We went to Florence, and...

Have you ever played a memory game with your kids, I went to (insert your own) Florence in our case and I saw a basilica, then the next person goes: I went to Florence (or wherever) and I saw a basilica and... and so on, and so forth with the list of the things seen (or be it done) until someone makes a mistake. Well we went to Florence and judging by our photos we saw a basilica, some statues, some people (some of them yawning), a boot, a bridge, some market stalls...
and the most unexpected of all a nutria, yes, a rodent the size of a dog, and we are talking big dog, not your average chihuahua... Swimming around peacefully, breeding, and as I read they produce up to 13 young per go, mate throughout the year, and have teats (udder type of thingies) on the back (the females at any rate) to let the kids feed on the go! Oh, that is cool! That would have solved so many problems! LOL!


I am not afraid of nature, but these creatures were too much like giant rats for my liking, even if they were in the river and I was on the bridge! I am finding out now that they get served in the tourist restaurants as part of the dinner. Eugh! I am glad I am not a big meat eater! Florence was beautiful, despite the rats. Thinking about it now, I should have recognized them as nutrias straight away, back in Russia in the olden days, when the winters were so cold that antifreeze froze (rather turned to porrige, really) I used to own a coat made of these poor beggars, I wore it last when my oldest was just a babe in arms, I used to put on a marsupial bag with her in it underneath the coat... Memories, memories... See you later anyway.