I got in late last night, after a too-long day of airplanes and customs and security lines and no sleep, and I finally turned out the light around 11:30pm. I vaguely recall waking up once during the night, but didn't really start waking up in earnest until almost 8:00am today, so that's good. I'm starting to feel sleepy now, and am hoping to go to bed early, but all in all I'm pleased at how well I slept. We'll see if I can really avoid jetlag, or if I'm deluding myself.
It was extremely hard to leave Italy yesterday; the whole process of packing and taking the train to the airport was just plain depressing. Now, it is nice to be in my own home surrounded by my stuff and to have my cats around (that last part is especially nice), but I could have my own stuff and my cats moved to Italy. So that isn't enough of a lure to stay here. No, moving to Italy is still very much something I want to do, so we'll see how it all works out.
On a lighter note, when I got home last night the garage light was on. I thought that was odd. Then I saw there was a note from our house-sitter extraordinaire on the door, saying one of the cats was in the garage. (They're indoor cats, and not supposed to get into the garage, even.) She said he'd gotten in there just that evening as she was taking out the garbage, and he was too quick for her. He hadn't responded to her attempts to get him back inside, so I spent the first 20 minutes of being home lying on the floor of my garage trying to convince my cat to come out from under Chris' car. He finally did, and when I scooped him I up I realized his paws were kind of oily. Lovely. So then I spent the next 15 minutes washing off my cat's paws (he really didn't love me very much at that point) in a locked bathroom so he couldn't get away and get oily cat footprints all over our cream-colored carpets. Then, and only then, did I actually bring any of my bags upstairs.
Yeah, it was kind of an odd re-entry. But comical. At least for me (not for the cat).
Oh, and this morning before I ran to the grocery store for some milk, I stopped by the cafe that's around the corner from our house (and run by some friends who love Italy and Italian coffee), and I taught the gals working there how to make my new favorite coffee drink. I'll have to teach our friends, the owners, so they can add it to the menu. Seriously. I'm not sure I can live without at least the occasional marocchino for too long! Hey, if I can't be in Italy, I'll bring as much of Italy home with me as possible...
I'm going to spend tomorrow morning doing a few household chores and unpacking, my mom's going to come up for a visit in the afternoon, and I'm going to relax in my PJs and maybe not leave my house all day. Then on Sunday I have to drive to SeaTac airport to pick up Chris. That's as far as he could get on Sunday (they were going to have him stay overnight up there and fly him to Portland on Monday - no thanks). I'm not looking forward to the road trip by myself on the way up, especially if I'm still jetlaggy. Anyone wanna come with??
28 March 2008
26 March 2008
BootsnAll Bloopers Video
At BootsnAll we've been doing lots of videos over the last few months, recording stuff in our basement mini-TV studio and putting it up on the video section of BootsnAll. As you can imagine, Ethan (the man who's usually behind the camera) has collected lots of bloopers and outtakes over this time, which he actually edited together into one three-minute video.
Now, if you don't know anyone at BootsnAll, this may not be terribly amusing to you. But I've watched it twice now and giggled myself silly. I work with some funny guys.
For reference, featured in this video are:
Sean - BootsnAll CEO, co-founder & company mascot
Chris - BootsnAll co-founder, design guru & resident Aussie whose mind goes blank for a second
Ethan - BootsnAll video expert who's apparently struggling with an ear hair issue
Mika - BootsnAll business (or biz-natch) development
Hayden - BootsnAll marketing guy who is told no one cares about his family
Roger - BootsnAll writer who brings his own lighting to the DMV
and me!
Now, if you don't know anyone at BootsnAll, this may not be terribly amusing to you. But I've watched it twice now and giggled myself silly. I work with some funny guys.
For reference, featured in this video are:
Sean - BootsnAll CEO, co-founder & company mascot
Chris - BootsnAll co-founder, design guru & resident Aussie whose mind goes blank for a second
Ethan - BootsnAll video expert who's apparently struggling with an ear hair issue
Mika - BootsnAll business (or biz-natch) development
Hayden - BootsnAll marketing guy who is told no one cares about his family
Roger - BootsnAll writer who brings his own lighting to the DMV
and me!
25 March 2008
Where did I leave off?
I know, I know - it was ages ago. I'm a bad blogger. And I haven't uploaded pictures to Flickr for awhile, either. Sorry about that - I'm trying to maintain two Flickr accounts, and I'm obviously not doing a very good job of that! As it happens, maintaining two blogs is a bit difficult, too. I hope you'll forgive me.
It's Tuesday afternoon in Milan, and I head back to Oregon on Thursday. I'm not ready. I don't want to go back yet. Despite some things I'd like to change about my living situation here (bigger apartment, better plumbing, having my cats here) and the situation overall (Chris with a job here, us being able to be here legally and permanently), it's been an excellent trip and I still very much like Italy and the idea of living in Italy. We both do. It could have gone either way, of course, with either one of us deciding after six weeks of living in Italy that this was a bad idea of colossal proportions and what were we thinking in the first place? Both of us could have come to that conclusion as well. But we didn't. We both still love it here, and we want to come back ASAP.
That's easier said than done, unfortunately.
We have been presented with some options, which include getting an autonomous work visa for me and then a family visa for Chris, but there are serious downsides to doing that (not least of which is the personal cost we'd have to shoulder). We can also come back for up to three months on a normal tourist visa, during which time Chris can be once again looking for work. But at some point the looking for work has to turn into actually getting a position, and that's the tough part. There's no doubt in either of our minds that it'll happen, it's a question of time and presence - things tend to happen more slowly here, and it'll be hard for Chris to get a job if he's looking from across an ocean. So, even though we have options, there is (as yet) no perfect solution. Except, of course, if Chris gets a job offer!
About an hour ago we looked at our first apartment here in Milan - it was mostly a test run, to start to get a feel for the real estate system here (it's so different from the US, I don't know where to start). It was a decent apartment, but just like with cars you don't want to take the first one you see. And of course we can't really take anything right now, either. It's all this big circular thing that's very difficult to enter as a foreigner. In order to get Piece A you need Piece B, and in order to get Piece B you need Piece C. But in order to get Piece C, it seems you need Piece A. Frankly, I'm not surprised so many people come and stay here illegally - the system is so challenging to penetrate.
At any rate, this six weeks has simply flown by, and this time next week both Chris and I will be back in Oregon, trying to figure out our next steps. No telling what happens next, folks.
It's Tuesday afternoon in Milan, and I head back to Oregon on Thursday. I'm not ready. I don't want to go back yet. Despite some things I'd like to change about my living situation here (bigger apartment, better plumbing, having my cats here) and the situation overall (Chris with a job here, us being able to be here legally and permanently), it's been an excellent trip and I still very much like Italy and the idea of living in Italy. We both do. It could have gone either way, of course, with either one of us deciding after six weeks of living in Italy that this was a bad idea of colossal proportions and what were we thinking in the first place? Both of us could have come to that conclusion as well. But we didn't. We both still love it here, and we want to come back ASAP.
That's easier said than done, unfortunately.
We have been presented with some options, which include getting an autonomous work visa for me and then a family visa for Chris, but there are serious downsides to doing that (not least of which is the personal cost we'd have to shoulder). We can also come back for up to three months on a normal tourist visa, during which time Chris can be once again looking for work. But at some point the looking for work has to turn into actually getting a position, and that's the tough part. There's no doubt in either of our minds that it'll happen, it's a question of time and presence - things tend to happen more slowly here, and it'll be hard for Chris to get a job if he's looking from across an ocean. So, even though we have options, there is (as yet) no perfect solution. Except, of course, if Chris gets a job offer!
About an hour ago we looked at our first apartment here in Milan - it was mostly a test run, to start to get a feel for the real estate system here (it's so different from the US, I don't know where to start). It was a decent apartment, but just like with cars you don't want to take the first one you see. And of course we can't really take anything right now, either. It's all this big circular thing that's very difficult to enter as a foreigner. In order to get Piece A you need Piece B, and in order to get Piece B you need Piece C. But in order to get Piece C, it seems you need Piece A. Frankly, I'm not surprised so many people come and stay here illegally - the system is so challenging to penetrate.
At any rate, this six weeks has simply flown by, and this time next week both Chris and I will be back in Oregon, trying to figure out our next steps. No telling what happens next, folks.
17 March 2008
Heading "Home" Tomorrow
I'm now on my last full day in Florence; I've got one (possibly two) more quick work-related stops to make here tomorrow morning, and then I'm going to get on the next train to head "home" - back to Milan. I'll probably have to grab one last gelato here, though, before I go back. The gelato really is extraordinarily good in Florence.
It's funny, I've been calling the Milan apartment "home" now for awhile, mostly in conversations with Chris, but it hasn't been a purposeful thing. It just feels so comfortable here, it's hard to not think of it as home already. I can't believe I've been here nearly a month already - this is the longest trip I've taken since my four-month study abroad in college, during which I felt serious pangs of homesickness regularly. This time, no homesickness. Sure, I miss my family, my friends, my cats - and yet I don't feel the usual "I wanna go home" thing that I usually do after a couple weeks of vacation. I've been so busy during much of this trip, that may be part of the reason for my lack of homesickness, but I'm not sure. It could also be that the immediacy of things like email and Skype make the world seem much smaller than it used to, too. I'm in regular contact with most of the same people I communicate with regularly back home in Oregon, so it doesn't feel like I'm an ocean away.
That's not to say this has been easy, however. I've gotten better at the whole "travel writer" thing as the trip has progressed, and I feel more comfortable in my role... And it's a job that really wears me out. I've crammed a lot of it into this trip, with visits to Venice, Rome and Florence in the space of three weeks (something I wouldn't try to do again if I could help it!), and if I lived here in Italy I'd definitely space these trips out more so that I had time to recuperate between them. I'm proud to report, however, that I've gotten a lot done, even if I feel like I could sleep for a week as a result of it!
At this point, I'm really looking forward to being back in Milan in our cozy apartment, where I can relax all day (well, while working at the computer, of course, but not running around visiting hostels and hotels, anyway), do laundry, and not eat out for every meal. As much as I love Florence (and I really love Florence), I'm going to be happy to be back on a train to Milan tomorrow. At the moment, however, I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about having to get on a plane back to the US about a week later...
It's funny, I've been calling the Milan apartment "home" now for awhile, mostly in conversations with Chris, but it hasn't been a purposeful thing. It just feels so comfortable here, it's hard to not think of it as home already. I can't believe I've been here nearly a month already - this is the longest trip I've taken since my four-month study abroad in college, during which I felt serious pangs of homesickness regularly. This time, no homesickness. Sure, I miss my family, my friends, my cats - and yet I don't feel the usual "I wanna go home" thing that I usually do after a couple weeks of vacation. I've been so busy during much of this trip, that may be part of the reason for my lack of homesickness, but I'm not sure. It could also be that the immediacy of things like email and Skype make the world seem much smaller than it used to, too. I'm in regular contact with most of the same people I communicate with regularly back home in Oregon, so it doesn't feel like I'm an ocean away.
That's not to say this has been easy, however. I've gotten better at the whole "travel writer" thing as the trip has progressed, and I feel more comfortable in my role... And it's a job that really wears me out. I've crammed a lot of it into this trip, with visits to Venice, Rome and Florence in the space of three weeks (something I wouldn't try to do again if I could help it!), and if I lived here in Italy I'd definitely space these trips out more so that I had time to recuperate between them. I'm proud to report, however, that I've gotten a lot done, even if I feel like I could sleep for a week as a result of it!
At this point, I'm really looking forward to being back in Milan in our cozy apartment, where I can relax all day (well, while working at the computer, of course, but not running around visiting hostels and hotels, anyway), do laundry, and not eat out for every meal. As much as I love Florence (and I really love Florence), I'm going to be happy to be back on a train to Milan tomorrow. At the moment, however, I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about having to get on a plane back to the US about a week later...
13 March 2008
Rome is Exhausting Me
I'm on my last full day in Rome (I leave for Florence tomorrow morning), and I have to say that I'm kind of glad about that. This city absolutely exhausts me. Of course, I walked all over hell's half acre yesterday, which contributed to that exhaustion, but there's also a tiredness of a different kind that I seem to get in Rome. It could just be me, but I feel like I always have to be hyper-aware of my surroundings, always have one eye open (and when I've got a giant camera in my face and I'm taking photographs, that's tough), always have my hand on my purse... It's partly because I'm traveling alone right now - normally Chris is around to keep an eye out as I'm blissfully ignoring the world and taking photos - but I can't help but think it's also partly this city.
The first time I visited Rome, I was absolutely knackered after only three days, and yet I was kind of surprised to find that I feel roughly the same way this time. I thought that with a few years of Italian language classes under my belt (not to mention more overall Italian travel experience) I'd be more able to handle Rome. And I do feel much more confident here than I did last time - I've gotten myself all over the place via the bus and walking, not asking directions or getting lost, and that counts for something in my book. But I can't help it... I'm just not built for Rome. I appreciate it (how could you not?), but I'm longing for a city on a smaller scale, a city that doesn't seem poised to eat me alive every time I step out the door. In short, I'm really looking forward to getting to Florence, a city I dearly love.
Rome, it's nothing personal. I think you're a fabulous city, overflowing with history and with oodles to offer, but I guess I can only handle you in small doses. So, no hard feelings, okay? I'll be back. I promise.
The first time I visited Rome, I was absolutely knackered after only three days, and yet I was kind of surprised to find that I feel roughly the same way this time. I thought that with a few years of Italian language classes under my belt (not to mention more overall Italian travel experience) I'd be more able to handle Rome. And I do feel much more confident here than I did last time - I've gotten myself all over the place via the bus and walking, not asking directions or getting lost, and that counts for something in my book. But I can't help it... I'm just not built for Rome. I appreciate it (how could you not?), but I'm longing for a city on a smaller scale, a city that doesn't seem poised to eat me alive every time I step out the door. In short, I'm really looking forward to getting to Florence, a city I dearly love.
Rome, it's nothing personal. I think you're a fabulous city, overflowing with history and with oodles to offer, but I guess I can only handle you in small doses. So, no hard feelings, okay? I'll be back. I promise.
10 March 2008
What kind of geek are you?
At the end of February I attended a Girl Geek Dinner in Milan; I'd been totally unfamiliar with the whole GGD phenomenon prior to that night - I signed up to go because a friend of mine was helping to organize it, and because I work for a web-based company in which I'm one of the only girls in the office. But I'm far from a techie (despite what my mother might think). So I was interested when the founder of Girl Geek Dinners stood up and introduced herself, saying that her definition of the word "geek" was much broader than what most people thought of when they heard the word. That got me thinking.
The GGD founder, Sarah Blow, says that to her, the word "geek" just implies someone who's totally passionate and knowledgeable about something, whatever it is. She said that she thinks my friend, Sara, who was one of the GGD Italia organizers, is a "food geek." Sara's blog is partly about living in Italy, partly about traveling in and outside Italy, but it's almost always about food. She regularly experiements in her home kitchen and publishes recipes, complete with her own gorgeous photography (some of her fans call it "food porn"). When she travels or tries some new food item even in Italy, she usually reports on it (again, with more photos). She's got a collection of posts about the best places to get gelato in Italy and elsewhere, a great post about how to order a coffee in Italy, and an introduction to Italian candies. So, in the eyes of Sarah Blow, that makes Sara a food geek.
I've been thinking about that ever since, and I've been trying to figure out what kind of geek I am. I suppose I'm a travel geek to some extent, and an Italy geek, but I'm certainly not an expert on either subject. I think this is one of those things where it's hard to objectively judge your own label, because you almost know yourself too well to be objective. So, I'm asking two questions here, in case anyone feels like answering...
What kind of geek do you think I am?
and
What kind of geek are you?
The GGD founder, Sarah Blow, says that to her, the word "geek" just implies someone who's totally passionate and knowledgeable about something, whatever it is. She said that she thinks my friend, Sara, who was one of the GGD Italia organizers, is a "food geek." Sara's blog is partly about living in Italy, partly about traveling in and outside Italy, but it's almost always about food. She regularly experiements in her home kitchen and publishes recipes, complete with her own gorgeous photography (some of her fans call it "food porn"). When she travels or tries some new food item even in Italy, she usually reports on it (again, with more photos). She's got a collection of posts about the best places to get gelato in Italy and elsewhere, a great post about how to order a coffee in Italy, and an introduction to Italian candies. So, in the eyes of Sarah Blow, that makes Sara a food geek.
I've been thinking about that ever since, and I've been trying to figure out what kind of geek I am. I suppose I'm a travel geek to some extent, and an Italy geek, but I'm certainly not an expert on either subject. I think this is one of those things where it's hard to objectively judge your own label, because you almost know yourself too well to be objective. So, I'm asking two questions here, in case anyone feels like answering...
What kind of geek do you think I am?
and
What kind of geek are you?
07 March 2008
Fame Spotting
Milan is one of those cities I guess you can expect to see the odd famous person now and then - if for no other reason than they're swinging through Gucci or Armani HQ on their way through Europe. To date, here are the famous people we've seen (or we're at least pretty damned sure we've seen):
Lenny Kravitz - Seen with an unidentified woman having a coffee sitting at an outdoor cafe table near the Duomo; he played the Sanremo Music Festival the next day. At the time, I thought, "Wow, that guy looks an awful lot like Lenny Kravitz," assuming it couldn't possibly be him. It wasn't until he took the stage at Sanremo (roughly 260km from Milan) that I thought, "Wow, that was Lenny Kravitz!"
Silvio Berlusconi - Seen getting into a car in Turin (roughly 140km from Milan). I actually only saw the top of his little bald head, but Chris (the tall one) was able to see that it was, indeed Berlusconi. Silvio may only be famous in Italy, but for those who don't know he's been the Prime Minister a couple times and is currently running again. He's also been under investigation for any number of things (I can't keep track, and I'm not sure most Italians can, either) and is, in my everso humble opinion, a scumbag.
Antonio Banderas & Liam Neeson - Seen walking through Milan's Galleria and going into the Prada store. There was a big film camera set up at one end of the Galleria, and Chris looked it up later online and discovered the pair are in town filming a movie right now. But honestly, we couldn't tell if they were actually filming something at that precise moment or just going shopping. It looked more like the latter. Chris (again, the tall one) took the camera and tried to get a few shots of them leaving the store (he was the only one of us who could see above the throng that had gathered outside the store, where no less than five people asked me who was inside), but he learned that being a paparazzo is actually kind of difficult, what with all the jostling and such. I'll say this about Antonio and Liam - the former is short, the latter is tall.
Laura Linney - Seen walking by herself down a street near the Duomo. Now, at the time, I thought, "Wow, that woman looks an awful lot like Laura Linney." But I figured I was dreaming. (I should know better now, after the Infamous Kravitz Sighting of 2008.) Then when Chris looked up the Banderas/Neeson sighting online, he said Laura Linney was also in town filming the same movie. So, who knows? Maybe it actually was Laura Linney I saw walking like an average human being through central Milan.
Lenny Kravitz - Seen with an unidentified woman having a coffee sitting at an outdoor cafe table near the Duomo; he played the Sanremo Music Festival the next day. At the time, I thought, "Wow, that guy looks an awful lot like Lenny Kravitz," assuming it couldn't possibly be him. It wasn't until he took the stage at Sanremo (roughly 260km from Milan) that I thought, "Wow, that was Lenny Kravitz!"
Silvio Berlusconi - Seen getting into a car in Turin (roughly 140km from Milan). I actually only saw the top of his little bald head, but Chris (the tall one) was able to see that it was, indeed Berlusconi. Silvio may only be famous in Italy, but for those who don't know he's been the Prime Minister a couple times and is currently running again. He's also been under investigation for any number of things (I can't keep track, and I'm not sure most Italians can, either) and is, in my everso humble opinion, a scumbag.
Antonio Banderas & Liam Neeson - Seen walking through Milan's Galleria and going into the Prada store. There was a big film camera set up at one end of the Galleria, and Chris looked it up later online and discovered the pair are in town filming a movie right now. But honestly, we couldn't tell if they were actually filming something at that precise moment or just going shopping. It looked more like the latter. Chris (again, the tall one) took the camera and tried to get a few shots of them leaving the store (he was the only one of us who could see above the throng that had gathered outside the store, where no less than five people asked me who was inside), but he learned that being a paparazzo is actually kind of difficult, what with all the jostling and such. I'll say this about Antonio and Liam - the former is short, the latter is tall.
Laura Linney - Seen walking by herself down a street near the Duomo. Now, at the time, I thought, "Wow, that woman looks an awful lot like Laura Linney." But I figured I was dreaming. (I should know better now, after the Infamous Kravitz Sighting of 2008.) Then when Chris looked up the Banderas/Neeson sighting online, he said Laura Linney was also in town filming the same movie. So, who knows? Maybe it actually was Laura Linney I saw walking like an average human being through central Milan.
05 March 2008
Seeing Double
Just in case any of you are following the Italy Logue as well, you'll probably recognize something I posted here first appearing on the Italy Logue in the next week or so. I've gotten enough comments from people on my "Becoming a Regular" post that I'm going to put it on the Italy Logue as well. I just didn't want any of you to think you were going crazy...
04 March 2008
Venice & Turin Photos
Who said it could be March already? This trip is already feeling almost over - I just didn't realize how quickly six weeks could go by, but when I'm looking at a calendar and already have plans for trips to Rome and Florence coming up (after which I'll only have a week or so left before I fly home), it feels like time is just slipping away from me.
At any rate, Venice was amazing last week - despite the ferocious cold - and I can't stop thinking about that city. I can't quite put my finger on what it is about the place that so captivates me, although I keep trying. If I figure it out, I'll let you know. Until then, if I keep rhapsodizing about it, you'll have to forgive me.
Chris & I went to a dinner on Friday night which was organized partly by our friend Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy. It was a "Girl Geek Dinner," though there were boys in attendance as well (no, Chris didn't have to wear a dress). We were both exhausted from the previous few days - Chris from prepping for and then teaching his second class here in Milan, me from a few whirlwind days in Venice and too-little sleep on Thursday night - so we weren't the social butterflies we might otherwise have been, but it was fun. We then kind of took Saturday off, sleeping in until something like 10:30 and doing not-much all day. We did go to our first Italian soccer game on Saturday night, which was fun - except my favorite guy didn't play (boo-hoo) and the home team just barely tied the game against a team they should have beaten. So, at least for me, I'm not really counting that game as having happened and I'm hoping we get to see another where my guy actually sets foot on the field. (Yes, that's more important than the team actually winning, at least in my book.)
Sunday we got up early-ish and caught the train to Turin (site of the 2006 winter Olympics) where we visited the final day of the Cioccolatò festival. It's a smaller chocolate festival than some others, including the big one in Perugia every October, but it was really fun - and the weather was spectacular. (That's a picture of chocolate "sausages" and chocolate "eggs" at the top of this post.) It was summer-like, and we both walked around in T-shirts, quite comfortably. After breathing in all the chocolate air, we wandered over to the museum of the Shroud of Turin for a tour and then headed back to Milan. It was a lovely day spent wandering around a lovely city. I'd be quite happy to spend more time in Turin, and if Chris found work there that'd be just fine with me.
So - if you check the Flickr set for this trip, you'll see I've added a whole bunch of new pictures, from Venice, the soccer game, and Turin. Chris has a bunch of sticky-notes on the wall next to our dining table/desk with things we want to do while we're here, and we've only completed two of the 12+ items on the list - so if all goes well, you'll have lots more photos to look through very soon.
Hope all's well with all of you!
At any rate, Venice was amazing last week - despite the ferocious cold - and I can't stop thinking about that city. I can't quite put my finger on what it is about the place that so captivates me, although I keep trying. If I figure it out, I'll let you know. Until then, if I keep rhapsodizing about it, you'll have to forgive me.
Chris & I went to a dinner on Friday night which was organized partly by our friend Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy. It was a "Girl Geek Dinner," though there were boys in attendance as well (no, Chris didn't have to wear a dress). We were both exhausted from the previous few days - Chris from prepping for and then teaching his second class here in Milan, me from a few whirlwind days in Venice and too-little sleep on Thursday night - so we weren't the social butterflies we might otherwise have been, but it was fun. We then kind of took Saturday off, sleeping in until something like 10:30 and doing not-much all day. We did go to our first Italian soccer game on Saturday night, which was fun - except my favorite guy didn't play (boo-hoo) and the home team just barely tied the game against a team they should have beaten. So, at least for me, I'm not really counting that game as having happened and I'm hoping we get to see another where my guy actually sets foot on the field. (Yes, that's more important than the team actually winning, at least in my book.)
Sunday we got up early-ish and caught the train to Turin (site of the 2006 winter Olympics) where we visited the final day of the Cioccolatò festival. It's a smaller chocolate festival than some others, including the big one in Perugia every October, but it was really fun - and the weather was spectacular. (That's a picture of chocolate "sausages" and chocolate "eggs" at the top of this post.) It was summer-like, and we both walked around in T-shirts, quite comfortably. After breathing in all the chocolate air, we wandered over to the museum of the Shroud of Turin for a tour and then headed back to Milan. It was a lovely day spent wandering around a lovely city. I'd be quite happy to spend more time in Turin, and if Chris found work there that'd be just fine with me.
So - if you check the Flickr set for this trip, you'll see I've added a whole bunch of new pictures, from Venice, the soccer game, and Turin. Chris has a bunch of sticky-notes on the wall next to our dining table/desk with things we want to do while we're here, and we've only completed two of the 12+ items on the list - so if all goes well, you'll have lots more photos to look through very soon.
Hope all's well with all of you!
01 March 2008
Becoming a Regular
For some reason, when I travel I like to get it in my head that visiting the same (fill in the blank) twice in one visit makes me a regular. It could be a news stand, cafe, restaurant, clothing shop - whatever. If I go more than once I feel like there's the possibility I'll be recognized by the people working there from my previous visit, thereby making me a regular. It's a silly notion, but I cling to it and it makes me happy. Usually it's nothing more than an illusion, of course.
On this last trip to Venice, however, I think I became something more akin to a regular than I've ever managed to do on any other trips here or anywhere else. I went to the same restaurant two nights in a row, and because I was dining alone on both occasions I ended up chatting amiably both with the fellow running the tiny dining room (along with others who worked there) and some of the other diners. I'd introduced myself on the first night with my business card, and said I was a travel writer (long after I'd already ordered and eaten most of my meal, I should mention), and in so doing found my table crowded with tiny plates of samples of dishes I hadn't ordered. They called me Signorina Jessica all night long, and it was delightful. Was it anything more than them just being stereotypically flirty Italian men? Maybe not. And when you're traveling alone there are times when you just don't care about the "why," as long as someone is keeping you company.
When I went back the second night they recognized me and called me by name, which instantly made me smile. I let Stefano, the maitre-d' of sorts, order for me and didn't even end up reading much of the book I'd brought with me, because not long after I finished my first course, a pair of gentlemen arrived who were friends of the owners (they shouted "Il Sindaco!" - the mayor - when the two walked in, but I don't know which one they were referring to and it was a joke anyway) and were seated beside me. As he seated them, Stefano introduced them to me and told them in Italian to behave themselves (he then leaned in to me and said, in English, "But we can talk about them, because I don't think they speak English."). I chatted with them most of the evening, entirely in Italian, and had a wonderful time. Claudio, Giorgio and I talked about politics (both here in Italy and back in the US), music, travel and, most of all, Italy.
I had arrived on the second night later than on the first, and because things in Venice close up earlier than in most other touristy cities, I was there at 10:30 or 11 when the restaurant staff sat down in the other dining room to eat their dinner. I was there when they pulled down the metal gates outside the windows, and then - because Claudio and Giorgio had given me some of their wine (on top of the wine I'd ordered for myself) as well as a small glass (though not small enough!) of Scotch, and because Stefano had poured me a taste of Sambuca - Stefano offered to walk me back to my hotel so that I wouldn't fall into a canal.
The fog, which had finally broken a bit in the late afternoon to let a few rays of sunlight dance on the water, had rushed back in with the night and was clinging to everything and everyone. Stefano, a native Venetian, took me a different way back to my hotel by way of St. Mark's Square - and the fog was so thick that standing in front of the Basilica di San Marco it was impossible to see either the church's incredible onion domes or the top of the adjacent bell tower. The piazza and the streets were all but empty, and the city was - if this is even possible - even more hauntingly beautiful than it usually is. I think I fell in love with Venice a little more at that very moment, something I also didn't think was possible.
I couldn't linger, though, because I was exhausted and absolutely freezing, so Stefano walked me to my hotel's door and gave me a kiss on each cheek. I promised him I'd come back to the restaurant the next time I was in Venice, but there's just no telling when that'll be. Honestly, I'm not sure it even matters, though, because now I'm a regular.
On this last trip to Venice, however, I think I became something more akin to a regular than I've ever managed to do on any other trips here or anywhere else. I went to the same restaurant two nights in a row, and because I was dining alone on both occasions I ended up chatting amiably both with the fellow running the tiny dining room (along with others who worked there) and some of the other diners. I'd introduced myself on the first night with my business card, and said I was a travel writer (long after I'd already ordered and eaten most of my meal, I should mention), and in so doing found my table crowded with tiny plates of samples of dishes I hadn't ordered. They called me Signorina Jessica all night long, and it was delightful. Was it anything more than them just being stereotypically flirty Italian men? Maybe not. And when you're traveling alone there are times when you just don't care about the "why," as long as someone is keeping you company.
When I went back the second night they recognized me and called me by name, which instantly made me smile. I let Stefano, the maitre-d' of sorts, order for me and didn't even end up reading much of the book I'd brought with me, because not long after I finished my first course, a pair of gentlemen arrived who were friends of the owners (they shouted "Il Sindaco!" - the mayor - when the two walked in, but I don't know which one they were referring to and it was a joke anyway) and were seated beside me. As he seated them, Stefano introduced them to me and told them in Italian to behave themselves (he then leaned in to me and said, in English, "But we can talk about them, because I don't think they speak English."). I chatted with them most of the evening, entirely in Italian, and had a wonderful time. Claudio, Giorgio and I talked about politics (both here in Italy and back in the US), music, travel and, most of all, Italy.
I had arrived on the second night later than on the first, and because things in Venice close up earlier than in most other touristy cities, I was there at 10:30 or 11 when the restaurant staff sat down in the other dining room to eat their dinner. I was there when they pulled down the metal gates outside the windows, and then - because Claudio and Giorgio had given me some of their wine (on top of the wine I'd ordered for myself) as well as a small glass (though not small enough!) of Scotch, and because Stefano had poured me a taste of Sambuca - Stefano offered to walk me back to my hotel so that I wouldn't fall into a canal.
The fog, which had finally broken a bit in the late afternoon to let a few rays of sunlight dance on the water, had rushed back in with the night and was clinging to everything and everyone. Stefano, a native Venetian, took me a different way back to my hotel by way of St. Mark's Square - and the fog was so thick that standing in front of the Basilica di San Marco it was impossible to see either the church's incredible onion domes or the top of the adjacent bell tower. The piazza and the streets were all but empty, and the city was - if this is even possible - even more hauntingly beautiful than it usually is. I think I fell in love with Venice a little more at that very moment, something I also didn't think was possible.
I couldn't linger, though, because I was exhausted and absolutely freezing, so Stefano walked me to my hotel's door and gave me a kiss on each cheek. I promised him I'd come back to the restaurant the next time I was in Venice, but there's just no telling when that'll be. Honestly, I'm not sure it even matters, though, because now I'm a regular.
Cold in Venice
I wrote this while in Venice earlier this week, though I've now returned to Milan:
When I left Milan on Tuesday morning, it was the same weather we've been having for a week now - chilly in the shade, but in the sun it'd be downright pleasant. I went out without a coat the other day, in fact, and wasn't cold. It's pretty cold at night, of course, but during the day it's really nice to be outside. I had checked the weather reports for Venice before I left, and although the temperatures were a little bit lower, when I packed my bag I didn't factor in one important thing: the fog.
It's friggin' cold here, folks.
The famous Milan fog hasn't really hung around much since we arrived, but it was pretty foggy this morning when I left. And as the train rolled toward Venice the fog never seemed to lift. Then, as the train turned from Venice's mainland station to make the trip across the water to the station on the island itself, the fog actually seemed to get thicker. As soon as I got off the train in my rain jacket I wished I'd brought my down coat - even though it's supposed to rain here for two of the three days I'm here. (Yes, it's actually supposed to get more damp and cold.)
Now, it's February, so I didn't expect warm temperatures. But I didn't expect it to be quite this cold, and the kind of cold that goes straight to your bones. Venice isn't a museum city as far as I'm concerned, because the best thing to do here is just to wander and get lost in the alleyways, but I might seek out a few museums anyway...
Another thing I didn't expect at this time of year is the number of tourists. It's far less than there are in the summer, but the line to get onto the main tourist line bus/boat was long, and my boat was full nearly the whole trip. Piazza San Marco was crowded when I arrived, although as I walked back to my hotel for the last time that night around 7:45pm the piazza had almost entirely cleared out. It was gorgeous in the fog, but I didn't linger.
Seriously, my teeth were chattering.
We'll see what happens - I may have to buy myself a sweater, gloves and a hat. Or I'll just have to duck into lots of museums and cafes. Neither one sounds too terribly bad, now that I think about it.
More about my 3.5 days in Venice later, along with photos!
When I left Milan on Tuesday morning, it was the same weather we've been having for a week now - chilly in the shade, but in the sun it'd be downright pleasant. I went out without a coat the other day, in fact, and wasn't cold. It's pretty cold at night, of course, but during the day it's really nice to be outside. I had checked the weather reports for Venice before I left, and although the temperatures were a little bit lower, when I packed my bag I didn't factor in one important thing: the fog.
It's friggin' cold here, folks.
The famous Milan fog hasn't really hung around much since we arrived, but it was pretty foggy this morning when I left. And as the train rolled toward Venice the fog never seemed to lift. Then, as the train turned from Venice's mainland station to make the trip across the water to the station on the island itself, the fog actually seemed to get thicker. As soon as I got off the train in my rain jacket I wished I'd brought my down coat - even though it's supposed to rain here for two of the three days I'm here. (Yes, it's actually supposed to get more damp and cold.)
Now, it's February, so I didn't expect warm temperatures. But I didn't expect it to be quite this cold, and the kind of cold that goes straight to your bones. Venice isn't a museum city as far as I'm concerned, because the best thing to do here is just to wander and get lost in the alleyways, but I might seek out a few museums anyway...
Another thing I didn't expect at this time of year is the number of tourists. It's far less than there are in the summer, but the line to get onto the main tourist line bus/boat was long, and my boat was full nearly the whole trip. Piazza San Marco was crowded when I arrived, although as I walked back to my hotel for the last time that night around 7:45pm the piazza had almost entirely cleared out. It was gorgeous in the fog, but I didn't linger.
Seriously, my teeth were chattering.
We'll see what happens - I may have to buy myself a sweater, gloves and a hat. Or I'll just have to duck into lots of museums and cafes. Neither one sounds too terribly bad, now that I think about it.
More about my 3.5 days in Venice later, along with photos!
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