The morning started as any day we move on to the next city does, get up, have Nescafe in the room, shower and head for the train station. We got to the station a little earlier than we needed, but that just meant we had time to figure out where to stand, you don’t have a lot of time to get on and off the train when it is not originating in the city you get on. Our train this morning started in Torino and was ending in Naples. This mean we needed to get on and of quickly with all of our luggage. The train trip from Bologna to Florence was a quick 35 minutes through a lot of tunnels and some nice country side. When we arrived in Florence the station was packed, most ... read more

Up a little earlier than most days as Christina and I had to go get the laundry. Yesterday, I was commenting on how quiet San Marco is before the crowds, well at 8:30, it is empty, just the deliveries being made on the canal the musicians of the larger restaurants lining the square setting up for the day, full of activity but empty of tourists. Picking up the laundry was fairly simple, grandma was working so the language barrier was an issued but we figured it all out. When we got back to the hotel, we finished packing and headed to the vaporetto stop to take our last trip up the grand canal to the train station. Traveling with our new luggage has been quite nice, the 360 wheels make it so much easier to get ... read more

We woke up to a slow persistent drizzle, it was actually comforting. I got up showered, shaved and went down to breakfast. The breakfast was certainly the most elaborate on this trip so far. All kinds of fruit, breads, meats, scrambled eggs, soft boiled eggs, fresh yogurt, far too much to choose from. I ordered a cappuccino and had a nice breakfast. Christina was out shopping and Jerry was sleeping in. After breakfast, I headed out to the ATM, needed the umbrella as the drizzle was a bit heavier now. Without belaboring the point, let’s just say the ATM was a frustrating experience and I was not able to get any cash. Frustrated I walked back to the hotel. Jerry was just getting up so I did a bit of blogging (yes this is being typed ... read more

Before I start with today’s entry (again a day lag) I failed to mention one item from yesterday. When Jerry and I had finished our tour, we headed to the store to get a bit of wine for the room. As we arrived at Cavor street there was a large parade coming our way. We quickly crossed the street and then waited to see what the parade was about. Well, nothing fantastic as it turns out, just a very large anti-choice parade, mainly priests, nuns and men, a few women but the majority were clearly male, like they are the ones having the babies. Enough politics, today is about making pizza. Part of the reason for this particular trip was that Pino, whom I first met in a cooking class in Paris, has since opened his ... read more

(this entry is on a 1-day delay, writing it the day after, so I apologize if I switch from present to past tense). The day started with breakfast at the hotel. It was a bit larger spread than what is normally included with the room. There was the standard, cereal, rolls, meats, cheeses and yogurt, but there was also a nice frittata (room temp), scrambled eggs, bacon and boiled eggs. The big plus is freshly made cappuccino or espresso. After a quick breakfast we meet Christina at her hotel and began our day. Most of the day was dedicated to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, but we started at the Campo di Fiori Market. We were going to take the bus but given the parade planning there are some significant delays. We ended up walking ... read more