Fiosole (Florence), Italy - Wednesday, June 16
Location: WALKING

John:  Yes, we're in downtown Florence, at this moment. Sitting on the steps of famous Florence Cathedral.  Dick, in fact, is doing his daily stretching against the huge brass sculpted doors of the Cathedral.  Drawing quite a few stares there, Dick.

Dick: What?

John:  People are staring at you.  Maybe not the touristos but the natives. 

Dick: What's the matter, didn't they ever see anyone stretch before.  Think they are expecting you to be frisked.

John:  We took a climb up the steps to the top of this fabulous dome.  We noted that there is some sort of ordinance that requires that all Florence rooftops be red.  So every building has a red top.  We've been trying to hit the Florence cultural attractions but they seem to be mostly... well, closed. We went to the Uffizi Gallery, but it was closed. We went to the Medici Chapel but it was closed.

We're going to return now... actually it's the only thing that's now open... The Medici Chapel, done by Michelangelo, now supposedly open. It's near here somewhere but by the time we get there it might be closed. It's depends on the hours. There seem to be quite variable hours here. Ay, Dick?

Dick: Very variable.

John:  Yeah, it seems everything in Italy closes at noon and stays closed until 3 o'clock or so.  Florence, of course, is famous for it's art.  Da Vinci, Tintoretto, Donatello.  All those guys plus, as a bonus, Michelangelo too.  Quite a big name around here, Michelangelo.

Although, it seems that much of Michelangelo's stuff is unfinished.  Half done.  Rough outlines, nothing else completed. Except for the "David", we saw yesterday.  That was impressive and he finished that one.  Just goes to show what he can do when he applies himself. "Dear Mrs. Angelo, your son Michel fails to complete his assignments.  He shows much promise but must learn to finish what he starts."

WALKING

John:  There's quite a scene here at the "Ufizzi Piazza".  We were just sitting on the steps reading the Herald Tribune when a whole police swat team came in and started checking the identity papers of everyone sitting there.  Our passports are up at the campground.  I've just got my driver's license.  Dick has no ID on him at all.  So, we quickly got up and walked across the square, which is where we're watching from.

They were hitting one guy on the side of the head... they kept saying "passaporta", "passaporta".  That started clearing people out!

Right now, there are eight cops over there, two trucks and on the other side of the square there are about another six policemen standing around looking confused.  We're now standing in the remotest area of the piazza.

Now, look.... there's another truck that looks like a paddy wagon here.  Everyone who was on the steps... they haven't really left, they're just hanging around watching the riot.

Dick: They moved from in front of the police car sitting on the steps to behind the police car watching them.

Quite a scene... They even threw the cuffs on one guy.  He seemed to be taken by surprise.  Then they threw him in the back of the car.  What do you think this is, Dick, a drug bust?

Dick: Looks like they're obviously hassling the hippy-looking types and asking everyone for ID.  Arousing all the people who were on the steps playing music and smoking cigarettes and drinking wine.

John:  One guy even had a guitar, the scum.

Dick: And, one guy they were manhandling quite roughly. I certainly wouldn't like being treated that way.

John:  They bashed him on the side of the head. They seem to be trying to clear the steps of youthful vermin. So, we two vermin are going to go get something to eat before we're arrested.  Maybe ice cream. At least that way we'll be fed when we're arrested.

WALKING

John:  As we walk across the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge, which is lined by jewelry shops.  We need to discuss our navigation plans since we leave town tomorrow.  We head west tomorrow.

Dick: To avoid the mountains.

John:  You see, now our goal is to get to Rome... or that general vicinity. However, the problem is that there is nothing but mountains between Florence and Rome.

But there is flat land to the west.  If we just follow the River Arno... below us now... from Florence here to Pisa, bypassing more of the Apennines mountains.

You see, what we're going to do is trek over to the city of Livorno on the coast and then... this is the clever part... take a ferry, that's right a ferry, to Corsica.

Dick: Corsica, geography buffs, is a French possession... a rocky island about four hours by ferry from the Italian mainland.

John:  And four hours by ferry from the French mainland.  You know, sort of in the middle of the sea there.

Then, we can bike down through Corsica until we get to the end.

Then, take a ferry to Sardinia... an other island, about an hour's boat ride just south of Corsica... then ride a little bit in Sardinia.  Then... this is the very clever part... take the ferry back from Sardinia to the port city of Civitavecchia which is only about ten miles north of Rome.  Then just ride in from there. 

Isn't that great? We get to see Corsica and Sardinia and escape the Apennines all at once.

Dick: There's only one thing, John.

John:  What's that?

Dick: Corsica and Sardinia are heavily mountainous.

John:  What?! Really?

Dick: Yeah.

John:  So, we'll be riding in the mountains then?

Dick: Yup.

John:  Oh... well, that's not all that clever then, is it.

Dick:  No.