Firenze and Hotel Albion

The streets of Florence are quiet and Hotel Albion quieter still.  The night so many anticipated--The Space (pronounced Spah-Chay) Electronica Disco Night--went without a hitch.  They were out until 3 a.m., and why am I up so early after four hours sleep?  I blog, therefore I am. Anyway, kids had fun dancing in this cheesy throwback to '90s hip hop and '00 faux-gangster drum 'n' bass beats. This is a dance club that caters to American and Austrailian teen/tourists.  It's Jay-z all night long. It's only three blocks from our hotel, and we've gone here every year. No one needs to taxi home. The club owners know us, and give us a nice discount because our group always cooperates.  Tim and I met chaparones from Buckley, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton.  Six adults were watching carefully their 32 Latin class students.  Tim and I merely have to casually spy on your kids.  Making out with an Ohioan Latin scholar is not one of our worries.  It's those Italian boy creepers.  Naturally, most Italian boys are gracious, but the handful the DJ invites are not usually our friends.  But like I said, we had nothing to worry about last night.  Our kids think they are getting a European disco experience, but they aren't.  A real EU club would have a heady mix of electronica, Afro-pop, and Manu Chao-like world beats.  But hey, the kids just want to dance, and it's the only phoney EU experience these kids have.  

For instance, nothing is faux-phoney about The Hotel Albion.  This is a family-run Gothic classic with real art on the walls and real genuine service.  Mossimo and daughter Sarah run the place with Italian zeal, hearty laughs, and compassionate attention to the patron's needs.  Nico, Daniella and Jimmy have been working here every year we've come.  They are as loyal to us as they are to Mossimo.  However, Sarah is the blessing behind the bustle of 42 Dreamers trying to navigate the winding streets of Firenze.  She directs them not only to The Duomo--means House of God, not Dome--but to the train station, the laundromat, the ATMs and cheapest grocery store.  Mossimo is porter, chef and owner.  He does it all.  We'll be sad to leave, which we are doing in one hour. 

I'm going to try to upload a couple photos--sometimes it works, mostly it does not.  Here goes.

Truly and hopefully,

LV