Tuesday, October 18. Phoebe arrived!

Even more amazing was that Sarah & I made it to the airport even though Google Maps had us go a different way than we had gone on our trial run!! Best laid plans...we were there with plenty of time for us to have a pastry - yes, mine was a chocolate croissant with chocolate & creme filling!!!

Fellow coffee bar patrons - yes, they had machine guns.

 Once we collected Phoebe, we headed out for Poggio a Caiano (remember the failed very wet outing last Friday?) to see the Medici Villa & gardens. Google Maps got us there without any difficulties except she wouldn't talk to us so I became 'the voice'. We pulled into town immediately finding a parking space on the street making the 12:30 tour of the villa. It is quite spectacular! Here are a few photos - I discovered that in the rush getting out of the car with traffic whizzing by, I failed to get my phone so the photos are thanks to Phoebe:

This chandelier was our favorite fixture in the villa though it was a close tie with the fabric covered ceiling in the bedroom in the apartments where Napoleon's sister once lived! Unfortunately we discovered that the gardens still weren't open due to the possible danger of old trees  falling after the storm last week.

We did walk around the villa and saw some ancient trees! We allievated our disappointment by having a fabulous lunch in a restaurant serving typical Tuscany dishes. We started with this antipasto plate. This was accompanied by a brown paper bag of bread slices and what I can only call bread chips!

Then went on to pasta dishes. After this leisurely lunch, we decided to head home. We sauntered down the street window shopping , chatting, etc. Suddenly we realized we must have passed the car (now be kind - it is a rental) so backtracked. No BMW... Sarah goes one way while I go the other with Phoebe being the center point. Now we know the car isn't anywhere on that street, but hope springs eternal, right? There is a tobacco shop open by where we think we parked so in we go. Fortunately the very friendly & helpful female clerk speaks English; oh, black car, yes, the police towed it. You must go to police station around the corner. So off we go... approximately two blocks away we find a sign on a pole telling us that this is police but there is no building, only a barricaded drive! After asking a passing local, we are told to go down the drive which runs behind a school where children are playing outside. So we do to find a very nondescript building with a subtle sign establishing that it is a police building. But guess what? Yep, the door is locked as they closed at.noon! Now it is around 2:30 or so... there is an emergency number so Sarah & Phoebe find paper & pen to write it down while I walk around the corner of the building with the hope perhaps our car is just sitting there waiting for us to pick it up! Nope, not to be. We walk back to the tobacco shop where the still friendly clerk agrees to call - oh, yes, the police are there in the building, we must ring the bell!! Aha!  So back we go...by this time, I am lagging behind while Sarah & Phoebe soldier on. When I arrive back at police, they have already determined via a cleaning woman's English that the car is at another location, not within walking distance. A taxi is called and we go to taxi stand by the bus stop across the busy street at end of the barricaded drive. Taxi should be here in 30 minutes. After 45 minutes, Sarah goes back to police and speaks through a different translator with the 'captain' - she assumes this as he has a large office!! Another call to taxi - 5 minutes more. Sarah returns with this news. Meanwhile parents are arriving in droves to pick up their children from the school - so many illegally parked cars!! And can the taxi driver see us?? Aha! Here he is and speaks English and knows the story!! Off we go to Prato to retrieve our car...Max, the taxi driver is quite entertaining so the 20-25 minute ride quickly goes by. Max stays with us at the impound lot and translates the details. The ticket (€28) must be paid within 28 days but can be paid at any post office. We were parked in a one hour zone! Lot fee, €150; taxi, €14. It was a bit expensive to teach us the lesson of in the future, look more closely to where we park! 

Impound lot

What a first day for Phoebe! She was a very good sport and kept saying, "I'm in Italy!" It is fun to see & hear her first time reactions. We planned on keeping her occupied & awake but not like this! With Max's good directions, we easily found ourselves on the way home even though it was 'rush hour'. Sarah skillfully handles the roundabouts and cyclists coming between two cars. Fall foliage is starting to be more dominant. The weather was about perfect today.

Sarah's way of relaxing.

 Tonight's sunset to the west. 

Awhile after dinner, Phoebe finally bit the dust - she will sleep good tonight! Sarah journaled while I started this entry. Then to bed for us too. However, an eventful day wasn't quite over for me; when I came downstairs, I discovered I had a visitor! Yes, one of the teeny salamanders had found his/her way into my bedroom!! So using a wad of Kleenixes, I picked him up & carried him upstairs to deposit outside. It is a gorgeous, nippy night with beautiful moon! But wait, what do I find when I'm back downstairs and closing my curtain? Yes, another teeny salamander!! Repeat performance... luckily Phoebe is soundly sleeping on the sofa bed in living room so the salamanders and me did not disturb her. Now I am ready to call it a day!