the long road home...

so florence was quite a trip. check it...

a bit from 15 april journal entry:

Florence came to us late last night via a quick train and brought with it similar mundanity (as Venice), but with a few cool stories. We arrived about 2100 at the train station--devoid of poeple, help, and direction. My call earlier to a Hostel only yielded instructions to take the #17 bus to Salviatino. We jumped on next to a guy (Duarte) from Portugal, who was also heading to Ostella Villa Camarata (the hostel). Like us, he knew no more than that...They dropped us all off (a women on the bus pointed it out) and we saw immeadiately a large clear sign and a giant stone entrance-through which we began to follow a windy, paved and broken, desolate road.

Duarte, though seemingly safe, lead the way due to Sylvia's hesitation (and my easy agreement, though Don was ready to "go ninja" on any perpetrators). We all were pretty hesitant, for though the road was lit by street lamps periodically, only two people and one taxi passed us. Both sides were ominously walled by fairly dense brush/woods--one side with a chain-linked fence. I clutched a caribeaner "brass knuckle" style in one hand, and a small but sharp knife in the other. The entire trip took probably near 15 minutes, the end of which brought us to a large villa that has been turned into a youth hostel. (end journal entry..)

From there things went a lot better: a private room with private bathroom (not all accomodations have provided such) gave peace to help us forget mostly about the threatening journey there. The next night we stayed in downtown Florence in a great place, and got to see some cool sights overall. My journey through Milan (pictures sometime soon) overshadowed so much that it is hard to compare Venice and Florence, especially now that we are in Rome.

This morning we saw St. Peter's basilica and Vatican museums that culminate with Michaelangelo's Sistine ceiling. It was mind boggling.

Gratzi for now, we'll be here in Rome 4 more days and I'll try to get some pics up.

next stop...not sure yet :D
for those in CBus, enjoy the Justice Revival!!!

sg.

this scene was tuesday night in Florence from Ponte Vecchio...