Monday 23 September 2013

Leaving Florence

On the train to Arezzo, to meet my friends, we are travelling through the city and are arriving  at Campo di Marte. It seems that  arranging to travel early was a good idea as there is yet another bicycle on today.

I fell into a panic as I could not find a couple of money cards or the cash  I withdrew yesterday, nor the credit card, which fortunately was discovered  in time to pay the hotel. These stupid panics.

It is a sunny day, a little misty, with somelos cloud., and the countryside is hilly. There are orchards, olives,greenhouses and the river! And buildings on top of hills. Colours are just starting to turn golden, just that hint of change, and the morning light is lovely. Most of the passengers from Forences have left the train by now, which is just pullimg out of Rignano.

The next  stop was Incisa and there I saw my first glimpse of the moon, now waning. There was no opportunity to see the full moon, which  makes me feel deprived.


At Arezzo my friends will be waiting to meet me - so good and kind, so thoughtful and reliable. I bet they never misplace their credit cards or money. We are then driving to Reggio Emilia to stay at apartments for a week, and will use it as a base to explore the many lovely cities in the vicinity.
I anticipate we will have a delightful time together, as well as improving our Italian.

Yesterday I went by bus to Fiesole, and enjoyed the countryside, the views, the Roman amphitheatre and museum,and even the rather muddy Etruscan tomb, the church and  little art gallery, and the people. On my return i decided to wander over to Santa Croce, but found myself at a corner  at a part of the route through the city of the bicycle race, with many keen spectators lining the route, a man in  a red t-shirt and a whistle directing things so that no one was allowed to  cross at the few places where there was a break in the barriers. Having stopped for a look it became apparent that the helicopters which had been noisily flying over the city were there because of these international trials. I foung myself standing next to a family and their friends and their accents revealed they were Australians, so we fell into conversation. The man, Darren, was one of these mad keen cyclists, and  this race/trial/whatever was one of the reasons for their trip. He explained  lots of salient things about the race,so that now all these bicycles flashing past have more meaning for me. Travel does broaden the mind, it seems, even for subjects which, prima facie, suggest you would die of boredom.

 As this train trip progresses, I am calming down, and enjoying the scenery, although if the windows were cleaner I could take better photos through them.

And I am most grateful for the comment about south instead of north. Should have realised, but didn't. Che stupidone.

1 comment:

Elephant's Child said...

Not misplacing things - ever - is inhuman. Robotic. So cease and desist from this self-flagellation. You found them. And have fun.