Florence City of Penises

Florence, Penis City...
everywhere they are hanging about, in bronze, marble,
paint and plaster. I thought of nipping about and putting
condoms on them to celebrate International Womens Day but
didn't.

Here are some artists taken whilst in the queue for the
Uffizzi - on International Womens Day so they let people without
penises in free.



I was missing Lily and the next two pix reminded me of her.




Had a merry old time on the transport. The bus was wonderful
and each passenger had 10 seats so I was fast asleep when the
Guardia di Finaza rudely boarded, thwacking me on the shoulder
to wake me up. Heigh ho, I thought; Florence!
-Alas.

They were five and a few plainclothes men plus sniffer dog. Took
them no time at all to find the two cocaine carriers. Nor to
dismantle their seat and take them and their luggage away.
What took three hours in the middle of the night was the
paperwork... checking luggage against manifest, passengers with
luggage, driver with star signs, I dunno. Maybe they were bored,
it was the middle of the night, not a lot to do on the motorway
- they let us go at 5.30 am.

Fortunately Allenna had decided to meet me and kept the
concierge from giving away my apartment, which was a little
16th century gem in the middle of town. With modern
plumbing.

There followed a happy few days wandering and gazing and
pondering the commodification of art.

Evenings were spent hooking up with the Democrats Abroad folk,
who were amassing in Florence for their annual plotting.

Made some new friends and ate a great deal proving yet again
that travel broadens the hips.

Little did I know that while everyone in Florence was
complaining of the unseasonable cold, in Tilling it was snowing...
so I had to hole up in Toulouse last night, the bus returning me
6 hours late and missing the trains which weren't running anyway.
Plus it was the day the lorries did a barrier across the Route
Nationale.

Travel aint for the faint hearted, is it - though it has its pleasures.
The people you meet, especially. Waiting for the outward bound
bus met a Finnish conductor (not bus, orchestra) who was pinning
for her rabbit.