Monday

Monday was a travel day and was pretty much been-there-done-that.

Got stuck in traffic on the beach road trying to get to the Autostrade  Drove to Genoa. Took a scenic drive around Genoa -- including an auto tour of the airport -- while I was trying to find the Hertz office to return my sweet Panda.

One interesting thing is that the Andrea Doria has been towed to Genoa, after being raised from its crash position, and is currently in the Genoa port. I saw it from the cab on my ride to the stazione.

Train ride to Florence was no BFD... Trains were packed, everyone was making due with no space, legs squished by baggage stored under the flip tables. I did see some other cool art on the trains and the walls.

I met my host Alessandro in a piazza near Casa Dodo, where I'm staying. He also does a software job, and we spoke Engtaliano for a while -- he used to have American students for roommates.

Then, for my first order of business Alessandro directed me a block down the street to the lavanderia, so I could wash my disgusting clothes. While there I was talking to myself -- as I do when confused -- and the young woman sitting there spoke up to help. She is American from DC, Emma, who started a TEFL certification course today. She really helped me out with figuring out the whole laundry thing.

She was just activating her new SIM, so I was able to help her out with that -- remember the craziness with the PIN???

I will have to say -- there are waaayy too many Americans in Florence. I didn't see a single American since I left the Florence airport on Wednesday. Tonight, that's the only accent I've heard. I took myself to dinner, ducking down a narrow lane for less touristy restaurants, and found myself in an outdoor cafe entirely populated by American women.

On my leisurely walk back to Dodo I ran into Emma, and we made tentative plans to have dinner one night -- maybe with hunky Alessandro.

Now we're up to date. I'm going to bed, because I have to get ready for my cooking class tomorrow .

Serata! Ci vediamo!