Skip to main content

Update from Italy - Part II

Now that we are away from Rome, things are slightly better, but even Florence has too many tourists (and Americans), but if you stay away from the major toursit attractions, The Ponte Vecchio, Uffizzi Gallery, and the Galerie d'Academia it really is a pleasant city.

Our hotel is just on the outskirts of Florence, not far from Ponte Vecchio, the most famous bridge in Florence. Not sure why it is so famous, since it is simply lined with jewelry shops. You don't even realize you're walking over a bridge, until you get to the very middle, and there is gap left open for viewing.

While there are some historical sites, and some beautiful architecture, basically Florence is just one great big factory outlet mall. But the food is better in Florence than in Rome, and if you stay away from those majror attractions, it's not nearly as crowded, and Florence is a relatively nice city.

Tomorrow we're off to the farm house in Tuscany where we're staying. We are really looking forward to that. A chance to taste some good wines and sample some traditional Tuscan food, and maybe relax just a little, although today we are just going to relax and people watch.

High season ends today, so we're hoping things will calm down considerably.
Labels:

Comments

Becky said…
I'm glad things are improving. I hope you are taking lots of pictures.
3:31 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The results are in

And I am iron deficient, big time. [Which would account for my low hemoglobin] Test Result Ref Range IRON 30 59-158 mcg/dL TOTAL IRON BINDING CAPACITY 231 250-420 mcg/dL IRON SAT 13 20-50 % My Ferritin levels were good, but that could be because Ferritin is also an "acute phase reactant", that is sometimes increased with acute or chronic disease. Folate and B12 levels were also within the normal range. The only problem now is determining what is causing the iron deficiency, which in the case of men, is [very] rare. My oncologist has given me a Globin Fecal test to perform, and has scheduled me for a consultation with a colorectal surgeon to discuss performing a colonoscopy, which could be problematic because of my large spleen. In the mean time, I've decided to start taking an iron supplement, it's only the quantity that is causing me some consternation. I've been told by a very knowledgeable person that to overcome an iron deficiency, I need to be taking 300 mg o...
5 comments
Read more

Stop the stupidity!

Rural medical center (in Georgia) suspended from vaccination program after inoculating school district staff. Give me a break! Trying to get kids back to school, while protecting teachers, bus drivers and other staff, is exactly what school districts should be doing. If they have vaccines, give them out. We should be giving out vaccines to all who want them, whenever available. Trying to adhere to rigid guidelines will only result in fewer people getting vaccines, resulting in the discarding of precious vaccines, and less protection for everyone. Of course we should be giving first priority to healthcare workers, and any other essential public service employees, such as policeman, fireman, etc. first, but when they're not around to receive shots, or refuse shots, then give them to anyone willing to take them. What I would have objected to is the medical center trying to capitalize on the pandemic to make a profit, from giving vaccines to people far down the list of recipients, but ...
Post a Comment
Read more

When is enough, enough?

Today I learned, Lance Armstrong, the most drug tested athlete in the history of sport, is being accused of doping, again . This time by the US Anti Doping Agency (USADA), who claim they have collected blood samples from him in 2009 and 2010 that were “fully consistent with blood manipulation including EPO use and/or blood transfusions.” Really! What took them so long? The French have been trying to make allegations of drug doping stick for years, ever since he won his first Tour d'France, but to no avail. And now the USADA claims to have evidence to support that claim, and they've waited almost 3 years before releasing this evidence. Needless to say, I am skeptical. Then there's this from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO): Increasing the federal excise tax on cigarettes by 50 cents per pack eventually would increase Medicare and Social Security spending, slightly. Eventually? What is the CBO suggesting here? That we should encourage smoking, because if we don't, in...
11 comments
Read more