Museums are closed on Mondays and I didn’t have any specific plans beyond getting the Internet working again.

I went back to the Piazza della Repubblica where I could access internet and contacted the owner, Janine, to let her know and because I didn’t have the manager’s email.

Then I decided I would walk over the Ponte Vecchio since there was supposed to be a bigger grocery store over there and also the Pallazzo Pitti. I hadn’t been able to look up directions to either so just started walking.

Found the Pallazzo Pitti easily, closed, but still quite a sight from outside.

Panoramic view of Palazzo Pitti

By the way, you can tap on the pictures to make them larger so you can see them better.

I kept walking for a while until I decided to turn back. Never found the grocery store.

I went back to the Piazza to see if there was an email yet from Janine and there was. She had contacted Rosemary and connected us via email. Rosemary was going to come to the apartment around noon.

I went back and started writing the blog post so it would be ready to add when the internet came back on. Rosemary came and, as I said yesterday, got me back up again.

She was able to answer some of my questions and was very nice. Originally from New York, she asked where I was from and I said Seattle. She said rain. I told her that we had been having great weather this winter and later sent her this picture that a friend had posted on Facebook.

The Beautiful San Juan Islands in Sunny Washington!

She also told me about some restaurants, where to find a travel agent to get rail tickets, the Post Office and some other good information.

After she left I sat back down and continued writing and the phone rang. Rosemary had left a bag here and would come to get it later.

I took off to find one of the restaurants she had mentioned that had soup. I had been so cold in the apartment (and forgot to ask her about it) that soup sounded good. I had eaten a lot sandwiches and so much bread so wanted soup.

I walked up the street one way and then down the other and couldn’t find the restaurant. I went back again and found it. Must have walked right by it earlier.

I went in and asked for soup and, guess what? It was ribollita! Bread soup. It is a typical Tuscan soup made with stale bread and vegetables. This one had tomatoes and some sort of greens but no beans. It was good but too much bread. Oh, well.

Ribollita

Back at the apartment I was covered in blankets reading when Rosemary came back. I told her it had been freezing, and those of you who know me well know I don’t get cold easily! Well, I guess Paolo was supposed to have turned on the heat and he hadn’t. When he showed me the control all he showed me was up and down and I heard him say freddo (cold.)

So, she showed me how to use it and it finally warmed up in here!

I decided I didn’t want to go out for a dinner so just went down the block a little way and got two pieces of pizza to go. I know, more bread! But there were a few vegetables on one piece.

It was really good pizza. I wanted to eat it while it was still hot so didn’t take a picture.

I read and went to bed fairly early since I hadn’t slept well the night before. Every night since I have been here I get woken up by someone yelling or talking very loudly on the street below the bedroom. The first night it was 4:00 AM and some guy was banging on something and yelling. Last night it was a woman. Things start getting noise early in the street, too. Even though it is closed to traffic there is a lot of noise going on by 6:30 or so.