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. ….

I got in about 1.30 pm and found my hotel quickly because it’s less than 1 kilometer from the train station. I checked in, the room is small but functional and was cheap. I’ll let you know after I’ve slept tonight to see if my thoughts are still the same.

I went for a quick walk around to get my bearings and didn’t have to walk too far before I came across this wee bridge. 

Tonight I’ll decide where to go but I think one of the museum’s who’s name escapes me is on the to do list for tomorrow. 

A bit of statue porn for you. 

I spent two days in Venice and thoroughly enjoyed it. The trip got off to a bad start because British Airways lost my luggage between Gatwick and Venice. This happened because we could not land on time at Gatwick due to bad weather and so I missed my connecting flight. They put me onto another one but my luggage did not make it and so it was in the evening of the next day that my bag turned up at the hotel. I admired the hotel staff that came to my room to tell me my bag had arrived, this strapping young gent then told me to come down stairs and collect it. I carried it upstairs. Now I know he didn’t have to, but you know customer service goes a long way at times.

Venice is full of exotic people or maybe that’s just Italy. No matter where you wander through this labyrinth there are people scurrying about talking on their phones and being flamboyant as they go. People talk loudly and they are very expressive, so different to the world I come from. But I quite like it although after only being in Italy for 3 days I have come to the conclusion that Italians just need to talk or they will explode.

People walk with purpose and they navigate these lanes and streets easily without GPS or maps and to be honest after a day here I found many places becoming familiar and there are signs that you can follow and sometimes it’s better to ignore the Google Maps as it will only confuse you. Venice is small and on my trip it was quite empty too which was such a relief because some of the throughways’ are very narrow. But I found myself walking down streets on my own, which was surprising as well as enjoyable. I loved Venice and would actually like to live here for a few months to live the life of a local. I enjoy the confinement of the streets and the rat runs; I was born in the year of the Rat after all.

Of course Venice would not be Venice if it did not have the canals and the waterways. Walking through this amazing place and wandering over the wee bridges or even the more famous bridges is brilliant. You just don’t know what’s around the next bend. I like being near the water and maybe this is why I enjoyed my stay here. On the grand canal you can pick up a ferry to one of the other islands or just help you get to another part of Venice quickly, although once again be prepared for the high price. 7 Euros for one trip or 20 Euros for an all day ticket.

I got the ferry from the train station around to St Marks Square and then back again and it’s a great way of seeing the city, I only wish you could get a chance to explore the back streets as it were, but this option is way out my price range. A taxi for hire will cost you about 70 Euros an hour and a Gondola about 100 for a trip. But I would have loved to explored Venice more on the water, maybe one day when I’m rich and not so famous I can do this.

I’m still trying to come to terms with the price of things in Italy and the west in general. I’ve been living in China for the last 18 months and life there and the cost of living is very different. Mind you the Euro is less than the pound and so it does feel cheaper than the UK. I paid 3 Euros for a slice of pizza, yes it was quite a large piece but 3 Euros?

My Italian is shit but I think it’s a lot easier to understand than Chinese and so I think that I would be able to pick up the language quite quick and so I will say the customary “Good Morning” and Thank You” in the local lingo. I always thought that you just added an “O” to the end of most words and you would be half way there but after being here I think that rule applies only to Spanish. You also have to say it with conviction and get into the rhythm of the language or it just sounds limp and sloppy and no doubt insulting to the locals.

I like the Espresso bars where you can get a caffeine hit for about 1 Euro, a wee heart starter to keep you buzzing during the day and of course this is why the Italians are always gas bagging and running about as if they have a train to catch or their arse is on fire.

And now I’m on the train from Venice to Florence which will take about 2 1/2 hours. I’m in first class but I’m not sure if I got ripped off when I bought the ticket because I got help from a young lady and she assured me that the 27 Euros was the normal price for peasant class and I got it for first class, but either way I’m sitting here in a comfy window seat and we are travelling at 220 kms but these trains are certainly not as smooth as the Chinese high speed trains but the comfort and passengers are way better. 

There is more decorum on this train and I like that. I don’t miss that side of life living in China, not many people are concerned about their neighbour and so it can be hard to get used to life there.

I’m leaving Venice on the day that they have the Venice Festival and I am very happy about that. A festival only brings in more tourists. I only visited a few places in Venice and they were two churches. I’m on a tight budget on this trip and I want to save my money to go and see the Roman artefacts and the Roman architecture and so in Venice I did not go to any of the famous places where I had to pay anything and to be honest I didn’t feel the need either.

One thing I forgot to mention and was only reminded by it when I arrived in Florence, was the number of black guys in Venice begging. They are obviously working together as a team because they all have the same stance and style holding a cap out as you pass. Mind you I never saw them at night working so I guess they have union rules controlling them. 

Even although I had to wear the same clothes as I travelled in yesterday, I ventured out for a wander around Venice and I loved it. 

The narrow lanes, the old buildings, the architecture, the canals and the atmosphere and although I’ve been told that it’s smelly, I never noticed. But of course I had my own odour issues to contend with. 

Today was cold and after a few hours I had to return to the hotel to get my fleece jacket and gloves. I can’t believe it’s colder here than in Glasgow but at least it’s dry. 

I went into one of the churches today but I decided to spend the day wandering aimlessly around this amazing  city and tomorrow I will venture into a few more. 

And I do like their water taxis. 

What a pleasant surprise tonight when I was reunited with my long lost suitcase. I will be able to walk around Venice tomorrow without being so smelly. However I will still be complaining to BA because I can. 

What a bunch of fucking idiots. Even when you highlight the situation and they forget to put your bag on the plane. Fuckwits….now in going to be smelly in Venice. ……not happy Jan!!!!!!