A what in the bathroom?

This morning, I've already been through the all premiere shops from Hermes, Gucci, Prada, etc.. you get the idea. Plus names I've never heard of that are certainly Haute Cotoure. There are no clothes here for big people in this city. All the men are stick thin (the prada boy look). Of course, they have the most amazing shoes. If I already didn't have a shoe habit, I certainly after visiting here. Had I remembered Italy from past trips I'd have come barefoot and brought a lot more money. LOL I've fallen in love at least a dozen times. Speaking of love, the women here aren't bad either. haha I saw the most exquisite woman this morning and luckily was walking about 10 paces behind her for awhile. It was like watching a commercial. Every man she passed stopped and as soon as she was out of earshot made a comment on her beauty. What a tough life.

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If heartburn doesn't come and eat me alive, I have to say the wood oven pizza I had for lunch is probably th ebest I've ever had. Spicy Salami, tomato, mozzorella all on a thin thin crust bigger than a dinner plate. I've taken the habit of ordering a ,75 L bottle of mineral water (natural) eith every meal so I don't get dehydrated like I did on my last trip to Italy. It's not hot here right now (from that perspective, I seem to have arrived at the perfect time. I'm sitting at a cafe called Tira... baralla. I've already broken my rule of not eating at the same place twice. I had dinner here last night as well. I couldn't resist returning after I saw their pizza's on other tables during my meal. I'm actually sitting in the street - the sidewalks are too small to allow tables. IT's strange to see a scooter whiz by a foot away. Oh, and the scooters are everywhere here... I don't know if the picures will show this, but OMG everyone rides a scooter. And talk about fearless. Scooters actually go faster than cars in the traffic here. Smart cars are also very prevelant. It's hard to get used to the taxi's being Mecedes Benz's as well. (Sidenote - I passed a Mercedes store today... no cars, just Mercedes products, glasses, clothing, bags... you name it.)

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I came to the realization this afternoon that a good salesman is nothing but a legal con artist. The job of a salesman is to make you feel good about yourself. If they accomplish that, basically, they own you. I say this after I got into the clutches of a particularly skilled con artist who made me feel very good about myself. lol So I needed a new leather jacket... It's the softest lambskin. Perhaps not 'perfect' grade, but it was the best of the three qualities they sold. I found it interesting to see the street vendors selling 'real' leather for cheap until I felt it. I kept trying to figure out how you make a leather so stiff and with so many flaws... and had an even harder time figuring out why people were buying it. People... cheap isn't always good. Sometimes it's worth going somewhere more expensive and buying the thing you desire. I looked at knockoff bags with everything the same as the store 4 blocks away... EVERYTHING. Except these lacked the designer label. Price - 800% less. Gucci... made in the same factory I think. I like to think the jacket I bought would be the same. The quality is equal to 1200 dollar designer jackets I've looked at in Saks and Neiman Marcus. Perhaps it's the same... lol

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I went to Michaelangelo Park today. No-one even looked at the David. Everyone was yammering and pointing to the cityscape on the other side of the river. Florence is definitely one of the most beautiful cities in the world from above. From close up, it's like other cities in Italy. Dirty. Not trash on the side of the road dirty, but dirty from pollution, dirty from lack of care in the beauty. There are sculptures on the buildings that in the states you would have to visit a museum to see.Yet here, they sit out for all to see (or to ignore as is probably more the truth.)

After I visited the park, I had to lie down. I didn't think I was tired until I woke from a two hour nap. I kind of could used to the way things are here. Things close down from 1-3 for an afternoon nap. I must not become accustomed to this. I'd be in so much trouble...

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So, my room has a bidet in it... My comment on a bidet is simply this... the idea of a mini-shower for your behind does have merit... it's the execution that seems strange. 'nuff said.