I talked with Sandro this morning and in broken englitalian, we decided that he will pick me up at the Levanto train station at 18:22. Sandro understands my english well except when I talk too fast on the phone. I want to learn italian so I tried communicating with him in italian this morning. It will probably be easier to speak in italian when we are face to face. I am so glad that, in a pinch, we will be able to talk in english.
As excited as I am to go spend some time on the top of a mountain that overlooks the mediterranean sea with Sandro, I will miss my new friends here. Andree, Zeno and I have had a good time over the past couple of days. (Aldo has had to work so I have spent less time with him, but in just an hour or two of chatting, I know we are kindred spirits.) Last night Andree and I watched Marie Antoinette. We were up until about 1:30am and mommy was sure sleepy this morning; she gave her ritual thanks to the coffee gods at breakfast while I continued reading The Bell Jar.
This is my second reading of The Bell Jar and, yes, I still love Sylvia Plath. I haven't read any of her poetry yet, and I am missing the book of her letters home that I left behind in Blacksburg. Oh, Sylvia - I would like your insight while I'm on my European adventure. When might I return to your wisdom? Right, right, rriiight - when I go back to school in the fall. We shall meet again!
_________________________
Anywho - I have made nebulous plans with Christie Booth to meet her in La Rochelle, where she is studying. We talked about May 23rd or 24th to stay for a little less than a week. From there, I will eventually make it to Paris to meet Andrew Rose Gregory on the May 31st. My Franco-adventures promise to be just as exciting as my journey in Italy. I must start to look at plane tickets to France.
Sandro confirmed my suspicions that there will not be internet access on the farm. I do not know how long I will be there: maybe a week, maybe two, three. I do not know what this next step of my journey holds in store. I only know that it is probably going to be full of awe (awful just doesn't work for what I mean to say).
I hope to talk with ma and pa tonight on the phone around 10pm (hear me, folks?) and it will be lovely to hear their voices. I spoke with Andrew on the phone the other day and I had already forgotten how you can simultaneously feel much closer and farther away to someone when you talk with them on the phone. It is truly wonderful.
I must be off. Andree, Zeno and I are going to eat some lunch before I board the train at 14:22. Levanto, here I come!
Baci!
PS I expect that only one or two people reading my blog will understand the title of this entry. Am I right?
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
You can't go hungry here
Okay, so the train station that I pulled into yesterday is in Pontassieve, however I am not in Pontassieve right now. I am in a smaller town called Donnini. Donnini is in the middle of olive groves in the mountains. Andree told me about the wild fig trees, olive trees, and chestnuts around here. When in season, locals can go around and pick whatever they want. In times of economic decline, chestnuts are used to make flower. This gives all the breads a sweeter taste and Andree says it is quite delicious. I wonder why they don't do it in times of economic prosperity as well. In the spring, summer, and fall you can find local women walking out of the forests with a basket of greens to make salads.
Over our morning toast with local fig jelly Andree said to me, "you can't go hungry here."
After breakfast, Andree and I hopped in the car, strapped Zeno in his car seat, and headed into Pontassieve. We went to the co-op supermarket and loaded up. I bought some apples and sunblock. I almost completed the check-out process without any help from Andree; I had observed the questions from the cashier "would you like a bag?" (non grazie) and I even understood the price of my things (£12), but I had forgotten to go to the ATM and needed £2 from Andree. Close, but no cigar.
We then went to a hardware store to get an adaptor for european outlets. Now I can listen to the ipod again. That will be nice.
We drove back the winding, mountainous roads to Donnini and then, while Andree fed Zeno his lunch, I fixed a salad. We had an artichoke quiche, salad, bread, fava beans, a glass of white wine, and some local cheese. Ah yes, I have given up the veganism for the trip and am able to enjoy the cheeses here. I wasn't sure that I would want to eat it, but, after a small taste test, I realized that cheese here is a good thing. A very good thing.
Andree, Zeno and I are going to go to the top of the mountain and enjoy the view. We might also go to a wind farm. I will stay the night here and tomorrow I will head to my first farm. I am WWOOFing here (willing workers on organic farms) and will be traveling from town to town working on farms. My first farm is in Liguria in a town called Levanto. I hear it is beautiful. Tomorrow I will call Sandro, the owner of the farm, and tell him when I will be arriving. This is exciting. I have little idea of what to expect and I have no idea if I will have access to the internet. We shall soon see. If I don't have access to the internet, I suppose I'll have to record my thoughts the old fashioned way. With my pen in hand, I will continue to observe my surroundings and soak up the beauty of Italy. It will be lovely, I am sure.
My journey is still beginning. I am on my way.
Baci
Over our morning toast with local fig jelly Andree said to me, "you can't go hungry here."
After breakfast, Andree and I hopped in the car, strapped Zeno in his car seat, and headed into Pontassieve. We went to the co-op supermarket and loaded up. I bought some apples and sunblock. I almost completed the check-out process without any help from Andree; I had observed the questions from the cashier "would you like a bag?" (non grazie) and I even understood the price of my things (£12), but I had forgotten to go to the ATM and needed £2 from Andree. Close, but no cigar.
We then went to a hardware store to get an adaptor for european outlets. Now I can listen to the ipod again. That will be nice.
We drove back the winding, mountainous roads to Donnini and then, while Andree fed Zeno his lunch, I fixed a salad. We had an artichoke quiche, salad, bread, fava beans, a glass of white wine, and some local cheese. Ah yes, I have given up the veganism for the trip and am able to enjoy the cheeses here. I wasn't sure that I would want to eat it, but, after a small taste test, I realized that cheese here is a good thing. A very good thing.
Andree, Zeno and I are going to go to the top of the mountain and enjoy the view. We might also go to a wind farm. I will stay the night here and tomorrow I will head to my first farm. I am WWOOFing here (willing workers on organic farms) and will be traveling from town to town working on farms. My first farm is in Liguria in a town called Levanto. I hear it is beautiful. Tomorrow I will call Sandro, the owner of the farm, and tell him when I will be arriving. This is exciting. I have little idea of what to expect and I have no idea if I will have access to the internet. We shall soon see. If I don't have access to the internet, I suppose I'll have to record my thoughts the old fashioned way. With my pen in hand, I will continue to observe my surroundings and soak up the beauty of Italy. It will be lovely, I am sure.
My journey is still beginning. I am on my way.
Baci
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
I did it.
I called Andree today. She is my good friend Aldi's cousin who has lived here in Italy for almost 4 years. She studied in Firenze in college, fell in love, and is now married to Aldo with a beautiful son, Zeno. They live in Pontassieve. It is beautiful.
This morning I awoke and decided that I would really try to leave Florence. I called Andree's house and we discussed what trains to take to get to Pontassieve. This small town is about 30 minutes east of Firenze by train. What a differene a half hour makes. The air smells wonderful here, the mountains are beautiful, and it isn't stifling hot like in the city.
Most commercial stores were closed today because it is a national holiday. Today marks the anniversary of when fascism was overthrown in Italy after WWII. Way to go, Italy. After I arrived, we went to a small festival in a nearby town called Pelego. There were many jewelers, organic farmers, and activities for children. It was wonderful. I just walked around and tried to pick out words I could understand and smiled a lot.
I realized quickly here that I don't need to speak italian to smile. I have also (re)learned that getting other people to smile is awesome. It's so lovely to see other people smile when I smile at them. Even if we cannot hold a conversation, we can smile at each other and look into each other's eyes. Perfetto.
I must go now and spend time with the lovely Aldo and Andree. I am so happy to be here and I want them to know that.
Baci!
This morning I awoke and decided that I would really try to leave Florence. I called Andree's house and we discussed what trains to take to get to Pontassieve. This small town is about 30 minutes east of Firenze by train. What a differene a half hour makes. The air smells wonderful here, the mountains are beautiful, and it isn't stifling hot like in the city.
Most commercial stores were closed today because it is a national holiday. Today marks the anniversary of when fascism was overthrown in Italy after WWII. Way to go, Italy. After I arrived, we went to a small festival in a nearby town called Pelego. There were many jewelers, organic farmers, and activities for children. It was wonderful. I just walked around and tried to pick out words I could understand and smiled a lot.
I realized quickly here that I don't need to speak italian to smile. I have also (re)learned that getting other people to smile is awesome. It's so lovely to see other people smile when I smile at them. Even if we cannot hold a conversation, we can smile at each other and look into each other's eyes. Perfetto.
I must go now and spend time with the lovely Aldo and Andree. I am so happy to be here and I want them to know that.
Baci!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
So Over It.
Ok, ok, ok - Florence is a nice enough town, but I am ready to hit the road. The architecture is beautiful, the sculptures are captivating, and the night life is hoppin', but, after yesterday's trip to the countryside, I remember why I have trouble in cities. I don't like having to be constantly aware of where the cars are, how fast they're going, or just when the exhaust from their tailpipes is going to approach my nostrils. I feel like I have to hold my breath.
I like breathing.
Last night, Christie, John and I sat out on the rooftop terrace of their hotel and drank two bottles of wine that we bought at the vineyard yesterday. I played some guitar and we talked about God and life and traveling and culture. It was quite refreshing to converse with folks that like to talk about their opinions. I suppose it helps that we hold generally similar views about the controversial stuff...like global warming. (I have spoken with a handful of students here who are still unsure about whether or not to believe in global warming. It is hard for me not to raise my voice when I have to argue the side of global climate change: especially after a glass or two of wine). The three of us giggled our way to dinner at about 20:30 with big, big appetites. We ate a place called Dante's that may or may not have been reccommended to us by a young woman from the bike tour who lives in Firenze. We are still unsure if this was the place she meant for us to go to. Either way, the food was good and we left stuffed. We bought another bottle of wine, had some bruschetta with beans, cheesy mushrooms, pizza, and a greek salad. Yum.
I slept at the hotel and three of us comfortably shared their huge bed. In the morning we gathered out things, they checked out, and we headed for the Duomo. While Booth and John were going into the Duomo, I found the cell phone store and bought a sim card. I'm connected!! This is pretty exciting, but I shudder to think of the .5 euro/minute it costs to dial the states. Luckily, it is absolutely free for anyone in the states to call my phone. If you'd like the number, I'd be happy to share it via email.
After the Duomo and cell phone successes, we headed to the academia to wait in line to see Michaelangelo's David. We waited in the hot sun for almost an hour to get in. Wow, it was worth it; looking at the David gave me butterflies in my stomach. I cannot believe that a man carved David out of a hunk of marble. It is so huge and anatomically accurate and inspiring and wonderful. I love the David. I could probably sit in the academia for an hour a day meditating on the David. Goodness gracious.
Christie and John have left and are on their way to Rome. I considered going along with them, but the first farm I'm going to is north of here. Going to Rome would be molto out of the way. I want to leave Firenze tomorrow and go to Venice or Cinqueterra or anywhere but here. I will have to see if my clothes have dried and if I can find lodging. Staying for free in Firenze is pretty enticing. Pretty enticing indeed. Molly leaves for Greece on Thursday, so I will need to find a place to stay then. I think I could squeeze one or two more nights out of this place. I might have to - and by 'have to', I mean 'decide to, willingly.'
Who knows, maybe the next time I write, I will be in some place new and exciting. I doubt it considerably, but it is definitely a possibility. That would be nice. I am so over Firenze.
Baci!
I like breathing.
Last night, Christie, John and I sat out on the rooftop terrace of their hotel and drank two bottles of wine that we bought at the vineyard yesterday. I played some guitar and we talked about God and life and traveling and culture. It was quite refreshing to converse with folks that like to talk about their opinions. I suppose it helps that we hold generally similar views about the controversial stuff...like global warming. (I have spoken with a handful of students here who are still unsure about whether or not to believe in global warming. It is hard for me not to raise my voice when I have to argue the side of global climate change: especially after a glass or two of wine). The three of us giggled our way to dinner at about 20:30 with big, big appetites. We ate a place called Dante's that may or may not have been reccommended to us by a young woman from the bike tour who lives in Firenze. We are still unsure if this was the place she meant for us to go to. Either way, the food was good and we left stuffed. We bought another bottle of wine, had some bruschetta with beans, cheesy mushrooms, pizza, and a greek salad. Yum.
I slept at the hotel and three of us comfortably shared their huge bed. In the morning we gathered out things, they checked out, and we headed for the Duomo. While Booth and John were going into the Duomo, I found the cell phone store and bought a sim card. I'm connected!! This is pretty exciting, but I shudder to think of the .5 euro/minute it costs to dial the states. Luckily, it is absolutely free for anyone in the states to call my phone. If you'd like the number, I'd be happy to share it via email.
After the Duomo and cell phone successes, we headed to the academia to wait in line to see Michaelangelo's David. We waited in the hot sun for almost an hour to get in. Wow, it was worth it; looking at the David gave me butterflies in my stomach. I cannot believe that a man carved David out of a hunk of marble. It is so huge and anatomically accurate and inspiring and wonderful. I love the David. I could probably sit in the academia for an hour a day meditating on the David. Goodness gracious.
Christie and John have left and are on their way to Rome. I considered going along with them, but the first farm I'm going to is north of here. Going to Rome would be molto out of the way. I want to leave Firenze tomorrow and go to Venice or Cinqueterra or anywhere but here. I will have to see if my clothes have dried and if I can find lodging. Staying for free in Firenze is pretty enticing. Pretty enticing indeed. Molly leaves for Greece on Thursday, so I will need to find a place to stay then. I think I could squeeze one or two more nights out of this place. I might have to - and by 'have to', I mean 'decide to, willingly.'
Who knows, maybe the next time I write, I will be in some place new and exciting. I doubt it considerably, but it is definitely a possibility. That would be nice. I am so over Firenze.
Baci!
Monday, April 23, 2007
Excersize and a View
Oh. My. Gosh. The bike tour today was amazing. John, Boof (aka Booth, aka Boothie, aka Boofie, aka Christie) and I met at 8:45 this morning on the Ponte Santo Trinita. We walked along the river to the meeting spot for the bike tour and left Firenze at about 9:30. A few miles outside of the touristy part of Firenze, we geared up for a challenging bike ride; we put on our helmets, fitted the height of our seats, and loaded our water bottles in their holsters.
We rode only a few blocks and were away from most of the traffic in the city. We were in the tuscan countryside: wow - so, so, so, so beautiful. We biked up and up and up and up the 'hills' of the chianti region. This region of Tuscany is called the chianti region because of the kind of grapes grown from its soil. I can't recall the exact mix of grapes needed to be classified as chianti, but it is very specific.
Our tour guide, Bill (ryhmes with hill), was excellent. He told us about the ways olives are harvested (usually by hand, depending on size), the place where Michaelangelo spent his summers, and about how Dante and DaVinci gained inspiration from the very hills we were traversing. Bill told us some local folklore about DaVinci and his first attempts at flying in a small, mountain town called Fiesole. This village overlooks all of Firenze. After riding up and up and up, we walked up and up and up to a beautiful scenic overlook of the city. We sat there for a while, resting, and learned a few key italian gestures. I feel like I am part of a secret italian club now, although I am definitely not (not yet, anyways).
At this point it was about 12:00 and we had another half an hour bike ride to lunch. This portion of the bike ride was not exactly up, up, up, but it was certainly not down. After another sweat-inducing ride, we arrived at a family-run restaurant near a town called Olmo. At the restaurant (where we were certainly the only ones speaking english), we had red wine from a local vineyard, bruschetta, ravioli with a potato filling, and pasta in red sauce with zucchini. We finished the meal with an espresso, as is course after any big italian meal. It was all delicious: absolutely delicious.
After we sat for a few minutes after the huge meal, we got back on our bikes and took a short ride to a nearby vineyard. We walked through the cellars where the wine is kept in big barrels (holding 10,000 litres of wine - that's 13,333 bottles of wine), in and around where the wine ferments (for 8-10 days with the help of yeast), and out in the beautiful fields where the villa has almond trees, pomogranite bushes (?), and (of course) grape vines. From the beauty of the fields, we got back on our bikes and coasted down, doing the reverse of the earlier up, up, ups. This part was absolutely wonderful. I was breathing deeply, soaking in the view, and loving the break from being in the bustle of the city. The air smelled wonderful and my smile was big.
Now Christie is in the internet cafe with me and taking care of some business. We are about to go back to her hotel to drink the delicious wine we bought at the vineyard today and relax by her rooftop pool. Does it get any better than this?
Love, love, love. Baci
We rode only a few blocks and were away from most of the traffic in the city. We were in the tuscan countryside: wow - so, so, so, so beautiful. We biked up and up and up and up the 'hills' of the chianti region. This region of Tuscany is called the chianti region because of the kind of grapes grown from its soil. I can't recall the exact mix of grapes needed to be classified as chianti, but it is very specific.
Our tour guide, Bill (ryhmes with hill), was excellent. He told us about the ways olives are harvested (usually by hand, depending on size), the place where Michaelangelo spent his summers, and about how Dante and DaVinci gained inspiration from the very hills we were traversing. Bill told us some local folklore about DaVinci and his first attempts at flying in a small, mountain town called Fiesole. This village overlooks all of Firenze. After riding up and up and up, we walked up and up and up to a beautiful scenic overlook of the city. We sat there for a while, resting, and learned a few key italian gestures. I feel like I am part of a secret italian club now, although I am definitely not (not yet, anyways).
At this point it was about 12:00 and we had another half an hour bike ride to lunch. This portion of the bike ride was not exactly up, up, up, but it was certainly not down. After another sweat-inducing ride, we arrived at a family-run restaurant near a town called Olmo. At the restaurant (where we were certainly the only ones speaking english), we had red wine from a local vineyard, bruschetta, ravioli with a potato filling, and pasta in red sauce with zucchini. We finished the meal with an espresso, as is course after any big italian meal. It was all delicious: absolutely delicious.
After we sat for a few minutes after the huge meal, we got back on our bikes and took a short ride to a nearby vineyard. We walked through the cellars where the wine is kept in big barrels (holding 10,000 litres of wine - that's 13,333 bottles of wine), in and around where the wine ferments (for 8-10 days with the help of yeast), and out in the beautiful fields where the villa has almond trees, pomogranite bushes (?), and (of course) grape vines. From the beauty of the fields, we got back on our bikes and coasted down, doing the reverse of the earlier up, up, ups. This part was absolutely wonderful. I was breathing deeply, soaking in the view, and loving the break from being in the bustle of the city. The air smelled wonderful and my smile was big.
Now Christie is in the internet cafe with me and taking care of some business. We are about to go back to her hotel to drink the delicious wine we bought at the vineyard today and relax by her rooftop pool. Does it get any better than this?
Love, love, love. Baci
Sunday, April 22, 2007
A Touch of Home
Yay! Christie Booth is here!
I got a call on Molly's cell phone this morning at about 11 and, much to my delight, Christie Booth was on the other end. Christie is a great friend of mine from high school. She and her boyfriend, John, are going to be here in Florence until Wednesday or so. They have a hotel room about 10 minutes from where Molly lives and soon we will head over there with our bathing suits and a bottle of wine. Apparently the pool is on the rooftop and they have a wonderful view of the city.
Molly, Booth, John and I spent an hour or two in the Boboli Gardens today and boiled, boiled, boiled in the sun. The gardens are beautiful. There are dozens of little shaded paths, open courtyards with beautiful statues, and amazing views of the countryside. We sat on a wall at the top of the gardens for about a half an hour just watching the grass grow and talking about our plans. Tomorrow Booth, John, and I are going on a wine tour of the chianti region. We will ride bikes in the Tuscan countryside, try wine, and eat food. Sounds good to me.
Yesterday was, more than anything else, a day of rest. On friday night, both Molly and I were over-served. We needed yesterday to recuperate. We managed to leave the apartment for a few hours in the middle of the day to get some food and run an errand or two. I got a copy of the Lonely Planet's guide to Italy and a small Italian-English dictionary. My to-do list for Firenze still includes a trip to the cell phone store and the purchasing of some postcards.
Last night Molly and I went to dinner at a restaurant suggested by the Lonely Planet. Good work, Lonely Planet; The Attico Noe was absolutely delicious. We had the rigatoni alle noe and some pomodoro bruschetta. It was all delicious. We topped off the night by getting some gelato (italian ice cream) and listening to a musician on the street.
I wonder if you need a permit to play on the streets here. Maybe I will find out.
Anyhow -- things are still good in this part of the world and in this part of my heart. Firenze is beautiful and so are my friends. What a life to be living!
Baci!
I got a call on Molly's cell phone this morning at about 11 and, much to my delight, Christie Booth was on the other end. Christie is a great friend of mine from high school. She and her boyfriend, John, are going to be here in Florence until Wednesday or so. They have a hotel room about 10 minutes from where Molly lives and soon we will head over there with our bathing suits and a bottle of wine. Apparently the pool is on the rooftop and they have a wonderful view of the city.
Molly, Booth, John and I spent an hour or two in the Boboli Gardens today and boiled, boiled, boiled in the sun. The gardens are beautiful. There are dozens of little shaded paths, open courtyards with beautiful statues, and amazing views of the countryside. We sat on a wall at the top of the gardens for about a half an hour just watching the grass grow and talking about our plans. Tomorrow Booth, John, and I are going on a wine tour of the chianti region. We will ride bikes in the Tuscan countryside, try wine, and eat food. Sounds good to me.
Yesterday was, more than anything else, a day of rest. On friday night, both Molly and I were over-served. We needed yesterday to recuperate. We managed to leave the apartment for a few hours in the middle of the day to get some food and run an errand or two. I got a copy of the Lonely Planet's guide to Italy and a small Italian-English dictionary. My to-do list for Firenze still includes a trip to the cell phone store and the purchasing of some postcards.
Last night Molly and I went to dinner at a restaurant suggested by the Lonely Planet. Good work, Lonely Planet; The Attico Noe was absolutely delicious. We had the rigatoni alle noe and some pomodoro bruschetta. It was all delicious. We topped off the night by getting some gelato (italian ice cream) and listening to a musician on the street.
I wonder if you need a permit to play on the streets here. Maybe I will find out.
Anyhow -- things are still good in this part of the world and in this part of my heart. Firenze is beautiful and so are my friends. What a life to be living!
Baci!
Friday, April 20, 2007
Free, free, free - it's the way to be
I lucked out today. I had one all-expense paid trip to a beautiful little town called Lucca. Lucca's population is about 25,000 and is kept behind 35 ft walls. It is beautiful.
I boarded a bus with a group from Molly's school at 9am and accompanied them on a guided tour of the city. I touched stone that has been in place since the 1st century AD! Wow. After we walked through old churches, climbed to the top of a cathedral, and basked in the warmth of the tuscan sun, we boarded the bus and headed for a villa to eat lunch. This villa is on a beautiful estate in the countryside and dates back to at least the 1600s. We walked quickly through a small portion of the garden to get to the restaurant. This restaurant was once used solely to turn the local olives into olive oil and is now separate from the villa's estate. The meal was excellent. We had red wine, vegetable soup in a bread bowl, rice in fresh olive sauce, potatoes, (people who are not me had some meat), and delicious little chocolate tort, and a zucchini tort. Let me remind you: this was all free for Maggie. We then took a more in-depth tour of the estate. I hope pictures are to come.
Today was a beautiful day and Molly and I are now side-by-side in an internet cafe. We are going to go to dinner in a few minutes. I am still not sure if I will be hungry after that huge lunch. It is 20:00.
__________________________________________________________________
I am so happy that I am not in the states right now. I can't believe all that has happened. Here, I am not constantly reminded of the growing atrocity. I hope that all of you back home are allowing yourselves time to step away from the news. I can't imagine that looking at those images or reading more about it can possibly help matters. Although I have missed the comfort of being close to ones I truly love, I would not go back in time and stay there. I am glad I am here.
I realize that my last entry was a little graphic about my ups and downs so far, but I thought it ended hopefully enough to counteract the negativity. Maybe I was wrong. I want all of you blog-stalkers out there to know that I am doing well. I think you already knew that. I just hope you all are doing well too.
So much Love. Baci
I boarded a bus with a group from Molly's school at 9am and accompanied them on a guided tour of the city. I touched stone that has been in place since the 1st century AD! Wow. After we walked through old churches, climbed to the top of a cathedral, and basked in the warmth of the tuscan sun, we boarded the bus and headed for a villa to eat lunch. This villa is on a beautiful estate in the countryside and dates back to at least the 1600s. We walked quickly through a small portion of the garden to get to the restaurant. This restaurant was once used solely to turn the local olives into olive oil and is now separate from the villa's estate. The meal was excellent. We had red wine, vegetable soup in a bread bowl, rice in fresh olive sauce, potatoes, (people who are not me had some meat), and delicious little chocolate tort, and a zucchini tort. Let me remind you: this was all free for Maggie. We then took a more in-depth tour of the estate. I hope pictures are to come.
Today was a beautiful day and Molly and I are now side-by-side in an internet cafe. We are going to go to dinner in a few minutes. I am still not sure if I will be hungry after that huge lunch. It is 20:00.
__________________________________________________________________
I am so happy that I am not in the states right now. I can't believe all that has happened. Here, I am not constantly reminded of the growing atrocity. I hope that all of you back home are allowing yourselves time to step away from the news. I can't imagine that looking at those images or reading more about it can possibly help matters. Although I have missed the comfort of being close to ones I truly love, I would not go back in time and stay there. I am glad I am here.
I realize that my last entry was a little graphic about my ups and downs so far, but I thought it ended hopefully enough to counteract the negativity. Maybe I was wrong. I want all of you blog-stalkers out there to know that I am doing well. I think you already knew that. I just hope you all are doing well too.
So much Love. Baci
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Another day, another panini
I am sitting in the library of Molly's school here in Florence. Molly is a friend of mine from VT. She is studying art and italian here for the semester. We met in the dorms our first year. We are sharing our conflicted feelings about being so far from Blacksburg right now.
On the traveling saga: The Virgin Atlantic flight left the ground at about 8:15pm and I had one last chance to talk with some friends from Tech. Thomas is glad that I decided to go: all my friends in Blacksburg are. They're all leaving town too.
In my daydreams, this 6.5-hour flight was going to be a perfect opportunity to learn the entire italian language. I even brought a heavy folder filled with worksheets to help me attain my goal. When the time came for my flight, I was feeling little like studying, and more like turning off my brain. I watched two movies. Surprisingly enough, I had a great selection of films to choose from. I watched Little Children with Kate Winslet and Jennifer Connely (for the second time), and part of Emilio Estevez' Bobby. Bobby put me to sleep. Thanks, Emilio. I needed a nap.
The plane landed in London at around 8am (woah time warp!) and I disembarked.
I walked along the storefronts with my guitar on my back and I was feeling pretty stable. I saw a man reading the kind of newspaper with big pictures on the front, cartoonish font, and stories about 'Anna Nicole's secret beauty mark: the full story' that also had pictures of VT on it. I then become strangely obsessed with finding a newstand. I guess I just wanted to make sure it was true in London, or see what kind of world news this is. Then I started crying a little bit - nothing too crazy, just a few tears as images ran through my head. I sat down, collected myself, and got a boarding pass for a flight headed to Milan.
The flight to Milano was pretty uneventful except for the clogging of my left ear. For about 4 hours after the flight, it sounded as if I was still on a plane.
From the Malpensa airport, I took the Malpensa Express to the Cadorna train station in Milan. "Yes," I thought, "although I've been anxious about this part of my trip, I know that I am at the train station and all I have to do is purchase a ticket to Florence. Whew!" When I got to the ticket counter and asked (in perfect italian) for one ticket to Florence, I quickly interjected "in inglese, per favore!" so that I could understand what she was saying to me and why she wasn't printing me a ticket.
I was at the wrong station so I got on the green subway for five stops and got off at Centrale (thank goodness I've had all that subway practice in New York!!). I went up the beautiful stone staircase of the Stazione Centrale and, after only minor troubles, purchased a ticket for Firenze at 17:00. I bought a first class ticket. This was a good idea. At this time it was about 15:30. I had an hour and a half to try to get in touch with Molly to tell her when I was getting in. This part made me kind of nervous.
Either I couldn't get the public telephones to work, or Molly's cell phone was off. So I went up more beautiful stone stairs and sat down next to two young women on the floor. I asked them if they knew about the telephones. They shook their heads. I then spun around and asked the young man next to me if I could use his cell phone. He said it wasn't working. He asked me where I was from. I said Virginia. He said, "oh where all the shooting is." I told him I go to school there. He looked at me with that oh-shit-i-had-no-idea kind of look. I don't know if it was the act of admitting that I go to school at Tech, the fact that I hadn't talked to Molly yet, or the sounds of 3,000 ft above sea level ringing in my ear that did it, but I really started crying.
It wasn't long after the tears started falling and the snot started running that the young man gave me his phone and offered to do anything he could for me. I asked for tissues. After I could blow my nose and try to breath again, I asked Paoli to look after my stuff as I searched for a bathroom. When I was walking out of the bathroom I was feeling like I could really do it again. I realized that even if I didn't talk to Molly, I had her address and I could find a hostel of need be. I got back to Paoli and asked if I wanted to try Molly one more time. I said OK. And yay! I got a Molly! As sure as I was that I could do it without her, it was so nice to know that she was going to be at the train station waiting for me.
I slept for an hour or two on the train (which is kind of too bad because the parts that I could keep my eyes open for were really beautiful: rolling hills, green mountains, goats, and olive trees...). Molly met me at the station, as promised, at 19:45 and we walked to her apartment. I was so distracted by the beauty of Florence that I could not feel the weight of my pack. Maybe I brought too much stuff. It's heavy. (when i was on the subway, i considered sitting on the floor, but decided not to for fear of getting up...or not getting up in time for my stop).
So now I'm in Florence. I made it. I really made it. Last night we ate some pasta and had a glass or two of red wine. The wine helped to calm me down. Who would've known? I had been feeling similarly to how I felt the first time I went to camp. I was scared to be alone and I had no idea what to expect. I don't want what happened in the Milan Central Train station to happen again. That was nuts. Luckily, it worked out and Paoli was willing to let me try his cell phone many, many times. This was probably because I cried like a little baby.
Well I'm dry-eyed now and looking out on the beautiful Firenze sun. The weather is perfect here. I might go to a couple of Molly's classes with her and I think I will go on a field trip with her to Lucca tomorrow. That will be lovely.
I am feelin' good and I just finished a vegetarian panini. It is going to be a good day.
Love.
On the traveling saga: The Virgin Atlantic flight left the ground at about 8:15pm and I had one last chance to talk with some friends from Tech. Thomas is glad that I decided to go: all my friends in Blacksburg are. They're all leaving town too.
In my daydreams, this 6.5-hour flight was going to be a perfect opportunity to learn the entire italian language. I even brought a heavy folder filled with worksheets to help me attain my goal. When the time came for my flight, I was feeling little like studying, and more like turning off my brain. I watched two movies. Surprisingly enough, I had a great selection of films to choose from. I watched Little Children with Kate Winslet and Jennifer Connely (for the second time), and part of Emilio Estevez' Bobby. Bobby put me to sleep. Thanks, Emilio. I needed a nap.
The plane landed in London at around 8am (woah time warp!) and I disembarked.
I walked along the storefronts with my guitar on my back and I was feeling pretty stable. I saw a man reading the kind of newspaper with big pictures on the front, cartoonish font, and stories about 'Anna Nicole's secret beauty mark: the full story' that also had pictures of VT on it. I then become strangely obsessed with finding a newstand. I guess I just wanted to make sure it was true in London, or see what kind of world news this is. Then I started crying a little bit - nothing too crazy, just a few tears as images ran through my head. I sat down, collected myself, and got a boarding pass for a flight headed to Milan.
The flight to Milano was pretty uneventful except for the clogging of my left ear. For about 4 hours after the flight, it sounded as if I was still on a plane.
From the Malpensa airport, I took the Malpensa Express to the Cadorna train station in Milan. "Yes," I thought, "although I've been anxious about this part of my trip, I know that I am at the train station and all I have to do is purchase a ticket to Florence. Whew!" When I got to the ticket counter and asked (in perfect italian) for one ticket to Florence, I quickly interjected "in inglese, per favore!" so that I could understand what she was saying to me and why she wasn't printing me a ticket.
I was at the wrong station so I got on the green subway for five stops and got off at Centrale (thank goodness I've had all that subway practice in New York!!). I went up the beautiful stone staircase of the Stazione Centrale and, after only minor troubles, purchased a ticket for Firenze at 17:00. I bought a first class ticket. This was a good idea. At this time it was about 15:30. I had an hour and a half to try to get in touch with Molly to tell her when I was getting in. This part made me kind of nervous.
Either I couldn't get the public telephones to work, or Molly's cell phone was off. So I went up more beautiful stone stairs and sat down next to two young women on the floor. I asked them if they knew about the telephones. They shook their heads. I then spun around and asked the young man next to me if I could use his cell phone. He said it wasn't working. He asked me where I was from. I said Virginia. He said, "oh where all the shooting is." I told him I go to school there. He looked at me with that oh-shit-i-had-no-idea kind of look. I don't know if it was the act of admitting that I go to school at Tech, the fact that I hadn't talked to Molly yet, or the sounds of 3,000 ft above sea level ringing in my ear that did it, but I really started crying.
It wasn't long after the tears started falling and the snot started running that the young man gave me his phone and offered to do anything he could for me. I asked for tissues. After I could blow my nose and try to breath again, I asked Paoli to look after my stuff as I searched for a bathroom. When I was walking out of the bathroom I was feeling like I could really do it again. I realized that even if I didn't talk to Molly, I had her address and I could find a hostel of need be. I got back to Paoli and asked if I wanted to try Molly one more time. I said OK. And yay! I got a Molly! As sure as I was that I could do it without her, it was so nice to know that she was going to be at the train station waiting for me.
I slept for an hour or two on the train (which is kind of too bad because the parts that I could keep my eyes open for were really beautiful: rolling hills, green mountains, goats, and olive trees...). Molly met me at the station, as promised, at 19:45 and we walked to her apartment. I was so distracted by the beauty of Florence that I could not feel the weight of my pack. Maybe I brought too much stuff. It's heavy. (when i was on the subway, i considered sitting on the floor, but decided not to for fear of getting up...or not getting up in time for my stop).
So now I'm in Florence. I made it. I really made it. Last night we ate some pasta and had a glass or two of red wine. The wine helped to calm me down. Who would've known? I had been feeling similarly to how I felt the first time I went to camp. I was scared to be alone and I had no idea what to expect. I don't want what happened in the Milan Central Train station to happen again. That was nuts. Luckily, it worked out and Paoli was willing to let me try his cell phone many, many times. This was probably because I cried like a little baby.
Well I'm dry-eyed now and looking out on the beautiful Firenze sun. The weather is perfect here. I might go to a couple of Molly's classes with her and I think I will go on a field trip with her to Lucca tomorrow. That will be lovely.
I am feelin' good and I just finished a vegetarian panini. It is going to be a good day.
Love.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
In Florence with Friends
Despite all the reasons I had for not going, I decided to go. I boarded the plane headed for London and I have arrived in Florence. I am currently in a beautiful apartment with brick floors and high ceilings. The four girls who live here were strangers to me just hours ago, and now I have spent beautiful moments with them on their veranda that overlooks the Duomo. The Duomo is a beautiful, gigantic church.
As far as emotional stress goes - I am feeling good right now. I am feeling like I can do this. I made it to Florence.
I should have expected that the Virginia Tech news was going to be all over the world, but when I got to London and saw the headlines I was still shocked; I still had to cry unexpected tears.
Tomorrow I will have access to the internet for a longer amount of time, so I will give a more detailed explanation of what is going on.
So much Love.
As far as emotional stress goes - I am feeling good right now. I am feeling like I can do this. I made it to Florence.
I should have expected that the Virginia Tech news was going to be all over the world, but when I got to London and saw the headlines I was still shocked; I still had to cry unexpected tears.
Tomorrow I will have access to the internet for a longer amount of time, so I will give a more detailed explanation of what is going on.
So much Love.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Rainy, rainy New York City
I'm in Brooklyn and, except for a brief excursion for bagels this morning, I have been inside all day. The rain is pouring, pouring, pouring down. I cannot believe that it has been raining this hard for this long. At least I have a sweet rain jacket (thanks, dad).
Wow, what a tumultuous couple of days in this cold, wet city. I have been sick - and when I say 'sick', I mean really pretty ill. I have been blowing a lot of snot out of my face, trying to cough out the mucus lodged in my chest, and I spent thursday and friday weathering a pretty hot fever. I have had the chest congestion for approximately 4 months and I think I've tried a fair number of potential remedies (that have failed!). I tried: letting it run its course to see if it would go away on its own, abstaining from alcohol or caffeine for almost a month, regular doses of echanacea and vitamin C, rest (maybe I haven't tried this one enough), and, finally, last week I went to a real, live western doctor who prescribed mucinex and an antibiotic. I am arguably sicker than I have been in the past few years.
Have no fear - tomorrow I will go to an acupuncturist and I will get healthy.
I considered changing my flight to later in the week, but this is pretty expensive (at least $300). For some reason, I have a lot of faith that I will be feeling better by the time I board my flight at 7:50pm on Tuesday the 17th.
I will rest. I will drink a lot of fluids. I will try hot and cold compresses. I will, I will, I will get better.
Maybe the cure really is a healthy dose of Mediterranean air.
It's too bad that all I can really think about right now is the sickness brewing inside of me because I really did have a lovely time here in the city with my parents. We went to the Metropolitan, walked the streets of Brooklyn, ate at Counter (a delicious vegetarian restaurant), and had some good coffee talk at the Lodge before they left.
Now I am in Andrew and Gabriel's apartment while the two aforementioned nerds study or read (for fun!). I hope to get a lot of sleep tonight and wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morn. Even if I don't, I have an appointment with an acupuncturist tomorrow at 5:30pm. I will, I will, I will get better.
Despite all my ailments and complaints, I am still sure that going to Italy on Tuesday is a Good Idea. I am, however, open to the possibility that I may not be well enough to make the journey. I will decide then. Either way, I will make it to Italy soon; this country has done little for the restoration of my health and so I must look elsewhere. Italy sounds good.
Wow, what a tumultuous couple of days in this cold, wet city. I have been sick - and when I say 'sick', I mean really pretty ill. I have been blowing a lot of snot out of my face, trying to cough out the mucus lodged in my chest, and I spent thursday and friday weathering a pretty hot fever. I have had the chest congestion for approximately 4 months and I think I've tried a fair number of potential remedies (that have failed!). I tried: letting it run its course to see if it would go away on its own, abstaining from alcohol or caffeine for almost a month, regular doses of echanacea and vitamin C, rest (maybe I haven't tried this one enough), and, finally, last week I went to a real, live western doctor who prescribed mucinex and an antibiotic. I am arguably sicker than I have been in the past few years.
Have no fear - tomorrow I will go to an acupuncturist and I will get healthy.
I considered changing my flight to later in the week, but this is pretty expensive (at least $300). For some reason, I have a lot of faith that I will be feeling better by the time I board my flight at 7:50pm on Tuesday the 17th.
I will rest. I will drink a lot of fluids. I will try hot and cold compresses. I will, I will, I will get better.
Maybe the cure really is a healthy dose of Mediterranean air.
It's too bad that all I can really think about right now is the sickness brewing inside of me because I really did have a lovely time here in the city with my parents. We went to the Metropolitan, walked the streets of Brooklyn, ate at Counter (a delicious vegetarian restaurant), and had some good coffee talk at the Lodge before they left.
Now I am in Andrew and Gabriel's apartment while the two aforementioned nerds study or read (for fun!). I hope to get a lot of sleep tonight and wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morn. Even if I don't, I have an appointment with an acupuncturist tomorrow at 5:30pm. I will, I will, I will get better.
Despite all my ailments and complaints, I am still sure that going to Italy on Tuesday is a Good Idea. I am, however, open to the possibility that I may not be well enough to make the journey. I will decide then. Either way, I will make it to Italy soon; this country has done little for the restoration of my health and so I must look elsewhere. Italy sounds good.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Still in the states
All my bags are packed. I'm ready to go.
...for the most part.
I'm looking out of the big window behind my parent's computer in Rochester, NY and I see winter. There are no leaves on the trees and there is a light dusting of snow on the ground. I am cold. I checked the weather for Florence yesterday: 70 degrees farenheit and sunny. I'm really going there in one week from today. I'm really going to Europe.
I need to lighten my pack. I think that I will take a pair of worn-out (beautiful) flip-flops, my chacos, and a pair of sneakers or boots. I still have to make that big decision between sneakers and boots - sneakers or boots, sneakers or boots, sneakers or boots? I think I'm going to go to the store with Dad in a minute and, if I can find a stupendous pair of sneakers, I just might choose sneakers. Although I realize that I'll be working on farms, I can't imagine a pair of hiking boots being as comfortable as sneakers for as long as I'll need them. Oh gosh - decisions, decisions.
I only need two pairs of pants, right? One pair of jeans and one pair of lighter, cargo pants should do me just find. A part of me wants to bring one more pair of jeans but, c'mon, I know I'm only going to be wearing one of them anyways. The other pair would just take up space in the bottom of my pack.
My pack is heavy enough with my guitar strapped to it. Oh wow, I really decided to bring my guitar - this is big! Maybe if I run out of money, I'll sit on the streets and rake in the dough...I wonder if italians will like my music even if they don't understand the words. I wonder also, if I'll have the balls to sit out on the streets in a foreign country and play music.
Just who am I going to be on this trip? Who will I be when I return? I know, I know, I know that I'll be me. I know that I'll be me, but what new and exciting things are going to be in my head and on my skin and coursing through my breath?
Yes, this is pretty exciting.
...for the most part.
I'm looking out of the big window behind my parent's computer in Rochester, NY and I see winter. There are no leaves on the trees and there is a light dusting of snow on the ground. I am cold. I checked the weather for Florence yesterday: 70 degrees farenheit and sunny. I'm really going there in one week from today. I'm really going to Europe.
I need to lighten my pack. I think that I will take a pair of worn-out (beautiful) flip-flops, my chacos, and a pair of sneakers or boots. I still have to make that big decision between sneakers and boots - sneakers or boots, sneakers or boots, sneakers or boots? I think I'm going to go to the store with Dad in a minute and, if I can find a stupendous pair of sneakers, I just might choose sneakers. Although I realize that I'll be working on farms, I can't imagine a pair of hiking boots being as comfortable as sneakers for as long as I'll need them. Oh gosh - decisions, decisions.
I only need two pairs of pants, right? One pair of jeans and one pair of lighter, cargo pants should do me just find. A part of me wants to bring one more pair of jeans but, c'mon, I know I'm only going to be wearing one of them anyways. The other pair would just take up space in the bottom of my pack.
My pack is heavy enough with my guitar strapped to it. Oh wow, I really decided to bring my guitar - this is big! Maybe if I run out of money, I'll sit on the streets and rake in the dough...I wonder if italians will like my music even if they don't understand the words. I wonder also, if I'll have the balls to sit out on the streets in a foreign country and play music.
Just who am I going to be on this trip? Who will I be when I return? I know, I know, I know that I'll be me. I know that I'll be me, but what new and exciting things are going to be in my head and on my skin and coursing through my breath?
Yes, this is pretty exciting.
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