Que Sera, Sera

"Uno piccolo gelato....Cocco, per favore"
(A small gelato....coconut, please). Coconut is the BEST. Il Campo di something-or-other, in Siena.












For you Catherine of Siena fans....here she is prostrate (and dead) being blessed by Pope Pius II).












For 50 cents (in Euro coins) you can pay to get in this self-cleaning toilet.

How do you flush a toilet? Let me count the ways:
1. Push a button on the wall behind the bowl....large button for #2, small for #1.
2. Push a button on the tank.
3. Push upward on a plunger thing above the tank.
4. Pull a chain.
5. Step out of the "toilet booth" and the door closes and you hear flushing and spraying and whooshing.











Day 4:
Last night this email arrived:

Greetings Dr. Morris,

I have contacted British Airlines and received further information regarding your luggage and forwarding information. Your luggage was forwarded from Venice on flight AZ1468 to Rome and Rome to Florence AZ1675. The flight landed in Florence this morning around 11am. I was advised delivery can take up to 12 hours and it takes a few hours for your luggage to get scanned in from the flight once arrived in Florence and then is released to the delivery company. We will continue to keep you updated and will email tomorrow with further information. If you receive your luggage or need further assistance please reply to this email or call internationally collect 715.346.0852. We are available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week and would be happy to further assist you.

Best Regards,

Heidi

Personal Assistance Specialist

Then a woman called and woke me up about 10:45 pm to say she is from British Airlines and she has my bag in Florence and would I like to pick it up? "No," I said, (with some bird-in-the-hand anxiety), "I was told it would be delivered." She said, "What is your address? You'll be there till June 24th, right? We'll get it to you 'as soon as possible.'"

No bag yet.

Meanwhile, we drove to San Gimignano and Siena today, thanks to our trusty Diamonte and her lovely directions. More perfect Tuscan weather...bright sunshine and maybe 80 degrees. More lush green countryside with groves of grape trees and olive trees and soft golden hay.

There's a pattern of history here: Find a hill, stake your claim, build a wall around it to protect it because somebody always wants your hill, plunk a church on it, build some towers to watch for enemies. After hundreds of years of wars and plundering, set up shops on main street with leather handbags, shoes, chatchkes, and gelato and rake in the tourist euros.

Thanks to Chip's camera and artistic eye....