Today was our last day in Florence and we didn't spend it very wisely. We didn't see anything of interest that we hadn't seen already, but we did have a good day.

We planned to go to a large park that we could see on the map, Giardino di Boboli, which is over the river near the bridge with houses. So we walked through the streets past the biggest cathedral in the city and all the way to the opposite end of the park but along streets because the only entrance we could see was at the other end of the park. But when we got there the park we planned to see had an entrance fee. So we thought ìwe're not paying thatî and went into the derelict park next door that was a quarter of the size. It was busy but looked like poo.

Both of us had our books because we were packed to go on the train but we had left our big luggage at the hotel so we didn't have to lug it around.. so with our preparedness-for-anything we were able to read in the shade of green trees and only rarely look up in half an hour at a lizard or the pigeons that walked right under your feet.

Soon we wanted to keep walking and we tried to exit on the opposite side of entry unfortunately the derelict buildings were schools and we could go any further. Well that is how it seemed but we cannot read Italian and we took a hint from the boom gate.

After that we walked all the way back to the hotel with only minor detours to find kebab shops that were never to be found that we had seen the previous day.

We had a cheapish lunch at the pizzeria next to our hotel. The bill was more than we expected because the drinks ñ which were very fresh ñ cost more than the pizza that we shared. Oh Well!

On the train we sat facing two Indian teenagers that spoke English as if they were from America or even Australia. We didn't get to ask them because they slept the whole way. Their parents were seated to the right of us and they were a bit comical.

In Rome we found our hotel easily enough. It is the most spacious but the s***tiest. No TV, no fridge, no plastic cups, no air-con, and everything it does have is broken, except the bidet but it would probably break if we wanted to use it.

There was time to take a walk so we looked at our map and saw there was the Temple of Minerva not far away and something else called Porta de Maggiore, something which had lots of arches.

It was weird because if these weren't in Rome with all the more incredible things overpowering them we probably would need to line up to get a look but no other tourists were there. The road ran 3 inches from the temple and went through the Porta which seemed to be a wall, we think it was the entrance to the city back in the day.

So no one noticed these ancient examples of architecture. So because we didnít have to pay or fight through crowds we were also like ìMehî and quickly moved on to find a supermarket and a kebab shop for dinner.

Alex finished his book tonight and I broke the shower curtain. Well actually the bar and curtain all fell down when I just tried to swish it across to get out.

I just laughed at the irony of the the whole hotel that is falling apart.