Tuscany

Slight panic on the friday morning as I was leaving Florence - credit card declined. Westpac had kindly replaced my card - due to fraud in the UK? - but had said (after urgent emails) that as I was here and the replacement card was there - that they wouldn't cancel the old one until I got home. But the computer had other ideas. Anyway its working again now. Did have other backups of course - but still didn't want to have the options limited!

So - set off on train to Lucca. The (english) Florentine paper had said that hotels etc were only 60% occupied - so decided that i would just get accommodation when I got there. Only - there was a "Comic & Games" festival on in Lucca - and that weekend was the grande finale. The (wet) streets were filled with vampires, gothics, and all sorts of wierd and wonderful costumes, some inspired by Halloween; others by themes that I recognised on the posters "Star Wars" and "Fantasy". And the city and surrounding 30 miles were booked out.

Anyway the very obliging tourist office did find me a room (due to a cancellation). My views of the city were somewhat distorted by marquees and scores of oddly dressed young ones. I did see a few of my generation wandering round with a bemused look on their faces - how did we get mixed up in this??!! So much for LP's description !

Sunday morning was sunny - so had another walk around -and it did look better with the sun shining - and then boarded the train to Pisa. Being a good tourist - climbed the tower just before sunset - stunning....

So yes - more walking - the usual Cs plus markets/museums/etc..... in the rain.

Then train to Siena for three nights, and today to Arezzo. Was going to go back to Florence on Monday but there is a strike - which I think affects all trains and buses - so will probably go on Sunday instead. Noone is too sure of the details so best to avoid travelling that day, me thinks.

Sometimes on this trip I feel like I'm in the middle of a giant Linear programming (Economics 1)/Sudoku problem: if I do that - then I can't do that - and if I go there ......etc

Caught local bus out to Sam Gimignano to see the towers whilst in Siena. Tried the gelato from the (twice) world champion gelato maker when in San G - and since it was world champion standard - had three scoops instead of the normal two. My favourite flavour is nearly always the last one - so out of the three - was passionfruit that day. But other favourites have been peach, cheesecake, pinolatta (?) mango, coconut, ... list is endless.

For those who have read "Eat, Pray, Love", Liz Gilbert puts on two stone (I think) during four months in Italy. I'm hoping that my 7 weeks doesn't wreck the same havoc - but I'm fearful of the worst....

Realised that I had never read "Under the Tuscan Sun" so started that while avoiding the rain and the crowds in Lucca. So am now right in the middle of UTTS location. Also "Life is Beautiful" is set and was filmed in Arezzo - so the giant filmset continues.

Which reminds me - here I am where it all began (double entry bookkeeping, that is). I haven't noticed any tours taking busloads to view beautiful ledger accounts or well balanced trial balances. Another business opportunity perhaps?

I have been meaning to report on the new suitcase - which is very well behaved. Before buying the 4 wheeler in the Brussels train station I had observed others with 4 wheelers - which appeared to trot alongside their owners like well trained dogs. Mine was different - it was more like an untrained retriever puppy - always going off in whatever direction it chose. I decided that I needed a degree in physics to pack it properly - weight along the bottom, weight along one side- ? - but it didn't seem to make any difference. Anyway the new smaller version which I got for this three weeks hop on/hop off trains is like a well trained poodle - trots along beside me - no trouble at all. In fact - I noticed someone taking a video of it amongst the Lucca crowds - I don't think that I looked that comical - but perhaps?

So with the extra case - I now have space for some shopping when I get back to Rome. Frances in UTTS says that when she first started visiting Italy she always went home with 6 pairs of new shoes - should I consider that a challenge?

Well thats enough rambling for now.

PS - the duomo in Siena is truly stunning - as is the view from the Panorama del Facciatone. won't mention the walking.... and the other churches, frescos, mosiacs etc...