticed that there were hundreds of time more tourists here than in Bologna and Padua combined.

After we arrived and had a short rest, we were on our way. We are just 10 minutes from the big cathedral Batistero Duomo (St. Mary of the Flower). We lined up for about 20 minutes in a line that moved all of a sudden and we were in. The inside is not very impressive compared to the outside. There are few side altars and the sides not interestingly decorated. However, the copula is superb. It has many scenes from the Bible in excellent detail. This was the best part of the inside, right over the main altar.

We did NOT go up into the copula for a look out over the city. We both are not likers of height.
At the Ponte Vecchio (old bridge)

We then headed over to the famous Ponte Vecchio. Not nearly as nice as the Rialto bridge in Venice. There were some good views from the bridge, but a view of the bridge was pretty shabby.

We stopped at a little cafeteria off the beaten path and had some cappuccino and beer. The reason we stopped is because they had a sign NO CHARGE FOR SITTING (on the outdoor patio). Nancy found out that they had an excellent tourist dinner starting at 6 pm for 9.80 euros a primo, secundo dessert and wine or water. It turned out to be the best buy we have made in Italy. Getting 250 mL of wine with gnocchi, chicken and a fruit dessert was super.

We went over to the other side of the river (the Arno)... everyone who does a crossword knows this already. We met a couple from Northern Ireland who were teachers also. They encouraged us to buy tickets to the Caravaggio art exhibition featuring the likes of famous Italian early painters and sculptures.

We also found a flier on opera. We followed this up but Nancy had to rest while I tried to find the ticket office which was also in a small church. There were about 20-30 seats in a tiny church. I didn't think it was going to be as wonderful as the flier described. We had been in Venice for something like this but the Venice performance was don in a much larger setting.

This was the time we headed back to the cafeteria and again we literally bumped into the Irish couple again.

After the huge meal we said we had better not eat so much.... we say that every day.

Back to the hotel and ready for a nights sleep.

We do not have free Internet, so I will go to an Internet cafe a couple of doors down (it is cheaper than the Hotel).