We left Florence on May 8 and continued by train to Follonica. The train ride took three hours. It was fast and very clean. From Follonica, there is a bus or taxi that goes to Punta Ala, our final destination for this leg of the trip. Our choice to go to Punta Alta was a taxi for 35 euro’s or 2.5 euro’s for a bus. Although we had to wait two hours for the bus, it was very comfortable and a short ride of 30 minutes. Punta Alta is in the Tuscany region but located on the Mediterranean coast (actually called the Ligurian Sea). After much difficulty and wandering aimlessly, due to an almost complete lack of signage, we came to our destination, Residencia I Borboli.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2-vTEUDyeU

Turns out this is a very exclusive residential area, with a huge marina filled with millions or more likely billions of dollars worth of yachts, sailboats and a few smaller vessels. It is off season now, a little early (probably why Judy was able to get the timeshare on a trade), their season starts in June. So not too many people and some restaurants still closed. A little market (things cost 4X what they do in Follonica) which is really about the size of a 7-11 store.4:30 or you are there for the night! On our way to catch the bus, we walked the block in a different direction.  Looking at one of the closed stores, we saw what we thought was a bum. Hadn’t seen any bums since we had arrived in Italy, only a few beggers. But lo! It turned out to be David, Judy’s son!  The night before he had a bad bicyle accident and was laying down in pain. He had just arrived in Follonica, and was waiting for a bus.

So after our reunion, we all waited for the bus to Punta Ala. It was a good thing because given the hard time we had at finding our place to stay, at least we could save David the search, and given that he was crippled and in pain from a bicycle accident in Heidelberg before he left yesterday, that was a good thing.

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