September 6, 2007

Interesting few days here. It has gotten cool so since we don't have any blankets -we had to sleep with towels over us the other night. Thankfully, yesterday, I talked to a friend and she loaned us about 10 blankets. I only have two pairs of pants for Jd and only a few long sleeve tops for jl so, much to my dismay, we will have to go to Udine to the H and M there to buy some clothes. I will try to get a coat for myself since I don't have one -it's been in the 50's at night w/ a high in the mid60's. It might warm back up tomorrow.

Well, we have two cars (but the license plate doesn't fit on the Tahoe so we aren't driving it yet)
On Sunday morning we got up early to go to the train station in Pordonene. The night before we decided to take a test run since we hadn't driven to the train station previously. For some reason, we decided to use the nav the next morning and it got us lost and we just made it on the train. We later discovered that I had progrommed in the wrong train station. yes, it was loads of fun trying to figure out where the train station was at 6:30 in the morning.
JD loved the train for about the first thirty minutes. We played a lot of "I spy" and watched some dvd's It was only a four hour trip to Florence - when you are from Texas - four hours is a short trip.

When we first got to the train station, I was thinking, "This is Florence?" Not impressed as I had heard so much about it. It was a comedy walking on the cobblestone streets with our car seats and luggage. I know we would have been on some show! The hotel was great and near the market. I bought a couple of beautiful scarves which will serve me well now with the change in the weather!!!
We went to a church near the hotel that was started in 383. Wow. Still wasn't charmed by Florence, but the artwork in the church was incredible.
We then just headed out walking (again another challenge since we couldn't bring the stroller and the car seats and luggage). We turned one corner and then, I understood, my breath was just taken away by Florence. I wish I could characterize it better, but it is just so old and buildings are fabulous. We didn't do any museums, but we will do that on our next trip. It is fun traveling with our girls b/c people automatically gravitate to us. They want to make Julia laugh and touch JD's curly blonde hair. People also can't believe Julia's name since it is popular here (and we live in the Giulia region of Italy- we must have known when we named her that we were coming her).
Okay, so the next morning we are on the train to Livorno to pick up the car. The Italians do not believe in lines so it was a challenge to get a cab at the train station. You have to be quite agressive. Our terrific cab driver found the warehouse at the port. When we got upstairs, they said so sorry the paperwork isn't done and it won't be done till tomorrow. yeah. Great w/ two small children in tow. My "type A" came out as politelly as possible- uh, you told us last week it was a go and come pick it up - what happened between then and now? Sorry - it wasn't done - just big talk.
We just sat in the office and let jacqueline color (I thought if we sat there maybe the paperwork would be magically done, but as they love kids, it really didn't matter). We then went downstairs for lunch as all offices close from 12:30-2:30. JD needed a nap so we had her sleep outside their office on the cold tile floor (again me thinking sympathy). They all came back at 2:30 and 5 minutes later the paperwork was magically done! They even drove us in this tiny little red car to the place where the Tahoe was. I guess a little wine and a nap during reposo worked!
We discovered on the fourish hour drive home that we cannot drive 80 mph on the autostrada when it is so windy. The wheels seem to actually lift off the pavement. Tuscany is magical. I saw some paitings in Florence and wondered if it would really look like that - the sunflowers and Italian cypress. I can tell you - it does. I actually saw some of the landscape depicted in the pictures.
Another interesting thing that you would never see in the states was a chapel at the rest stop. We said some prayers for safe travel and patience with small children in the car (and gratefulness for having the car).

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." Helen Keller