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April 1 Saturday Bicycle touring Italy from Florence Italy to We rode our touring bikes downhill for most of the 12 kilometres into Florence. I went by one door into the old centre and was halfway along the wall when I stopped to wait for Sharon. She told me the Roman road should have been a clue. We cycle don until we found another entrance farther along. Cobblestones led to centro. Definitely not the smoothest surface to be bicycle touring on. At the plaza there were lots of statues -- one was a replica of Michelangelo's David in all his glory. Lots of people around. Young adults are lying in the plaza, soaking up rays. They look tired. Cycled to a humongous church. Sharon went inside while I stayed with our loaded touring bikes. She said people were walking along upper ceiling walkways, so high up that they could hardly be made out. There is a tall tower, too. We got to witness a pickpocket occurence. It was just in progress as we arrived at the church. A woman, working in a boutique across the street, yelled at an elderly couple who, unbeknownst to them, had just been picked by two dirty little beggar children. The well-dressed woman, thinking the boutique worker was surely jesting. She checked her bag, and sure enough her wallet was gone. The husband detained the kids, getting smacked in the face with a newspaper a few times for his efforts, but he kept them from getting away. The young kids were bawling. The bigger one kept smacking the younger one and blaming her for the screw-up and misery they were now in. A man came out of a store. He started yelling at the kids, telling them that the cops had been called and were coming. The kids finally said the wallet was in a nearby trash can. The couple went and dug through the trash. Sure enough. One intact wallet, wrapped in a newspaper, was pulled out. They checked the billfold and reported that everything was still in it. Much relieved they profusely thanked the store clerk, then turned around and headed back in the direction they had come from. Lots of bridges in Florence cross the river. The old bridge has an art gallery and shops where silver and gold jewelry are made. The shops are located right on the bridge. Cycled to the top of Michelangelo Park for a great overall view of Florence. Remarkable with all the towers and spires. It is a very scenic city with the river and some parkland -- just like Edmonton, except it is surrounded by mountains and has history and art galore. The architecture is interesting, too. But, other than that it is exactly like Edmonton. Sharon had a good day admiring the art -- but, I must confess, it is totally lost on me. Seen one religious painting of Mary standing on a serpent's head (or is that Eve?) and you've seen them all, I figure, in my ignorance. And I've seen two. Everyone in Florence is very friendly and accommodating. They have this tourist thing figured out. Cycling on our way out of town, we passed a huge park and discovered where the locals go on their weekends -- not to the wonderful museums and tourist-packed art galleries when the weather is so fine -- but to picnic, bike ride, and play soccer instead. |
