Alfredo and Maura picked us up at the hotel at 9am. Check out was very interesting and I am glad we had Alfredo and Maura there to translate. First we were told there was internet and we couldn’t log on for more then 5 minutes. The staff was really no help. Breakfast was to be served from 7am to 930am. We got there on the second morning at 9 and they were already clearing the breakfast out. We asked about it the young girl said no more and there were still guests coming. Susie went to the front desk to check the time and they said til 930. So a phone call was made upstairs and we received our breakfast. Later to find out that the young girl serving us is also the person that cleans the rooms and she needed to get started. Any way there were a few more things that I am not going to waste my time on. Upon check out we told that the credit card machine was broken and they would only take Euros. I said you have my cc number, just write the amount and I will sign but I was not paying in Euros. The front desk person said we would have to talk to the owner and she was out for a walk. We waited a few minutes and here she comes. Anyway she said she didn’t speak English, which was crap. After a lot of Italian and English flying I said we are wasting our time. Take the credit card or we are leaving. She told the guy to get the cc machine. He said, “It’s magic, it works”.
Off to the Coliseum and visiting the ruins. What an interesting place. More walking and climbing. It is always fun to spend time with Alfredo and Maura. They are really a cute couple. They banter back and forth in Italian and she is always telling Alfredo to speak English. Walking up one of the areas to the ruins we see an olive tree. Alfredo loves olive trees. They then tell us that they have apiece of property with about 50 olive trees on it. It is just outside Florence. They said last year was their first year to harvest and. Some friends of theirs had the machine to make the olives into olive oil and they said they were still using it. I repeat, Alfredo loves the land and open space.
Alfredo and Jean by the olive tree
Jean, Alfredo, Maura and Susie at the Ruins
Maura drinking from the many drinking fountains
We also went to the Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi. It was a beautiful viewpoint that overlooked the city. It also had a huge bronze statute of a horse on it. There was also a wedding going on up there.
As we continued on we talked of our plans for next weekend and going to Nerito. They had suggested that maybe we leave some of our luggage with them instead of taking it all on the train. We were thinking the same thing. We decided we would meet them at the café across from the station at 10. We were to take the fast train from Florence back to Rome and then drive to Nerito.
I know I keep repeating myself, but they are so kind. They went with us to train station and made sure we had the correct ticket(Susie and I had purchased the day before). They also wanted to make sure we were at the right track(Susie and I had figured that out before hand). Maura kept telling us to watch our purses. We were very good about that. We then told them we would be ok and that they should get on with their day. We did the Italian good bye and off they went.
Our first train ride. OK, need to be really ready to get on the train. We had assigned seats so we knew what train car and what seat number but we really didn’t quite know what to expect. When the train stops you better be ready to jump on with all your stuff, oh my. Now I know why you are suppose to pack light and Maura and Alfredo said we should leave some luggage with them. Now don’t forget that rule, validate that darn ticket. OK, made it to our seats, what to do with the luggage. Are you kidding, we have to put it above our seats with 5 other people sitting there. Thank goodness for nice young Italian guy. He just grabbed our things and put them up there . Didn’t even have to ask. Take note young guys. OK off to Montepulciano.
The crazy train station in Rome
More crazy train station
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