the long goodbye

I still have two hours before my no-change train ride to ZurichHB from Florence. I am literally falling asleep at my desk after two nights of 4-5 hours of sleep. Must...fight...the...pain...

Breakfast with Aldo this morning was good . Espresso, a little sandwich, then back to the terrace where we finished the last of my Rosso Toscana and hydrated.

I will be back at my brother's house in the Zurich area in about 10 hours. I am sure he has plenty of the local beer on hand for tomorrow.

I arrived here a month ago and I feel now like I have known this town forever. What will be nice is to come back to Florence in twenty years, when my loans are paid off, and find that all of the streets are the same.

See you soon, Liana and Vinna.

final supper

Last night was the big party at a Villa just outside of town. Mark Twain hung out there at one time. The food was absolutely fabulous. Could be the best dinner I have had in Italy. It was good to be done, eat well, drink good wine and finally, collectively relax. The entire evening was spent outside; a warm, pleasant, slightly humid evening. Dinner was over around midnight. This is Professor Del Duca, the Penn State heavyweight in International Comparative Law. His connections in Italy make this program so good. He always wore a tie but never drank enough water (in my opinion).
Don E. and Dadriana.

so there ya go

That is it. Six credits. Assuming of course I rock all three exams I took this morning. Correct. Three law exams in one day.

Best of all, I celebrated with Sambuca right afterwards and then met my buyer (of the bike) at the Duomo belltower. Southwest corner. Right where I bought it. Only, he paid 10 euros more than I did. A fair trade I would say, as gas prices have markedly risen recently. Thank you Craig's list.

I had to walk home in the hottest weather in weeks. Good tanning weather for my head. On the way, I used my new gotten wealth to purchase tickets and a reservation for the Academy of Art, where the David, the real David, is housed. Vinna is excited (sort of) about seeing Michelangelo's works. She has been getting the sum up version of the Agony and the Ecstasy from Liana. Not quite E.M. Forster, but is progress. So in one day, we will do the Centro, the Uffizi and the Academy. Not a bad lineup for one day. I expect we will be conning Vinna along with gelatto.

Tonight is a big going away party for the class at a villa above town. Tomorrow morning is packing, late breakfast with my neighbor Aldo, and then to the train station for my 1530 nonstop to Zurich.

Monday, in Munich, I am reunited with my family.

not so tired yet...

I may be about to leave Florence (for now) but am not too tired I cannot save time and money.

This morning I rode to the ticket office at the Pitti Palace, which is in South Wing, tucked in the corner, after you climb the driveway. There I did NOT stand in line to make reservations for the Uffizi, nor did I pay an online service fee for doing it via a third party website. One can get tix there for every museum AND make yer reservations as well.

So, do not intereact with men dressed as roman gladiators and get your museum tickets this way. Save money.

HA!

losing steam

Starting to peter out on posting, doing stuff, etc.

I rode my bike past the American Consulate. I would have stopped by for an americano, but I did not have my passport.

Finals Friday, leaving Saturday, need someone to buy my bike.

Watching Romania make a solid try against Netherland's 2d string.

four kills and I am still losing

Four mosquitos down and I have sting zones all over. Numbers two and three went easy. Number four got me plenty last night and he kept me up from 1:30 till almost 4, then up again just before 6 with the whining. Crushed it, but not before I got spinal tapped at the base of my neck, triple-tapped at the same location on my right hand, and on top of my head.

trifecta of random stuff

Some shots from yesterday's tour. I like the mouth-animation...almost like the figure is saying, "Yo!"

Not all of the things in the Boboli Garden were artsy.
This was just behind the Pitti, as you leave the courtyard to enter the gardens. Do not let the perspective fool you, the hedge is ankle high.

coff-ay

What is better than an early afternoon cup of espresso? Nothing.

dinner

Last night a neighbor from my apartment building, Aldo F., and I went out to taste wine and get dinner. We were supposed to have a glass at a little enoteca (wine bar) located near across from the Pitti Palace at http://tinyurl.com/4du8fe

We enjoyed the wine and the location so much we ended up staying about 4-5 hours and having 4 glasses. We met this very intelligent tourist from Hong Kong, a Ph.D in Economics, with a large camera. He was full of all kinds of interesting insights and information, because, as he said, economists do not judge, they simply explain. We talked about the US economy, Obama (everyone I have met over here is eager for Obama to get elected), and atheism.

He offered three reasons why the US economy is getting hammered, although he did say there were more, 1. we do not pay enough for gas, 2. we drive too much and 3. we do not know how to save. That launched us into alternative transport, which got me fired up about cycling as the best form of transport.

The energetic conversation is likely what required 4 glasses of thirst quenching wine. There was a super tuscan, a barolo, barbaresco, and something that was not identifiable from the winery's name. We were seated outside, directly across from the Pitti Palace. As it was Saturday night, everyone was dressed up and strolling the streets of Florence.

After that, we went on to dinner, around 2145, at Trattoria Casalinga, http://tinyurl.com/3lu4rv which was an excellent meal. After Sambuca, served correctly with three coffee beans floating in it, we got out around 2330, walked through Piazza Santo Spirito and then home. I found the food, the atmosphere and the customers much more Italian than the previous restaurant I wrote about, the night it rained.

The weather was very cooperative.

Bardini Gardens

After the Boboli, I went to the Bardini Gardens. I found this garden to be prettier, better maintained and much more lush. Plenty of shots.

Like this shot, I found plenty of places to hold small, initimate wedding-type events. I was fortunate that there was nothing like that happening.
Notice how brown the Arno is from the recent rains.

This piece was tucked in the back of the garden...maybe they did not want to offend...?
Very rustic, in the midst of Florence...
Fruit trees were pruned in the dwarf style. Gardeners found that more fruit was produced and the trees did not block the view.
Do I chill, or do I walk up into the garden...hmmm...

More nice patio work for Liana to review.
Everywhere...everywhere was art...was something to go with the view.

This is a wall of Fort Belvedere. Located between the two gardens, it was the safe haven for the Medici in case of a revolt. Guns were aimed at the city, so that if the citizens rioted, the Medici, having escaped via the Uffizi passage, could shoot back upon the people. The people go the hint before they had to experience the planning. Note the Medici coat of arms above the entrance.

All of the trees were numbered.

Almost no visitors at all. I think I saw less than 12 the whole time. The garden was so peaceful. When I came to the coffee shop, the water was as much at the beer. I went without both.

boboli gardens

Today I was solo at the Boboli Gardens. Absolutely beautiful. I started out with chatting with Liana online, as she was getting back from a party...She looked great in her dress...then I moved on to coffee around the corner, then the Boboli entrance at Porta Romana. No crowds, no metal detectors. My ten euro ticket got me an entrance to Boboli, Bardini, and two exhibits at the Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace). There was a light rain for the first hour, which accentuated the lush, green environs. As you can see from the photos below, everywhere I turned, there was art, or nature as art. I felt like asking this lady's permission before shooting her... Pitti is in the distance, past that is the Centro of Florence.

Here I felt like the episode of the 6 Million Dollar man when he meets bigfoot; he has to go through the tunnel...

That water is green.

Not a statue, this is an actual bird.

This dude is powering out of the water...I would too, if it were this green...
Not a lot of tourists in the garden at this hour. I think the weather scared them into Pitti. Once it started warming up/not raining, more people came out. By that time, I had moved into Pitti Palace to see the Galleria del Costume, period dress exhibits from hundreds of years back to the present. The center-piece was a button exhibit. At one time, buttons were outlawed by the powers (think church) because they were so extravagant and provocative.

excellent idea

I saw an advert for the Opel Corsa this evening, so I went to their website and pulled this pic off:

Then I translated the marketing language on babelfish...

"System of posterior transport FlexFix® This exclusive system is not visible from the posizionato outside because from the inside of the posterior bumper. Once extract, can transport two bicycles and, thanks to its reduced height from earth, the cargo operations are extremely fast and simple. "

As my trial practice professor likes to say, "So simple."

Just imagine...

rainy rainerson

The rain returned today. I got alllllll wet on the way home from classes. Only four more days of class left, then finals, next Friday.

Liana and I are starting to plan our travel route. I am lobbying hard for 3 nights in Piemonte, instead of two. That way, I can recon more wine to ship home. mmmmmm.

Dinner tonight included spicy sausage, from the boutique di gusto store. With pesto, of course. Shoot, I am out of wine again. Better get some more tomorrow.

Uffizi

I was there today for a guided tour. No pictures allowed, so this is text only.

Many wonderful works of art to see. We had a tour guide who showed us the highlights and then turned us loose. 60 law students are now semi-expert on annunciation paintings and their symbolism. A classmate got hollered at when he and I were discussing a painting and he was gesturing too close to the line of death...a gallery person asked us firmly to step back. They are not kidding around. We gave plenty of Scussis and moved on.

Plenty of walking involved; a recurring theme over here. The weather decided to drop all pretenses at rain, and move right to warm, sunny weather.

As a result of the tour, classes lasted until 1930 this evening. I still maintain perfect attendance to date at both schools. Enviro class remains in the civil law tradition, despite a new proffesor. Comparative ConLaw gets a new prof tomorrow, the presiding judge of the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. Earlier this summer, for trial class, I argued my class case in front of the presiding judge of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. Just 11 or 12 more and my collection will be complete.

1.5 weeks until the girls get here. It has been about a month since I left home; left the girls.

safety first

Many of you commented that the helmet looks like a kid's version. I assure you of two things...1. my noggin could never fit into a kid's size helmet and 2. my head is 61cm and the helmet fits up to 62cm. Metric baby...not just for Canadians.

and another two things

One, fusilli pasta holds the pesto better than penne rigate. That is correct, fusilli jerry pasta...One in a million shot, doc.

B, no sooner do I call out an entire city for being helmet-deficient, than I see 7 helmeted riders on the way to classes today. Three were a brit dad, with two kids on his bike. One on the top bar on a small chair, the other seated on a pad on the back rack.

The weather never turned rainy today. In fact, it was so hot, I broke a sweat walking two buildings down at school to buy water.

hard headed

A classmate of mine attempted to mock me for wearing a helmet. "No one wears a helmet in Europe," he says.

I asked him if European streets or cars are softer than their American counterparts. His counter was cruiser bikes do not need helmets. I asked him if the pavement hurts less at lower speeds.

That is my legal training paying off and I exercised it in the international forum. Tuition dollars at work.

I have noticed two other people wearing helmets on their cruiser bikes. I see a trend developing over here...

the ugly american

Remember that novel? Set in the south pacific...takes place in the embassy? A classic writing of where our place is in the world. I know where it is in Florence.

I knew these people were out there, when I ran into them in '97 in Cancun. Loud. Obnoxious. Expletive driven vocabularies. People intent on "owning" or "conquering" a town or city.

I crossed the river tonight to watch the Italian soccer team lose to the Netherlands. They simply got out-manned. As sad as that was, picture this...

On the ride home-no rain this time-I kept passing groups of americans, mostly undergrad looking kids. Some had beers in hand (it is legal over here), all were swearing. The F word never got so much use. People were talking about the succession of bars they were going to hit, f that, f this. What was the most disturbing was that the girls were using the f word the most. Dressed like tarts, swearing like longshoremen.

It was so disappointing to find this happening. The (natives of whatever country we are in) are left with the sour taste of americans like these. I am left with the sour taste of hearing my own language butchered. Hearing kids talk like this town needs to be owned before they leave. My sources on the inside tell me this means consuming all of the booze in a bar, or dancing on the bar, or being so sloppy drunk that either you get carried back, or you take a ride in an ambulance.

This happens every season, every year, every weekend. I wish I had that energy; that money. I would not guzzle it away...I would enjoy more dinners, good company...savor the culture, rather than trying to dominate it.

One does not notice the American tourist who behaves, appreciates their wine; drinks in moderation. No one sees the polite ones, the ones trying to learn the language, if only the pronunciation.

When you read about how I try not to embarrass, how Don E. does not embarrass, keep in mind that no one is noticing this. They only notice the others. I do not hear German speakers talking like this. No expletives...nothing. Americans. Americans abroad.

two things

One, it rained out of control yesterday. I had to kick the drain covers out on the terrace because they were clogged up and the patio was looking like it might enter my room sometime soon.


Secondly, I noticed a gap in a certain seam of my tan pants. Talk about an international incident. This morning I used my fly-tying skills to repair the pants. The closest thread color I had was pink. Do not worry, I removed the needle before donning the trousers.

and after

Back in florence, I came home to a clean apartment (another perk of renting here) and burning calves. My lower legs were on fire from all of the walking we did. Miles upon miles of foot work. I checked my calf definition in the mirror today and they look even BETTER than they normally do. I never really noticed the distances, because of all of the cool things to look at, or the missions to roll out from one location to another. I needed all of the gelatto I ate. I did not get a chance to drink a lot of coffee however, so not sweaty palms.

Now it is time for laundry (free...Haha) and dinner later on (Tuscan sausage, bread, pasta, sauce, wine).

The best parts of the Roman trip had to have been the two institutions we visited, the Constitutional Court and Unidroit (say it with a french accent). I never would have that opportunity in Salem, and so this trip is already a success. Thanks again, Liana.

Friday the 6ixth, class, after class, more epic-ness

Sorry if these are sort of out of order. I am writing them out as they come to me...Let me recap the schedule. We arrived on Wednesday and went to dinner at 9ish (that was Osso Buco). The next day, we dressed up and went to Unidroit, then we walked around, to the Pantheon and Steps, ending with the Sea Bass in salt dinner. Now we are at Friday the 6th. Morning class was held at the Italian Constitutional Court, akin to our US Supreme Court. In Italy, the Justices serve 9 year terms and the 15 are appointed by different governing bodies, such as parliament, the President, etc. The Justice who spoke with us was a former law professor and had such an excellent command of the English language and the US system, that he could analogize completely to better our understanding. After this class, Don and I walked back to the hotel and slept until we had to get up for enviro class at Unidroit. See the Unidroit post.



Here is the front of the high court's building. It was formerly a pope's summer retreat. In Rome, the summer's get very hot. This palace was built on the highest point to get the prevailing winds. It certainly was cooler there than elsewhere in the city. We had to pass through security and were tailed by at least 6 men dressed very well, all of whom looked very qualified. This might be a good point to mention how hot italian soldiers and police are. They are all fit, tan, well groomed, and wear uniforms that show all of that off. The one down side is that most of them smoke. In fact, I think it is a requirement of citizenship that an italian smoke. Many scooter drivers will be smoking behind their windscreens...

Taken from the front of the high court, the fountain just opposite.
Taken from the balcony of the top floor, the President's Palace.
That same fountain from the balcony.
Yes, it was very warm in my Scottish tweed.
The chamber of the high court, where all 15 gather. Oral arguments have no set time limit, the lawyers state their case and sit down. The judges do not ask questions during the arguments.

The seat of the Presiding Justice.
That fountain again, from the 2nd floor...the Roman looks like he is throwing shapes in the church of dance, does he not?
A nice work...

After classes at Unidroit, Don and I needed food and more walking. First went to the Coliseum and took pix of this sticker, moped and large roman edifice. This was a large building and now I cannot recall why I took it.
At the Fontana di Trevi.

We had dinner Friday evening not far from the fountain...pizza, meats and cheese, and wine. Another off the beaten path ristorante. Don had a knack for sniffing out the best ristorantes for meals. He would not even look at the menus or the prices; he just looked inside or at the wait-staff member standing in the doorway. Each time we scored on an excellent meal, it was his doing.

After we got back to the hotel, we got ready to go out. We were to walk across Rome to the discos, hit three or so, and be home by 5 or 6am. Epic, like I said. We walked for about 1.5 hours and found a bar that was bumping music. There were no tourists there, so we went in. Just to clarify, I was wearing a french cuff button down, not really paisley, but not a shirt for suits, and felt under dressed. The italians there were hot, the men smelled great and everyone could dance better than me. We stayed for about two hours, then, unfortunately, we moved on. We never found the disco we were looking for, only more walking. Two members bailed out via a taxi, and the group became separated on a bridge over the river. So with 9 people, and the only bald man being the only sober person, I made the call that we were heading home. No one argued about that, we were all beat from hoofin' it. In Italy, you are supposed to either call for a taxi, or get one at a taxi stand, but not hail a taxi. I stood in the street, at a protected location and hailed in three taxis to evac us out of there. It was the best 3-4 euros I spent all weekend. The walk back would have crushed my spirit. This is where we decided to turn back from our mission: http://tinyurl.com/3vdlo8 and this is where our hotel was located: http://tinyurl.com/53pjuz

So, in the end, we ate well, walked much, and did dance. I am way too old for that. I think next time I will take a taxi to the disco and spend my energy there. In bed by 1am sounds good, too.