Italian Express...
My luck ran out again last night. I enjoyed 3 hours of alone time in my train cabin before 2 smelly Austrians came in. We got waylaid in Austria for a bit before we headed out. Just as we shut down power on the train, my computer decided it was going to cut out. With both batteries down and my memory stick still connected this couldn't have been a more inopportune time for this to happen. Power came on for a bit and I was able to safely take it out. Whew. I decided it was time to go to bed since I exhausted all my entertainment options. As I slept through the night I woke up to 3 more surprise visitors. A full cabin. 6 People! Whew. I finally woke up again in the morning around 7:00AM to the bustle of the others. Two of the guests had already departed and there were 4 of us left. I got my breakfast and freshened up a bit before pulling into Venice. I had about 3 hours to stroll the area. I wasn't planning on major sightseeing today. Just something to pass the time. I went in and out of the shops admiring the MANY artistic masks. I stopped for a little cappuccino before wandering off again. This time I found internet to hook my computer up to. Why didn't I find this before?!? And cheap!!! I stayed for a bit and check some things out, updated my bloated inbox, and was on my way. I didn't have much time left. Now I'm on a train to Florence where I have a very quick connection to Pisa. From Pisa I go to the airport and take off for my evening flight to London. Yay!! English people and familiar faces.
So in overlooking and misunderstanding the military time for my flight to the U.K. I thought I was leaving at 8:44PM when in fact I leave at 10:44PM. I was on a train that with all connections would get me to the airport at 5:45PM. Five hours in an airport? No way. I got off at Florence and looked at my options. They looked good, so I stored my bags for 3 hours and went exploring in Florence.
This was an unexpected and pleasant journey. Again I was in a city I've never been to or had any sort of familiarity. I got out of the train station as wide-eyed as an actor from the Midwest arriving in NYC for the first time. First thing was to nab a map somewhere. Ahh, a hotel across the street. No luck. I went into town and found a tourist shop with some free brochures. Inside the pamphlet near the end of the adverts was a map. I ripped it out and I was on my way. Woo hoo. The first thing I headed for was the Duomo. I figured this was the prime attraction since in Pisa the leaning tower was also called a Duomo. Whoa! I got there and I was floored. The colors on the buildings just popped out with their designs. I didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this and everything was so close together. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the sun was just hitting everything the right way. I was a snapping fool. The buildings of this place take you right back to the Renaissance Era. Everything so finely carved and the detail in all the structures were so amazing. Statues were everywhere and once again it was a thriving artist community. I was in the Tuscan region after all and this brings out a new kind of Italian from the Roman or the Venetian. I headed down the street to what I can remember seeing in all the pictures of Florence the icon on the Bargello and across from it another tower Badia Fiorentina. I was speeding through the city and it's a thriving and noisy city. The crowds were immense and the people traffic was difficult to navigate. This was my McFlorence trip. Florence in 3 hours a la cruise ship style. I ended up at the Arno River where it offered wonderful views of the city against the backdrop of the Tuscan Mountains. I crossed the Ponte Vecchio, which was lined with jewelry shops and all sorts of other shops just like the Rialto Bridge in Venice offers. I crossed over and wove through all the narrow streets before reaching the Pitti Palace. Unfortunately the grounds were closed for the day so I headed back and caught some views from the bridge. The charm of these old cities is the narrow cobblestone streets. There's barely enough room for one person let alone all the traffic that this city was having today. Also the streets can barely fit the width of a normal car and these vans and cars were passing down each road like mad mixed in with the motorcycles or occasional bicycle. I had to have eyes all over because I was walking so fast and my attention was getting drawn to every corner of this place. At one point I spilled out into the Piazza di Signora and I believe in front of the museum there (Palazza Vecchio) was a replication of the statue of David. 
I wasn't going to look for it today and I won't know until I look up its location later whether or not that was the actual statue. It was beautiful anyway so I got some photos. I wish I had time to really appreciate this city and I suppose I could've nixed Rome (which I'd seen twice already although it was a lovely visit) and used the time to appreciate and enjoy Florence with the Tuscan countryside. What is done is done and I appreciated the time I had here and in Rome. I made my way to see some other sights around the city just wandering through the narrow streets at high speed snapping away with my camera trying to be all-artistic with every angle I saw. Finally nature took over and I needed something to eat. I grabbed a pizza at one place and some gelato at another. Yes, more gelato. Yikes. This will probably be my last true Italian gelato though for this trip. I enjoyed every bite. Although I am getting kind of sick of pizza. I went to the train station to check my options again and realized I had another hour. Yay! I went out venturing again hoping to get some nice shots as the sun set on the river.
It was at this moment I decided to turn on my global phone and see if I could contact my English friend or see if she's tried to contact me. No, but I got 2 voicemails from my dad of the unexpected kind. It turns out that my uncle has passed on today. He was battling cancer and he was only expected to last through the spring of this year. He fought long and hard especially with my aunt being in her condition and finally his body couldn't take it anymore. I was hoping to at least see him once more before he moved on, but it wasn't possible and I kind of knew that. I couldn't and still can't process this information and probably won't until I get home or I'm on that plane to Ohio.
Right now I'm content that he's out of pain and in a safe place. When I received the phone call I realized there was absolutely nothing I could do at this point. My bags are on the Prinsendam and I have to wait to pick them up on the 8th anyway, which means by then I should just wait for my flight to carry me home on the 10th. I put it aside and went on with my day, as I know my uncle would want me to do. He was never one for making a fuss really. What was sad in the last year was the fact that I saw my uncle deteriorate from the lively man I knew in my childhood to an old man rapidly. I saw him once before I left Ohio for this recent journey and I'm happy I got to see him then and for the holiday. Life always throws us change and change is happening to me now. Familiarity of the past keeps slipping away as the years pass on and I have to accept it and move forward. A friend sent me a story of 2 mice in a maze and 2 humans in the same maze. In short, the humans found this wonderful piece of grade A cheese and they loved it so much they didn't want anything else. They shared it with their mice friends and were very proud of it, but like all things it dwindled away and they never noticed it happening. The mice did, adapted, and moved on to find another piece of cheese. The humans didn't a dwelled on why the cheese was missing, why could it happen to them, and how come the world is so cruel to take it away. The whole point of the story was very uplifting where we have to accept the change that is placed in front of us no matter what it is and move forward with it be it good or bad. Change is not the end of the world; it's what makes life interesting. Yes, I will mourn the loss eventually, but for now I have to enjoy what I am seeing and doing and know that my uncle is now in a safe place. I hope my aunt in her state can deal with the change, but I know her disease affects her ability to do that when so much change happens on a daily basis that affects her security in life. I hope I get to see her before she departs as well. 
Despite the sad news I took the warm air in with a deep breath and let it out again as I approached another beautiful piece of Renaissance motif. I pressed on for another hour an a half before practically running back to my train to make sure I made the connection and gave myself enough time for error when I got to the airport. Now I'm on the train to Pisa and then to the airport where I'll catch the night flight and meet up with my friend for the night. We were supposed to go out tonight, but since now I'm in the clothes I was in 2 days ago and haven't showered at all today, I don't think that will be happening especially since I'll be getting into London central around 1:30AM. What a whopper of a day.
So in overlooking and misunderstanding the military time for my flight to the U.K. I thought I was leaving at 8:44PM when in fact I leave at 10:44PM. I was on a train that with all connections would get me to the airport at 5:45PM. Five hours in an airport? No way. I got off at Florence and looked at my options. They looked good, so I stored my bags for 3 hours and went exploring in Florence.
This was an unexpected and pleasant journey. Again I was in a city I've never been to or had any sort of familiarity. I got out of the train station as wide-eyed as an actor from the Midwest arriving in NYC for the first time. First thing was to nab a map somewhere. Ahh, a hotel across the street. No luck. I went into town and found a tourist shop with some free brochures. Inside the pamphlet near the end of the adverts was a map. I ripped it out and I was on my way. Woo hoo. The first thing I headed for was the Duomo. I figured this was the prime attraction since in Pisa the leaning tower was also called a Duomo. Whoa! I got there and I was floored. The colors on the buildings just popped out with their designs. I didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this and everything was so close together. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the sun was just hitting everything the right way. I was a snapping fool. The buildings of this place take you right back to the Renaissance Era. Everything so finely carved and the detail in all the structures were so amazing. Statues were everywhere and once again it was a thriving artist community. I was in the Tuscan region after all and this brings out a new kind of Italian from the Roman or the Venetian. I headed down the street to what I can remember seeing in all the pictures of Florence the icon on the Bargello and across from it another tower Badia Fiorentina. I was speeding through the city and it's a thriving and noisy city. The crowds were immense and the people traffic was difficult to navigate. This was my McFlorence trip. Florence in 3 hours a la cruise ship style. I ended up at the Arno River where it offered wonderful views of the city against the backdrop of the Tuscan Mountains. I crossed the Ponte Vecchio, which was lined with jewelry shops and all sorts of other shops just like the Rialto Bridge in Venice offers. I crossed over and wove through all the narrow streets before reaching the Pitti Palace. Unfortunately the grounds were closed for the day so I headed back and caught some views from the bridge. The charm of these old cities is the narrow cobblestone streets. There's barely enough room for one person let alone all the traffic that this city was having today. Also the streets can barely fit the width of a normal car and these vans and cars were passing down each road like mad mixed in with the motorcycles or occasional bicycle. I had to have eyes all over because I was walking so fast and my attention was getting drawn to every corner of this place. At one point I spilled out into the Piazza di Signora and I believe in front of the museum there (Palazza Vecchio) was a replication of the statue of David. 
I wasn't going to look for it today and I won't know until I look up its location later whether or not that was the actual statue. It was beautiful anyway so I got some photos. I wish I had time to really appreciate this city and I suppose I could've nixed Rome (which I'd seen twice already although it was a lovely visit) and used the time to appreciate and enjoy Florence with the Tuscan countryside. What is done is done and I appreciated the time I had here and in Rome. I made my way to see some other sights around the city just wandering through the narrow streets at high speed snapping away with my camera trying to be all-artistic with every angle I saw. Finally nature took over and I needed something to eat. I grabbed a pizza at one place and some gelato at another. Yes, more gelato. Yikes. This will probably be my last true Italian gelato though for this trip. I enjoyed every bite. Although I am getting kind of sick of pizza. I went to the train station to check my options again and realized I had another hour. Yay! I went out venturing again hoping to get some nice shots as the sun set on the river. It was at this moment I decided to turn on my global phone and see if I could contact my English friend or see if she's tried to contact me. No, but I got 2 voicemails from my dad of the unexpected kind. It turns out that my uncle has passed on today. He was battling cancer and he was only expected to last through the spring of this year. He fought long and hard especially with my aunt being in her condition and finally his body couldn't take it anymore. I was hoping to at least see him once more before he moved on, but it wasn't possible and I kind of knew that. I couldn't and still can't process this information and probably won't until I get home or I'm on that plane to Ohio.
Right now I'm content that he's out of pain and in a safe place. When I received the phone call I realized there was absolutely nothing I could do at this point. My bags are on the Prinsendam and I have to wait to pick them up on the 8th anyway, which means by then I should just wait for my flight to carry me home on the 10th. I put it aside and went on with my day, as I know my uncle would want me to do. He was never one for making a fuss really. What was sad in the last year was the fact that I saw my uncle deteriorate from the lively man I knew in my childhood to an old man rapidly. I saw him once before I left Ohio for this recent journey and I'm happy I got to see him then and for the holiday. Life always throws us change and change is happening to me now. Familiarity of the past keeps slipping away as the years pass on and I have to accept it and move forward. A friend sent me a story of 2 mice in a maze and 2 humans in the same maze. In short, the humans found this wonderful piece of grade A cheese and they loved it so much they didn't want anything else. They shared it with their mice friends and were very proud of it, but like all things it dwindled away and they never noticed it happening. The mice did, adapted, and moved on to find another piece of cheese. The humans didn't a dwelled on why the cheese was missing, why could it happen to them, and how come the world is so cruel to take it away. The whole point of the story was very uplifting where we have to accept the change that is placed in front of us no matter what it is and move forward with it be it good or bad. Change is not the end of the world; it's what makes life interesting. Yes, I will mourn the loss eventually, but for now I have to enjoy what I am seeing and doing and know that my uncle is now in a safe place. I hope my aunt in her state can deal with the change, but I know her disease affects her ability to do that when so much change happens on a daily basis that affects her security in life. I hope I get to see her before she departs as well. 
Despite the sad news I took the warm air in with a deep breath and let it out again as I approached another beautiful piece of Renaissance motif. I pressed on for another hour an a half before practically running back to my train to make sure I made the connection and gave myself enough time for error when I got to the airport. Now I'm on the train to Pisa and then to the airport where I'll catch the night flight and meet up with my friend for the night. We were supposed to go out tonight, but since now I'm in the clothes I was in 2 days ago and haven't showered at all today, I don't think that will be happening especially since I'll be getting into London central around 1:30AM. What a whopper of a day.
posted by Chris | 8:00 AM
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