The sun was out and the sky was blue but there was a nip in the air but it was a great day for a wander. And that’s just what I did today with no set idea of where to go or what to see, but I headed for the Coliseum to see what it was all about and so had half the planet. 

After here I headed to the Tiber and then looked at any old Roman ruin that I stumbled upon as I wandered around. Mind you many of the older women here were looking like ancient relics too.

I’ve never seen so much heavy make up on women for ages. I saw one old dear that would have been a rival for Alice Cooper.

I then headed to the Pantheon which is an amazing building and so much more than just a huge oculus, but that’s what most people seem to focus on.  It’s a stunning piece of architecture unsurpassed and to make it all the better there was a Pink Floyd tribute band playing outside.

After they packed up so did I and I headed to the Trevi Fountain that was absolutely full to the gunnels so I will return tomorrow to see if it’s any quieter.

Cinque Terre, which means Five Lands, five small coastal villages which are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso located in the Italian region of Liguria. They are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List

You can walk the coastline between these towns by following the coastal path but at the moment it is incomplete. Instead you have to leave the lower path and head up into the hills surrounding the towns where you will walk through the vineyards and follow the paths that are used daily by the farmers tending their vines. It’s not an easy trek and the paths are very steep and narrow in places and you have to be careful. Yesterday the weather was atrocious, it was very wet and the winds were fierce and so the paths have become quite muddy in places. 

Then I got to the top of the first vineyard I stopped to look at the view while I listened to my heart and heavy breathing. I thought my heart was about to burst out my chest.  And then there was this strange noise as a bird flew over my head travelling at a great rate of knots and dived towards the town below which by now looked like a Lego town, I near shit myself. 

Some of the stepped paths were almost like waterfalls which made them treacherous at times,  but by being steady and surefooted I was able to trek the length of the Cinque Terra in about 6 hours covering a distance of at least 24km but my phone tells me that it was more like 32km after you take in to consideration the distance up and down the hillsides from sea level and to the top of the hills and then returning 3 times to sea level. All these towns are perched in the outcrops and are exposed to the elements. They look very similar in nature and they are all connected by a railway which for the most part is through long connecting  tunnels. 

If you don’t want to walk the full length then it’s easy to jump on the train to get you to the next town. I planned to go to the first town and start my walk from Riomaggiore, but I could not get off the train because my carriage was not on the platform and so I had to get off at the next town which was Manarola. I walked down to the small harbour and then tried to find the path to the north. The main coastal track is only about 200 m long and so I headed up and through the vineyards to find the path to the north.  Finally I saw the small marks which are one red line and one white line. You can follow these markings all the way along the Cinque Terra. You are supposed to buy a Cinque Terra walking ticket but I did not as I’ve realised that in Italy buying a ticket isn’t always necessary. For instance I got the bus the other day and was told to buy my ticket at the tobacconist because it’s half price of the price you pay on the bus. I got a return and then went for the bus.  No one checked my ticket,  the bus driver never even gave me a glance. Most people getting on the bus just got on and sat down. Not once did I see anyone buy a ticket and so I wasted 5 Euros and so there was no way I was going to do the right thing walking the Cinque Terra and buy a ticket. And you know not one of the checking stations was open, so happy days. 

The weather was really perfect, it was overcast and cool but climbing up these steep trails it didn’t take long for the sweat to begin to roll. It was great to get away from the city’s and the people and to get out into nature.  I only met about 10 folk on the trek but as soon as you ventured into one of the small towns there were hoards of people walking through ghost towns.  Most cafes and shops were closed for the winter months and the locals seemed to have vacated, only the tourists were to be seen. 

A short bus ride from La Spezia and we arrive at Portovenere which is on the UNESCO register. The weather has changed and the seas were being very reflective of that. 

I got off the bus and the wind just went through me and chilled me to the bone but nevertheless I headed to the end of the prom where there was a little church exposed the elements. 

The waves were battering the rocks and the seas were huge and you certainly wouldn’t want to be out there on a boat today. 

Byron apparently visited this spot many years ago and spent time in this little grotto which has been named after him. 
Like most of these small towns along this coast they follow the terrain which makes it an area where you will get plenty of exercise walking up and down the narrow staircases.

I only stayed here for as long as it took me to walk to the tower and walk back to the station. I was a little underwhelmed with the whole thing, but I took a few customary pictures and then I was on my way. 

I’m sure Pisa has a lot more to offer than just the tower but I don’t have the time or the inclination to find out. 

A canny hold it any mair, it’s gonny go!!!!

A quick expresso before getting on the train for the next leg of my journey. 
And in Pisa our African Businessmen were up and wandering all along the route to the tower from the station, only this time they were selling umbrellas. It’s good to see them diversifying and being able to adapt at such short notice.  Selfie sticks oot and umbrellas are in. 

As I walked to the station this morning there was a smir of rain and it felt a lot warmer than the last few days. The hoard of black African businessmen were not at there usual spot outside the station, I guess 9.30 is outside their working hours. There main trade here apart from begging was selling selfie sticks in the main tourist areas.  But I did also see them liasing with the local Italian’s in some kind of medicinal business. 

I enjoyed Florence and it was great to finally see some of those places that you have only seen on the TV and to be honest nothing disappointed me in what Florence has to offer in regards to history and culture, but I was a bit disappointed with the amount of passive smoking that you encounter. Some parts of the city smell like used ashtrays and I was also surprised by the amount of women that smoke here,  I think you will find that it’s more than men. Of course it’s all about style in Italy. 

To see everything that Florence has to offer you would have to stay for at least a week and be prepared for a lot of walking and you would have to bring lots of money to cover the everyday costs such as food and also the entry fees to the many attractions.  Mind you may walking around the city you can marvel at the architecture on offer and there are also many art works to see for free. 

But for me 3 days is enough and so now I’m in the train heading to Pisa.

That’s about how many I climbed today and so to celebrate I had some lasagne and wine followed by coffee and chocolate.

I must admit I’m a little weary because I walked about 15 kms yesterday but this is all good because the more I exercise the more I can eat. 

Today I went to the main cathedral in Florence and I decided to climb up to the dome where you get a great view of the city,  However there are nearly 500 steps winding up a narrow staircase. It wraps around and at times you can get a little dizzy if you’re not careful. 

I love these kind of places. You get to walk in the footsteps of the very people that created this masterpiece.

When you finally make it to the top you are rewarded with some amazing views of the city and you are also surrounded by many people gasping for air.  Even the young fit looking ones where looking a little worse for wear and to my credit my breathing was quite relaxed. 

This was definitely a good choice today rather than go to another museum. I could go and see the real statue of David but I’ve seen the fake and I’m sure his balls are not any bigger in the real one. 

After you climb the Dome then if you have enough energy you can climb to the top of the bell tower which I did but I must admit I was getting a little worse for wear by the time I reached the top. It was my legs that were complaining rather than my lungs. 

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When I laid eyes on the tenants last year when I looked at the house,I wasn’t very happy but I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but instead they have only reaffirmed my initial thoughts that they were a waste of space and I should have gotten rid of them there and then.

I gave them a chance to stay in the house and I asked them to maintain it and I even got them light bulbs and a few things which I didn’t have to, but I knew they were struggling so I thought I would give them a hand, but no more charity.

They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but when I do I’m usually proven correct. If I had seen them before they moved in then they would have not had the option to live in my home.   I’m also pissed with the real estate who assured me that they were good tenants with a good history and I don’t believe this for one moment.  They wanted the lease signed so that they could get their pound of flesh.

So instead I’m  left with a damage bill and also unpaid rent which could be as much as $2000, although the $1200 bond will be used to offset some of that.

They must have used some force to do this because there are stoppers on the floor to stop the door from hitting the wall.

I tried to call Westpac Insurance this morning and when I got through to the egit on the phone he put me through to motor insurance instead of home insurance and by the time I got someone there I was 5 mins late to make a claim so call back tomorrow. Easier said than done when your on the other side of the world.

Looks like this handle is also broken,

So needless to say I was a like a bear with a sore head this morn and so I went for a long walk around Florence. I just hope that the tenants next shite is a hedgehog, no let’s make that a porcupine for good measure. Bastards!!!!!!!!!

And god knows what the deck and garden look like.  That house was spotless when they moved in and they haven’t even cleaned the place and once again I say this I hope it comes back to haunt them. I just don’t give a shit about what happens to them. Oh that’s right the garage door is not working, there is also a broken window downstairs. I just wonder what other little surprises they have left that we have not discovered yet.

The sad thing is that they will move on to some other unsuspecting soul and possibly do the same again. I don’t know how they can just walk away and ignore the real estate when they try to call. At least try and sort out the problem rather than run away from it.

How the fuck did this hole get in the wall????

Today was all things Galileo, Medici and don’t forget Leonardo and Michaelango.  Well that’s Florence for you. 

Me and Galileo 

The creativity and design in this city is amazing, however the religious iconography is overwhelming to the point you just begin to only see the spectacular.

I enjoyed more of the non religious world of art because after a while the religious art just becomes one. 

Galileo’s Tomb

Michaelango’s Tomb under repair 

I visited Galileo, Leonardo and Michaelango and paid homage.

No matter what currency you have in Italy, do not expect to get a good rate.  I asked about GBP, AUD , CNY and everyone of them was about 2/3 of the actual rate you would see in the world markets. Tomorrow I will go to the bank and see if I can get a better rate.  

If you know where to exchange cash at a good rate then please let me know. ….