Ciao, Ciao Italia!

This trip wouldn't be complete without voicing my thoughts on Amerigo Vespucci Aeroporto. OMG!!!! OMG!!!! In simple terms, the Dominican Republic Airport is more impressive than this tiny, run down, poor excuse of a fly zone.

An hour and a half before the flight, the check-in attendants are nowhere to be found. There is a line-up from here to there, some odd workers that seemed to have been responsible for unlocking the main doors to this joint.

Then the trail of lovely blue suits arrive, slowly, oh so slowly to tend to their desks. This was Italian time at its best. Boarding is also interesting...does not matter if you have kids and strollers, are in Executive or First Class seating, back rows first...the name of the game is push and shove at 6am!

Arrivederci Italia!

A Casanova and a thief...all at McDonald's?

So I decided to stop by McDonald's for a salad?
I know, who goes to McDonald's for a salad...but I was too tired at that hour and wanted a quick grab, swallow and head to my room.

At this restaurant location, they have the McCafe too. I sat in that zone, as it was quieter and cleaner. I am having issues with cleanliness. I guess my OCD is rearing its ugly head and maybe that's a sign, am ready for the comforts of my home, sweet home. I digress.

There I am, after a long day....sweaty, sticky but in my pretty white dress with some grey hues and pretty white sandals chomping away at my salad. I was so concerned about my purse, and those who know me well will know I am rarely concerned about that...in fact, most times, I just leave it lying around.

I noticed I was being watched.
An older man, most likely older than my father.
Every bite I took, he would smile.
The first few times, I wasn't amused.
By the time the tenth bite occured, I figured "oh what's the matter with you, he's being friendly...get over yourself".

At that time, this young man walks in and begins to eye my purse. I figured I overstayed my welcome at this place and should call it a day and grab my tram to the hotel. As am about to hop off my stool, the old man comes over and says in Italian, care to join me for a coffee? I smiled and thanked him for his kindness but kindly declined. He goes on to say but you are "Bellissima"...Meantime, he grabs my tray and clears it for me. I smile, thank him and walk away. I think he survived the experience. I will give him this, many a MEN I have met in recent times don't have the cajones to step up to the plate like this gentleman did. It's too bad!

So I begin to make my way toward the tram...and you will recall that young man and MY PURSE. Well he suddenly appears on the escalator right next to me. I turned toward him and gave him a stern look. He hopped off and went a different direction.
I continue walking along the sidewalk and crossed the street....now the man is standing right behind me waiting at the tram stop.

I figured it's now or never...a lot of people are standing right beside me, so I went for it in a loud shreak "any reason why you are following me since McDOnald's?"
He ran away into the train station. Creepy but handled.

Pizza for lunch, followed by Pisa, the bell tower.

This afternoon, I joined a tour bus that head to the town of Pisa. Pisa is known more than for its leaning bell tower. Today, the city of Pisa has close to 90,000 inhabitants, many churches, a university that dates back to the 11th century. The Italians do recognise the positive changes brought on during Napoleonic Empire, as the schooling followed the French system.

The site of the leaning bell tower is marvellous. Funny, all these years, I would see images of this place and I was never able to imagine the size of this bell tower, the baptistery nearby and the church.
The bell tower was closed for almost ten years, but they recently have decided to re-open it to the public. For 15 Euros and 280 some odd stairs, you can climb the tower in this steam bath of a weather. Can you tell I didn't do it?

Instead, I joined the myriad of other retarded tourists trying to take pictures "pushing", "kicking" or "carrying" the tower. It's today, when I had hoped to travel with a professional photographer to take some "retarded" touristy shots of me and the tower. Alas, I tried grabbing passerbys and asked them to help me place my hand or foot in the right spot...instead, I have plenty of shots with me "giving up" the search for that typical, tourist pose! Ho hum....

Some interesting facts about this location:
-There are no records of the creator of this blessed leaning tower...after all who would want to have their name on this leaning structure? Wouldn't look so good on their portfolios, no?

-The church and the Baptistery are also leaning. The soil is too wet for such big structures, as Pisa is very close to the Mediterranean sea.

-They have beautiful grass sprawled all over the square. But they have hired POLICE BRGADE to keep tourists off from the green growth. So lying on your back, looking at the sky and admiring the intricate details of the architecture is a NO NO.

There you have it...The Pisa review.
Btw, am all Pizza-ed out!

Ciao, ciao!

Piazzela Michelangelo- The look out!

My hotel is pissing me off.
There I said it.
It's under renovations which means hammering at 7:30 am (Sunday or Tuesday what's the diff??) Clearly they forgot to mention THAT at the time of booking. So for my convenience, they offer me a room with filth, some bed bugs (as my body has these unusual welts), the cold water is removed to create an even better steam effect than the warmth outside, and the waitresses at the breakfast seem annoyed that I would need a fork...after all, one has fingers, right?
So, this morning, I ran out of there...after I blasted them of course.
I am happy to report, my room has been upgraded...we shall see about the cutlery situation tomorrow morning.

Which now brings me to Piazzela Michelangelo.
I hopped on the city bus that rode up a hill for close to 15 mins, to arrive to a green, wooded area that reminded me a lot of Mount-Royal in Montreal.
The bus stops at the tip of the hill and you are welcomed by a breath taking view of Florence and my special non-circumcised friend David.

From this angle, you realise that Florence is nestled in a valley. The Duomo never looked this good, as you are now able to appreciate the beauty of the famous dome. The Duomo's roof was built 20 years after the church was built. They couldn't quite figure out how to seal the deal.

Unlike Mount-Royal or the Summit look out, this piazzela has quaint terraces, coffee shops and bars. A must see if you visit Florence!!

Trust and honesty first while boarding public transport???

Using the public transportation system is the best way to get to know a city. In Florence, they have trams, buses, electric buses that cover the city quite well.
You can buy your ticket at the Tabacco shops for 1,20 Euro per way. The ticket is valid up to ninety minutes. You can also purchase your ticket on the bus for 2 Euros.
Once you climb into a bus, it's up to you to validate your ticket. The driver is not responsible to check if you have paid your fare. The transport industry in Florence is based on trust. In fact, I would say, in most of Europe, if not all, it's based on trust and honesty. Should you be caught without a valid ticket, the fine is $40 Euros in Florence.

Now let's look at reality in the last four days.
As a diligent tourist, I have been paying the fares.
I have also witnessed people who get on and off without validating their tickets.
I have seen families get on, ask the driver for tickets, he has none left and yet they stay on to enjoy the ride.
I have yet to see a patrol officer checking for valid tickets.
So how is the public transport system sustaining itself financially? Was this just a sample size, I happen to look at, with the 90 mins grace period? Or is the tourism industry paying for the free transport to the 350,000 Fiorentines in Florence?

Which now brings me to the Montreal public transport...
We have hikes in fares every January, there are more attendants in our metro system to watch like a hawk, our turn stlyes are yet another means of patroling the situation. Yet the STCUM seems to run out of funds and needs to raise fees.
Why have we not put in more electric buses on our roads, like they have here in Florence?

A lot of questions....would be nice to have SOME answers.

Shopping in Florence!!!

Some of you may have noticed I was a wee bit quiet the first few days in Firenze. I felt a little out of sorts, when I took a bus ride to the town center, where The Duomo stands somewhat at the center and various piazzas surround it.
At first site, you are bombarded with labels like Prada, Gucci, Miu Miu juxtaposed with renaissance architecture. Something was not sitting well with me. I am used to seeing those labels with modern shops like in LA, New York. Here I flew all this way to be drowning in a sea of labels and feeling out of sorts.

I began meandering daily along the narrow side streets and walked through piazza after piazza, and I soon discovered they have tons of outdoor markets. Unlike our markets, these stalls or stands would be selling what I consider to be high end...purses made in lamb skin with beautiful buckles at 100 euro or more.
As I approached each vendor, I realised one common thing between them....they were all from the Middle East, more specifically the leather vendors were from Iran.
This amused me.

Being a desert dweller, I hate paying full price. I love bargaining, striking a deal, the whole dance between the buyer and seller....until both parties reach that zone to make the sale. And so I began dancing...
Let's just say, I am coming home with one too many leather purses, one too many silk scarves, one too many wallets...and proud that I didn't pay those crazy prices in the boutiques and most of all...all products are made in Bella Italia, not China!!!

Their leather feels sooooooooo soft!!!
So, if you are ever in Florence, don't pay their asking price...drop the asking price by 40%!

Chianti Region in Tuscany

I had the pleasure of joining a multi-cultural group today to head toward the hills in Tuscany in the Chianti region where we road a bus along winding roads with breath taking views of vineyards, olive groves, monasteries, fortresses and castellos.

We had a wonderful guide from Florence named Sabra, with no roots or ties to Israel, other than the fact that her parents were travelling along the mediterranean Sea and met a woman named Sabra. They were smitten with the name and the rest is history.

While travelling on the bus, she exlained about the Chianti wines. For one, Chianti wines have an old tradition, dating back to 1404. The Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III de Medici, protected the Chianti label and vineyards by establishing borders. Toscany is not known for the production of white wines. Their Chianti Classico red wines are a blend of three types of grapes, the main one (90% worth) being Sangiovese grapes.

We visited the Castello Il Palagio which dates back to 1252. As of the 15th Century, the castle became the ownership of the Republica Fiorentina who transformed it into a fortress. The castle does not have an authentic medieval feel, as sections have been rebuilt in the 1900s. It has a small chapel, a tower, a dungeon which now holds oak barrels of Chianti classico. This cellar is one of the main attractions of Il Palagio. They have also included modern steel containers which allow the wine to age accordingly.

We had an opportunity to sample three of their wines and a sweet desert wine, along with delicious tapas ( Pecorino cheese with a spicy jelly, garlic bread al olio, cured meats, and biscotti to dip in the sweet desert wine).
I sat at a table with two charming, American women who were travelling around Europe for five weeks, as well as this Dutch family from Holland who were on their own driving through Toscana. A delightful way to spend the afternoon, chatting, sipping, laughing, tasting....being!