The sometimes miserable sometimes amazing trip from Venice to Florence

When Amanda, Sally, Greg, and I arrived in Venice it was at the station that was within the city of Venice. However, without realizing it we had gotten out train ticket leaving Venice from the station on the mainland. Since, our ticket was for 3:30 in the morning and, since, the last train departing Venice to the mainland was at 11:30 in the evening, we had to take the 11:30 out and wait at the train station on the mainland for four hours. It was the middle of the night, we were wet, cold, on the ground, and being stared at by everyone walking past us. We were very relieved when the train arrived and we could get on and sleep for a few hours.
When we arrived in Florence, still very tired, we headed straight to McDonald’s for comfort food. A little American Coffee and I was feeling a much more optimistic about life in general. We had planned to sleep on the train and avoid getting a room for that night-MISTAKE. So, we would not be able to check into our room until the afternoon. Also Greg had set up a wine tasting vespa tour for that morning, which had sounded more fun before the rainy weather and no sleep. I had no idea how I was going to manage and the thought of trying to cancel went through my head at least once.
Fortunately, with some coffee, walking around Florence and seeing Brunelleschi’s amazing dome, I got a second wind and I was ready for some vespa!
We met up at the tour group’s office south of the dome and they bussed us out of town to the Tuscan country side. Once there, they introduced us to our 50cc vespas and helmets. Greg already knew how to ride, but it took me a few tries to master the little vespa. They are not built for tall people and, as Greg commented later, I looked like a giant on it.
The tour took us to a Romanesque church, the home of the author and political commentator Machiavelli and finally to the winery. Once there they showed us the machines that are used to press the grapes and the areas where they are stored. They gave us a very good lunch and we sampled a couple varieties of wine including the Chiante with the San Giovese grape for which Tuscany is known. Other than getting soaked a few times on the vespa it was amazing and unforgettable. Just seeing the countryside from the back of a whizzing vespa is something I’m going to take with me for a long time.