We visited the Museum of Academia on our arrival to Florence. This is where the original Statue of David by Michelangelo is located. No pictures are allowed here (and we won't show you our simulated poses - no, ours were not nude like the original ;-). We had a quick lunch on a narrow street at a walk up, 12-foot wide panino (sandwich) shop. They are made with smallish round buns - no snickering - and are generally quite basic (e.g. thinly sliced meat, cheese, t...

On our way to Florence through the rolling hills of Tuscany, we stopped at an olive pressing station where they make a variety of.. of course.. molto bene (very fine) olive oils. However, it is also one many places where you can buy wine by the the liter from a pump just like gas - bring in your container and "fill'er up"! It was surprisingly good. The wine is transported in tanker trucks just like gas. On the spur of the moment, we decided to pull off the road ...

Our private (Mercedes van) limo tour began with a half-hour drive from the port of Livorno to Pisa. We refrained from taking the goofy holding-up-the-tower shot (why, I don't know - guess our stupid idiot instincts hadn't kicked in for the day yet :-). We got the first tour to the top. Talk about vertigo-city. The interior marble steps are well rutted from inside to outside as you go round and round. Will have a short video of the bell tower ringing to post when ...

1. (See) Stare at the nude sunbathers (too long). 2. (Hear) Listen to the folks in the next stateroom (with a glass to the wall). 3. (Speak) Make disparaging remarks about French dressing. 4. Act silly in cardboard figurines (those stupid idiot tourists :-). Seriously, Nice was a beautiful city. An older French gentleman went out of his way to give us directions without knowing any English and, of course, had to give the women the customary side-to-side che...

The French Riviera. First stop Cannes. Beautiful but expensive, but we didn't stay long. Instead, tried our hand on the SNCF train system and went to Nice for our short day. Mass transit, once you figure it out, puts ours to shame.