we should go to a medival town without a map. on a train in a country where we do not speak the language. great idea. better if it is done in the rain. yes?
siena was amazing. we had quite the adventure though. this is our last night in florence. we are up at 6am and on to ravenna. not sure if i will have computer access. will try too. riding the trains has been the biggest cultural obstacle thus far. tomorrow should be interesting!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
greeting from florence
we are here (obviously). right now aaron is sitting on the couch knitting. he has been eager to get to this yarn shop we heard about. now that we found it he is content.
all is good. today we had the tour, the woman was an art historian so it was very interesting and filled with details I am sure to forget. but it was well worth it all in all. Florence is a amazing city... since we do not have a lot of time here there is just so much we cannot do. we keep saying that we will have to come back. in the staw quarterss we put a coin in the pigs mouth then rubs his nose, lore ensures us that we will return (with rest of family of course)
the trip over was long. the ride to paris was nice. much better food than aerlingus. time in the paris airport was annoying if anything... so much perfume in the air my allergies went nuts... security made me put my film through x ray... just that type of annoying things. our trip from paris to florence was nice, we went over the alps, but the ride was about half turbulance... felt pretty sick by the time we landed!
italy has been great. great food, art, people. I wish we had siesta in the US. we really miss our family. luckily they call often. I just got off the phone with Max and Aidan.
all is good. today we had the tour, the woman was an art historian so it was very interesting and filled with details I am sure to forget. but it was well worth it all in all. Florence is a amazing city... since we do not have a lot of time here there is just so much we cannot do. we keep saying that we will have to come back. in the staw quarterss we put a coin in the pigs mouth then rubs his nose, lore ensures us that we will return (with rest of family of course)
the trip over was long. the ride to paris was nice. much better food than aerlingus. time in the paris airport was annoying if anything... so much perfume in the air my allergies went nuts... security made me put my film through x ray... just that type of annoying things. our trip from paris to florence was nice, we went over the alps, but the ride was about half turbulance... felt pretty sick by the time we landed!
italy has been great. great food, art, people. I wish we had siesta in the US. we really miss our family. luckily they call often. I just got off the phone with Max and Aidan.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Forget you Milan
We're going to Paris.
a new airlines.. time frame (much better)..more cash. but we are getting there.. word is the french airline may strike. hoping not.
a new airlines.. time frame (much better)..more cash. but we are getting there.. word is the french airline may strike. hoping not.
oh my...
the Italian airlines went on strike. we can get to Milan but will either have to wait until 8:30pm (we arrive 7:30am) for an alternative connection to Florence or take a train. We will take a train.
Needless to say this adds a bit of adventure to our trip. From Malpensa will take a train to the train station and on to Florence. From there I believe we can then walk to our apt.
It will be 1am our time. This is fun, right!?
Needless to say this adds a bit of adventure to our trip. From Malpensa will take a train to the train station and on to Florence. From there I believe we can then walk to our apt.
It will be 1am our time. This is fun, right!?
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Aidan's school makes national news.
yesterday we were driving in the car, talking about this issue. Max pointed out a girl walking by that he went to middle school with (so she's about 14/15 years old) who is 6 months pregnant. He said this is the first pregnancy she is keeping.
yesterday we were driving in the car, talking about this issue. Max pointed out a girl walking by that he went to middle school with (so she's about 14/15 years old) who is 6 months pregnant. He said this is the first pregnancy she is keeping.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
"Obviously, Dick Cheney is sort of the black sheep of the family."
this cracked me up. not sure if it's really funny or I am just way over tired.
I saw her on John Stewart. He did a good job being courteous and honest. I was sort of impressed with her for going on... talk about walking into the line of fire. think that there may be some serious political spinning behind that move.
She brought John a Darth Vader doll. odd duck, I'd say.
I saw her on John Stewart. He did a good job being courteous and honest. I was sort of impressed with her for going on... talk about walking into the line of fire. think that there may be some serious political spinning behind that move.
She brought John a Darth Vader doll. odd duck, I'd say.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
17 years
we've been married for 17 years. it sounds like such a long time. damn... it IS a long time.
We didn't' have a very festive day... Just so much going on... football, photo stuff, Italy, a pretty girl cat pooping on our bed (yes. your read that right. anyone want a cat?). I am thinking that she feels that she has not conveyed just how much she hates Tommy. she keeps trying new tactics. sigh....
oh... I am going to send out an e-mail regarding the show at the local gallery on the 2nd of November for the photo book. I am adding it here in case I do not get to it.
what else? boys are all doing well. were very happy this morning when the cat poop was not on there bed. We met and loved Judy. Walked around downtown and the Old Port. Had dinner at Flatbread. Yum. Papa is very happy. life is good. I am a bit freaked about Italy. Not so much about being there.. getting things ready here before we go. I also forgot to learn Italian. I just say I'm Canadian and all will be forgiven. Si?
We didn't' have a very festive day... Just so much going on... football, photo stuff, Italy, a pretty girl cat pooping on our bed (yes. your read that right. anyone want a cat?). I am thinking that she feels that she has not conveyed just how much she hates Tommy. she keeps trying new tactics. sigh....
oh... I am going to send out an e-mail regarding the show at the local gallery on the 2nd of November for the photo book. I am adding it here in case I do not get to it.
what else? boys are all doing well. were very happy this morning when the cat poop was not on there bed. We met and loved Judy. Walked around downtown and the Old Port. Had dinner at Flatbread. Yum. Papa is very happy. life is good. I am a bit freaked about Italy. Not so much about being there.. getting things ready here before we go. I also forgot to learn Italian. I just say I'm Canadian and all will be forgiven. Si?
Friday, October 12, 2007
Trippin'
We leave in 9 days. My Mom came up the other day and we laid out the trip. Here it goes:
we arrive in Florence and spend the first two days roaming the city. She did organize a 2 hour personal tour for our second afternoon. There were longer group tours but it sounded like it would be too much for Aaron. This way the tour guide will gear it toward our interests.
on our third day we head out to visit Siena . Which I hear is an amazingly beautiful city. I first saw it in the movie My House in Umbria , let's just say it was love at first sight. then we are back to Florence and on to Ravenna for two days. My Mom has set up a tour guide here too. This the city where her Grandmother is from, we are hoping to find out a bit more about her. My Mom and aunt Paula went to Kingston MA yesterday to do some research. I know that they did find out that there is a 700 page book (written in Italian I believe) written about the family in the Harvard Library. The people historical society were pretty impressed and said we will find the family name all over Ravenna.... that's all I know so far.
From Ravenna will then head up to Venice . I am very excited about Venice.. I do hear it's very expensive and hard to navigate though, luckily my Mom set up a tour for Venice too. One form of advice we received was that if you are walking down and alley and it opens up into water just shrug your shoulders, turn around and walk the other way. Sounds like a good plan to me. My only concern is that we need to be @ the Venice airport by 5:30am, so we will need to get a water taxi around 4am. not sure how that's going to pan out.
our last day in Venice we will take a day trip to Verona . Aaron has wanted to go here ever since they studied Romeo and Juliet last year. Word is that this is where my Great-Grandfather comes from.
we arrive in Florence and spend the first two days roaming the city. She did organize a 2 hour personal tour for our second afternoon. There were longer group tours but it sounded like it would be too much for Aaron. This way the tour guide will gear it toward our interests.
on our third day we head out to visit Siena . Which I hear is an amazingly beautiful city. I first saw it in the movie My House in Umbria , let's just say it was love at first sight. then we are back to Florence and on to Ravenna for two days. My Mom has set up a tour guide here too. This the city where her Grandmother is from, we are hoping to find out a bit more about her. My Mom and aunt Paula went to Kingston MA yesterday to do some research. I know that they did find out that there is a 700 page book (written in Italian I believe) written about the family in the Harvard Library. The people historical society were pretty impressed and said we will find the family name all over Ravenna.... that's all I know so far.
From Ravenna will then head up to Venice . I am very excited about Venice.. I do hear it's very expensive and hard to navigate though, luckily my Mom set up a tour for Venice too. One form of advice we received was that if you are walking down and alley and it opens up into water just shrug your shoulders, turn around and walk the other way. Sounds like a good plan to me. My only concern is that we need to be @ the Venice airport by 5:30am, so we will need to get a water taxi around 4am. not sure how that's going to pan out.
our last day in Venice we will take a day trip to Verona . Aaron has wanted to go here ever since they studied Romeo and Juliet last year. Word is that this is where my Great-Grandfather comes from.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
movies
I have been reading books & seeing movies that take place in Florence or Venice (I have Verona imaged by Romeo and Juliet...don't want to mess with that and not many take place in Ravenna that I know of)...a very fun task. Last night I rented a movie that takes place in Venice, In the Company of Strangers, yikes. did not love it. I liked that it was not an American made, isn't' Italy perfect and glorious, film but it may have been a little too dark (even for me). we are not talking to ANYONE nor going to there home... no matter how beautiful it may be. It did make me excited to be in Venice (during the day minus crazy killers)
any book/movie recommendations?
any book/movie recommendations?
Thursday, October 04, 2007
to blog or not to blog...
i am getting ready for the 2 shows (yikes, yikes), Italy (yikes) and finishing up some jobs (yikes yikes yikes) haven't' been on the computer much except to work... boring.
I am slowly updating Michael's blog. mostly @ 1am.
that's all my news.
I am slowly updating Michael's blog. mostly @ 1am.
that's all my news.
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