Does anything it takes to get his ninjas through

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Before Sir Isaac Newton discovered that F=MA, da Vinci was creating barometers, hydrometers, printing machines and diving suits. Leonardo was so ahead of his time it is almost beyond belief. Simple devices that we take for granted were machines of wonder in the 14 and 1500’s.

The da Vinci Interactive Museum lets you turn wheels and pull levers to replicate the motion of his machines. Many of the exhibits are motion dependent so I videoed several to provide some feeling of how they operated.

Even simple “machines” that we take for granted were on display and amazing. Gears, pulleys, pumps, flying machines and mirror grinders exhibited the basic science necessary to make them function.

The exhibits were well documented but there was an audio guide available for more in depth descriptions.

All roads (and our train) lead to Rome

The taxi from our wonderful hotel (Bernini Palace) to the Florence train station took about 15 minutes and 18 euros. We walked inside and after some searching and waiting found a place to sit to wait some more.

Before our train arrived we chatted with two ladies from Mississippi, BFTBFT (Best Friends Traveling By Train Today). One of them was on her 72nd trip to Europe. Sheesh!

At 14:14 (2:14 PM to all you back home) we left Florence for Rome. We boarded an express train requiring only an hour and a half at 247 kpm. (1 kph = 0,621 mph. Do the math.) We found the train on time, but it was 10 minutes late. Eventually we boarded, stowed our luggage and headed out, making up our tardy departure in no time. (Need I mention my roll continues?)

Taxi stands are immediately outside the Roma Termini rail road station. Be sure to select a cab that has the yellow and black TAXI light on the top. 10 euros later we were at Cosmopolita Hotel Rome, Tapestry Collection by Hilton.

Hotel Marketing Plug:
Located in an ancient palace with stairs located throughout, we are two blocks from Piazza Venezia. The Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and the Colosseum are a 15-minute walk away. Our cozy rooms are designed to reflect the history of ancient Rome and our rooftop offers great views of the city.

The concierge suggested Le Lantern for dinner and it was an excellent suggestion! We had an delicious dinner, perhaps the best yet in italy, and the chocolate soufflé dessert may be the best I ever had.

A half liter of red house wine and 2 glasses of rose later, we headed back to the hotel and bed. (Sounds repetitive, doesn’t it?)