double- deckin' it

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bonjourno amicos, famiglia!
oh what a glorious day was bestowed upon us here in firenze! we're talking short sleeves and sunglasses, oh heaven! chris has got quite the cold, so he was a prisoner of the hostel. so i went out for a jaunt on my own. i walked the markets, ate gorgeous pear pastires and basked in the sun on the steps of Santa Maria Nuvella, basked until the gypsy women came. they scare me. when they beg for money they stand directly infront of you shaking their little tin speaking in italian- and they do not leave until you give them money. 5 whole miuntes i saw one gypsy infront of a tourist couple! i quickly dashed off the old stairs because it just can't get anymore more awkward than that! i took lots and lots of pictures on my stroll- the markets, the people, the food the architecture, siigh i know i will miss florence.
i then somehow managed to stumble upon a leonardo davinci museum. that is how it goes here, one moment you're lost in a side street the next moment you're chilling with old leonardo. but my favourite part of the musuem was the italian man at the ticket booth. ohhh the visit we had. he had many questions about canada, asked if i has ever heard of a place called "mann-ee-tob-bah", "si!si!" i responded. i told him how flat the prairies are, and ohh the disbelief in his dark italian eyes. i told him about northern ontario and all the lakes, and tried to explain that there are no mountains where i live. when i told him i like to go sliding in the winter, he responded "with the doggs?", i then realized that he had no idea what i was talking about. i told him about tobogoning, and then he clued in. then we moved on to talking about skiing. he told me about his adventures of skiing in a storm in Norway and a peculiar sounding skiing technique used in a province there, telemark skiing. and when i didn't understand he got down on his knees in his nicely pressed suit to show me, oh what a hoot! we chatted for a half hour, and it was just such a treat! i didn't get his name, so i shall call him ...Guiseppi. even though Guiseppi and shall never meet again, i know our souls will be life long italiano friends!
later i came back to the room, grabbed chris and had a scrumptious lunch outside. fettucine alfredo, and bruschetta and spaghetti pomodoro for me. soooo good. i will be such a pasta judger when i am canadian again, we are very spolied here. chris and i managed to hop on a double decker tour bus which was so awesome. but i can tell you i would never want to be a bus driver in this town, the streets are so narrow, and they are people running around everywhere, bridges, buildings inches from the bus...craziness i tell you! we came back to the hostel for a rest before heading out to do our laundry and grab some dinner at one of the pizzeria, again sooo good. chris was tres excited because he helped an italian woman work the laundry machine. after dinner and laundry we walked over to our fav gelateria down the street from us, tis another italiano man i have a crush on. he did his very best to make sure my vegan stomach was fed and satisfied, guessed it all on his own when i asked which were milk free. again, what a treat, i will miss gelati man.
so tonight is our last sleep here in florence. every night i have our windows open so i can hear the street throughout my dreams. chris on the the other hand keeps asking why they haven't shut down the street for him, he doesn't care for the noises. but me, ohhh i just love it, because it is the truth of florence's heart!
tomorrow we are off to venice. i have no idea how much my version of venice is reality, but chris and i know we will be in love.

Buona notte!
amore amore amore
chris and meg xoxo

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Comments

[Lauren Hoegy]

I'm in awe
Oh the passion that you write with. It's like I'm there. And yet all at the same time I want so badly to have my own adventures. When we go through the pictures it will be like I'm living it for my self while I hear you talk about it.

[Blazing BListers]

what will you do when you get to Austria?
Will you still speak with an Italian accent, Ms. Meg?? Every day when I read of what you do and what you see, I wish I was there. Gail commented that we hope you keep track of the hostels you are staying at in case we ever get a chance to get there. Lots of love!! MOM Sue

[Aunt Jan]

I loved Florence too!
I loved Florence too. That bridge was so neat to walk over and we loved to see the little Vespas. Now I would love to see chris in one of those! We are thoroughly enjoying your accounts of your travels. Keep them coming. Love Aunt Jan

[Auntie Mary]

Wow from mann-ee-tob-bah
Hi you guys: Wonderful pictures. Really enjoying the sites and adventures, and also getting to know Chris. Thanks for sharing with us. Love from the Backhouse crew

[Roberta]

thank you
I am living the best novel I've read in a long time. I rush to the computer to see if yu have posted new notes. I sit on the steps with you and enjoy the gypsy tension and I laugh through the Italian encounters with people who speak no english. My dream is to someday do Italy...I've seen pictures of the Almalphie coast that look so overwhelming. You are just feeding my hunger to take the holiday. Now that you are moving on I look forward to chapter 2. Love you guys..stay safe Roberta