Day 11 , 30 July 2019
Florence
Good morning !
I was ready with my bags after a good night sleep and a quick shower .
I had my last coffee at the Anda Venice hostel, a place I would remember for a long time. I spoke to the hostel staff and told them how much I loved their hostel and service. Definitely recommending this place to anyone who is visiting Venice.
When my friend booked my ticket yesterday she couldn't find a station closer to my hostel. So I had to leave early to reach the bus station . I couldn't afford to miss the bus after the last hitch hike adventure from Kobarid to Venice. This was a 4-5 hours journey.
I enquired at the hostel's reception. They told me to take a local bus to this bus stop. I got into one and reached the place. It was still morning and the sun was shining bright, Ugh ! I just started hating this city more . Fortunately I was leaving. I wanted my days in Italy to end ASAP.
Well apparently I had gotten down at the wrong end of the bridge and damn, it was 9.55 AM and my bus was at 10.05. With almost 30 Kgs of luggage (I was also carrying stuff for my friends in Germany from India ) in that scorching heat, I reached the pick up point.
I was panting but was relieved to have not missed the bus. I was fresh as a flower just 15 minutes ago and now drenched in sweat,lol.
I was so tired that I almost slept again. In 20 minutes or so, I opened my eyes and guess what I see?
I see Anda Venice Hostel...WTF !!!!
I didn't know if I should laugh or cry .
So the next stop for the bus was here. My friend couldn't see it on the portal yesterday while booking.
A big lesson learnt that day, to make sure about the tickets and pick up points. However, I couldn't do anything about it now. I had my protein bar and slept off.
By 3 PM I'd reached Florence. Another 30 min walk in the sun to reach hostel. I checked all the landmark kind of places on my way to hostel. This looked like a very ancient city. All the buildings were old and of the same color and had similar architecture.
I checked into the hostel and started towards my room. It was on second floor and the building had no lift, so more struggle with the luggage. Damn I missed those elevators and mirrors in my Venice hostel. This place looked like a haunted house. I paid the almost same amount for this as in Anda Venice hostel but it was nothing compared to that .
I just prayed for the next day to come early as I wanted to meet my friend in Germany.
I finally managed to get to my room, it was a mixed dorm with 4 beds .There were no other people as of now. I put my stuff in place and badly needed a shower now. The bathrooms were outside some 100 m away. Oh also, the WiFi worked only in the common area. Imagine my frustration. I prayed to God to send something better, I was losing my cool here.
When I came back from the shower, I heard Hindi from outside of the room.
OMG , looked like God heard me .
Well I heard more of abuses then Hindi but still it was music to my ears, lol. I entered in and see two Indian guys unpacking their bags. I spoke to them , they were from Delhi and were on a Euro trip too. I can't explain the happiness to speak in Hindi with strangers in a far far away land from India. Specially when the day was so bad and the hostel had made it worse. I started feeling better. I got ready and left for my usual city troll , the guys had other plans.
I got a city map from the hostel as it was impossible to explore this place without one. I checked for the places to visit and decided to see the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo. This place is said to have the best view of the city. So I planned my trip like this ,
For first few minutes I just wandered without any place on mind. I wanted the sun to cool down a bit. I got on the road and it was amazing. Such small lanes with old architecture.
My first stop was the bargello national museum but it was closed for some reason. The building was huge and had that typical Roman feel.
Next I walked to the gardens but it was crowded so I just had a glimpse from outside and started walking to the next point.
I finally reached the top of Piazzale Michelangelo right in time for sunset. It sure was crowded yet cheerful unlike Venice. There was music, artists performing, kids playing, lots of eateries . It was a fair up there. Everyone had taken a place on the wide stairs to get the best sunset view.
The place was full of people but I didn't want to miss the sunset. I love sunsets and the view from atop was quite a thing.
You could see the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore clearly. It is the third largest cathedral in the world. It was on" my things to see " for tomorrow . As you could see , the area around this cathedral is full of ancient buildings art, museums and galleries. That is what my tomorrow looked like.
After the sunset , I started walking down. It felt pleasant now as the mercury started dripping.
As I walked down the city lanes, I could see all the markets closing, lights turning on. This place had a good vibe. A good boy
The lanes here were very confusing. Walking without maps would land you in trouble . I made sure to stay in the hostel's vicinity. I heard some songs so I followed the sound.
It was a good atmosphere overall. People were enjoying their drinks with music here. A typical Italian street at night , as I had imagined.
I was hungry now.After Venice, I wasn't expecting any good food just so went to a cafe nearby where I could still listen to these artists sing and play.
It was a small place with dim lights and very few people. I ordered a lasagna.
That was one heavy meal and damn it was yummmmm. Probably my best meal on this entire trip, totally unexpected( also because I love it ). Best lasagna of my life. I finished it in less than 10 minutes. I was happy in my heart and tummy. Now I felt I was in the real Italy after eating this. This is what I was expecting in Venice.
Better late than never.
I walked back to my hostel ,content.
Tomorrow I see the other part of this Roman city and Then I leave for Germany in the evening .
Learning from the day : After a sad day, comes a glad day .
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