Archi Rossi has all the things you would expect from a hostel: dorm rooms, internet computers, breakfast provided.  But at Archi Rossi, the internet is free (and indeed, our five bed room came with it’s own internet-enabled PC); the dorms are large and clean; and the breakfast can be selected from fairly extensive menu.  The location – just a couple of blocks away from the Santa Maria Novella train station.

But when it comes down to it, what’s really memorable about Ostello Archi Rossi are the walls.  The hostel management have embraced the traveller’s need to leave some trace of themselves (see the Via dell’Amore in the Cinque Terre, for example).  Hence, over the years, and as hundreds of travellers have passed through, the walls have become covered with graffiti.

And so the messages that Matt and I wrote in October 2006 were still there two years later.  And we added another, and Mum did too.

Note: ’stupidagini’ is the Italian word for ‘rubbish’ (probably more the exclamation of disbelief than the synonym for litter).  However, it was more the sound of the word which made it Matt’s nickname throughout our time in Italy.

Tash