I Arrive in Florence!

The plane landed in Florence earlier than scheduled and I was so stunned at being there, finding my luggage, not having to go through customs, and basically being out of the nice small airport in probably 15 minutes or so that I forgot to call the contact guy at my “hotel” before I got a taxi. The taxi got me to the hotel through ever narrower streets and I called the man (Antonio) who was here already and he came to let me in. Up two flights + a short flight to my room which quite honestly was pretty disappointing. But I always say, I'm only going to sleep there...But, Chris, this bathroom makes the London bathroom look pretty darned good!

Antonio is quite a good host and got out a map to show me where I am and where a few restaurants and such are around here. I did more unpacking than I probably should have, because I got hot, even tireder than I had been and hungry. So, I set off for Piazza Santo Spirito where some of his recommended eating places were. I got there and looked at the places and also went in the Chiesa (church) di Santo Spirito. Couldn't seem to make up my mind where to eat and at some point ended up on a street some distance from the piazza. By now starving and kind of staggering from lack of sleep, I passed an art shop that was opened and felt compelled to go in. He had real nice pencil type prints of Florence and I was all excited about going back and getting a couple some other day. Went out to go back to S. Spirito and immediately managed to stumble off a curb, badly and painfully twisting my ankle. Hobbled back to the piazza, sat and decided that I could manage not to start bawling and finally stopped at one of the eateries, ordered an appetizer that turned out to be a selection of lovely Italian cold cuts with some Parmesan that didn't really seem like Parmesan, and black olives. They also give you a complementary glass of white sparkling wine and a basket of their unsalted bread. And I boldly ordered a ¼ liter of wine, figuring I probably needed it.

I was really hurting by now, hobbled back home, fought my way through the three "locks of mystery" and into my room and then did have a little breakdown. I had no ice, of course, needed an elastic bandage, needed to have my head examined for ever starting on this adventure, knew that the entire trip was ruined, wondered what I could possibly do for the next 15 days, since obviously, I was now crippled, etc., etc., ad nauseum. I finally got real bold (and desperate), called Antonio who lives somewhere right close by, told him my problem, and he ended up finding some place to buy me a bandage, So I wrapped myself up, sniffling all the while,  and finally got my poor hurting self into bed by around 10 or 10:30 (which would be 4:30 p.m. home time meaning I had been up probably around 32 hours or so). So, in my own defense, is it any wonder I was being pitiful? I felt pitiful!

Don't get too distraught - I'll be posting my first full-day results next.  Bit I only seem to have two photos to show for arrival day.  One is inside Chiesa di S. Spirito and the other is of Piazza S. Spirito.