Assisi to Florence

Monday 27 December 2010, Assisi to Florence

We had a very short ride (just over a couple of hours) from Assisi to Florence, arriving at the Starhotel Michelangelo around 11:00 AM. The hotel is a much more modern version of theie Rome counterpart, with this one done in a book scheme (yes, coffee table type books all over the lobby and bar lounge). There's actually a coffee maker in the room, and again I have a double room (all three hotels so far have given me a double, not a single). Believe it or not, there is an ashtray in the room--how quaint!--though I cannot smell any cigarette smoke. The only downside appears to be the location, in that we are on the very outskirts of town, on the southwest side along the river. When I handed the bus driver a map and asked him where we were, it actually took him five minutes (no exaggeration!) plus the help of the GPS to locate us. I have no idea how he can drive this huge bus around without incident, yet he does not know where we are on the map; this might be one of those mysteries best left unanswered.

It's kind of a slow day, with the pace of this tour very much on the "plenty of free time" side rather than the "cram in as much as you can" type. The only thing we did as a group was a tour to San Gimignano castle, a real fortress, about 45 minutes outside of Florence proper. I had a late lunch in a real Italian restaurant--not a tourist type establishment, but rather a small place on a side alley where they did not speak English, and where they did not seem thrilled with a real "Americano" amongst their ranks. Maybe I'm a bit paranoid, but it is the one and only place thus far that I felt a palpable resentment. Most places are very welcome of tourists, worst case neutral, so the attitude here is a bit surprising. Oh well.

We arrived back from the castle in the late afternoon. Back in the hotel bar I had a few drinks, and I have noticed that a small tip leads to huge gratitude. I realize tipping in Europe is not a prevalent as in the US, so even with a 1-2 Euro tip, the waiters seem to treat you like a king.