travels in florence

Florence December 2008-12-15 I get up and the boss is still asleep on the couch with the door closed, so I guess there’s no breakfast yet. I want to see The David before I leave town so I set out. I got to the spot where it looks to be on the map but it’s not there. I’m at a museum where I am informed that The David is closed for today; dull. I go into the museum, but it’s not strait foreword. I go in and walk around a bit, see some signs that indicate no entry. Oh yeah, I had purchased this umbrella off some guy on the street, finally caving in and buying one. He wanted 5 ero but I wasn’t interested in that price so I take out what change i have in my pocket. It adds up to something like 3.10 or 3.30 and he’s cool with that. He hands me a green one.. no a yellow one, but he has a green one and a black one with red trim, so I go for the black. As I’m opening it I see some yellow too so I figure it might be rastta colours, but when i get it inflated it’s a rainbow. Whatever, it still works. Anyways, back at the museum I’m walking around and I see a sign indicating a place of study, and another place for UNicef help. I walk out of this area and go back to the main hall where I see a flight of stairs with no indication of what’s up there. When I get up there I see some art on the walls so I feel safe. It isn’t dated or anything and it looks like reprints or something. Eventually some woman starts talking to me in Italian and with a bit of English directs me back down the stairs to square one. I give up and go back to the main desk. I don’t have much time and I payed 4 Euro so I better see something old. Front desk directs me back to the staircase that lead up to the area of study, and I notice I sign this time saying MUSEUM. I go up but there’s not much there other than a few old paintings and some furniture for wet nurses. I leave and make my way to the station. I have an hour and I’m pretty sure the directions on the map will take me right there along this big road I see. Great, I’m on my way. I get to the end of the road and things are not so familiar but i see a bunch of lemmings walking with bags and luggage into this castled in area. It’s like a big old fort. It was cool to see but once inside I don’t recognize anything. Time is getting short now, I have half an hour and I don’t know where the station is so I climb the highest flight of steops I can see to the top of the fort wall. When i get there some guy says something in Italian, I ask for English and he says, “This area closed.” I ask for the train station and he points down at a building next to us. I thank him “Gratsia”, and walk down there, but it’s a big empty building under construction. Maybe it’s a new station, or maybe he didn’t like me. Either way time is running short and I need to get to a train that is scheduled to leave in 20 minutes. I’m a little frantic but I’m accepting that I will miss it and that worst case scenario, I have to buy another ticket and leave a little later. I see an officer of sorts at the gate to the fort so I ask him. He knows a little English, but his directions are in Italian. I thank him and piece together his hand gestures as a series of strait, right, left to the station. It works and I get there on time. Train leaves a little late, but here i am sitting on the train to rome, hoping I don’t miss my stop, and curious to see what adventures await me. Maybe I wont get a better detailed map. If I do, it all might seem to bland. Side Notes: -I went out to get a soft drink the first night and when I went to the shop I thought the girl at the counter was the same girl I saw at the information desk back at the station. I soon decided it wasn’t and that they both had the same look. It must be the in thing in Italy. Dark skinned Italian girls with black bobbed hair and dark black eye liner. When I hesitated at her question my cover was disclosed and she started in with the English, “Would you like a bag with that?” She said it so clearly I assumed she knew more, but that was all she knew. A master of her craft. - I’ve been told more than once that I look Italian, but it must just be the Inuit, or Inu in my family tree about 8-9 generations back. I can’t remember which it is on the race or the generation. -1.5L of soft drink is 3.50Euro.