Claire Gulliver #03 - Intrigue in Italics Read Online Free Page A

crowd into a high rotunda and Claire halted in her tracks, transfixed by the sight of David in front of her. She heard her mother’s gasp and knew just how she felt. It was incredible. There was no comparison between the copies of this statue and the real thing. Of course the light in the rotunda lit the statue so the gleaming marble became luminescent, highlighting the tiniest details of the sculpture. It was breathtaking.
    She was so glad Ruth had been adamant they see it, and she told her so. When she had her fill of looking she pulled her camera out of her backpack and tried to take a picture that would somehow convey this perfection to film. It was a while before they were willing to wander into the other rooms. They marveled at the carvings, the richness and variety housed in this one gallery. And they found amazing the blocks of marble with figures emerging, which had been works in progress, only to be abandoned when Michelangelo died.
    When they emerged, they were momentarily dazed by the sunshine. They huddled in a bit of shade and conferred over the maps, finally agreeing on the appropriate direction to take. Next on their itinerary was a visit to the Mercato Centrale, a huge food market serving both retail and wholesale customers. This visit was scheduled so Millie and Ruth could complete a homework assignment for their Culinary Retreat. They had been given a shopping list and instructed to locate each item in a market and then price them for use in their class. However, when they entered the cavernous building and saw how huge the market was, they decided to split up. The meats and fish were upstairs, so Ruth went there. The fruits and vegetables were on the main floor. Claire tagged along with her mother enjoying the conversations half in English and half in Italian with lots of hand gestures. But eventually they were able to locate even the most obscure item on the list and head back to the main entrance to find Ruth already at the little café sipping coffee and reviewing her list.
    Claire sat and ordered bottled water while her mother opted for a coffee. The women compared their lists, discussed a few of the items and decided they were done.
    “Great, now for the fun shopping.” Ruth had a gleam in her eye. “Look, this next market is really big, so we need a plan in case we get separated.”
    “Can’t we just stay together?” Millie was nervous, uncertain about how she could cope if she found herself alone in this strange city.
    “We’ll stay together, Mom, but Ruth is right. A plan is a good safety tool. I think since we’re so close to the hotel, if one of us gets separated we’ll just meet back there. Does that sound good?”
    Ruth nodded.
    “Here, Mom, this is the hotel’s card with a little map. See that’s where we’re going and here’s how to get back. But don’t worry, if you do get lost just grab a taxi and give them this card; they’ll drive you back.” Then seeing the fear in her mother’s eyes she smiled. “I’m going to stick to you like glue. Remember when I was a kid and you made me hang on to your jacket when we went out in crowds? Today you can hang on to my backpack, okay?”
    Millie laughed then nodded. Claire decided to use the facilities before they left. Ruth pointed her in the right direction and made sure she had the proper coinage. “It’s a little different than in the States, but this is what foreign travel is about, different customs.”
    Claire found out what she meant. The toilet had a men’s room door and a women’s room door, but they both led to the same big room. Each side had an attendant who collected the coin, handed out a piece of toilet paper and ushered the patrons into one of the stalls. And the attendants, a man and a woman were carrying on a loud, seemingly amusing conversation the whole time. While it was perfectly private it seemed very strange to Claire.
    “You survived, huh?” Ruth grinned at her when she joined them again.
    Claire just