Lost and Late

On Monday I had the start of my Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course. I took the bus leaving at 8 am from Poggibonsi and was given the directions that it arrives in Florence and I should watch for when we pass over the river, go around a rotunda, and see the roman door. 

I'm sitting on the bus.... we pass over a river.... go around a rotunda.... and there is a very large roman door in front of me, so I get off the bus. I start looking around me for #14 when I realize that I am Piazzale Porta Romana and NOT Piazzale Porta Prato where I had wanted to be and needed to be. 

I start walking in the direction that I was sure the bus had gone and figured I would start walking. I look for a bar to stop in but for some reason 9 am must have still have been too early in Italy. I finally go into a gelateria to buy a bus ticket. I find the bus stop but realize the bus doesn't come for another 20 minutes. I think to myself " I can probably just walk it in that amount of time" 

I keep walking and walking and walking and finally I get to THE river. Obviously the main central river of Florence- the Arno river. I see the porta! I keep walking. I finally get there and go the right of the old roman single standing door. I find a #14 on one side of the road... it isn't TEFL. Find a #14 on the other side of the road and it also isn't #14. 

I walk onto over to the complete other side of the roman door (now on the left of it) and I look at 2 OTHER #14s and none of them are TEFL. I'm starting to think this is a joke. 

FINALLY after an hour and half of wondering around and walking I arrive hot, sweaty, exhausted, and late but ready to start the course.