Back to Civilization

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today marc and i decided to fly to florence - hey, let's go have dinner in florence tonight....okay, i hear the food's pretty good and there's some statues and museums....okay, sweet, let's get to the airport. actually marc had bought the tickets already and nicole knew that we were coming, but still, it's wild to just get up and go wherever we want, it's nice not to have everything so planned that we're inflexible in coming and going. pisa was fun so we stayed and extra day - so far the camping has been great and has given me a lot of freedom. and plus i'm spending alot less on housing - once you're okay with less it makes life a lot easier - really, all i need is a flat spot and ground soft enough to get stakes in and i have a home. electricity is great, and hot water is never overrated, but still, there's something to be said for just being able to stop anywhere and be able to be in bed in about 15 minutes. so anyway, i can have a good attitude about it now since i have someplace to call home for a few days. sleep has been a little elusive in the tent - even soft ground gets uncomfortable after a few hours. correction, marc and i flew to pisa and then trained to florence...so we wandered the city for about an hour trying to meet up with nicole. we were both a little grumpy and more than a little tired and hot, lack of food and feeling a bit lost will do that. fyi for traveling, make sure that everyone is well fed - makes a ginormous difference in your ability to not get frustrated ad cranky. so we finally met up with nicole, it was super good to see her, both marc and i felt rather dirty and smelly, and she was ready for a night out on the town...so back to her place to get showered and cleaned up. she lives in a cute little flat right in the center of the city, second floor, two bedrooms, a large kitchen and a little balcony - a sweet set-up in a gorgeous city. and then we went out to dinner and it was glorious...wine and a huge piece of rare meat and espresso to finish off the meal. that was probably the second or third real meal that i've had since coming to europe - most of my meals have been a quick stop in a market for yogurt and a loaf of bread and some cheese - perfectly fine and not too much different from how i eat in the states, but it is real nice to have a for-real meal in a restaurant and act civilized. a bit of a novel feeling honestly. ah, and the option of multiple showers in the same day, and crawling into a clean bed with no mosquitoes and a bathroom 15 feet away...it's luxurious. so that was the evening. right, so sorry that this one was not too exciting....i tend to get excited not by the 'touristy' things like super old statues and frescoes and museums but by hot water and flat beds....crazy i know but traveling like this makes me feel a bit homeless, and having someplace to stay for a few days and feel at home is wonderful....okay, marc and i are sitting down to a dinner of salad, pasta and risotto, nicole's still studying and then we're going to go out for a bit....so adieu

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