Monday in Livorno, Italy

There is good news and bad news. First the good news - I finally got to eat some fish in this port town. The bad news is that the fish was in fillet form, on a sandwich, from McDonalds :) I tried but never found a place that had anything except pasta or pizza. McDonalds is right beside the Information office I have stopped in more than anyone else in the history of Livorno. I went in twice today - first to ask where that infamous mall is located - and second to get another 3 day Livorno bus pass. Luckily I bought the pass because I either lost or something happened to my first one. But it was expiring tonight and since I'm only going to be here 2 more days, I just started my new pass today.

I was told that the mall is on the other side of the train station "no easy way to get to it" my friend from the info office said. What kind of mall has no easy way to get to it? So, I took the bus to the train station and found my way underground to the other side, walked past some industrial buildings and got to the mall. I know I should have taken a picture of it. It was called the HyperCoop (I think). It was a large round building that was 3 floors. The first floor was all parking, since I guess most people drive to it. The second floor was about 1/3 the Coop grocery store that was kind of like a Walmart and then there were a number of small stores around the circle. They had elevated moving walkways instead of escalators and have shopping carts that you can use to go all around the mall. The third floor was only a partial floor and looked like it had a couple of fast food - meaning pizza or pasta - places there.

I was looking for a pet store to get clippers to cut Seymour's nails and to look for a new carrier for him. No Pet Store in the mall and no clippers in the Hyper-grocery store. How do people take care of their dogs over here????

When I came back to the hotel, Dai's husband told me about the Pet Store on the Bus 10 route (not again!). I decided to give it another shot. I had to take a bus from our albergo to the train station and then another to Piazza Grande to get the Bus 10. Not all buses go to the train station nor do they all go to Piazza Grande so it can be tricky - but I have another 3 day pass!

It was starting to get dark but he told me to look for the McDonals and the pet store is across the street. I peered out the bus window and finally saw a McDonalds - was that the one - but no pet store. I am giving up finding anything here. Maybe in Lucca or Assisi.

So, I have no pictures today but I do want to take one of the front of this small hotel. The owners say it is ugly but it has grown on me. Tonight I washed clothes in the sink and borrowed the owner' drying rack and washed a bunch of clothes by hand so they are now drying by my window.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a more interesting blog.