molto motor scooters!

What with the Euro (high) vs. the Dollar (low) and the
whole litre vs. gallon vs. grams and kilometers business,
we could never really figure out how much a gallon of
gas costs in Italy. We would start the conversation,
then morph into 5 tangential American women w/o calculators,
and god knows we had problems just dividing the lunch
check evenly. But trust me, gas is MUCH higher in Europe
than it is here in the states.

People who know and love me realize that I sneer at SUVs
and gas guzzlers and the American me-first kind of greed.
Note the photo above with just a fraction of the thousands
of scooters in Florence. There is a helmet law for these,
but not for bicycles, interestingly enough. This was taken
as we walked once again along the Arno River towards the
center of Firenze.

In the present ~ I awoke with lovely work worries, so I
worked on the photos early and now I'll catch up on some
more TV. Watched 3 hours of The Sopranos yesterday, my
other Italian family. The sun is coming up and it looks
like a clear day here finally. Work worries too will pass....

breakfast for one, per favore

Don't you love it? We saved a TON of Euros on this trip
because our hotels all served breakfast. Then we would have
a huge and late lunch and (usually) a small and late dinner.
I figure I saved enough to splurge on a leather jacket...
photo to follow one day.

Our home base (6 or 7 or so nights) was the Villino Magnifico
in Florence. It is about 3 blocks from Adriana's and even
those without any sense of direction could move back and forth
to her place with ease. I was, of course, always the first
person down here for breakfast and I would grab the best table
near the window and write in my journal, scribble on post
cards and have too many cups of cappuccino with extra espresso
from that machine you see on the left. This was when I missed
my laptop the most, but also I loved just sitting here all
by myself reliving the day before and wondering what today
would bring.

It is my observation that one feels more deeply when traveling
without a Significant Other. Or maybe it's using different
muscles that lay dormant, being freer and yet not. Trying to
remember everything to report at a later date. I dunno, I
ramble this morning.

Finally a day off after 3 days at the big box. Not easy for a
woman who should still be in Italy. Sleep is starting to get
normal as I slept in until 5am this morning.

chalk one up for ginger!

On our trip Ginger was constantly comparing Florence to
her home town of Santa Barbara, and we were constantly
teasing her about this. There are a few similarities such
as the tile roof tops and maybe some of the trees on the
hills around the city...but that's it. An American city
can't really compare to an old and distinguished European
city and I've seen enough of SB to know that every strip
mall and shopping center is built to look just like the one
down the street, in an effort to keep it looking all clean
and uniform. And, yes, pretty.

Then we saw the chalk drawing here! "Just like Santa
Barbara", we said in unison. They draw down there at the
Mission for some festival or other, but this guy (and
several others) were here working for coins on the street
in Firenze. It takes a talent that I certainly don't
possess and I have a feeling that they have to erase their
work every night and start from fresh the next day.

my favorite photo, so far

This is the one I've selected for my desk top, replacing
the placid ducks floating on that little lake in Oregon,
if you must know.

I took more than 200 photos, some of the sidewalks in all
three cities. I am trying to arrange them ~ label and
organize and remember. (I hate to delete even the sidewalks)

This is the famous Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) in Firenze,
shot from the 2nd or 3rd floor of the Uffizi Museum. I
spent many perfectly delightful hours in group and solo
mode, walking up and down the Arno River. Our B&B was
only 3 blocks away and having this as an easy focal point
was extremely helpful. I knew I would never really get
lost and there was always something to see along the
banks of the river. Picnics, families, vendors, dogs and
always the tourists, of course.

There are about 50 shops on this covered bridge ~ mostly
selling gold and silver. No cars, thankfully. We walked
across it the day we visited those lush gardens at the
Pitti Palace and Adriana also took us on a group walk
here (with Iside) on Easter Sunday. I could live here.
Send Euros....

be careful, pablo!

Some of my happiest moments were spent here in Adriana's
dining room in Firenze. Pablo has a habit of falling
asleep on this window sill (3rd floor) and tumbling
down onto the street. I've owned two tuxedo cats and
they are usually pretty sweet ~ with one exception ~
my aged Tosca who was (ahem) difficult.

Anyway, most of the shutters are this deep green, so
impressive with the soft mustard, peach and tangerine
buildings typical of Italy. Muted. Lots of those photos
to follow, but I thought you might want to meet Pablo
first. So fun to see how others live, isn't it?

Work today? Yawn. I fear that the morning meeting was
a travelogue, but everyone was polite and feigned interest.

back to work & jet lag

But first, a quick recap of Friday, our final day. We
took a two hour walking tour with Corine and saw lots of
little streets and canals including the Carampane District
which used to be where the prostitutes worked. They had
to dress as men and could not wear black or white. We
even took the local water taxi (for .50 Euros) back and
forth on the canal and we stood up in the boat so we
would look like locals. Went to the big outdoor fish market
and Strada Nova which is the largest street in Venice.
Then we had excellent pizza at an outdoor restaurant at
Campo St. Angela (Acqua Pazza). Campos are areas that
used to be fields in the city and each one features a
small church for the local people. After lunch my travel
mates enjoyed some Meloncello and pronounced it even
better than the Limoncello. They are now cello experts.

Our treno left at 4:30 and we arrived back in Firenze
in time for a late dinner at Adriana's. Then we said our
farewells and now it's over. A long and boring day on
airplanes, but I did get to see Beatrix Potter and of
course I got all weepy because it is such a sweet story.

Rainy and cold here in SF. Husbando had flowers and a
clean house waiting for me. Nice to be home, but, as I
said, another week of sitting/staring would have been
excellent. I really had a fabulous time and now join the
millions of people who say, "I L-O-V-E Italy!". My thanks
to Ginger and Adriana for this memorable trip...

the blog of sighs

I'm packed and ready to go and, of course, I finally
slept last night. Today was another fabulous one with
a 3 hour tour of the Doge (duke)Palace and all the
history of Venice that our guide Corine could pack
in. We crossed the Bridge of Sighs where prisoners
walked to their deaths, heard all about the rich and
unusual background here. So different than Roma or
Firenze!

Then, finally, one of my dreams. To tour St. Mark's
church with the tiny gold mosaics in the ceiling and
the famous hi fi sound system that I had read about
20 years ago. What an amazing experience. The church
is only lit for about an hour a day, and Corine was
aware of that and also the clanging of the old bell
down at the other end of the square.

We had a sandwich for lunch and walked around Venice
some more until it was time to have coffee at the
oldest cafe in Europe, Cafe Florian on St. Mark's
Plazza. Didn't know we had to pay an extra €17 for the
music, but it was such a great experience that we
didn't really mind.

Last night we sat outside at Bar Verde for a salad (!)
and sandwiches, then finally took the gondola ride
around the small back canals of Venice. What a perfectly
delightful experience. So quiet and peaceful. No car
alarms or honking. We could look into the backs of
homes and restaurants and the gondolier sang out a
"ohhhhhhoooooo" loudly when he came to an intersection,
but there was v. little traffic.

Another 2 hours with Corine this morning, probably a
walking tour. Then the 4pm treno express (we hope) to
Florence. Dinner at angel Adriana's and a domani un
giorno of airports and planes. Talk to you Sunday from
SF and msBook. Thank you for pushing me to do this
blog, even if it costs almost as much as the jacket.

glass, opera, peggy & fish grams

I have to get all of this down before I forget, so this
journal is really for me, but I am happy to have you
reading over my shoulder. Back at the expensive computer
so I will type quickly and forget about the commas...

Ginger had a bright idea and called the glass factory
on the Murano Island for a free pickup this morning.
We took the v. interesting tour and Boise bought a
gorgeous art piece (don't call it a vase!)and suffered
buyer's remorse all day the way I did with the leather
jacket. But she has recovered by now, I'm sure. The
free ride from Murano to Venezia did not appear until
Boise signed on the dotted line, however, so we didn't
get to Venezia until after noon.

Boise, G and I took off to sightsee while Linda and
Joey shopped. We saw the following:
.La Fenice Opera House, newly rebuilt
.Peggy Guggenheim's home and museum, filled with
some glorious pieces by many of my favorite artists
including Arp, Pollock, etc. She lived between two
canals and that was really a wonderful experience
.stopped for lunch (bean and pasta soup for 16€)at
Ristorante Alla Borsa on Calle delle Veste and
had some forbidden cappuccino (it was too late for
that officially in Italy)and rested our tired feet
.talked to a 50ish woman who had lived in Venice all
her life...so interesting
.took a million photos and stopped a hundred times
just to look up and down the alleys at all the
colorful and surprising twisting streets - some so
narrow that only one line of people on each side
could pass. It is heavenly quiet w\o traffic and
not worrying about being run over or losing an arm
to a side mirror like in Roma
.the canals are beyond belief and I would like to
spend a week just sitting out, watching people and
sipping espresso or cappaccino
.dinner at Fiaschetteria Toscana where 2 people (not
me this time, yeah) ordered fish by the gram (whatever
that is) and the damn thing cost €60...surprise!

After dinner we walked through San Marco Square - it
was overwhelmingly beautiful. No pigeons or tourists
with 3 bands playing. It is huge and magnificent and
it took my breath away. Alas, the photos would not
have worked. A fabulous day.

Our tour starts from here at 9:30 a domani, so I had better
get to bed. I appreciate the comments and your attention.
My feet hurt from walking and my stomach from laughing
Life is so good.

Down to that phase of travel where I don't have to worry
about laundry anymore. Soon I'll be home and will want
to burn my clothes, my 3 black outfits.

luxury on lido

I also keep a little written journal and that's often
the only way I know what day it is. I am eager to get
over to Venice, although a few more hours sleep would
have been beneficial. So it's Wednesday and the many
bright red mosquito bites are less obvious this morning.

This 5 star hotel is glorious and I should have slept
more, but I should be used to this by now. This little
island reminds all of us of New Orleans (before) and
last night after a beach walk with Ginger, the five of
us walked to Valentino's for one of the best meals ever:
grilled fish, liver, pasta and raw artichoke sliced
v. thinly. Sat outside and talked about how lucky we are.

I will report in later from a less expensive computer.
This one is 15€ an hour as compared to the 4€ at the
Internet Train in Firenze.

primera impressions of venezia

Everything worked out beautifully on the treno
even if my travel mates knocked back some Lemoncello
at an early hour. We arrived around 1pm and when we
emerged from the train station I made everyone stop
for a moment while I gasped and took my first of
many Venice photos. Another "pinch me" moment.

Unfucking believable. Despite seeing this a million
times in photos and in movies, I can not tell you
what a total magical place it is. We are blessed with
warm and clear weather, so the city sparkled. The
canals appear clean. Just some random first thoughts:

. the little canals that lead into the city are from
one to two row boat sizes wide
. I have not been inside the actual city yet as we are
staying in a posh hotel on the Lido Island
. We took the inexpensive (€6) boat to San Marco Plaza
and then the Westin Excelsior has a free hourly shuttle
service. It is 5pm now and Adriana warned us that the
natives move even more slowly here than they do in
Firenze
. the gondolas park perpendicular to the decks which
are lined with people sitting and hanging out
. the first boat I saw close up was carrying a bath
tub and some remo lumber - I loved that
. it is more spread out and lower than I expected...
of course that makes perfect sense now
. yes, many buildings are delapidated, but I also saw
some gorgeous gardens and even some modern buildings
. I thought the gondoliers and their boats would be corny
but they are enchanting in black teak(?) with bright
red lining - the guys wear those horizontal striped
shirts and delightful ribbon trimmed straw hats
. it smells good here and Ginger says they have cleaned
up the water since last she was here

Our pizza last night was not as good as SF, so we are
going to try again tonight. We think that last night
they were in a hurry since there were so many of us.
Of course we had a wonderful time anyway.

I have about 30 lovely mosquito bites so Adriana gave
me some "After Bite" and that helps. Couldn't sleep
again last night due to Virginia Tech news on CNN. I so
feel for those college kids, their parents and my country.

But, I will concentrate on the positive and how v. lucky
I am. Thank you for the leather jacket hoorahs, we bought
the coats at The Leather Factory near a major church at
a major piazza very close to the main shopping district.
Adriana knows and trusts them.

OK, gotta figure out the phone and how to call Husbando.
Ciao everyone!

boboli, the old pharmacy, the new jacket

Oh, oh. I found the leather jacket and now I'll need to
find a part time job when I come home. Thankfully our
angel Adriana "got it for us wholesale" and it as soft
as a little black lamb. And sleek. And perfect.

But first. Yes, the Boboli Gardens at the Pitti Palace
were well worth the long hike. Today it was only Ginger,
Boise and myself as the other two wanted to shop. The
weather continues warm, almost hot. I finally figured
out how to get CNN on TV last night and saw those East
Coast storms and I've been thinking about you, Leah
and Ms. K. Yuck.

After cappucinos and a long walk in the Garden we met
Adriana and the shoppers for lunch at Cantinetta dei
Verrazzano on Via Dettavolini and as always when we go
with our angel hostess we get extra special service and
unusual dishes. Also a delightful salad which we poor
Americanas have been missing. So today we had salami
made from wild boar and cheese with a special red
pepper sauce and lots of other exotic and fabulous
foods. I've been meaning to mention that the NEW food
treat here is honey spread on cheese. I think it appeals
to the younger tongue.

I also neglected to tell you that a New Balance Marathon
was held here yesterday starting under the fake David
at the Piazza Della Signoria. Yçu know how in my country
the obsessed runners are all lined up at 6am? Well, here
it began at 10am. So civilized.

The morbid mama sent us to the Old Pharmacy and I thank
her for that. Ginger who almost lives in Firenze had never
been and we found it enchanting. They get lots of attention
there now because it was in the movie Hannibal and Adriana
said we should watch this just for scenes of Florence. It's
over by Santa Maria Novella, if you are taking travel notes.
It smelled devine, not one bit like Walgreen's.

I love the stationery stores here and when I shop this is
where I head. The ceramics are beautiful too and all the
people who work in the stores are as friendly as can be.
I should mention that Ginger also bought a leather jacket,
hers is green, a rich olive green. Boise bought some shoes
and now I think we are ready to head to Venezia. A domani.

Finally pizza tonight with all 5 of the formerly rich
Americanas, Adriana and her delightful daughters Elisa
and Fiamma. When Ginger asked me the other day how I felt
about this trip, without thinking, I said, "one hundred
times better than I ever expected".

When I was young the idea of travelling with a bunch of
women would have made me run and hide. Funny how life
works out, isn't it? Each of them have enriched this trip
for me beyond belief. Now back to the Magnifico to freshen
up before dinner. See you a domani on the Grand Canal.
El treno correcto departe at 10am. Buona serra!

an american keyboard!

It's after 3pm here and of course we just finished
lunch (at the Osteria del Porrcellino on Via Val di
Lamona) and our waiter worked at the Moscone Center
for 3 months. This is a differet Internet Train and
I just fell on an American keyboard by happy accident.

Some things I have forgotten. We did have gelato at
the famous Vivoli yesterday. It is warm here still
and the light breeze keeps us comfortable. Last night
we all went to our rooms early and took care of
journals and laundry and tour book reading. I did
watch some silly American movie in Italian...how
come their ads are so much more interesting than ours?

First I had a long solo walk along the Arno and ran
into an Irish Setter named Pepe. They have small dog
runs in the parks here, it appears. This was right
before sunset and I enjoyed every minute of my walk
and never once felt nervous.

At lunch yesterday Adriana told me that I had a fine
Italian accent. I think she is comparing me to Ginger
who might have the worst. So that class and Luigi
must have helped after all!

Seeing the magnificent David at the Accademia under
natural light was an experience I will never forget.
Our tour guide here in Florence is Chiara and she
is fabulous. She educates us on the history as well
as the art and makes everything so very interesting.
It's fun to watch the Americans try to hook up with
us because I have done that very thing in the past.

Today we visited the Uffizi Gallery (means Officials
as it was once a government building) where the famous
Venus Rising and The Primavera reside. We saw the
highlights and then moved on to the Medici Chapel
with that glorious Night and Day statues by our now
friend Michelangelo. Actually he did the entire
chapel before he moved permanently to Roma.

Tomorrow could be a free day, but Dancing Jen has
recommended the Boboli Gardens, so we will go there
in the morning. The others are shopping now and I
will answer a couple of emails and join them soon.

Just because so many of you have asked, Adriana's
horse is named Zanzibar. Zanzi for short. We finally
got to meet her delightful boyfriend (Andrea) yes-
terday and he way too generously picked up the
check for all of us at La Lance on the hill. I'll
show you photos when I return to the USA.

Reading this over I see that it is a jumble of
thoughts and needs a rewrite, but at least you get
an idea of my busy, happy hours here in Firenze.
When we arrived from the l-o-n-g train ride I said
to my travel mates, "it feels like home!" And it does.

the vatican, the treno, the david and sleep!

No way can a person travel without writing about it for two
whole days. At least, not the way we are doing it. There
was, by the way, a graph to accompany that Sleep Whine and
it had to do with our all-women conversation about how
awful it must be to go on a Honeymoon to Europe and not
know how the other person travels. It can be stressful,
but at least we all have separate rooms and the chance
to drift away and gather ourselves without any hurt feelings.
Someone pre-deleted that graph of Thursday. No loss.

I did finally sleep last night. Today about noon when I
made a particularly obnoxious comment Boise said to me, "oh
your drugs are wearing off".

OK, back to travel. We met the marvelous Patrizia at 8:30am
Friday she got us into the Sistine Chapel within 30 minutes.
The line was already around the block. They get between
25,000 to 35,000 visitors PER DAY there and most people miss
the most amazing sculptures lining the hallways outside the
Chapel. Being with Patrizia is like taking a history course
and one of the things I so enjoy about these women I am with
is that they are interested in everything and as curious as
can be about all sorts of things.

One of the Popes was offended by the nudity and had fig
leaves place on many of the male statues. Patrizia reports
that there is a warehouse in Roma filled with marble and
limestone penises.

I had not seen The Ceiling since it had been refurbished back
in 1985. I remember Michael saying that he had visited during
the cleaning. Nothing was touched up then, only cleaned. It
was dark and dirty from the candles and pollution. Many assume
that they added color, but no, this is the way it was and it
it completely mesmerizing. Patrizia gave us a thorough lesson
on the ceiling and then we went in and were overwhelmed. I
really could not believe it, even though I've seen it a few
hundred times in books and postcards.

Next we visited St. Peter's and appreciated the Pieta again,
now behind glass, of course. This is (I believe) the largest
and richest church on earth. It is HUGE and even though there
were thousands of other tourists in there, it appeared almost
empty. We had more art history lessons, then walked outside
to see where the Pope speaks and the faithful gather. They
had thousands of chairs out for the Sunday service and I thought
back to the many times we have seen the ceremonies on TV and
how small our world really is these days.

It was after 1pm when we said our fond farewells to Patrizia
and I have her name for the next time you visit Roma. A private
tour is expensive, but really the only way to do this, I think.

More fried artichokes, this time at a restaurant named Paris
in Travestere area, across the river. I felt like I knew the
place since Anthony Doerr lived there.

Now the adventure. Back to our hotel for our baggage and we
called for taxis and one arrived and one did not. Our train was
leaving for Firenze at 5:44 and we finally all got to the station
(through heavy traffic)at about 5:40. If there is one thing the
5 of us have in common it is that we are always early. Not today.
We ran with our bags and flawless Italian and scrambled on the
train through any door we could find. Whoosh. Then ooooops.

Wrong train. We had reservations on the express (under 2 hours)
and ended up on the stop everywhere, but at least we were going
to the right city. The confusion was due to the fact that there
was a rare (joke) train strike that morning and the two trains
were leaving at the exact same time. We did not get home until
10 pm. Exhausted. But a funny trip because we took over some
man's compartment and he refused to leave even though there were
no assigned seats, he did not speak English and there were about
700 other empty seats on the train.

Pasta at Adriana's and finally got to sleep about midnight. Got
to meet her darling daughters and had quite a few new things to
talk about since last we saw here.

Today - the Duomo, the real David (yes, TGP), Santa Croce and
another fabulous long lunch. A domani. I can gather the comments
here, thanks Blogmaid!

italia on 4 hours sleep

vesuvius, pompeii, naples & who can sleep?

Whooooosh, long day of driving, but a fabulous day
indeed. My travelling mates finally discovered that
I must have breakfast alone and I believe that they
have accepted that. I treasure my early morning alone
time and Husbando quickly learned that after knowing me
for about 3 days.

But, let us recap today. We met Adriana and Jockamo
(sp?) at Popolo Piazza at 9:30 and drove in a van,
that once carried Kevin Spacey, south to Pompeii.
Two hours and much traffic and assorted bad jokes
and guffaws. Forgive me, this Italian computer does
not honor spell check...

Weather remains beautiful. We were not the only folks
at Pompeii, but we met our guide Antonio after parking
the huge van in a v. small space and walking a few
feet to buy tix (£11 each). I have always\always
wanted to see Pompeii and my initial impression was
that it is much bigger than I expected. It was a city
of 20,000 and there was great wealth and elegance. I
really could picture the life there, especially after
Antonio described the homes, supermarket, temples and
bars as we walked by. On purpose, we think, he talked
about the big sheets of marble and kept referring to
them as "big shits". We behaved.

Exceedingly small mosaic tile floors and frescos of
unbelivable warm colors, some even with a 3-D effect.
Imagine. We could see not only Vesuvius but the sea
from this town and the slightly warm breezes helped
paint the picture of ancient life here. Once again
the whole amazing water system was evident. (I did
read "Pompeii" by Harris and that was beneficial
because the hero was a water engineer.)Fascinating
information and I hope to remember 1\3 of it.

Our tour was 3 hours and we were hungry, but did
get lost before arriving for a lovely lunch outside
on the Mediterranean Sea across from Naples. Or was
that Naples? Is it Thursday? We had many appetizers
and lots of fresh fish (grilled and fried) and some
gelato and espresso and it was after 4pm when we
finally left. How wonderful to sit outside and hear
the splash\splash of the water and once again feel
the breezes. The restaurant is Mustafa and it is
at the bottom of a steep hill (one of those 2 way
streets that shouldn't be)on Marina di Equa. Very
nice service with a waiter who took all our cameras
outside on the street to get our photos while some
of his fellow townspeople smiled knowingly at him.
A wonderful day. Indescribable.

Home after 9pm and not ready to sleep. I finished
Doerr's book and he leaves Rome as I do giving me
this perfect quote. "Roma", they say, "one life is
not enough".

These weird computers do not allow me to check the
comments, but the dear Blogmaid forwards them to me
for which I am v. grateful. Back to Firenze a domani
after checking out the Sistene Chapel. Grazie e amore.

titolo: the too muchedness of rome

I read that line in the Anthony Doerr book, but have to
hurry since it's 10.30pm and I don't want to stay up too late
again and I need to wash my smalls (Noel Coward) and
my hair, which isn't easy in Italy, or Europe, for that matter.
There is some issue with the blog, so I'm asking Michael
to cut and paste this for me. Grazie.

Since today was Free Day, we only walked 45,000 miles
and ate 567,789 calories. We walked up the Spanish Steps
to the Villa Borghese. An early start when the crowds
are almost non existant. Early here is 10am, of course.
I had no idea that these gardens on the top of Roma are
so massive! We passed the Villa Medici and headed to
the Borghese Museum where Ginger desperately wanted
to go. We did not have tix and needed them, but an
Americana from Orange County had one ticket so we
pushed Ginger to buy it and we 3 walked around the gardens
while she looked at Bernini statues and learned the origin
of the word nepotism (the pope's nephew). She loved it,
so once again things worked out.

Another beautiful day, even warmer than yesterday and so
clear. How perfect. Spent the next hour plus finding stamps
at the Tabac and then trying to find the Post Office. It's
never quite "right down that street" or "a few blocks left"
as you might remember from your travels in a foreign country.

Lunch was one of the best ever. Thanks to TGP for sending us
to the Jewish Quarter (Ristorante Piperno on Monte De'Cenci)
for fried artichokes. We supplemented these with fried mozarella
and zuchinni squash blossoms, some pasta, some gelato and
always the espresso. I was the Heroine del Giorno today! I am
telling you that it was €36 each, mostly so I can use the Euro<
symbol which I just found here. Of course it was about 4pm
when we finished eating and walking around this area of town.
Visited the synogogue where they were searching backpacks...

Now we are five. Linda arrived from Eugene, Oregon. Adriana
returns to us a domani and since some of you are confused,
there are now 6 of us going to Pompeii at 9am. Well, make
that 7 because we have a driver (Adriana's boss) who will
also be our tour guide. Pompeii is 2 hours approx. from here
and I thank the morbidmama for suggesting we go here when
I first mentioned the trip to her about a year ago. She was
so enthused that I was quite willing to go solo...

I haven't mentioned Joey. She lives in San Diego. The Susan,
Joey, Ginger connection is from Big Skye. Joey used to be
a flight attendant and is a total pleasure to travel with.

Dinner not so great tonight, maybe because we couldn't
possibly be hungry. Le Grotte on Via Della Vite. The worst
floral wall paper that I have ever seen, and that's saying
something.

Now to try to sleep. I wish I were just a bit tired right now.
Buona notte my friends.

glorious giorno en roma

No, I was not really homesick, just sleep deprived
and a little overwhelmed by this bustling city.
We spent 4 hours with our guide Patrizia this
morning. She was an art history major and knows
so much that my head was exploding by the time
we left the colleseum. Here is some of what I
learned:
.they built the huge dome on the Pantheon back in
125 AD from the TOP, had it packed with dirt under
and buried coins so that when it was finished the
citizens would remove the dirt for them
.there is a special retail store for nuns & priests
and the window displays were quite lovely
.they clean out the Trevi fountain every Monday and
give the money to the Red Cross
.saw the forum where Julius was whacked!
.the colleseum had a retractable awning roof, imagine
.Roma is dependent on water and you can drink from
any fountain in the city - same aqueduct (sp?)
system from the BC or AD years...lots of water
symbolism in the statues
.the women had to sit on the very upper tier of the
colleseum because they were "closer to God". They
also had to climb 45 gazillion stairs and couldn't
see worth shit
.I saw a flock of fresh faced young priests in
black...not one woman. Surprise
.everyone hated that wedding cake building at first
.also lots and lots of historical facts that I won't
bore you with right now

I had never taken a walking tour in a small group
(just us 4 women) and it was fabulous. We didn't
have to wait in any lines and Patrizia is taking us
to the Sistine Chapel on Friday. We are all hoping
for the same no-line happy outcome.

Lunch at Re Degli Amici on Via Della Croce. Many
appetizers and 3 pastas to share. Yummy. And, they
let me pick up the check. Yeah, instant guilt
remover.

The Lira - yes, according to my source, "most
Italians lost a lot of money when the Euro came
here and many want to go back to the Lira". But
it sure is easier for the tourist.

Embarrassing correction. Adriana's dog is not
Easy Daze but Isides - some damn goddess or other.
The cats are still Pablo and Ginger Skye.

Not very good dinner in some damn alley, but we
4 managed to giggle like school girls and cause
a little rucus. Great fun. Now, to sleep. No
more 4am wake-ups please. Oh, and we walked along
the Tiber River before dinner and had drinks at
a cafe on the Piazza Navona. A v. special day!

is this a good idea?

I'm wearing my SF Mime Troupe tee this morning having
slept for 5 hours, so things must be getting better.
Remembering that nice day last year w\ Rachel and The
Plotniks Great. Am I homesick?

Made the mistake of reading Anthony Doerr's "Four
Seasons in Rome" advance reading copy that some nice
fellow worker left on my desk. He is here with his wife
and 2 new born twin boys and has worse trouble sleeping
than I do. He lives in Boise where Susan, my traveling
companion resides. I like her immensely.

Am disappointed in da blog because I want to tell you
about the surprise wisteria and the v. old buildings and
the silly expensive designer stores. The Vuitton (sp?)
was closed and instead of a metal gate it had that famous
and often knocked off brown\beige funny locks logo all
over. Clever. I dislike that brand, but I didn't travel
4 million miles to tell you that, did I?

Doerr points out that the Pantheon was built in 125 AD
and they had to lug all that stuff from Egypt. In MY
city we think of the 1800s as old. Stuff is a little
known architectural term. You are welcome.

My favorite thing so far today (it's 7am) was opening
my window, then the heavy shutter and peering down the
exceedingly narrow alley that curves gently onto yet
another shopping street. Air is sweet and we will have
more glorious spring weather.

There is guilt because Ginger and Adriana have been
picking up the big ticket meals and that must stop.
I love the Nescafe in the hotel rooms and why can't
we get good instant coffee in my country? These are
the heavy historical thoughts on my mind this morning.

Now to check emails and wish I could blog like TGP
and The Tonsil Warrior when I travel. But no, I talk
about Vuitton and Nescafe. I miss you all.

the glory that is mozart

Our hotel here in Roma has 4 free computers! It is v. near
the Spanish Steps and has a delightful rooftop cocktail
area and my room is itty bitty and perfect. I want to
thank whomsoever designed the Italian trenos that are
impossible to get comfortable in, especially if the woman
travelling needs a wee nap.

Late b.day lunch for Ginger today at Belcore Ristorante
near the train station. So no dinner tonight and I have
a chance to catch up and thank you for your attention.
I keep meaning to tell you that most restaurants have no
smoking signs! Progress. I finally had the tomato and
buffalo mozzarella salad to start, truffle pasta and
3 desserts. No wonder I'm not hungry tonight.

My second walk today was with the 3 other women while
Adriana tended to her horse in Bagno a Ripoli, very near
Florence. We walked for about an hour and ooohed and
ahhhed over the villas and mansions and green hills.
Up and down narrow roads. Breathtaking vistas, all so
green and lovely.

After dinner last night we finally had gelato (from "Orso
Ghiotto", I know Dancing Jen will want to know). About 6
different kinds, the best being the creamy vanilla and
deep chocolate. That was after the lard spread (!) from
that butcher yesterday and some truffle butter too. I
often think of Chef P here because the food is so v.
fresh and delicious.

This is the second post I have written you from the
Hotel Mozart. Don't ask, my Italian is not perfect.
I now know how to say "delete this" in Italian. My
first post was better, frankly.

V. crowded and warm here in Roma. Today was some sort
of post Easter holiday and everyone says it always rains
on this day, but not for us this year.

Yesterday, Easter, impressed me in a few ways. For one
thing our hardboiled eggs had been blessed in a church
and we were instructed to eat them before our lunch.
Then even the young Italian men were wearing ties and
the children v. well behaved. Lots of families and great
fun to watch.

OK, buona notte. Sorry you missed the good post. A
domani the colleseum and more. Now to do the laundry
and pray for more than 4 hours of sleep.

was it as good as The Olive Garden?

Finally figured out phone card and that was Husbando's
first question after I told him about our lavish outdoor
Easter lunch at Oltre il Giardino in Panzano in Chianti,
a perfect little hillside town about 1\2 hour from
Firenze. I have much to say and v. little computer time.

Adriana is a friend of Ginger's who lives here. She grew
up practically next door to Santa Croce. A beautiful
and generous woman with two young daughters. She had an
American mother and Italian father. Picture
this last night after long drives and city walks:
Five women sharing stories and secrets, getting to know
one another in a beautiful peach colored dining room
with two cats on the window sill and Easy Daze dog at
our feet. Pablo has fallen out of the window (3rd floor)
twice and we worried and fretted.

When Husbando and I first went to Europe we kept saying
"pinch me" and yesterday was that kind of day. I can't
believe I am here and so lucky. Thank you all for your
emails and comments. Tonight in Roma, a Wi Fi city.

I was walking solo at 7am this morning. No tourists and
I watched the vendors setting up. Ordered a cappucino and
told him it was ottimo.

Famous butcher yesterday in Panzano...I will tell you
about him later, but he served red wine and proscutto
while opera played loudly in the background. So NOT
Pennsylvania, nor Pumpkinville...nor Santa Barbara.

titolo = easter en firenze

Grazie per 4 comments! Wowza. Last night we 6 women
went for cocktails to this posh resort up on a hill
in the Fiesole district. Villa San Michelle where
one could spend $1000 a night or more in either dollars
or Euros or who cares? Adriana knows everyone and our
service was THE BEST. Then for dinner down the hill at
Le Lance Restaurant...3 pastas, dessert and lots of
laughter and joy.

Finally slept last night thanks to 2 cups of Trader
Joe's Sleepy Time tea and 1\2 magic pill. Slept in
until 8am! Lovely solo breakfast en Villino il Mgnifico
and walked to Adriana's where I found her computer,
her 2 cats (Pablo the b&w, Ginger the grey and white,
dog is Easy), and now 4 women. Gotta run. Later.
Molto grazie e amore.

a little holiday music!

Pardon my keyboard problems here at the Internet Train
somewhere here in Firenze. I have not slept much, so
this will be crazed. "Have yourself a Merry Little Xmas"
was playing when I walked in here...Perry Como?

Flights were fine, crowded, of course. On time. Weather
is beautiful! Joey and Susan met me at the airport and
we found the one taxi driver who does not, or will not,
speak a word of English. I sat up in the front seat with
him and Luigi was a big help after all.

I love\love my little hotel room with the typical shower
that gets the entire bathroom wet. I have been having a
long solo walk and managed to purchase USA phone cards for
myself and my 2 new friends who are napping.

There are no words to describe how happy I am to be here
walking around and feeling so happy and alive. Smug might
be the correct word. Mostly walked along the River Arno
this afternoon and then cut north (right) into town. Now
I need to rush back and I will return a domani, since I
have figured out the blog and the internet and the entire
Italian nation.

arrivederci ~ ci vediamo domani

Pretty soon to the airport. I've been adding and
subtracting to the bonsai bag all morning. I do
like the Cube® and the most interesting photos will
now appear in this blog. One can purchase these
mesh/canvas bags in all sizes and some people use
them 100% in their normal size luggage, or so the
saleswoman told me.

Husbando requested one of MY salads last night and
then we watched the Giants finally win a game.
Before that "The Departed" ~ could we have ANY
more violence in movies? Well, we avoid the horror
flicks, so the answer is probably "yes".

Grazie to ognuno for all the help and good wishes.
I'll check in next from Firenze. Now for the first
of many Airbornes®...on the rocks.

behold ~ a reverse miracle

Now you too can see the Incredible Shrinking Luggage!
When last I used it (Santa Barbara, last September) it
held 14 complete outfits and 55 books. Of course I was
driving and there might have been a little spillover,
but sheeeeez, this is certainly not a walk in the park.

I'm down to 3 black tops (one sort of dressy), 2 pair
of jeans (one sort of dressy ~ well, black), 1 tee shirt,
one purple velour scarf for Venice, cosmetics and camera
stuff. Oh, and one very light sweat suit. One pair of
black sandals, I'm wearing the black new New Balance on
the plane along with a black sweater and my light SF Giants
jacket. I have about 33 books to choose from and a few
Luigi notes and dictionary. Those files will fit in the
back zip pocket and I'll take one on the plane. I'm using
the Cube® for under garments and laundry aids. Oooops,
4 camis too, but they don't take up any space.

Yes, I decided to take the horrid pink backpack that I
take to work everyday. Husbando laundered it yesterday and
I figure no one will steal it and there's no mistaking it
for everyone's basic black backpack. I'm including an everyday
purse in the cute little bonsai suitcase pictured above.

Nervous? Yes. More like excited, not scared nervous.

lunch @ pastores; dinner @ the india garden

My friend Mary asked me to post about food in SF
because she moved from here to Arizona and the
menu choices are somewhat limited there. This
morning Husbando said, "I'll take you to dinner as
a going away present, what would you like?" I said,
"anything but Italian".

But first we had lunch down at Mission and 30th at
this perfect little restaurant with one woman (Irma)
cooking and waiting tables. The rare chiliquilles
are here ~ I took a photo but it looked not very
appetizing. Everything was as fresh as could be and
we ate too much and enjoyed every bite.

For dinner we went to one of our favorite Indian
restaurants for onion nan and lamb with spinach.
The chef there always wears a baseball cap and
once again we were able to park on Folsom Street
right in front of the restaurant.

And breakfast? The best croissants in this city are
to be found at Costco of all places.

OK ~ tomorrow we'll discuss the packing. It's
somewhat discouraging at this point.

soon it's all about me, but first...

Nice day today as I wrapped things up and delegated
and gave/received goodbye hugs. My itinerary is hanging
on the door to my office and yes, Tonsil Warrior, I am
almost packed. I will do some test packing a domani or
the day after domani.

Now I want to plug an event for a wonderful woman
named Karen who is having a book launch at the big
box on Sunday, April 29. Karen is in my writing group
and has been working for a long time on this gutsy
compilation of essays by people with disabilities. She
is not only a great writer, she is my friend and we
want to sell her book! It is my staff selection this
month, so you may buy it early if you like.

In the meantime, mark your calendars:
Sunday, April 29
2 pm
MY BODY OF KNOWLEDGE
Book Launch Party
4th floor
Borders Union Square
Post and Powell
(coffee and sweets will be served)

After this post, it's me/me/me.

beef brisket, no elijah

It's late and I have to be at the big box at 6am,
but did want to report in on the magnificent
Seder dinner we went to tonight. I love the story
and ceremony, more so than many Jews do, but even
Husbando (who is Jewish) said it was one of the
best that he has ever been to. Lots and lots of
food (delicious) and laughter. Such interesting
people ~ a marvelous evening. Thanks Plotniks!

what price fame?

We watched this Hollywoodland movie last night, rented
from the Flix®, as you might have guessed. Then I googled
George Reeves and found that it really was based on fact.
Interesting to see Ben Affleck all grown up and bulked out.
Diane Lane is always excellent as are Adrien Brody and Bob
Hoskins. I guess to this day no one knows how the first
Superman died. Some great SoCal location shots too.

concentrate on the flowers

Pardon the elephant's ass here in the second photo ~ of course
these are from inside Macy's yesterday. This morning was a MESS
because msBook had to go to hospital (The Total Mac on Geary,
and thanks for that recommendation Ms. Salon Mistressnik.) I drove
today so I took an extra long lunch (instead of none) and I was the
first distressed computer owner in a line of five. This is when we
we all realize how completely dependent we are on our computers.
Some folks feel the same about their flips (cell phones) too, but
I'm not quite there yet.

Anyway, I needed a new cord adaptor gizmo because it wore out, I
guess. Battery problems and blah blah and I'm out of there for
$64.00. And she's feeling good. But it was a nasty few hours this
morning without my best friend/worst enemy.

Three more work days before vaca! Molto molto bene....

today's lunch time treat

flower show
Originally uploaded by the omster.

Today was the first day of the Macy's annual flower show and it is fabulous as always. The theme this year is "Imagine India" and the colors brilliant. Mostly greens and azaleas inside, but lots of variety in the front windows including some floating lovelies (I don't know their names). It's days like this that I feel so grateful that I work right in the heart of downtown SF. They must have had a crew working all night to have the store looking so spectacular. This lasts until April 14, but of course it's best to visit early when all the flowers are so fresh.

trail mix, warm scarf, handi-wipes and amazing spousal disagreement!

First, thank you for the oh so helpful responses to my
To Do list. From Susan the Tonsil Warrior (currently
residing in Mexico ~ she spent 5 months in Europe in
2004) and The Great Plotnik who has traveled all over
the world too. I am a grateful pre-packer and I purchased
a few more necessities today. I will heed all the sound
advice, including copies of everything to Husbando.

Last night Husbando really loved After the War.
I did not. I thought the best part was the surprise
meeting with the Plotniks during intermission. It
reminded me of Noises Off (which I loved, but this
isn't a comedy) with all the upstairs/downstairs door
slamming stuff. Historically interesting due to the
terrible way we treated all minorities before, during
and after WW II, and because the playwright (Philip
Kan Gotanda) is a local guy. Also that the story is
set on Fillmore Street in SF. But I could not bring
myself to really care about the characters, but again,
this is just me and I was quite tired last night and
could have been verging on "a mood". Oh oh.

see space, fill space

Today I will share packing/travel tid-bits and seek
them too. Husbando hates the way I pack (messy)
and over the years we have (ahem) discussed this
way too much. He is methodical and usually ends
up removing everything from my suitcase and
stuffing strange things into my shoes as he folds
clothing into itty bitty little squares and rectangles.

Here is what I have learned, often the hard way,
about what to do before a trip:

• photocopy passaporta
• photocopy credit cards
• take photo of suitcase(s) w/ dimensions
• create a list in advance and rework it
  
• make sure everything has been worn once or more and is comfortable
• try to anticipate the first night & put that on top
• address list or labels for post cards
  
• pack extra plastic bags, little scissors, magnifying glass
• one dressy scarf, no expensive jewelry
  
• DON'T PACK TOO MUCH

This last one is a huge joke, of course. I did not get
carpel tunnel and sciatica just from working on the
computer and carrying books around big boxes. I
am one of the "well, you never know..." kind of
travelers. My yoga teacher urged me purchase one of
those Travel Cubes®, but I'm not quite sure what
to put inside it. We'll see. And yes, I have the adaptor
and convertor ~ I hate those electrical fires.

As usual it's white and black for me, with blue jeans
and maybe one colorful camisole. I love camis.

Starting to check the weather ~ it's still cool in Italia.

finally, the itinerary!

Thank you for your patience. Today I had lunch with
Dancing Jen and she put my mind at ease by telling
me how to buy and use a phone card to call Husbando
in the USA and not have to deal with Luigi-like
operators. Then when I came home there was an email
from one of the women with whom I'll be traveling.
She will wait for my plane in Florence as she arrives
an hour before me, if everything works. Her name
is Susan I and I believe she lives in Eureka, CA.

OK, here we go ~ only 10 more days!

Friday, April 6 Lufthansa SFO to Frankfurt #LHO455
departs 2pm, arrives Frankfurt 9:35 ~
Sat. 4/7 Lufthansa #LH4060 10:45 FRA to Florence
arrives 12:15 pm

Florence ~ Saturday, April 7 and 8 ~ Villino il Magnifico
Via Orcagna 24-26

Rome ~ Monday, April 9, 10, 11, 12 - Hotel Mozart
Via dei Greci 23 B

Pompeii - Thursday, April 12th, then back to Rome
for the night

Friday, April 13, 14, 15 ~ back to Florence
Villino il Magnifico

Monday, April 16,17,18, 19 ~ Venice
Westin Excelsior on Lido Isle

Friday, April 20 ~ back to Florence Villino il Magnifico

Saturday, April 21 ~ Lufthansa, Florence to Frankfurt 10am
#LH4059 arrives Frankfurt 11:40 and departs at 2pm.
Arrives SFO 4:24pm Sat. #LH9052.

Tomorrow ~ fretting about what to pack.

it restoreth my soul

I have to write Museum on my To Do list at work or
I don't make time to walk a few blocks to go to Moma
on my lunch hour. Today I finally went to the Picasso
as an Influence on American Artists exhibit and enjoyed
myself immensely. Lots of Jackson Pollock, John Jaspers,
de Kooning, even Andy Warhol. The Picasso pieces were
displayed next to the ones that were similar ~ extremely
well done. I need to do this more often, but that's what
I always say.

gentle smiles abound

Richie Unterberger came to the big box this afternoon
and gave an outstanding presentation of music and
a slide show with lots of footage of The Beatles back
in the 60's. He has researched these four so thoroughly
and even mentioned things I would have never noticed.
For instance at one point in a concert Paul loses his
place and what made this group different from the very
beginning, was that they were having so much fun that
they never got flustered and always just kept playing
and singing. Four fresh-faced young men with unusual
talent and some plain old good luck, too. His book is
"The Unreleased Beatles".

We had a great audience of maybe 35 people. Everyone
was happy and one of our daily customers attended.
She is a woman in her 50's who is so glum (chum) and
a little difficult to please. We have "had words" in fact.
Today for the first time in almost 7 years she smiled.
I almost didn't recognize her ~ what a difference.
Even if we didn't sell one book, the event was a huge
success. Good job by the staff, too.

don't know much about electricity

light in garage
Originally uploaded by the omster.

Here is one of our many new curlycue light bulbs. The garage doesn't seem as bright as before, but these things are definitely NOT harsh, much softer, as a matter of fact.

Gas is back to over $3.00 a gallon here in SF. I don't mind that a bit because I notice that our neighbors are shedding those horrid oversized SUVs and buying the Prius and other nice little cars. Our city streets are too narrow and too crowded for SUVs and maybe if I lived in Baskersfield they wouldn't bother me so much. Of course I would have died long ago from boredom, but let's save those thoughts for another post, shall we?

always carry a camera

recharging!
Originally uploaded by the omster.

The other day I was walking on Folsom Street and here was this little car sitting on the sidewalk just like it belonged there. You can see the cord ~ it really is an electrical car, I guess they didn't kill them all. I believe it belongs to the City and I can just hear a staff member saying, "I'm just going to run home for a second and zap the Zapcar."

On this theme, Husbando has replaced almost every light bulb in our home with those curlycue things. They are just a bit dimmer, but are supposed to save a LOT of energy (and money).

My work day was less than perfect, Monday/Fridays always are.

mighty magical day off with pay

ocean & sutro baths
Originally uploaded by the omster.

First, thank you GP for asking what I cooked last night! Husbando is convinced that my fried rice is better than any of the 5,063 Chinese Restaurants in SF. Perhaps that's because they don't make it with left over corned beef?

I was out here walking with Mollie this morning about 8:15 ~ glorious weather and a beautiful way to start the day. Then I had about two hours at home to avoid Luigi while I had more coconut ice cream. Then I met RR and the Blogmaid at the lovely little Central Park in San Mateo and we played pony and slid down some slides and gathered acorns. At almost 3.5, RR has a rich imagination and is such a happy little girl. Even though K reports that she has her moods, I have yet to witness anything but sweetness and perfection.

Tonight is our writing group and I had better get a cup of green tea and a quick nap now so I can sparkle tonight.

Oh, last night we watched "The Prestige" and we both liked "The Illusionist" better, but I believe we are in the minority here...

reworking, redoing, relearning

Here is the correct (I hope) link for One Foot's blog.

And now for Linda's.

wowza ~ godzilla & I link up!

Now how long have I had this blog? Almost 2 years you
say? Well, with un milione sincere thanks to One Foot
I GOT it. I am using Firefox Browser rather than Safari
and I think that is a key. The other is that Un Piede sent
very clear instructions for which I am grateful. Of
course we'll see how I do after I send this post to Publish.

Brian Copeland was wonderful last night ~ not as big
of a crowd as I had hoped for, but that is often the case.
We sold a few books and those who attended had
a fine time. Only two crazies, both women (I think).

It's sunny again and we had lunch outside at this (here
I go again) perfectly delightful Florida Street Cafe.
It's located at 19th and Florida and is a training school
as you can easily tell from the handy blue (red?) link. Very
reasonable prices (two for $20). Lovely weather
today and I need a walk. Yoga calmed my savage
spirit this morning and I'm actually cooking (!) tonight.

Check out the stages of computer emotions in this
fine blog by Linda. I am finally out of the anger stage!
(Well, OK, only one link really works, but the concept
is what counts and there is always domani.)

molto, molto bene!

That's what la maestra wrote on my homework from the previous week.
Isn't it amusing that we are all (I assume) still grade schoolers at
heart, seeking our teacher's approval? It was a fine class and we
worked on words and phrases for securing our hotel rooms (una
camera con bagno e vista, per piacere) and just a few of those
tedious verbs and numbers.

Came home to some Mitchell's coconut ice cream, a bubble bath
and "The Riches", episode 2. Ottimo! (Excellent!)

Tonight is the Brian Copeland event at 7pm. In an email he said
that he mentioned it on his Sunday radio show on KGO and that
will help a lot. I am not feeling as responsible as sometimes, so
we'll just see how it goes.

Light rain this morning ~ two days off a domani. Molto grazie.

the eternal city

mozart1
Originally uploaded by the omster.

This is our hotel in Roma. I've just been futzing around on the internet while Luigi natters away with his endless enthusiasm. I don't have to be at work until 11am, but once I start on this "let's look here and here" on the internet, I'll be in a state about being late. So I will post and scamper.

The Hotel Mozart is en Via del Greci, right in the heart of things. It's (of course) overpriced, but remember we said we weren't going to worry about those silly things on this trip, didn't we? I like looking at others' photos of their travels in Italy on Flickr®, but of course I'm puzzled that one would need pics from inside their rental car. Like all my photos make perfect sense. Now how many cats in the coliseum? Oh, there's a tabby, and one that looks like Uncle Junior and Josie....

everything that has been said ~ and more!

You remember that this was our Personal Best for a ticket price, right?
$99.00 each. I bought these tix back in December, I think. Well, anyway,
our seats were way up in the Mezz and I muttered, "oh oh", and even
things more dramatic than that when we walked up the steps. Will
we be able to see and hear? Was this a huge waste of money?

Well, TGP the so right when he gave this his rare 5 star review. It is a
fabulous show (and I don't particularly like "musicals") with superb
music and elaborate staging. We could see/hear everything ~ really
it was a thrill for everyone (I betcha) in the audience, including this
caustic and jaded woman of retail. Go ahead, splurge on the Jersey
Boys, you won't regret it!

There was a lot of stomach flu today after the St. Pat's celebrations
last night, in fact I'm going to go back in for 3 hours later to help
a fellow manager close the big box. He would do the same for me
and I can use this little act of supreme generousity to garner
favors in the future from Bossman and others.

Now to listen to the CD again ~ "Dawn Go Away..."

doltdom revisited

Well, well, well ~ maybe this will work. I usually just send the photo
directly from Flickr®, but they don't seem to want me to send two.

I was up early (too early) fretting about this computer (for the 8,344
time in my life) and knew somehow I could get this to work. Thanks
GPnik. Re links, I used to be able to add this magical touch when I
sent emails to commano, but that feature seems to be causing me
problems and I haven't been able to figure out WTF is wrong. So
this will work for now, I think. Molte grazie!

My Dream Trip begins on Friday, April 6, and I return home on the
21st. On my list of To Dos is the Itinerary which I will post here.
I land in Firenze about the same time as two other women (both
strangers to me) and maybe we can hook up and share a taxi to
our B&B. At which point I will look the receptionist straight in the
eye and say, "Buongiorno, dove il computer?" That will be on
Saturday, in the afternoon. But I'm wearing the watch....

jonathan's latest!

you
Originally uploaded by the omster.

Of course this appears when I don't have a moment to floss my teeth, let alone work with Luigi. It has a great beginning, however, and isn't that when most of us get hooked on a book? I'll read it when I return from the Dream Trip.

one of my top ten faves

motherless
Originally uploaded by the omster.

Many moons ago the Salon Mistressnik asked for a list of my favorite books. I had a grand plan (and even a file on my desktop, somewhere!) to jot these down, but so far no go. But this book is definitely one of my very favorites and now the author has a new one that I was perusing today at the big box when I should have been kicking a customer awake. The young 'uns love when I do that.

Because I am a dolt and can't figure out how to include two photos in one post, even though everyone in the entire blogging world can do this, I will send you another photo of the new book under separate cover.

are those green gnats?

st. pat's
Originally uploaded by the omster.

No, silly, those are itty bitty glittering shamrocks on the Saint's table. We had a delightful time at our dinner party and Roberts corned beef was the best ever. We love our friends and their many idiosyncrasies ~ not one would ever be considered wishy-washy so as a result strong opinions bounced across the table and rolled out into the street. Topics discussed:
1) stairs
2) SF real estate
3) rest of the world real estate
4) the DeYoung museum (2 guests hate it)
5) license plates and the DMV
6) keys that fit into assorted look-alike cars
7) Germany
8) Italy
9) Oslo, Norway
10) South Africa
11) religion (always, errrr, controversial)
12) passover (ditto)
13) Husbando's white sauce
14) Mitchell's ice cream
15) children when they realize they have to go find a job

The house is back in order today and I even went to the big box for a few hours to take care of a money project. Now to nap...

heart over head and heels

from neti's deck
Originally uploaded by the omster.

I believe this is the view that caused me to fall permanently, overwhelmingly and sometimes irrationally in love with San Francisco. I was living with pre-Husbando in New Jersey and came to visit our friends N & F way back when there were no traffic jams, cracked crab cost about $2 each and we all were ruled by our hearts and never our heads. Try to imagine this view at night with a million sparkly lights and the glow of alcohol and youth.

Yesterday I watched the fog roll in a little from N's home in Twin Peaks as I helped with her computer issues. I always stop for a moment and try to remember how I felt when I saw this the first time. My God.

The rest of the day was spent in a Mrs. O'Dalloway sort of running around tasking and arranging flowers, etc, but I felt relaxed and productive and looking forward to entertaining friends tonight. I'm glad it is not as warm today because our AC is on the fritz. (That is a SF only kind of joke ~ are you smiling?)

eddie, minnie, luigi and brian

eddie
Originally uploaded by the omster.

I have a lot to cover this morning before my official day of errands and tasks begins. Let's start with our calendars, if you please.
Brian Copeland
to discuss and sign
"Not a Genuine Black Man"
7pm
Tuesday, March 20
(one week away)
Borders Union Square
BRIAN IS A DELIGHT, BE THERE (per favore)

Only 6 of us in Italian class last night, so that meant she called on us more and my poor mind is still feeling overwhelmed this morning. We are getting a lot of practice on asking for directions and no one needs to worry that I'll be getting lost in Italia. La maestra also had us asking each other what time it is/was/will be and at one point I snapped, "I plan to wear a watch" and I tapped emphatically
at the one with large black numbers on my right wrist.

Eddie Izzard has appeared several times in our big box and Husbando and I have become fans, renting his DVDs and chuckling with appreciation at his genius. Well, he is now on FOX tv along with Minnie Driver (also quite wonderful) in the new series entitled "The Riches". Eddie has lost his English accent for this juicy role as a complicated con man. We watched the first episode last night and it's a winner. Check out Tim Goodman's review in the chronny REVIEW / Grifting clan lives large in 'The Riches'

OK, off to Costco and Roberts and Beyond. It's hot here again, imagine!

inspired again!

dixie
Originally uploaded by the omster.

Last night we both enjoyed this documentary from the Flix®. One of my all-time favorite tunes (still can bring a tear to my eye) is "Goodbye Earl" and the Dixie Chicks belted out a little of this last night as they battled for freedom of speech after Natalie had the audacity to criticize our president during a concert in London, back when this disgusting invasion of Iraq first started. I love these tough young women with their southern accents ~ traveling in the big pink trailer with their husbands and kids. I know their new CD sells v. well at the big box and I might have to pick one up today to show my support. The DVD is entitled "Shut Up and Sing", but you knew that.

I couldn't help myself

great reviews!
Originally uploaded by the omster.

When I first started working at the B&N big box about 10 (?) years ago, I spent waaaaaay too much money on books. Money we did not have at the time, by the way. I learned to use the book loan program and to resist temptation, for the most part, anyway.

Currently our mortar and brick big box has a freeze on book loans because we are facing inventory in a few weeks. But I had to have this book ~ the reviews have been fabulous and one of my favorite customers read it and raved. What's a woman to do?

The book is a mystery about a young expat writer who goes to work for an old expat writer who is more than eccentric. As you might have guessed, it all takes place in Venice, Italy. I figure that after I finish it I can give it to one or all of my traveling companions.

Isn't the cover super kick ass? (I heard one of our booksellers use that literary term today.) "The Lying Tongue" by Andrew Wilson.

...to see us safe to bed

A train
Originally uploaded by the omster.

OK, get on the phone and call 415-677-9596 and go see Jesus Hopped the A Train at the SF Playhourse at 588 Sutter St. at Powell. This is some fine, fine acting and an impressive script by Stephen Adly Guirgis who also wrote Our Lady of 121st Street which we thoroughly enjoyed last year. If you want to check online: www.sfplayhouse.org.

When we went to our first SF Playhouse play (Art) about two years ago, there were about 6 of us in the audience. Today it was sold out, SRO. That pleases us immensely as this small theatre group deserves all the success it has earned.

three lunches and one dinner

I need to talk about the four different restaurants we went to on my
weekend. Just in case I ever need to look back and see what we
did on March 6,7, and 8 of 2007.

1) Ty Cobb salads at the Connecticut Yankee on Potrero Hill
2) salmon in a calzone pocket at Il Fornio in Corte Madera
3) dim sum at the Imperial Palace on San Bruno
4) exquisite thin crust pizza at Caffe Vogalonga

The best was Vogalonga at 22nd and Valencia ~ an authentic
(I think) Italian restaurant where the waiter suggested we
try the racket of lamb. I was tempted, but the pizza had the
thinnest crust this side of Pazzia.

All my blogging friends are writing about food today, so I thought
I'd jump right in and add my sizzling garlic. I often wonder how I
would live in a city that didn't offer so many, many choices.

We started the weekend at Roberts on Bryant Street ~ talking
corned beef with the owner who doesn't give a damn about
customer service. That's fine with us ~ we're more interested
in the product anyway. We'll discuss corned beef more next week....

from an '05 round robin write

women (should) rule
Originally uploaded by the omster.

SOMETIMES IT'S ENOUGH JUST TO SAY THEIR NAMES

I became a feminist when I was in my early thirties and my admiration for strong
women grows and grows. I do admit to feeling a little flabbergasted when
I see young women in 6" heels and tarts-in-training fashions, but I
know if push came to shove, if abortions were criminalized again and
men started making lots more money than women, these well-educated
and successful ultra-frilly girls would sharpen their nails and get to
work. No way are we going to back track to be the weak and dependent
sex ever again.

So I will say the names of the women I admire so much:

Gloria Steinem
Letty Cottin Pogrebin
Betty Freidan
Andrea Dworkin
Bella Abzug
Susan B. Anthony
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Maya Angelou
Margaret Sanger
...and so many others (famous and not so)

Do any of us realize how much ridicule these women had to put up with?
Men always wanted the whole thing to be a joke and go quietly away.
I believe that the goal of the conservative movement is to put wives
back in the home doing exactly what the husbands tell them to do.
They had it so good back then and they knew it.

So let's hear it for the brave feminists who advanced the cause for all
of us and to whom we owe so much today.
08/20/05

the grandest of all canals

dove
Originally uploaded by the omster.

I'm guessing that Venice (like NYC and SF) is small in size, large in diversity and culture. For months I've been reading "The City of Falling Angels" by John Berendt. You know him as the author of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil", so of course it's extremely well written. But lately I'm reading it with greater intensity and am impressed by the number of characters from all over who came to Venice to create and interract with other artists. Ezra Pound, Henry James, Robert Browning ~ just to name a few.

"Wings of the Dove", written by Henry James, is mentioned in the book. We rented the movie and I certainly recommend it for the luscious scenes of Venice alone. The story is OK, the acting sort of bland, but lordy ~ the Grand Canal, the cafes, St. Mark's, endless narrow streets, boats...what an odd place it will be. Imgaine never worrying about cars, car alarms, horns or parking. Not that Venice doesn't have a few its own concerns, as we all know.

como si dice OCD en italia?

prep work
Originally uploaded by the omster.

Friends have been sending me articles for the trip, so I decided to purchase these zip-up folders at the big box. One for each city: Firenze, Roma and Venezia ~ plus an extra one just because. They will be handy to keep all the notes and papers that I gather over there too. You see that I am fond of the Streetwise series of maps and I won't have to spend time trying to fold one in a rain storm.

The bag is in the hallway because it is now officially one month until the departure date. If you are very well behaved, you might get a photo of the bag this week too. I have a few items of clothing, the plane ticket, 3 books and Euros in there. Planning is so much a part of the joy of travel, isn't it?

This afternoon we watched "Wings of the Dove" and I will review it soon, maybe domani.

nove a la scuola

Yes, the same 9 students as last week! I think Luigi helped me and
I felt a bit better this week and actually answered some questions
without waiting for la maestra to point to me. I did ask about internet
cafes and then we discussed (in English, thank God) those peculiar
Italian keyboards which Dancing Jen complained about when she
traveled there almost two years ago. Well, I'll just deal with it, and
no one will point out all my errors, I'm sure.

The rest of the day was all work and no play, except maybe a little
constructive work gossip now and then. I helped with two interviews
and for the first time in a long time we are maxed out on payroll,
meaning no more interviewing and subsequent paperwork for a
week or two. I've started working on reviews because I want to
get all 22 of them written and delivered before I leave for Italia.
No easy task.

But, hooray ~ I'm taking a personal day tomorrow, so I have three
off in a row and I can regain my equilibrium. We have writing group
Thursday night and I need to put fingers to this American keyboard
and come up with SOMETHING. It is late (for me).

what is so rare as a sunday brunch?

brunch @ green's
Originally uploaded by the omster.

I was able to leave the big box at noon today and we met our friends Steve and Marita here at Green's ~ you can see the Golden Gate Bridge in the far background. We haven't been here in years and I didn't think the food was as good as I remembered, but the place was packed and of course it is such a beautiful setting that this didn't matter too much to us.

Then we headed over to the Magic to see "Bot", one of the Hot House brand new plays, and I do want to mention the young man (Jonathan Rosen) who is a high school senior and one terrific actor. Today almost felt like a REAL Sunday to me and the city was quiet and strangely traffic-free. Weird.

a quick recommendation

a quick recommendation
Originally uploaded by the omster.

I have been leafing through this book by Francine Prose, in between my deep and marvelous moments with Luigi and Rick Steves. Here from page 23 of "Reading Like a Writer".

"Alice Munro writes with the simplicity and beauty of a Shaker box. Everything about her style is meant to attract no notice, to make you not pay attention. But if you read her work closely, every word challenges you to think of a more direct, less fussy or tarted-up way to say what she is saying."

Prose writes that we all start as slow readers, but now we tend to skim. She finds that if she copies an entire graph from a talented author, her own writing becomes more fluid. Something to think about on a Saturday morning. Now, to get ready for my other life...

a sight tourists never see

The last time I was the closing manager at the big box, I witnessed this
wonderful scene. It was about midnight and the garbage men were
using the cable car tracks to send those big garbage cans sliding all
the way downhill on Powell Street, from Sutter to the truck waiting at Post.
"All right", I said a little too loudly. What a sight.

the house of the tragic poet

for your consideration
Originally uploaded by the omster.

That's in Pompeii ~ I'll be there on April 12th. Our tour guide (Ginger of Summerland) called me last night, she's not one for the electronica posta, so I have a bunch of scribbled notes and will build myself a scratchy little itinerary to share with you all at a later date. I spent some more quality time with Luigi (sheesh, his enthusiasm wears me down!) today and then I had homework to do for class next Monday night. I need a 7 letter word for "where to find a town plan", second letter is "e". In Italian, needless to say. Now I discover that Linda is more than learned in this, my new 2nd language, I'll have to be extra careful here in this blog.

We had lunch at Westlake Joe's, then watched this movie pictured above. Not as good as the others, but amusing, sort of. Oh, and I bought the converter at Radio Shack, one less item to fuss about on my list.