A fast train to Florence

As the train station in Rome was only 20 steps away from the Hostel, it was an easy pack up, quick breaky and drag the bags across the cobblestones to the chaos of the train station. Pre-purchased tickets made the whole thing easy, we were kindly shown to our seats by someone who did not ask us if we wanted his services (i.e. we can read) so therefore he was told quite categorically that he was not going to be paid for them – eventually he got the idea and left to rip off someone else.
The train was luxurious - compared to any other form of transport we’ve had so far - and we all thoroughly enjoyed the 1.5 hour trip to Florence (so much so we actually wanted to stay on it when we arrived). We had shot out of Rome like a rat out of an aqueduct, scenes of rural Italy flashed by, punctuated by the darkness of many tunnels. We identified fields of sunflowers, vineyards – many other green pastures of “other stuff” were apparent. Villages of old cottages topped with terracotta roofs dotted the landscape and a plethora of castles and monasteries sat on the tops of the hills and mountains as a stark reminder of who used to rule this land during the dark ages.
After disembarking, Louisa used her new found navigation skills to guide us to our next Hostel. This is a distinct contrast to the dreary dive in Rome. It’s new, bright, well run, has all the facilities (including a pool) and is full of young back packers living in dorms. We have a large private room to ourselves and are very appreciative of the fact that the shower does not back up and TV actually works. It’s also fascinating to watch the road outside being remade, although the shaking of the entire room is somewhat disconcerting.
After lunch on the roof looking at the Duomo, we had a quick reconnoitrer around the markets in the afternoon and then back to the refuge of the hostel to do our laundry and the girls had a swim. The pool constantly changes colours – we assume this is order to help the backpackers through their psychedelic phases. In order to avoid the shrinkage of last time the washing is now hanging from the beds for its final drying - Ikea designs win out again for practicality. We had dinner in the hostel (cheap) and then went up on the roof to watch the sun set over the roof tops – which was awe inspiring. The refreshing breeze was enough to make one realise why the scientists and artists of the renaissance realised there was more to life than repression. Tomorrow we tread the well worn paths again to seek out yet more relevant historical artefacts.