EUROPEON ADVENTURES with Kyla: FLORENCE: Gypsies and Pickpockets…

Well we got our first taste of gypsy's and pickpockets today. Being alert and trusting our instincts come in handy. We exited the train station and needed to find which way was east to head to our hotel, about a 5 min. walk into the center of town. Some young boys asked us for a light and we said no and of course they were waiting for us to open our purse so they could grab and run. We asked some which way to hotel and they pointed to a seedy area of town (to trap us into being alone). We went the opposite way and praise God happened to ran into the information center. They gave us a map showing where we were to go. Walking 5 minutes doesn't seem that far until you are pulling a suitcase (with a small bag on top of it) with a loaded backpack on your shoulders and a purse...over uneven cobble stones. That is when you realize your age. It's amazing that so many streets are still cobble stone here.

We finally found our street and walked from one end to the other, pulling all our junk after a 2 hour train ride, and did not find our hotel. We then walked ½ way back and still could not find it. We finally asked a nice man who pointed out a door with a very small sign with our hotel name on it.

Relieved we went over and tried to open the door. It would not open. We thought since it was a hostel hotel that maybe there was a check in time. We called and she told us we just needed to push the buzzer to be let in. Well, that was NOT all we had to do. Then we had to drag all that luggage up 3 steep flights of stairs. LOL She was a really nice woman and helped us book another night when we found out our reservations did not include TONIGHT. What a day. *smile* So tonight we “share” a toilet and tomorrow we have our own.

We sit in our bed, on the internet posting to our blogs, in the center of town and even with the windows shut the noise from the people outside sound as if there is a parade going on. It's as if we are at Martigra in New Orleans. We can open our window up and look down at all the people in the streets. And we hear all the funny sounding sirens as they go by. Here is a view from our room:

We walked to the statue of David museum but it was closed by the time we got there so we will go back tomorrow or the next day. There is a bridge that has lots of jewelry shops in it and beyond that Boboli Garden's which we will walk to one day. Speaking of walking. My feet and Deeanna's ankles are killing us. LOL I've never walked so much in my life. It’s mostly my heels – I’m used to wearing high heels instead of flats all day long. We saw so many things walking today…Another McDonalds and with small streets Vespas and small cars seem to be the way to go.

Pigeons…just like in Venice

A good use of duct tape and a reason that locks don’t always work

It's also amazing how intricate all the architecture is on all the Church walls.

And Vendors of course…which brings up the pick pockets. We were watching a young man spray paint pictures and two girls were off to the side. Two guys walked by and one bumped into her and they smiled because the guys were cute…I noticed that her purse was unzipped and there was no crowd, so no reason for them to have bumped into her. I didn’t see it, but it sure seemed as if I just witness a pickpocket.