Arrived after a 3 hr Frecca ride from Naples only to find a long queue for the Taxi’s that turned out to be an hour and a half wait. The taxi’s came in one at a time at about 5 minute intervals.  Turns out there was a strike, that was supposedly called off… but I don’t think the message got out.
We take two taxis as they are too small for the 4 of us and our luggage. Then we take 15 minutes to find the apartment. There are 2 number 10’s on our street.  One is a shoe shop. The other is in the back of gallery, and that one is ours. It really fronts on a different street.  The info from the apt folks sucked, and it gets worse.  It was all electronic check in and when we get there NOT one of us has cell service at the doorway.  So we cannot get in. Luckily for us, someone else comes there and goes inside so we get thru the first door.  Only to realize we do not have an apartment number nor a floor number of the apartment in the email from them.  WTH… I take the miniature elevator to the first floor, all the lights are off. another WTH.. and I find a placard with the company name on it. Now, how the heck do we get in, Still no cell service here, and it requires us to go to a web page to open the door.  But lower down in the email it mentions WiFi and a code.  Its a long password so it takes a bit to type it in and then I can get the web page up and open the door. WTF..  We finally got in. But it was a struggle each day all week long.
Saturday morning we visited the Academia Gallery to see David. That place was a nice visit. Afterward we walked over to a meeting place for a walking tour which turned out to be a superb tour with a great guide named Armando. He grew up 
just outside of Florence and made the whole area come alive.  Best 2.5 hours spent so far.  At the end of that our dogs were barking pretty loudly.  We headed over to a great 
sandwich shop, $5 for a large sandwich made right as you order it. ($5 Euros, not dollars) And brought them back to the apartment and ate lunch there. The rooster on the wine bottle signified it was from Tuscany. That is our guide Armondo holding it in front of our new favorite sandwich shop. (La Nicchietta in Calimaruzza)
The next morning (Sunday) we had Uffizi Gallery Tickets and that place is 
huge.  We had lots of barking dogs after that mornings sights.
He also told us the story of the Wine Window. Which was pretty cool. And the tradition was restarted during Covid a few years back.    Kathy made us Chicken & rice for dinner at home that evening.
Monday turned out to be a bit gray and wet and luckily for all 
of us Tami had booked us for a Cooking class to learn how to make Pizza and Gelatto. The pizza we each made was amazing! And we learned the secrets of making gelatto and how to find places that make real gelatto, not the Tourist kind that is really ice cream
Tuesday, Church over to Sbrio gelatto joint. Michaelo Angelo 
Park, then took city bus on a tour of the city and got off at Porta Romana to head back to the apartment.  Dinner was spectacular at a very small place a short walk from the apartment called Gustapanino. Pesto Pasta ears and 3 of the best tasting meatballs I have ever tasted.
Wednesday.  Huge line for the Duomo entrance, bailed when we walked soo far and couldn’t find the end, Walked over to the Chocolate Market in front of St Croce church but it was not happening. Maybe its only on weekends, not sure.
Later we found a Panini {sandwich} place right around the corner for dinner then almost next door was a great Gelatto shop with non tourist gelatto.  (gelatto covered by lids is the secret,  the Gelatto piled up in the storefront is Tourist Gelatto.
The walking on Wednesday really did a number on my back so I laid low on Thursday. Kathy took Tami and Scott back to the dinner place we had gone to on Tuesday night and I was happy to receive a takeout order they picked up from there when they came back.  This time I tried the steak and it was right up there with the meatballs in great tasting food.   Kind of wish we had found that place earlier in our stay.
Friday, was our FreccaArgento to La Spezia (city 5 minutes south of the southernmost Cinque Terre town) Those Frecca’s are older and a lot slower than the 1000’s and 500’s. But it was a quick comfortable ride there.
