May 20, 2014 Livorno. (In Italy you can't talk without using your hands)

May 20, 2014  Livorno

In Italy you can't talk without using your hands... that's just a fact.  For instance, where I'm staying here at the B & B, the lady's name is Michela, pronounced Mih ka' la.   For some reason that was hard for me to remember and pronounce, so when Carissa was with me she stated it was because I wasn't using my hands when I talked and you know what, she was right!  When I started using my hand to say it, I no longer had trouble pronouncing or remembering it!  Fact!

As I mentioned yesterday, I needed to go into Livorno this morning to make sure I had my paperwork in order, which I did and all went well.  After that, I spent the whole day walking, walking and taking pictures.  There is just so much to see here in Livorno and being along the Sea is just wonderful.  I had lunch along the shore

 first course, 

 second course, and then your shot of coffee

... all for $10 Euro .

Walked through all the shops first along the main shopping district, and then a secondary shopping district before heading to the Sea  .  I walked 8+ miles total today along the sea on these beautiful paths,  and I have 245 pictures to prove it :) 

 and then the Walk along the sea.  

  Beautiful clear water

  Aloe Vera anyone... a lifetime supply in this one plant! 

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.  
Old and New Architecture 

 

  their version of spec homes, build two, flip one one way and the other :) .

 and then the duplexes

Then there is a Military Academia here, and I couldn't tell what this helicopter was doing, but he hovered over the ocean for about 2 hours.

 SHOPS, SHOPS AND MORE SHOPS

The shopping area has these beautiful  walkways.

Shops, shops and more shops  

 Furniture store :)

 awesome fabric store

Shops, shops and more shops

There are about six shoe stores to each 'block' (everything is connected together over here, so not really a block, but what would be the distance of a block) and beside almost every shoe store was a coffee shop.  Espresso is a must here.  They are very little cups and the coffee is coal black, but it is not bitter...very good in fact!  Then to go with your coffee there are those wonderful pastries and then Gelato, of course.

Then there are the bread shops, the pizza places, fruit stands,

Lots of recreation along the seashore 

Canal right into the heart of the city, next to the shopping street.  

 The streets are just cluttered with cars, motorcycles, bicycles, buses... everyone cutting in, driving in the middle, parking where they feel like it, yet there never seems to be a traffic jam, just  slow downs once in a while. 

 I did however, see two crashes today, the first time since I've been here.  The first one was pretty minor when a van and bus got to close and the bus mirror went scrunch.  Van driver drove on, Bus driver got out pushed the mirror back up and all was well again.  Second one was a little worse, involving two cars, motorcycle and a parked car.  You can be sure they were using their hands to talk then :)   

       Even having lunch, these two men were eating, chatting and waiving their hands around like crazy.

And of course, it doesn't help that they just stop and park wherever they want to.  I watched a poliza car drive past this and they didn't even glance over at it.

According to Michela, this is the city with the most scooters in all of Italy.  After walking all over today, I think I have to believe it!  I started observing who mostly used them, and it really seemed to be equal amounts men and women.   The women riding them in their high heels to/from work. 

 Good night all, until next time, Ciao...
PS.  off to Florence tomorrow... should have lots more pics!