A Funny Thing Happened in Firenze

With Rome behind us, and only a few museums and some chill out stuff ahead, Mike and I made our way to Florence (Firenze). We arrived in the city, found a hotel, left our stuff and hit one of the museums on our agenda. We were examining some sculptures in the Bargello Gallery when I caught a whiff of something that smelled like it just crawled out from under a moist, musty rotting something or other. Mike had been complaining about his shoes being stinky from about Venice on- so I wondered if this was the source of the foul odor. Mike was too far away (I hoped) for the smell to reach my sensory organs. Another couple was lingering nearby. I wondered to myself why Europeans were so stinky. The museum closed and Mike and I could hear our stomachs rumbling. We found a bar with calzones as big as my head for a good price and stopped inside (said calzone is pictured above). The nice man behind the counter heated up our food and Mike and I sat down at the bar to enjoy some fizzy water before our meal. My nose fizzled delightfully- until I caught a wiff of the offensive odor that had attacked my olfactory nerves earlier.

B: Is that your feet??
M: What? Can you smell them?
B: Well, I don't know if it's them, but it smells like dog crap in here.
M: I think it smells kind of like old parmesan cheese.
B: I'm never eating parmesan cheese again.
Do you think you could wash your shoes??
M: I don't know, I think that might make it worse...

Just then I looked down and noticed a large piece of animal (I hope) fecal matter attatched to the outer arch of my shoe. It was not only ground into the treads on my shoe, but now lovingly spread on the bottom rung of the bar stool I was sitting on. Also- it was slathered peanut butter style on the side of my left pant leg. Needless to say- I bolted from the resturaunt, let Mike pay, and stood by the curb madly pounding the bottom of my shoe on the sidewalk. Crazy American. And yes, that is ketchup on the side of my plate.












Bella Toscana. I loved seeing the vineyards from the train. If only I had known what Tuscany had in store for me...












Forcing a smile post defecation humiliation at the Arno River (Ponte Vecchio in the background).












The River, Ponte Vecchio, and town from up a little higher.













The tart I bought to console myself after the aformentioned incident. Don't worry- I washed my hands first.















Donatello's David at the Bargello Museum. Strikingly more femenine than Bernini's or Michelangelo's. I guess the severed head by his feet makes him seem more "manly".















The courtyard at the Bargello Museum.
















Dante's House (you know- The Divine Comedy?? What's so funny about it?)
















The colorful Duomo at Firenze. (Probably where I stepped in dog crap).











Tiny cars weren't enough. We had to find a three wheeled tiny car. At least it doesn't poop. (Am I overdoing the whole stepping in poop thing?)