Firenze a Perugia

 Buona Sera,

Well, I got here, and I'm semi settled in, but it was rather an ordeal, and I ended up feeling like a down market Blanche DuBois--utterly dependent (and very grateful for) the kindness of strangers. I need to have another sip of Umbrian wine and a few almonds to recruit myself.

But let's start with the pleasant part of the day in Florence. I got some decent sleep. Breakfast was very nice--abundant and varied selections more like a Northern European continental breakfast. I ate up, too, as I had a journey before me. I left my bags at the hotel and strolled around Florence. I fetched up at the Piazza San Giovanni where the duomo, Santa Maria dei Fiore is, and also the Baptistry. Here you go.

I would have liked to visit the Duomo, but the line to get in stretched to infinity, so I visited the Baptistry instead. It reminded me of Byzantine decorations.

I headed down to the river to the Ponte Vecchio. It's lined with jewelry stories, and I spent a large sum of moolah on some gold earrings. But I can have the VAT refunded so that helps.

Coming back I got lost, and google maps wanted to send me in some flooky direction. Fortunately I stumbled on my street and was able to return to the hotel and retrive my bags. Then I set out for the train station. I got my ticket from a machine, and to my annoyance saw that I had to change trains at Terantola, i.e. the middle of nowhere.

These trains have high narrow steps, and I am a little old lady with bags that I have a hard time managing. Kind people stepped in to help me get on, but I knew I'd need help getting off 

In the meantime we rolled through some lovely Tuscan countryside, alive with vineyards and olive groves.

Then we arrived in Terentola.  A kindly young man in my carriage was also going to Perugia, and he helped me out, but he was better informed than I and knew he had to catch the bus. I asked someone and realized I'd better catch the bus. A gentleman carried my bags down the stairs on one side for for me and up the other. But the young man and I had missed the bus to Perugia. He discovered a train that would leave in about 40 minutes.  We got on and rolled through Umbria--very lush in places and more vineyards and olive groves.

At length we arrived at Perugia. I built up some good karma by helping s couple of guys with the correct station to disembark. My young friend helped me with my bags. We bid farewell and good luck--and I encountered a lot more stairs. Fortunately the guys I'd helped stepped in to help me.

I got a taxi because after all that trying to navigate public transportation was too much. The problem was the taxi driver had never heard of my accommodation and let me out short of it and steered me in the wrong direction.  A young woman noticed my confusion and tried to help me. My phone would not show the address of the aparthotel. Her's did. I walked down the street. Nada.

I could not find it. I asked at a grocery store, and the proprietor tried to help me. I later bought some food from him, so there's that. I asked some guys on the street. They whipped out their phones and one actually found the place.

The next thing was to use the code to open the key lock. I needed their help to do this, too. Then. Two flights up--no lift. Me and my bags.

But if I'm bewildered by the city, I have a sterling view of its inhabitants. They really went out of their way for a clueless foreigner.

Ciao for now.