Today's driver was kind of a dud. He had his own agenda and it didn't match ours, so there was something of a battle of wills going on.
He first took us to Pisa so we could get our traditional pictures of us holding up the leaning tower. Now, Larry has been there before, so I thought for sure he'd know how to take that shot.
Unfortunately, one picture has my hands underneath the tower, another couple show them nowhere near the tower. We'll just have to go back sometime and have a redo. The pictures I took of him, however - are just right!
The driver then took us to and through Lucca, because he likes the place I guess. Finally Claudia made it very clear to him that we: 1. needed a restroom break, preferably before noon, wanted at least 2 hours for shopping, and wanted all the other stuff on the travel agency's brochure as well. He reluctantly agreed and we proceeded.
The cruise ship's shopping director had made a big deal about Florence and its shopping, so we headed out to try and find all the shops she'd recommended. Lucky for me, the trek took us along the river area so Larry could take pictures to his heart's content.
The Gold Corner was indeed a lovely store. And expensive! Italian Love's did have wine and vinegar samplings, the flea market was amazing, and I got a genuine Italian leather handbag at a factory outlet. Softness is the key to quality - and it IS soft!
Back at the meeting rendezvous we discovered an injured and bandaged Elly. She took a fall against one of the many stone walls because of the uneven cobblestone streets and walkways.
She then fell on her knee. Medics took her to the hospital for treatment (where they recommended an overnight stay). No Way! Cruise ships don't wait, so she and Bev simply walked out. No one there understood English, either. They spent that night's dinner in their room, but she was doing quite well the following day, if not a lot more sore.
We did make it back to the ship on time - and got ourselves ready for dinner. Our waiter was bored if we didn't show up at our table, so we couldn't disappoint him. Plus, that food was always delicious!
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