Last Time I Said No To That...

It's 6:30, maybe 7:00 o'clock in the evening and we are almost lost in Florence without a place to sleep. We've had very little to eat and it's hot...
THE QUESTION: Should we get a beer?
THE OBVIOUS ANSWER: The last time I said no to that I didn't understand the question.

So, where did we leave off?
We are snugly situated in our Amsterdam apartment and it feels like we are finally at the resting phase of our trip. Amsterdam, so far, is wonderfully overcast and chilly; very much alive and pulsing under the heaviness of fall. It's a relief from the hot and sweaty, almost tropical feeling of France and Italy. I am very happy to say it was pouring rain when we got off the train on Thursday.

More about Amsterdam - our escapades last night with Anna and Jesse to the Red Light District - later...

Back to the story...
There is something we've got to tell you about.

Leaving Venice going to ...? Yeah, not sure where was INTENSE.
General direction equaled Florence. General plans equaled trying to find a place to stay, an internet cafe and eat.
Florence is beautiful and everyone knows it. Apparently September and October are still considered high season and every single person vacationing in Europe has to go to see the David and the Uffizi Galleria. Like we really need to see another freaking religious painting! Anyway...

We got into Florence around 5 p.m. It's so, so hot and our bags are heavier than usual, obviously. Uh, where are we going? Get a map. Head toward one of the Rick Steve's suggested *one star* hotels...checking other hotels on the way...
-First Hotel: sorry, full
-Second Hotel: sorry, full
-Third Hotel:...get the point?
See the Duomo...yeah, See San Lorenza...yeah...um, still don't have a place to stay.

Reinsert the question.
Should we have a beer?
The last time I said no to that I didn't understand the question.

So it goes.
We find an internet cafe. People are very friendly. We call mom at 3:17 in the morning to make sure she's going to be on the plane later that day. We do a little email. Try to figure out where we are going to stay tomorrow night with no luck. Get a recommendation of where to search for a hotel...kinda helpful.

Anyway, we wonder some more and some more and some more and finally with some help we find a great room (way too much, but we did talk the guy down 30 euros) and ended up having the BEST MEAL of our trip at the coolest little restaurant, and had a glass of wine at one of the coolest bars that we'd found in Italy. And now Charlie has an Italian girlfriend 15 times his age!

NIIIICE. Success.

Okay, hang in there...