Another early start, The Navigator is up at 5.30am, f…….k I’m looking forward to a few sleep ins in Tuscany.

We meet The Mechanic and Simone outside at 7am, walk to the canal, and leave some of Tim’s ashes, he’ll be in the Adriatic when the tide goes out. Our train leaves right on time at 8.02 and follows the coast heading south to  Florence. Down in the sea there’s a guy on a sail board, I bet his family jewels are tucked high because it’s about 8deg outside, a few ships are  anchored offshore and a whopping great 3 masted high tech looking yacht. Very pleasant start to the day.

Business Class train car is roomy, a bit of a step up from 2nd Class but not too much. We’re on here for four hours so a little space and comfort is welcome. Not many people in our car yet but I guess after Venice, Papua and Bologna it will be full.

What did we think of Trieste? Very nice place, nice quiet vibe after the swarms of people in the other places we’ve been. There’s the sea, restaurants, shopping, cafes, history and other interesting things.

The heart of Italy is foggy and grey as we speed towards Bologna and cross the Po River. This is rich farming country, the tractors are out, rotary hoes, ploughs and fertiliser spreaders. The Po River is the longest in Italy (650km) flowing from the Italian Alps to the Adriatic, it’s a big river where we cross it. The Po River was the centre of  the final battle of WWII in Italy ( April- May 1945) when the Italians finally saw they were stuffed and surrendered to the Allies.

I’m listening to one of my music Playlists, currently playing The Dead Kennedys ” Holiday in Cambodia”, Phoebe Killdeer & The Avener ” Fade Out Line”, The Fumes, plus a few other obscure bands and others known.

As we come into Tuscany, the sun comes out. We were looking for a little ultra violet light after the last week or so.

Lunch is at the mercato, just near us in San Lorenzo and the leather markets. The Navigator stays disciplined in the markets as we pass through.

This afternoon we do the Pitti Palace and gardens, more importantly it does me. Climbing up and down and walking so far I’m stuffed. The old Medici family headquarters linked to the Uffici ( their other palace) by the Secret passage on top of the Ponte Vecchio.

Art at Pitti Palace Museum is a huge range of work from old Italian masters like Caravagio, Van Dyck, Tintoretto, Tiziano, Gentileschi, Rubens and many others. Names that Daniel Silva’s character Gabriel Allon is familiar with. The walk back to the Globus Hotel is torture. My feet and ankles are killing me.

Dinner tonight is going to be close by at Il Grande Nuti, a renowned pasta restaurant and it lives up to its reputation. The pasta is great, the panacotta wobbles like a …. not sure I can say it.

Tomorrow we’re  doing a day trip to Bologna. The Mechanic and Simone are doing a Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani factories, The Navigator and I chilling in Bologna. We get a train back tomorrow night.

Ciao from Florence

Pauolo