Florence – so far …

We have a room with a view.

We met two young women from South Dakota who were amazed that everyone was so nice to them.  I explained the European Pretty Girl Rule and they seemed quite pleased.

That noise that’s always clattering away in the background is not the ghost of marching Roman soldiers.  It’s the sound of legions of tourists hauling their rolling suitcases over the cobblestones.

Given the number of leather coats, jackets, wallets, satchels, belts, purses and bags I’ve seen I don’t imagine there is one cow left, still on the hoof, in the entire country.

Chianti is the drink of choice and what these people don’t know about coffee doesn’t matter.

The food is so good I’m pretty sure the vegetables volunteer to be eaten.

Marina Abramovic cuts art with a knife — a big in-your-face butcher’s knife.

And finally:

Tourists are the new Medici — they run this town.  But one of these days the local folk are going to get pissed off and double the prices.  The thing is everything is so cool – we would all pay.