I failed.

Actually, I suppose I did find a cheap radio, but I never actually bought one. I was side-tracked again. Saturday morning was the first clear day in a while. It was warm enough that I didn't even put on a sweater underneath my jacket. I walked up and down the aisles of the open-air market, and then noticed hundreds of natives queueing up in front of a door. Well, queueing up may be an overstatement, but it was clear that this mob wanted to get inside, so I decided I that did to. It turned out to be Milan's Mercato Comunale, basically a farmer's market, with fresh vegetables and meat sold at remarkable prices. I wandered around and confused the serious people by taking pictures.

Back outside, clouds had rolled in. As I stepped out and headed back towards the mercato, I noticed a flash of light, followed by a torrential downpouring and a clap of thunder. Within a few minutes, several of the vendors' tents and canopies had blown down or away...

All things considered, the thing I found the most interesting were the scavenger dogs that seem to travel with the vendors from city to city, feeding from the large trash heaps created by the activites. It was easy to see the hierarchy of the canine kingdom in action. If you look closely, you can see who the "top dog" is, both in the dog pack, and the tribe of human merchants.

(tomorrow: Florence!)

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