No Ice Cream

My first impression of Florence was "wow, look at all the people". From the train station, to the streets and in the center there were so many friggin people. The people of Florence are used it. Well the've accepted it. They have adapted to the sensibilities of everyone but themselves. There are the shops for cheap Americans not slurping special ice cream a.k.a. gelato. There are the churches and bridges for photo happy, well dressed Asians. There are oh so many trinkets for the rest of the European Union including crusty bread and Schweppes sodas. When we did come to standstill and the crowds were above us the only thought I could muster is what a decent blur of a place for a couple. If I were happy and apart of a twosome I would do Florence over Paris any day. KimYe got it right.

So how about it as a single? How about it with a so-called friend? How about Florence broke, hungry and basically alone? Well, our hotel room was the best attraction Florence had. It was pre-paid, luxurious and had that free "baconini and scramboli eggs" (I will purposely destroy that every time). Otherwise, the food was contrived, the museums overpriced (for the season that is) and every landmark including the churches exploited. Therefore, Florence and our hotel room were the best solutions to my problems. Oh and I was being sponsored by Subway and Italy's first ever one dollar store. For the next three days these are the places I frequented while discovering other free zones. I never found the free water dispensers. I didn't get any souvenirs. I also didn't get to see David (well not the "real" one). However, I got the best, coldest mineral water for 1 Euro and walked the streets like a pauper. I took pictures with my phone. The one site I saw more than once was an ATM. I helped an old couple with a map. 

Now we did partake in site seeing and exploring but only for one afternoon. The rest of my time in Florence we avoided each other like the plague. We didn't eat together. We didn't talk much. We even slept sort of opposite of each other. She even left about six hours earlier than me and I had the room to myself until check-out time. The one day we set out to do things together I kinda had a fit in front of The Accademia. So from there we went our separate ways. That is when I discovered Florence is one big circle of points including the Catherdral, that one silly bridge, the line to see David, the McDonald's in the train station and the one across the street from it. So I got around between those points chewing gum, eating grapes and trying to speak Italian. It was a wonderful, quiet and deprived three days. Oh and I had no gelato or special I-talian ice cream. None.