LAUNDRY DAY IN FLORENCE

A precursor. Or a reflection.

Lots of dirties. Especially in the heat. Two shower days were the norm for us on our cruise leg of our European jaunt. With temps in the triples and humidity soaring to approximate that number, we got good soakings.

Too bad we weren't privy to an outside clothesline. Never do clothes smell better than being dried in fresh air except for the silk in the Tommy Bahama shirts new in the stores.

There was only 1 laundry for all the staterooms on the ship. It only consisted of 4 washers and 4 dryers. But with good timing and my presence to thwart an over aggressive Oriental man, we finished out tasks and stayed clean for the duration.

When we were leaving the ship, we shared a cab ride with a couple from Miami who had enough bags to stay till 2011. When we got out of the cab with our carry-ons and they knew how long we had been gone, he exclaimed, "You are now my idol, being able to travel so light."

"Well," my wife exclaimed, "we did laundry."

"We did, too," he countered.

I can see a huge argument brewing when they pack for their next trip.