First up, Happy Birthday to my brother Michael!!!!
I met up with my clients, checked them out of the hotel at 9am, and got into our awaiting taxi ready to transport us to the cruise ship port. They received their company comment cards to complete later and I received some fat little envelopes and notes of thanks. It's not required, but definitely appreciated.
We said our goodbyes and they took their luggage to the terminal check-in and I was free. First private tour compete!
I had the taxi drop me at the vaporetto stop near the house and went back to pack up for my next tour. I needed to take the train to Florence and arrive by 4pm, check back in to the Excelsior for a 5pm meet-up with my next group, a four night tour of the city. The clothes I'm taking with me makes me only need to take my weekender bag with me, so I am lucky to pack be able to pretty light.
Called Mamma and told her I was on my way over for a couple of hours before my train. She met me at the vap, which she has never done. I'm so happy to see her back to being energetic and wanting to get out of the house more, after the past year of heartache and mourning.
I asked her if she minded that I check some email on my netbook, since I was awaiting word from the home office about that damned LA-production company fiasco. Mamma was surprised to see my computer is blue. She didn't know that computers came so small and in colors. She asked me to show her how I watch tv on the computer, something we touched on at dinner a few days ago. I asked her if she wanted to watch an American tv show or an Italian; she responded with “Qualsiasi cosa tu voglia di mostrarmi, Kricka“ - whatever you want to show me, Kricka.
Survivor it is. The first episode of the new season was loaded onto the website I paid access for. We settled in, and I translated the bullet points for her. When the Survivor phenomenon began in 1999 (it was a Dutch show first, a year before it started in the US, you know) they had a couple of seasons of the European version shown in Italy so she understood the premise.
She is so fun to watch tv with. The eyes of wisdom cutting through the crap with one dry remark. She sums things up pretty quick. Watching tribal council, not understanding English except for a few phrases, this woman took one look at the goings on, the soundtrack music, the editing of faces cutting eyes to one another and whispering and called out a contestant. “Filippo e' pazzo. PAZZO!” Philip is crazy. Crazy! Which sent me into fits of giggles. Crazy is apparent whether you understand the language or not.
She asked me what I thought of the new girlfriend. I am trying my hardest to be diplomatic and not give any colorful opinions as I usually am readily available to. I don't want to make waves. I said she seems nice and seems like she likes him very much. What do you think of her?
Oh! The grimace she made! “Lei non è per lui.” She is not for him. Well that was that.
But I'm not making waves. Tell someone you don't like the significant other and they're more likely to dig in their heels and keep them around to spite you and show you how you're wrong... More importantly, Mamma doesn't know how this woman was trying to be domineering in everyone's relationships to each other. I figure that Mamma really doesn't need to know this. It will all become apparent soon enough.
We hugged and kissed goodbye a little later and I headed off for the train station. I worked on the computer the whole trip and got so much done, dear readers!
I was greeted Gregorio, the concierge at the Excelsior Firenze, who had checked me out only two days before. It's like sailors having a girl in every port... or something like that. Anyway, it's good to make friends with the hotel staff, they are wonderful people who help you out a lot.
I put my things in my room, freshened up a little and went down to the lobby to meet my new group. It consists of four women from Chicago, all friends in their 50s. They had come into the airport and checked in about an hour before I did. We made acquaintances, had a celebratory drink in the bar and went out for a walk around the city center, to the Duomo, the Baptistery and the Museo del Duomo. I've gone on at length before about how much I love this museum. The Magdalene by Donatello, the Ghilberti panels, a Pieta by Michelangelo. These women don't mind museums so I didn't have to truncate and get hustled out because they are museum-phobic. Things are looking up.
On the walk back to the hotel I told them about Cibreo, the restaurant we were scheduled to dine at. I wanted to make sure they knew the food they would encounter, just as I had with the tour before. Unlike the tour previous to them, these ladies are self-proclaimed foodies and are up to the organs and “uncommon” dishes served there. “We're from Chi, we eat meat, and we eat all parts” one stated. Well then. This will be interesting.
They had... lots of things. I had soup and salad.
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