Always Something to Do

I always tell people that being in Italy is not really a vacation for us. Without our mini-farm we are hoping it will become more restful but thus far that is not the case.


On Monday we went out all day and saw six more houses. A couple of them we quite liked but after further consideration (and further viewing from the outside) we decided none of them really suit us. We have two more appointments on Thursday so we will see what happens.

That evening we had dinner with our friend Anna who also kept track of our house when we were gone. She has been collecting our mail from the new owners so she had a number of things to give us that created another to-do list.

On Tuesday we tackled some of those items and visited Mercatino del Usato (a used stuff store—mostly furniture) to see if any of the items we left there in the spring had sold. Almost €50 was due us so that was a worthwhile visit. We also meandered around and passed by some of the houses we had seen the day before. One house we really loved we vetoed because it faced north and the only outside space would rarely get any sun. Another had a good garden area but the surrounding neighborhood seemed questionable.

Today we set off for a day in Florence. I needed a new purse and Dom just needed to be there. The weather was really nice—warm but not hot—so we parked near the American Consulate and walked along the Arno and then cut over to the San Lorenzo market.

I visited most of the stalls looking for a suitable purse for Rome. The ones I have with me are either not large enough or won’t go over my head and across my body. The latter is something I really feel safer with when cruising around Rome. Eventually I found one in a size, color and style that I liked. Dom patiently trailed after me while I checked out all the options.

Purchase completed we meandered past Piazza del Duomo. It is nice that they no longer allow cars in the area but today it was thronged by tourists. We strolled along some of the smaller streets and eventually came to a small piazza where a bar had some outside tables. We sat down and ordered a panino (sandwich) for Dom and a salad for me. The tables around us filled up fast and it was fun to watch the other tourists and the Florentine residents coming and going. There was a tower on the square that looked almost medieval and while we were eating a small garbage truck came by. Most of the service vehicles in the center of Florence are now electric. The emptying of the garbage bins was louder by far than the motor of the little truck.

After lunch we purchased a few necessities (pajamas) and then strolled back to the car. Our trip home preceded Florentine rush hour so we were back in Partigliano in short order (about 75 minutes). It was really the most vacation-like day we have had so far.