Firenze: the Odyssey

***Adventure Alert***

***Picture Heavy Entry***

Firenze, Italia (Florence, Italy)

It should be noted that this blog is incomplete.  I am adding photos, but it is taking some time.  Please do enjoy.

Our trip begins with the purchase of a Garmin Navigation System.  We bought the Garmin so that we could more easily navigate the great lands of Europe.  As it turns out, Garmin isn't able to read a map.  Italy, if you don't know, is South of Germany.  The first thing this little machine has us do is drive strait north towards Munich.  We didn't want to go to Munich.  We went a few kilometers before exiting and turning around.  We actually took some back roads all the way back to Garmisch.  So about an hour after leaving for Florence, we were exactly 2km from Garmisch.  I enjoyed every second of that hour.

So we figured out exactly how we actually needed to start our journey into Italy.  We got onto the autobahn and headed south to Innsbruck.  From Innsbruck we made our way into Italy and on to the next hiccup of the trip.  Once again, in Garmin we trusted...

The freeways of Germany and Italy are called Autobahn and Autostrade respectively.  Apparently the Garmin doesn't understand that they are nicer and faster roads for people to use.  We followed the Garmin through an old Italian "highway" that lead us through and over several mountains.  This "highway" was nothing more than a 1 and 1/2 lane road through mountains.  It was dark by now and the driving started out a little bit nerve racking.  After about an hour of it though, I was enjoying myself thoroughly.  I was racing up and down those Italian slopes.

We arrived in the city of Vicenza around 19:00.  We figured out that we didn't know where the US Garrison in Vicenza was around 19:03.  I knew that there are a few rules when you build a base and that it was somewhere on the East side of Vicenza.  One of the things I happen to know about placement of bases, is that they have to be accessible.  I figured it might be off of a major road or Autostrade.  We found the base because of a miracle little sign off of the Autostrade that bore the American Flag.  We had just about given up hope when I saw the sign, proclaimed "hey!" fairly load apparently, because both of my travel companions thought that something terrible had happened.  After a little further navigating we were at the MP Station in the US Garrison in Vicenza getting our Italian gas rations.  We received our permission for rations from the MPs along with the information that we would have to stay the night to purchase them in the morning as the PX was closed.  My companions and I we're simultaneously upset, excited, and intrigued at this thought.  We were a little bit tired from the navigational fun we had earlier that day, and the thought of taking a break for the night was enticing.

We drove by the PX to check the hours for the morning.  Would you believe that the MPs didn't know what they were talking about?  The PX was open until 21:00 because of the holidays.  We promptly purchased 100 liters of gas rations as well as dinner from the Subway inside the PX.  While ordering Subway, we discussed our situation, and made the final decision to stay on base that night and get an early start in the morning.  We would lose the night in Firenze, but it was already lost anyway.  There was little possibility that we would gain access to our hostel in the middle of the night anyway.  Our decision was an amazing one.

While checking in to the Ederle Inn we were informed that there is a bar and bowling alley combination on base.  Our quiet night in quickly transformed into an unplanned couple of games of rolling and billiards accompanied by no fewer than 3 beers.  A night that we thought would be "just a restful evening" lasted a little later than we thought and was definately more eventful that we thought.

Even with a late night, we managed to be on the road again by about 10:00 after a scant breakfast provided by our lodgers.  It took only a few more hours of driving to get into Florence.  We found our hostel and a close parking garage without too much difficulty.  Our hostel was the cheapest one we could find and at 8 euro a night, I'll bet it was the cheapest in town.  It is this little place called Locanda Rocco.  We rang the buzzer to get let in, but no one was there.  This was noted online, so we called the number that was provided, and it wouldn't even connect.  So we finally got to Florence and found our hostel and parked our car, but we were locked out of our hostel.  After a short while, we decided to ask a nice artisan that ran the shop next door if he knew anything about the hostel.  It turns out he doesn't speak English, which as it turns out is a pretty rare trait in Florence.  He did understand what we wanted though, and just let us in.  He had the code and gave it to us.  No questions and no hesitation.  It was sort of bizarre honestly.

After dropping off our luggage in our hostel and leaving a pleasant note for anyone who might work there explaining that we had paid, we went down the street to a public internet store where I attempted to contact my cousin Libby.  She had been studying abroad in Florence all semester and was leaving soon, which is actually what had prompted the trip in the first place.  The last time I contacted her was at least a few days prior to leaving Garmisch.  I had tried to call her, but was having trouble getting a hold of her because I don't know how to use the European phone system.  I wrote her a message on Facebook, our primary means of contact, and sent it.  Thats when I realized my error in attempting the phone and retried.  The call connected, but Libby didn't answer.  Having done all I could at the moment, we headed to deal with the most important issue at the time: a meal.

We walked a little while looking for a good place to get a meal.  We landed in a neat little restaurant with delicious pizza.  We each got our own pizza, and they were not personal sized.  I struggled, but managed to finish mine, a meat lover's, and my travel companions got most of the way through theirs.  Did I win?  I think history will remember the meal, not the winners and losers... but yes I did.

We asked the owner of the restaurant about the best place to see the sun set, as Corinne had heard that there was a truly stellar sun set.  He explained that we should go to the Piazzale Michelangelo.  We left the restaurant and headed towards the Piazzale which is south of the Arno River when I noticed that I had two missed calls.  Libby had called while we were eating, and I didn't hear my phone!  I called her back, and we made plans to meet later that night for drinks.  The weekend just kept falling into place as if it were planned by an old eccentric yet well wishing comedian.

We made it to the Piazzale Michelangelo just before the sun went to bed over the horizon.  I have to say, it truly was an amazing sight.  Looking out at one angle from atop the hill, there is a scene of the Italian countryside that served to hide the sun.  At another angle, there was the historic center of Florence, that was beginning to come alive with it's nighttime vigor.  After several pictures and the purchase of a few pieces of art, we made our way across the Ponte Vecchio and back to the hostel to change before going to meet Libby at the steps of il Duomo.

After a big hug at the steps of the Duomo, Libby took us to a little bar she likes right there in the plaza.  We shared a few glasses of wine and some conversation.  Libby, being the best of sports, agreed to show us some good places to hang out despite having to leave very early in the morning on a trip of her own.  We sampled some "nachos" and a drink called the Dragoon which was quite good.  I had a glass of scotch and listened to a very poor bad.  We danced the night away at a club.  When the night came to it's inevitable end, Libby and I said our goodbyes, and my entourage and I made our way back across Florence to our hostel.

The next morning, we decided that before we left, we would absorb just a little more culture.  There are tons of museums in Florence, but one that caught our eye was the Palazzo Vecchio.  It is an old palace.  We saw all manner of very cool things, including a diamond skull.

After another amazing Italian meal, we went to get our car from the garage we left it in and were on our way North.  As the seasoned travelers that we had now become, we managed to forgo any further navigational issues, and made it back to Garmisch in about 5 and 1/2 hours.

The best way to describe the feeling this trip gave me; the only words that satisfy the exact emotion are:  utter contentment.  This doesn't mean complete satisfaction, as that would imply a mere-itude or stance of acceptance towards the trip.  Utter contentment is a feeling like bliss.  Nothing excites the nervous system.  Relaxed and something like happy, except that happy can imply giddiness.  Contentment.  Utter and permeating contentment is possibly the best and most powerfully peaceful state I've experienced.  I've only experienced this feeling a fleeting few times, but I think that I am resolved to make it my life's goal.