Monday

A couple of editor's notes:

If you have a minute to zip us an email (newkirk.david@gmail.com) it's fun for us to know when someone has taken a peak at our travel blog. Also, at the bottom of each post there's a spot for you to subscribe to the blog by entering your email if that appeals. I suppose that would mean you are alerted to each new post.

And here's the deal with past tech troubles. This stuff is quite simple from my desktop iMac at home; however, while in Italy we are working from an iPad – a great little machine that syncs with my iPhone here and iMac when at home. The difference is that all operations on the iPad must be performed with apps. I think I have now figured out what apps I need, and how to use them. There was a bit of a learning curve. 

Today started again with clear skies, cool breezes and big breakfasts.The sun has stayed with us throughout the day. First stop was San Lorenzo and the Capella Medici, with what I rate as one of the primo examples of the Sacra Conversazione.

New nickname!

Years ago (40??!!) at Pearson airport (no idea why I was there) I was mistaken for Englebert Humperdinck. I thought that was pretty funny. Yesterday, two young Italian dudes leaning in a cafe doorway called out "Hey George!" We turned around, puzzled."You look-a like Giorgio Armani." Believe me, it had nothing to do with the clothes I was wearing. I'll certainly accept the compliment though. It's been a while. After a week of walking 10K every day, I'll take Giorgio. YEEEOWch my feet, my knees, my legs, even my ass is sore ... but Giorgio is still standing despite all the cobblestones he's endured. It amazes me.

Thank you Davide!

Scusi  Davide, which day is it today?  Monday?  Is it the 4 or 5th Monday of the month?  If it's Monday, the Bargello is closed.  But wait; no, if it's the 2nd or 4th Monday it's closed.  O.K, then it's open today right?  Is it open on the 5th Monday?  Are there 4 or 5 Mondays this month?

Oh Well, forget the Bargello, we can go to the Boboli Gardens!  It's closed on the 1st and last Monday of the month, but the Palazzo Pitti  is closed on Mondays. So we missed the Bargello when we went 

on Friday because it closes at 4:50 everyday, except the 2nd and 4th Monday, when it simply stays shut all day. So we went to the Boboli Gardens which are huge, dry and hot, and the Pitti Palace was open but we were too tired to go in.  We waited outside for a cab; a bus went by.  It said SM on it so we thought it went to Piazza San Marco, but in actuality it went to SMN, Santa Maria Novella (by way of Bologna?)

We then tried to hail a cab.  All the cabs had fares, so I went into a store to ask someone to call a cab for us. She politely explained that : "No taxis come this way, pedestrian only"  We thanked her and stepped outside where a cab stopped immediately and took us home for a siesta.