The Labraventures of Carbón, Spanish (ex-) foster dog extraordinaire

[Stacia]

Amigos, I am back! Sí, sí, I absolutely saved the day yesterday evening by keeping ML warm and giving her a big smile by being so sweet with the man who came to fix our heating. Oh, and did I mention that I also got us into a special security line at the Rome train station? ML says it was just a regular line, but the man there asked my name and said it was the special “Carbón line”, so it must be la verdad, the truth, no?

The train trip itself was a leetle tiring for me as it was so crowded that I had to mash myself into a small furry ball. ML got us “Premium” seats but should have splashed out on “Business” - I am worth it, no? She apologised and says she will change our next tickets so that I can go in better style - mucho mejor.

All of that to say that today we are having a rest. Siena is so nice and quiet after Rome, with lots of small streets that remind me a little of Regensburg if Regensburg was built on a steep hill. Do you know from the train station you get to the hilltop with escalators? I have never been on so many!

And even though ML moaned about the lack of heating, I love this house! The stairs are so fun to go up and down , the sofa is excellently comfortable , and I have so many spaces to explore . Que bien! There is even a special bed just for me in the kitchen.

We went for a small wee walk this morning where I could take all the time in the world to smell every inch and ML could admire the pretty buildings.View attachment 39319

We even found a little pool at the end of our street.
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And for amiga @Jelinga , unlike Rome we really WERE all alone - no special camera angles required!
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it looks a very interesting place and no people! Glad all turned out well x

 

[Lisa]

Beautiful….but a little “wet from above”??

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Beautiful….but a little “wet from above”??

Sí! But as long as I have my @SwampDonkey rsin coat on, I am very brave and can survive the horrible wet from above !

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

It is very foggy this morning, so we went ghost hunting in spooky Siena. Did we find any? ML says no, but I was scared ! Aye carumba!
Looking worried


Did you hear that?!


Ready to run out of here now as soon as I get my cookie for posing

 

[Stacia]

Second photo couldn't be more expressive

 

[M.F.]

How wonderful! Sienna really is lovely. We found it so clean and well maintained. And also vibrant with just enough people to feel vibey, but not crowded. Whereabouts is your accommodation? Is it close to where we stayed near the last bus stop? I see the familiar tower from your window! But I’m not that familiar enough with the city to know where that view is!

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

How wonderful! Sienna really is lovely. We found it so clean and well maintained. And also vibrant with just enough people to feel vibey, but not crowded. Whereabouts is your accommodation? Is it close to where we stayed near the last bus stop? I see the familiar tower from your window! But I’m not that familiar enough with the city to know where that view is!

We are just south of the main piazza (Il Campo) so indeed that is the familiar tower you see. Carbón really enjoyed the gritty grime of Rome (Oh, the smells!) but I’m with you, I appreciate the tidiness of Siena and right now it is very much NOT touristy. We went out last night and I seriously freaked myself out after binging on the Interview with a Vampire TV series earlier in the evening and then walking around in a nearly deserted gothic masterpiece .

That, and for some reason Carbón has decided his look here is Horror Movie Heroine in all his Siena photos: so we’re embracing the “Let’s hunt ghosts in Siena” theme.

Even during daylight!

 

[M.F.]

Carbón really enjoyed the gritty grime of Rome (Oh, the smells!)

Then I should’ve kept my shoes for him as a souvenir! I walked all over Italy and Croatia in my fake Birkenstocks, till they collapsed! The cracks in the undersides absorbed aaalllll the smells. Even though they still felt so comfy, I knew I couldn’t wear them on the flight home (confined space!), and definitely didn’t want them in my suitcase, so I left them in the bin in my Venice hotel room. Sorry, Carbon, you would’ve loved them!!

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Then I should’ve kept my shoes for him as a souvenir! I walked all over Italy and Croatia in my fake Birkenstocks, till they collapsed! The cracks in the undersides absorbed aaalllll the smells. Even though they still felt so comfy, I knew I couldn’t wear them on the flight home (confined space!), and definitely didn’t want them in my suitcase, so I left them in the bin in my Venice hotel room. Sorry, Carbon, you would’ve loved them!!

Oh, amiga @M.F. , how I would have loved to cherish your fragrant shoes for ever and ever ! Que lastima that they are lost forever to posterity!

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

There was fog ALL day, which kind of cancelled ML’s planned photo safari for the day. Oh , what to do but enjoy the comfy sofa instead. I am not disappointed at all because - de verdad - the sofa here is primo and I am still a leeetle tired.

I did however agree to a photo shoot in the main piazza. I was very serious - it is just that kind of day for this Spanish gentleman.




And that is it for our tower house (that is it below center right) as tomorrow we head to Florence . We are both glad that it is only a short train ride away and that we will be staying for a full week. I can settle in and relax my adorable feet a bit!

 

[Jacqui-S]

That piazza is huuuge Carbòn!
Good luck for a good comfy (warm) sofa in Florence x

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Amigos , I am back! ML and I arrived in Florence and we really like our new casa. It is big but not too big, toasty warm, and has a muy comfy bed and sofa. It also has the most beautiful view .

I am not sure if my Spanish gentleman strut is 100% back yet, but I do feel a leeetle better today . I think I should have a second breakfast and third dinner…just to be sure, no?

 

[HAH]

Eyyyy, signõr!! It is muy bueno to hear you are feeling un poco mejor. Truly your surroundings match your handsome gentlemanliness - I found the perfect expression for you and your ML earlier, el que lee mucho y anda mucho, ve mucho y sabe mucho. Apparently it is by our literary friend Cervantes who knew a thing or two about wandering. May you continue to feel better xxx

 

[M.F.]

Glad to hear you’re feeling a little better. And what a lovely view!!

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

O

I found the perfect expression for you and your ML earlier, el que lee mucho y anda mucho, ve mucho y sabe mucho.

Oh, amiga @HAH , this is very true for me as I am well-travelled AND muy inteligente, but I am not so sure about ML as she STILL does not understand when I tell her that I need at least two breakfasts, but ojalá, there is always hope, no?

Today is a leetle boring as I am still not tip top and ML is making me rest. We did do a very nice sniffy walk early this morning and I did some low-pressure modelling. It really is so beautiful here with such good smells plus our comfy sofa at home. Que bien!

Our walk this morning along the river


At the Uffizi


Random scenery?


Señor Guapo at the Duomo (that is me!)


The street ML used to live on in Florence


The view from our apartment early this morning

 

[M.F.]

So weird seeing Florence with so few people around!

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

So weird seeing Florence with so few people around!

Ooooh, hay mucha gente, there are so many people ! It is a bank holiday weekend and you cannot hardly move here without my leetle paws being in danger!

Ojalá that we go out mainly very early in the morning or late at night, this is how we have “We were the only ones there” photos and also ML can make sure my feet stay intact .

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Hola amigos ! Here I am having another rest day in Florence, hopefully this is the one that gets me closer to my normal crazy self!

So far, so good: we went out very early so that I could walk as slowly as I wanted and sniff and wee without any danger of being bumped into. ML was very proud of me because I was able to lift up my head normally for treats the entire walk. I also tried to do some posing without being asked, and my expression is more my normal ‘Blue Steel’ than ‘Ow, something hurts !’. I even tried a leetle zoomie a couple times.

I say I am completely better but ML says I still need my rest today and we will see again tomorrow . We have some very big hiking plans for next week, so better that I heal up here in Florence so will be ready to be my normal self then, no?

In the meanwhile, here are some photos of me from this morning and a few from our gentle sniffy walk yesterday.

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Tonight ML and I watched the sun go down from the roof. She is a leetle silly because she sat out there way too long while me being a more sensible gentleman finished the sunset on the sofa where it is soft and warm . Que bien that one of us is smart!