Because i dont have enough time to sit and write in my blog, I will give brief highlights. I hope you are all doing well. I am having an amazing time. Italy has proven to be diverse and full of life! It has been somewhat hot and I seem to have gotten heat rash on my foot and my arm. However the worst is the swelling. I was able to get some cream from the Farmacia (Pharmacy) which has helped quite a bit. My tour operator said if it didnt get better in the next day or two he would take me to a doctor. But i see improvement already.
Florence, Italy - Florence was a favorite place of mine. The Duomo was the most amazing thing i have ever seen in my life and no pictures could ever do it justice. I took some anyway, but please keep that in mind. We took a brief walking tour through the city and then we had some free time which i spent sitting near the Efici (spelling) watching one of the watercolor artists and people watching. One of the most enjoy able afternoons for me. One of the optional tours was a dinner in the Chianti Hills! It was by far the best night ever! Our bus driver was singing with the piano, we all had TONS of bottomless bottles of red chianti, and then we went out dancing afterwards! It was a rough morning, but well worth it!
San Gimiani ( spelling?) - A quaint, meidevil village atop a hill with wonderful character and breathtaking view of the Tuscan Countryside. Pssstt... you know all those paintings and photographs you see of Tuscany?? YUP! Looks JUST like that!!!! AMAZING!
Pisa - yup, we came, we saw, we took pictures, we left! The leaning tower is cool.... but thats pretty much it!
Santa Margharita Ligure and Portifino - Exclusive resport area-absolutely stunning!!!!!! Famous for its pesto, I of course HAD to try it! Then i sat under some huge trees in the park facing the Mediterrean Sea. Quiet, peaceful, refreshing... What more can i say? It was a brief encounter.
Milan - Here is a one sentence description of Milan. Ancient Gothic style monsterous duomo surrounded by NYC style metropolis. Ugh. The church was amazing, but ok.. thats it... lets go! am done! We stayed in a nearby hotel last night in Milano (Milan in Italian) and now here i sit in an internet cafe to escape the hussle and bussle of the city streets! Not my style!
My favorite things so far-
1. endless cappacino outdoor cafés with the most amazing coffee EVER (except yours Diane.. of course!!!!)
2. breathtaking view of the Tuscan Countryside
3. watching artists in Florence.
4. sitting at St. Pietros Square in Rome on the day of my arrival!
5. Dinner in the Chianti Hills!
6. Pesto in Santa Margharita Ligure
7. Dinner with some of the other girls in Rome in an outdoor cafe!
8. The view from the hotel in Sorrento!
Time for me to go! My hour is almost running out!
CIAO for now!
Andiamos dulce vide (We are going to live the sweet life!)
Friday, September 08, 2006
Monday, September 04, 2006
Italian Simplicity
August 31, 2006
I have always searched for the exact description, but fail. All i can say is its a way of life that a traveler can only taste the icing on the cake and not completely experience on their own.
Italians have great pride in simplicity with elegance. Its all about presentation, not the price of something. Its more about taking great pride creating, whether its food or art or whatever. They are passionate about life. They keep things simple in matters of food and enjoyment: "eat to live, not live to eat". (something perhaps many of us should take into consideration). Yet their passional for life can complicate things all on their own. Drama & excitement in matters of the heart, for instance. you can hear the passion in every vowel of every word they speak. They project feeling and emotion in their language. Much like the French, but less harsh on the tongue and ear.
I find myself drawn to their language... repeating... and at times making up my own words simply because the sound pretty. Mangare... Italiano.... Andiamos.... grazie.... giving it the same full bodied expression as the Italian natives.
I have almost worked up the nerve to grab a taxi into Rome, but not quite yet! I only wish i had a computer to write in my blog....
I have always searched for the exact description, but fail. All i can say is its a way of life that a traveler can only taste the icing on the cake and not completely experience on their own.
Italians have great pride in simplicity with elegance. Its all about presentation, not the price of something. Its more about taking great pride creating, whether its food or art or whatever. They are passionate about life. They keep things simple in matters of food and enjoyment: "eat to live, not live to eat". (something perhaps many of us should take into consideration). Yet their passional for life can complicate things all on their own. Drama & excitement in matters of the heart, for instance. you can hear the passion in every vowel of every word they speak. They project feeling and emotion in their language. Much like the French, but less harsh on the tongue and ear.
I find myself drawn to their language... repeating... and at times making up my own words simply because the sound pretty. Mangare... Italiano.... Andiamos.... grazie.... giving it the same full bodied expression as the Italian natives.
I have almost worked up the nerve to grab a taxi into Rome, but not quite yet! I only wish i had a computer to write in my blog....
Ergife Palace Hotel, Rome, Italy
August 31, 2006 7pm (Europe time)
Right now, right this very moment, I sit poolside (no bathing suit) at my hotel. Hotel Ergife Palace. A lovely place! I am dining (for 5 Euros) on a foccia sandwich with fresh moz. cheese and prosuitto (forgive my spelling). Simple. Tasty. Perfect for my arrival meal. My group doesnt meet until tomorrow evening. I am the first to arrive.... a day early.
The view is great. We are somewhat outside the main area of Rome, but close enough to take a bus, taxi or metro. The most amazing part is hearing the bells of St. Peters Cathedral playing Ave Marie from a distance. I imagine this occurs daily because the waiter doesnt even hear it as he ssings his own tune while cleaning the table next to me.
Again he sings from behind the bar, casually forgetting whatever Italian word went with the tune he hums. The waitress behind the bar casually chats in Italian with a gentleman. Its hard to tell if he is hitting on her or they are just idly chatting about nothing. I came to this country with certain expectations of Italians sticking their nose up at us Americanos. I have this image of the Italian waitress enjoying dinner with her family and laughing at those silly Americans.
You can tell this hotel caters to its crowd with its large palm trees creating a fake illusion of some tropical oasis, which i know only exists somewhere in the Tahitian Islands, far far away. I find this sort of thing amusing. The waiter continues his own rendition of the Italian song (occasionally spitting out a few Simon and Garfunkel songs in English). It makes me smile, sitting here, cool breeze, setting sun glimmering on the pool.
Right now, right this very moment, I sit poolside (no bathing suit) at my hotel. Hotel Ergife Palace. A lovely place! I am dining (for 5 Euros) on a foccia sandwich with fresh moz. cheese and prosuitto (forgive my spelling). Simple. Tasty. Perfect for my arrival meal. My group doesnt meet until tomorrow evening. I am the first to arrive.... a day early.
The view is great. We are somewhat outside the main area of Rome, but close enough to take a bus, taxi or metro. The most amazing part is hearing the bells of St. Peters Cathedral playing Ave Marie from a distance. I imagine this occurs daily because the waiter doesnt even hear it as he ssings his own tune while cleaning the table next to me.
Again he sings from behind the bar, casually forgetting whatever Italian word went with the tune he hums. The waitress behind the bar casually chats in Italian with a gentleman. Its hard to tell if he is hitting on her or they are just idly chatting about nothing. I came to this country with certain expectations of Italians sticking their nose up at us Americanos. I have this image of the Italian waitress enjoying dinner with her family and laughing at those silly Americans.
You can tell this hotel caters to its crowd with its large palm trees creating a fake illusion of some tropical oasis, which i know only exists somewhere in the Tahitian Islands, far far away. I find this sort of thing amusing. The waiter continues his own rendition of the Italian song (occasionally spitting out a few Simon and Garfunkel songs in English). It makes me smile, sitting here, cool breeze, setting sun glimmering on the pool.
ROME, ITALY
August 31, 2006
My flight from NY to Brussells was amusing and frustrating. It just so happens that the power supply to the whole left side of the plane was not functioning. This meant... no light, when the lights went out.... no sound, when the movies were playing.... and no call button, when i needed the attention of a flight attendant.
Of course, I didnt sleep the whole flight, but a very nice German kid kept me company. We shared teh same sleeping issues apparently. He helped me find my way in the Brussells airport, which was no easy task. It took a half our to get from our arriving gate to our connecting departure gate. Despite the amusing difficulties, my flight from Brussells to Rome proved worthy as we gently soared above the Swiss Alps.
Although I took a picture from the plane, one cannot comprehend its beauty. I felt overwhelmed and humbled by Gods work (sorry, no appostrophes on European keyboards).
At the Rome International airport, I patiently waited 25 minutes for my luggage (my little backpack) and then found my ride. The woman asked my name and before i could answer, a handsome, older gentleman yelled out my name as if he has been expecting my arrival. "Si", I said. He reminded me of my Uncle Nestor... same face, smile, stature and jovial way about him. If i had been more awake, I probably would have thought to take a picture and tell him just that!
My flight from NY to Brussells was amusing and frustrating. It just so happens that the power supply to the whole left side of the plane was not functioning. This meant... no light, when the lights went out.... no sound, when the movies were playing.... and no call button, when i needed the attention of a flight attendant.
Of course, I didnt sleep the whole flight, but a very nice German kid kept me company. We shared teh same sleeping issues apparently. He helped me find my way in the Brussells airport, which was no easy task. It took a half our to get from our arriving gate to our connecting departure gate. Despite the amusing difficulties, my flight from Brussells to Rome proved worthy as we gently soared above the Swiss Alps.
Although I took a picture from the plane, one cannot comprehend its beauty. I felt overwhelmed and humbled by Gods work (sorry, no appostrophes on European keyboards).
At the Rome International airport, I patiently waited 25 minutes for my luggage (my little backpack) and then found my ride. The woman asked my name and before i could answer, a handsome, older gentleman yelled out my name as if he has been expecting my arrival. "Si", I said. He reminded me of my Uncle Nestor... same face, smile, stature and jovial way about him. If i had been more awake, I probably would have thought to take a picture and tell him just that!
Sorry for the delay!!!
Hey everyone... i am just NOW gaining access to the internet through a cafe in Sorrento (near Napoli). I will start from the beginning. I have been writing ALOT in my journal and i hope to get it all entered today. You will have a lot of reading to do.
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