Your choice...The "Purge" or Italy

Well, El nuevo casa en el rancho de juvat, I've been informed is just one document away from beginning construction.  Apparently, the Bank and the Builder use the same word with different meanings.

The word in this case is "Reserve".  To the bank, Reserve is the amount of money you have set aside for Down Payment.  To the Builder, Reserve is the amount of money you have for all the extras.  You know, the Well, Septic, Road, Electricity.  

The document in question is the contract.  The bank has approved a dollar limit based on our equity on our 31 acres.  We own it outright, It's value depends on how much the latest person from that state out west decides to pay for his 31 acre property.  So that Reserve has never been an issue.

Similarly, we've got money in the bank to fill the Reserve needed by the Builder.  So, having explained all this to the Bank, they said:

They expect the revised paperwork to be ready to sign early this week.  Along with a large Check, that will start the construction phase.

Yay!

Mrs J, being the ever brilliant person she is, realized that, when we moved in to our current 2200 sq ft domicile, we had left a 4400 sq ft house.  This was 20 years ago.  That excess has been in our storage building (10'x10'x30') since.

In addition, both children have moved on in life and their treasures from college remain here.  

So, Mrs J has decided that "The Purge" will commence immediately and will be....Ruthless!

This past weekend it started out on our screened in porch which had become an alternate storage location.

Have I mentioned that the only thing that reproduces faster than rabbits is....Junk!

So, my friends, I am faced with a conundrum.  Do you want to hear about my weekend's activities in "The Purge", or should I regale you with more pictures from Italy?

Right!  Italy it is!

Having spent a few days prior to Halloween in Cinque Terre, we are going to make our way back down south, eventually arriving at Rome's port, Civitavecchia, where we will board a ship and cruise the eastern Med. 

However, the ladies of the party, have decreed (having learned that from Roman Empresses...When in Rome...) that we will stop in Florence for a few days and plan a day trip to Siena.

So it is written....

We board the train and arrive in Florence.  Mind you, this is pre-Uber.  So, having studied the map, we realize that our B and B is only a half mile or so from the train station, we'll walk.

The gods of weather start laughing.  Once we're pretty well committed to walking, the sky opens up and it starts raining.  Immediately, the street vendors change their proffered offerings to umbrellas.

   We arrive at the flat only to find that it is locked.  Calling the service to announce our arrival returns a hearty, "Someone will be there with a key....shortly."

Shortly, apparently, means something in the order of 45 minutes to an hour.  But...Thankfully, it does mean an arrival.

The flat is 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, living room, dining room and kitchen and is quite nice.  And Heated!

It is quite near the Palazzo Vecchio, or the old administration building as well as the Uffizi Palace and Gallery.  Everybody knew the Uffizi is an art museum except the fighter pilot.

Source

So...we've got that going for us.

Palazzo Vecchio

Showered, warmed and hungry, we set out to find dinner.

Lots of spectacular architecture to be seen.

The fighter pilot is doing his darndest to not get lost in a large city, at night, with no discernable direction to streets.  But we've been given explicit instructions on how to get to the restaurant.  

Yeah...right!

But we do find the Cathedral (Technically..."Il Duomo"...The dome).

Now....THAT was spectacular.

And the restaurant is only a block away.  Surely, juvat, you can navigate that far, right?

As a matter of fact, I can!

Dinner was quite nice,  with wine, of course!   Which greatly aided navigation back to the flat.

Supposedly, rubbing the boar's snout grants the rubber super powers. 

The following morning, armed with our newly purchased defensive weaponry, we set out for the local market.  The ladies want to go...shopping.  The men are invited to go along, keep their mouths shut and pay the shopkeepers.

Which we do.

The ladies are wondering why we are dragging along.  Little J is also. 

The winemaker, ever the artist, has found an artful exhibit to photograph.

No idea who the lady is,  She stood there the whole time until I took the picture.

We walked across the bridge at Ponte Vecchio. supposedly built in 996AD.  Cripes! Even Sarge isn't that old.

Until 1215, it was the only bridge across the Arno River.  It was also the only bridge the Germans didn't destroy in WWII.  They only blocked access to it by destroying the buildings on either side of the approaches.

Thoroughly "touristed" out, we make it back to our flat safely.  The next day will be an out and back to Sienna.

We awaken to a beautiful day, cool, but clear.  The train is on time, comfortable and quick and we arrive at Sienna mid morning.

First stop is the Piazza Del Campo,  essentially, Sienna's Central Plaza.

Yes, there were three different people taking this picture at the same time.  This one is the Winemaker's.

The ladies are ready to go Shopping!  Little J, the Winemaker and myself, find a little bistro and enjoy a fine bottle of wine.  While doing a little crowd watching.  

We're wandering about, waiting for the ladies to complete their rescue of the Sienesse Economy, when we find an interesting building.

Turns out it's a bank.

I believe these are folks that didn't repay their loans on time.

Or something.

LJW does not look enthused about the selections.

We inquire about lunch and are directed to a nearby restaurant directly behind "City Hall ca 1400 AD")

The Winemakers peruse the important part of the menu.

What, Beans?  The wine list of course!

A sumptuous  meal was partaken and I found that my mother's family had emigrated from the Sienna area and our waiter was, in fact, a distant cousin.  He insisted on a family photograph.  My remembrances of family stories about  emigrating from the Naples area, were apparently in error.  

And....How can one not generously tip a family member, however distant?

Our last stop in Sienna, is to the Cathedral of St Catherine.

St Catherine has an interesting story but I think a couple of things of particular interest were 1) she was the 23rd of 25 children, only 12 of which survived.  2) She lived during the Black Plague.  That might cause someone to "Get Religion".  Lots of other points I find interesting in the linked article. YMMV

We head back home to Florence where the following morning we're awoken to the sound of a parade outside our window.  Apparently, the women were successful in rescuing the Italian economy and the locals wanted to show their appreciation.

Or something...

The train to the port was uneventful, boarding was swift and shortly thereafter....

And that will have to wait for a future story.