San Gimignano

This weekend visited San Gimignano with Kate. We took the train but got to the station a little late. I bought my ticket with only two minutes to spare to make it to the platform so we started running. That's right readers: I, Alexis Weimer, ran for two whole minutes! And I didn't die! Right before we got on, Kate remembered that I hadn't validated my ticket but seeing as we were so late and that they often don't check our tickets on the train, we just kept running. Anyway, we jumped on the train at the very last second and it started to move as soon as we got on. We got into our seats and talked for about 10 minutes before the conductor showed up and asked for our tickets. I presented mine thinking he would barely look at it, punch a hole in it and move on like usual. Um, I was wrong. He freaked out and started yelling at me because the ticket wasn't validated. I lied and told him that I had put it into the yellow machine (the validation stamp machine) and that nothing must have happened or that I didn't put the ticket in far enough (I can't even tell you how many times that's happened). So he just looks at me, lets out a little sarcastic laugh, and yells "40 euro!". Of course, I protested "are you serious? I have a ticket...blah blah blah" but he held his ground. So long story short, Kate and I had derailed our plans for Bologna because the train tickets would have cost about 40 euro but now because of the fine I ended up paying 50 euro to get to San Gimignano. I will NEVER forget to validate my ticket again.

Also, 4 other Americans sitting near us also forgot to validate their tickets and he charged them as well... but he only charged them 40 euro all together whereas he charged me 40 euro just for me. I can't even talk about it. I am still so pissed. The guy was a jerk. Clearly, I am a tourist and he should have let me go with a warning.

Anyway, so San Gimignano is called the "medieval Manhattan"

I started this post yesterday and sorry but I don't feel like finishing it. A few hours after I started this, I was mugged right in front of the Uffizzi at about midnight. I was walking home alone after going to the opera with the students. I'm not trying to be dramatic by posting this here but I would rather just say this once and get it over with.

The guy approached me and reached for my bag and I fought with him for some length of time. I don't know how long it was but it was probably only a about a minute or something. It ended with him knocking me to the ground, grabbing me by the hair and slamming his palm against my forehead to hit my head on the ground. Then I let go of the purse. I got up and started chasing him and screaming, "police, help, fire" and a couple of cars stopped and I saw the guy wrestling with someone else then break away and run again. I ran towards it and then I saw another guy walking toward me with my wallet. I went into attack mode and rushed him to get it out of his hand. The guy smiled and handed it to me. He had been the person I saw wrestling with the thief and somehow while wrestling, my purse dumped out and the good guy managed to get my wallet and my ipod. I just kept hugging him and saying thank you -- he only spoke Italian. I didn't even get his name but he totally saved me. All of my cash/credit cards/ID were still inside the wallet. My ipod doesn't even have a scratch. Everything else is gone including my sunglasses, camera, expensive favorite purse, and all of my makeup among other random things like chapstick ALL of my work keys and favorite bracelets.

Curiously, about 10 minutes before I was mugged I found a 20 euro bill on the ground. I was thrilled, thinking it was good karma after the 40 euro train violation. I actually said "thanks Florence, I love you!" out loud to myself then took my house keys out of my purse and put them in my pocket. Somehow, even though I was rolling around on the ground and getting punched in the face by a stranger I managed to hold on to that 20 euro bill and keep my keys in my pocket.

Just after getting my wallet and ipod from the good guy, I asked someone standing outside the Hotel Bernini (the place that I suggested my parents stay when they come to visit just yesterday) if he saw which way the guy went. Another man on a moped stopped and offered to look around for him. The guy at the Bernini turned out to be British (thank god - I needed to speak English). He was staying at the hotel and recommended that I go inside and call the police. He stayed with me, trying to get me to stop shaking for the next 20 minutes. Thank you universe for these friendly bystanders. The hotel refused to let me use the phone but did call me a cab. Luckily, I hadn't lost my house keys in the struggle so I took the cab to my house and went upstairs to call Sue (the Director of the study center). It wasn't until she answered the phone that I finally started sobbing. We talked for a while. I wanted to call my parents but I knew I would be hysterical and would just scare them. By this time it was after 1:00 am. So I spent a sleepless night on the couch replaying what happened and what I would have done differently until 8am.

Today I have some major bruises and busted knees. I am ok. I'm just scared. I'm just afraid that I'm going to be afraid to walk around by myself now. I feel like Florence has betrayed me and I don't trust her anymore. I have to go to the police station to file a report now.