Thursday. New country.

Yesterday all went to plan. A Lady appeared with her taxi 2 min before appointed pickup time of 4.45 am. We chattered all the time. She was quite interested in Australia and what life was like. She has noticed the downtown in number of tourists since the middle East troubles started. And rumbling Vesuvius has also been a big deterrent.

I calmly waited in a long queue for a boarding pass and put my bag in. She only glanced at my passport fleetingly. The flight left on time and arrived in Rome early. We had to wait in the plane for the ground crew to arrive. I collected my bag and followed the signs to the train to Rome, never once having to show my passport or get fingerprinted, like all the info on the internet says is happening now or should be happening now in Europe for foreigners the first time they enter Europe. I heard later that Rome,tried to but it was such a shambles that they gave up. Too hard. Going on my experienc in Frankfurt I wonder if even the Germans will give up.

The train to Rome Termini was a bit of a bun fight getting on, but people were helpful to me. Maybe I look like an old lady. The worst thing about waiting in Termini for the train to Florence was the noise. I walked around and around and could not find a spot to escape to. I even thought of hiding in a loo, but not at E2.2, the entry cost.  The train was on time, I got to Florence on time and then I walked the almost 2km to my apartment.  My choice - there are buses, but they would be crowded. 

'Apartment' Is certainly  not the right word to describe where I am quite sure I will be very happy for a month. It is some rooms in a big old 3 story home. Again 'story' is different . There were 13 steps between each floor of my apartment block in Canberra. There are 38 old stone steps between the ground floor and 1st floor. Luckily, there is a lift. (Tiny, old, squeaky) There is also a very fancy circular staircase going to the first floor. I have yet to count those stairs. ( I am not keen on spiral staircases. I think the side bits of out of focus multifocal lenses disturb my vision) In olden days the first floor was for receptions and fancy occassions. When I get out of the lift I walk into a smallish hallway and then into a bigger area.  The  fancy staircase leads to another door in this area. There are a few lounges were I can sit. What is now a bedroom is sumptuously decorated and was probably  a small fancy room  - ladies afternoon tea?  But it is a huge bedroom with a large window and little balcony overlooking a park. It has a very high ceiling and then a dome shaped thing on top. There is a cupboard that is my height. Based on that the ceiling is 3 times my height. There is a small modern bathroom . The last room is about the size of my lounge/ dining/ kitchen. In it is a large 6 seater table and kitchen and a large collection of cooking appliances.  I can sit in the large  back garden. The host, a lady not much younger than me, is delightful and I am sure will help if I have a problem. I have also met her daughter who I gather does the financial stuff of the BnB and speaks better English. Francesca , the mother, says it was her grandfather's  home. I will find out if he built it . The monthly discount they offered me was extraordinary.