See Me Now

            I'm finishing up week three here in Florence and it's overwhelming to describe everything I've seen and done. During the past week, I've had a good balance of doing the expected tourist things (Bargello, Orsanmichele, Palazzo Davanzati, Palazzo Vecchio, Pitti Palace, Boboli Gardens, Villa Bardini & Bardini Gardens) and some out-of-town things such as another e-bike ride, more long walks on my own, and a day trip to Pistoia .           Here's a scattered selection of photos I hope you find interesting:     Second story gardening       Mod clothes for sale      Someone likes purple      Large signs on someone's entry gate (in English, not Italian??) Sign posted on a resident's door  "Beware of the cat and the owner"   ~~~           On Tuesday, I went on another e-bike ride with the same company as before. Also,...

          Today, just some beautiful landscapes from my recent walks and another e-bike ride.  Enjoy. These are umbrella pines. I just learned that their pine cones is where pine nuts come from -- an essential ingredient for pesto!  

Readers, do you remember my anxiety about my risky, on-line soccer ticket purchase from a re-seller ? Well, the match was last night and I was there! Here’s how it panned out:               As promised, I received an email from the reseller a comfortable 10 days before the match. It included a link for me to  download a .pdf of my digital ticket. The ticket bore my name, as well as my specific seat and had a bar code that presumably would be readable from my phone. However, the email included many admonishments to print the ticket and make extra-sure that the bar code was readable – not crumpled or whatever.   I downloaded the .pdf to my laptop and transferred it to a thumb drive, then walked to a copy/print shop. Parlate Inglese? I inquired as I held up the drive, which the young man clerk just grabbed and stuck into his computer.   He quickly pulled up the file, printed my ticket, and charged me 40 cen...