David in All His Glory

Piazza del Campo - Siena
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We planned the route to Siena through the back roads of Tuscany. The drive is immediately impressive with Tuscany's famous rolling hills dotted with forted medieval villages. Siena itself is popular with the Renaissance artist community and  stereotypical American art students. It houses a huge black and white Duomo and the pentagonal Piazza del Campo is famous for its belfry and historic although barbaric horse race. We strolled the majestic old town for a few hours before setting off through the Chianti wine region to reach a campground recommended by Mr and Mrs Bray.

Camping Girasole
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Camping Girasole 35 km south of Florence was heaven on earth. We hire a motor trailer with all the bells and whistles and soaked up the facilities of the campground. Three pools, tennis court, bar, nightclub and a restaurant you name it. We didn't waste anytime and went to the bar that evening to watch Juventus thrash Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final whilst drinking Chianti from the tap. Bliss! We stumbled later into the nightclub where we were witness to a mass line dance of the Bomfunk MC's, Freestyler. Jimmy T was picking up on his form from Rome befriending the local hi-de-hi summer work crew.

Lucca
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The next day was nominated as designated relaxation day. Waking up with a huge hangover from the disco and Chianti the night before we cook up a nice breakfast and chilled out around the pool. Little did we know that the pool required us to wear skull caps, so purchase we did. Boyish antics and general wallowing saw the afternoon slide away as the tans finally developed. Later we grabbed some tennis racquets and put our techniques to the cause. Emma surprises everybody by disposing of CB and Jimmy with relative ease. Next door some of the local workers were playing 5-a-side so we joined in to exhaust our energy levels further and make ourselves look wholly inadequate.

Ponte Vecchio - Florence
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CB leaves us the next day and heads by train into Florence whilst the the rest of us get in Les Bleu to tour Tuscany. First stop on the list was Pisa. After initially having trouble finding it we parked up and enter the Piazza del Miracoli to see the impressive Baptistry and the smaller than expected Leaning Tower. Not offering much more we souvenir at the market and stop at a quaint walled town called Lucca. The small streets made for a pleasant surprise and once all explored we headed back to town to pick up CB. We had made it back to camp in time for the workers 5-a-side match. The made a fairly decent mockery of us and New Zealand football in general and after some beers in the bar the sack was beckoning.

Piazza Signoria - Florence
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Up early we were soon on the train bound for Florence. We went for a general stroll before splitting off our own ways. The first major sight was the red, green and white Duomo that dominates the skyscape of Florence with its massive cupola. Through the Piazza Signora pass the Ufizzi Gallery and over the Ponte Vecchio we ascend up to the Piazza del Michaelangelo where we take a postcard shot of the city.

As it was CB’s last day with us we decided to get a decent slap up lunch. What followed was a disaster. Emma, Jimmy and I ordered the Roast Beef which constituted of three miniscule slivers. CB's chicken was worse. It looked like an unformed foetus and it certainly wasn't going to go down without a fight..CB started to get righteous and its amazing how quickly people forget English when it starts to get a bit testy. We all left unsatisfied and split up to satisfy our trinket (Or Jimmy's) needs. Ems and I procured new leather wallets and after a short Internet session we met back and the train station and after the saftey of McDonald’s headed back to our trailer. The rest of us bid farewell to Girasole but Jimmy continued his impressive partying form staying out all night with the local labour force and attempting to fall in love.