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Published: October 5th 2007
Ha ha ha!
Here's the Electric Rickshaw!Fiesole! Gezundheit!
No, no, Fiesole is an ancient Etruscan town about 5 miles outside of Florence, and with our handy new monthly bus passes, we can cruise up there whenever we want.
But let's back up for just a minute. The first picture is of a car...well, not really a car...more of an Electric Rickshaw! I nearly fell over when I saw it, and yes, the logo is a RICKSHAW! Doubtful that this will be street legal in the States anytime soon. 😊
And on that note, we have determined that there are only TWO rules of the road in Florence:
1) Don't kill anyone
2) Don't die
Everything else is up for grabs. Like, let's take lanes for example. Back home, we have them, they're marked with paint, and for the most part, we abide by them. Ah, but this is Florence, and the rule seems to be, if you can fit, it's a lane! It is common to see a bus parked at a stoplight on a one-way street surrounded on 3 sides by mopeds and motorcycles (and if the car is small enough, a car). When the light changes, the mopeds, intelligently, allow
the bus to go first (kind of like a shark) and then the mopeds follow (kind of like those cleaning fish). It is surreal. And surprisingly, we have yet to witness or hear of ANY traffic accidents! Amazing!
Alright, so now we're on the bus to Fiesole. It is beautiful! It's up in the hills north of the city and has amazing views, fresh breezes and is a very small and quaint town, which we are sure survives on tourism alone. The main piazza is the hub of activity with cafes, restaurants, shops and of course, public art. We hiked up the hill a bit on the "scenic walk" and were rewarded with southern views of Florence. The red roofs and shuttered windows are so iconic and it is amazing that 300,000 people fit in all those tiny, ancient buildings.
We had lunch at this great little trattoria which served very thin, very cheesy, very yummy pizzas extracted from an ancient wood burning oven. Mmmmmmm...so far, this is the best pizza we've had. And the views of the piazza certainly helped our dining experience.
And on another note. (toilet humor alert!) Jen asked if they had a
bathroom, and miraculously, they did. Maybe she should have been more specific. Do you have a toilet...NOT a porcelain hole in the ground! Laugh if you must, but now we know that ancient Etruscan villages don't necessarily have a Home Depot to source a proper 20th centurty toilet!
After lunch and the bathroom shenanigans we decided to ride the bus back down the hill to Florence. On that ride, you are treated with some great views of the villas that dot the hillside. We have made the executive decision that we would absolutely live in the Fiesole-an hills and just cruise into town for shopping trips - who's in with us?? 😊
E tutto per oggi!
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Rebecca
non-member comment
Toilet Alert
Um, yeah, I've been there (Italy) and done that (the half-stand-half-squat maneuver over the porcelain holes). The least they could do is put railings in front the things so we girls could have something to hold on to! All I can say is, hike those pants legs up to your knees, sister! And good luck to you as the belly begins to alter your center of gravity!! :)