Florence... I have to leave before im broke!!

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I am approximately 2 hours from leaving Florence & i am purposely sitting here in the hotel breakfast room writing this so that i spend nothing more here!! don't get me wrong, it has all been worth it, but heck i still have 2 weeks to get through!!
So since I wrote last... i met up with Ruddy purely by coincidence in the Hotel foyer, she was just coming back to check in properly before checking out some markets a block away... first hit on the credit card = leather jacket!!! Neither of us thought we would shop for new jackets so efficiently but boy we were impressive! (some might call us suckers, but they wouldn't be people with new leather jackets!! haha).
The markets were incredible! soooo much leather! sooo many scarves! if it wasn't so hot perhaps i could consider looking at the scarves, however with a night in hong kong im sure ill cover my scarf quota there! Florence is my leather & jewellery shopping weekend!
The people are ridiculous, all trying to coax you past their stalls and in to their shops, not tell you the price till you are about to walk out but literally 2 metres down the street the next guy has EXACTLY the same thing for the same price & they are actually working out of the same shop! what a waste of time - definately pays to walk down a number of stalls before you actually look at anything again!
So with leather jackets & a bag or two in tow we head back to the hotel & grab our washing - oh it will be glorious to have a pack full on clean clothes! We manage to eat whilst our washing is on & the food is GREAT! cheap and great - what a combo!!
An early night, even though its saturday! our poor wee feet are tuckered out and ruddy almost has brand new feet on account of the new skin forming underneath her blisters! she is super impressive, have not heard her complain once about them and by heck they look like they are worth complaining about!!!
Rudz is on the train to Rome by 8:30am so has to say goodbye to the hotel receptionist that has taken a fancy to her that night before we leave for dinner - he is sooo cute, great sense of humour AND speaks english much better than he lets on! Perhaps he has some grandsons to introduce her too??? hehe
Sunday in Florence wandering around, sometimes with purpose, mostly aimlessly! i have two whole days which i intend to spend here, no point rushing things!! I visited the wee museum all about Davincis inventions & score lunch with the ticket then I see the actual Statue of David, impressive! my feet are VERY sore at this point however so unfortunately i don't hang about more than is necessary to appreciate the museum - for someone like me lacking alot of culture i did appreciate what i saw! was well worth the wait!
I really just did wander around most of the day, checked out the free sites, stopped for drinks, had a delicious dinner at a restaurant down the street that left me incredibly full but oh so satisfied! my first tirramisu of the trip - freakin amazing!!!
The annoying bit about dinner was the seating - i got seated in between two couples - the tables were very close together & both were americans - aaarrrggghhh!!! im gonna say it was the american thing that made it so annoying, surely we females are seriously not that annoying!!!! i felt sorry for their dates for a nanosecond - clearly they got themselves in to this situation, they definately did not deserve my sympathy! haha
Monday (today) i have shopped up a storm - kinda of intentionally, kind of not! Finding a local spa place i came across some boots that fit me perfectly, are real italian leather & came at an acceptable negotiated price - it was like they were meant for me! hahaha i wandered my way up the hill to the Palazzo Michelangelo, by wandered I mean got to the steep incline & didn't look up again till i got up there! ok so im being a bit of a drama queen... its not that far up, but its hot people and i realise when i get to the top that all this wandering has not left me fit, so i check the place out then sit down & have a beer & practice for Oktoberfest instead, perhaps i can be good at that instead?!
I stay up there for a good hour or so, my view is GLORIOUS! the sun is blazing down on me and it was impossible to want to be anywhere else!!
Lunch is gnocchi cos i need to have some in italy before i hit the road tonight - really really good BUT far too filling!!! all i want to do is nap now!!! oh well, 2 hours to fill in & then im off to the spa! and boy did i fill in those 2 hours, i bartered my butt off!! i wasn't in the mood to worry about offending people, i am out of here within a matter of hours and im not gonna get ripped off AGAIN!! haha success - return to the hotel with everything i was looking for & a lighter handbag!!! of course i add it up and convert it all in my head - dick!!! still good deals but why can't i stop doing that when im already happy with my purchases! Not long to sit around & contemplate this though... im off to the spa!!!
Worth every cent! Turkish bath (boy they are on to something!!), swim, FULL body massage & facial! i want to take the lady with me on the rest of the trip! she doesn't speak english so there is a little confusion at times over what to wear, or not to wear but we get there in the end! haha at least there is no pressure to maintain any form of conversation during the massage & facial, that bit is usually what bugs me!!! Such a nice way to end a hot, sticky day in Florence! shame im conserving on clothes & had to get back in to the same ones afterwards but im over that already!
I grab my last beer in this town with a view of the Duomo - the bells are ringing, the sun is going down over the city - BLISS!!! until... i meet Rico/Harry... who im SURE is the only lyrca clad italian i have seen!!!!! hahaha ok he was harmless and is english wasn't flash so our conversation was limited but surely he could have worn pants to the pub!?!?!?! He was an tailor, an undertaker and a keen gym-goer - hence the lyrca!! lovely!
So a pair of shoes on the way back to the hotel to collect my bags & this is the reason for the blogging now rather than on the train!! this place is DANGEROUS to my funding situation!!! haha it has been great though - soo great! HIGHLY recommend Florence!!!
Off to meet up with Trac & Rudz in Paris - have ALWAYS wanted to go to Paris but everywhere leading up to it has been soo great - im sure it won't let me down!
City & Eiffel Tower Tour tuesday afternoon, Tattinger Tour in Rheims Wednesday & who knows what on Thursday! xx

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