Day with Vampires

July 17 – Friday

Non too productive. Florence wore me out. Slept in and spent the day reading “Dead Until Dark” (vampire series I started…TRUEBLOOD on HBO). The book is nothing special but entertaining enough. Really quick read…I think I would like them better if I just read all seven at once. Ill trade it in for the next book when I go to Florence again.
Elia was good…had to play with “DEDO” but there were lots of kids so they mainly just chased the older kids (who wanted nothing to do with them) up and down the park. Loads of fun for me!

Best sweatiest day ever!

Caught the 8:28 train to Florence with V. Today is the hottest day we’ve had..should hit 100…so our plan is to just spend the early part of the day in Florence.

First things First – a pastry and a cappuccino – the Italian breakfast. My first coffee here, just don’t like coffee and figure that’s good. So I never drink it. But…

WHEN IN ROME…. (actually Florence)

Not too bad. The milk really helps (and lots of sugar) with the whole lousy coffee taste. I might just have to start grabbing one on the days I'm starting a day trip bright and early. The main point to a trip was to take back books to the Paperback exchange (V with a lot more than me). She is about to leave and was trying to get rid of some books. She returned 6 and bought 7…haha. All huge and super fun to carry around ALL DAY LONG!

Spent the day with:
Kebabs for lunch, dried fruit from the market, shopping (mostly Zara and H&M)…rode out some of the intense heat times in book stores…..decided to stay for the 5:00 showing of HARRY POTTER!!! In English! (described as original sound – haha) I AM SO SO EXCITED!!!! Being the loser that I am, when I made the plans to come to Italy the fact that I was going to miss the new Harry Potter coming out was actually one of my first thoughts…I know…lame! But all is right in the world…here I am getting to see it a day after its release. So makes up for the CRAZY heat!

AND OH MY AMAZING…the theater was Gorgeous, turn of the century and just breathtaking. Balcony, side seating in boxes, ornate, chandeliers, velvet chairs, big stain glass dome….AMAZING! And to top off this perfect experience… POPCORN AND CORANA…WITH LIME! We had to get one, it was just too great on this hot hot day.

these are the faces of two very happy little girls

pic does it no justice but this is the domed stain glass window in the theater

Thought the movie was pretty good. It could have been just terrible and I wouldn’t have cared. I was so happy to be out of the heat in a gorgeous theater with popcorn and a cold drink!

Headed back on the 8:13 train (that’s 12 hours in Florence in July…crazy girls)

Ready parts of a Bill Bryson book V had bought for someone as a gift. Hilarious to be reading about the slow trains to Florence on a slow train from Florence. Cracked us up…we actually laughed to near tears. I would have bought the book if it hadn’t be the last one. Definitely on the list for pick up the next time I go to Florence.

Went to eat dinner (late) at Rogeros. Made the mistake of ordering a humburger…LITERALLY A “HAM” burger. That’s just wrong. Ive noticed that they mix beef and ham in patties (this was more ham then beef)...NOT GOOD! V’s spinach and sausage pizza was delicious. I’ll be remembering that for next time!

Got home late and PASSED OUT! Felt like you after the day at an amusement park. So exhausted!

About damn time…

July 15

Skipped lunch and went for a long run/walk/hike. FINALLY made it to the top of the mountain. IT was a lot further than I thought! Went all that way and didn’t feel that comfortable staying because a guy from the Commune di Arezzo was there. Didn’t think it was smart to hang out far from any other person with some random dude. View was great…you can see all of Arezzo, Castiglion, the lake…etc. The view from our side of the mountain is the valley but I really like the view of the other side…rolling green mountains. The sunset is probably amazing from here…not a good spot to view it from Lignano; blocked by trees and mountain. The top of the mountain has a giant cross and along the way are plaques depicted the story of the crucifixion.

Missed an invite from V to the pool on my 3 hour adventure (can I say how parched I was – next time WATER) Oops! I need to go some during the day, pack a lunch and read…but I tend to shy away from parading around in a swimsuit. It’s not a parade many want to attend! Hence all the running!

July 14 – Lazy Tuesday

Since I didn’t have a worthless Monday guess I had to make up for it on Tuesday. Couldn’t go to sleep last night…up on the computer and reading. Didn’t run, slept in, read (surprise surprise). Nothing too exciting. Man this blog has to be just THRIILLING to read!

SO BEHIND

So I'm crazy behind on this little blog here so these entries are going to have to quickies or Ill just never do them and the blog will fall waste side. I really don’t mind the stupid thing if I would keep up with it! The goal should be to update once a week and check in with everyone so you know I'm alive and well.
I'm alive and well btw.

Mellow Weekend and pedicure Monday

July 11-13

Just ran, read, journaled. Elia was really good. Still tired from the beach!
Not so worthless Monday

July 13

Went for a nice long run, scarfed lunch down (told alice I wasn’t eating but she forgot) and scooted to meet V for pedicures. YAY! I so so beyond desperately need one. I should be too embarrassed at this point to even go! The daughter of the cook from Santa Chiara does them at their house…nothing fancy but still good. My feet with their pink polish are in such an improved state! Of course after pedicures we drove to the only glelato open on Mondays….not as good but rounded off a good afternoon…EXCEPT FOR….

Bad news. I don’t get to be an RC at Santa Chiara…stupid politics. The Cal Poly prof doesn’t get money from his school to bring a teaching assistant so he pitches a fit for the RC position to be filled by a Cal Poly student. Such BS! The RC position is a job having NOTHING to do with the school…you are just an employee working in this building…nothing to do with actually schooling. This is just a way for him to milk a free T.A. out of the deal. They shouldn’t let him but I guess they don’t want to hear him bitch all semester. SO…not Santa Chiara for me. I'm more disappointed than I thought I would be. I had been so torn on whether or not I should do it that I said I would be ok either way…little bummed but if I really want to stay I could probably figure out a way.

Back to Lignano…

Yesterday Alice came up after lunch in tears. The chef was an asshole…long story but she is still mad so she just didn’t work really at all on Monday night…we had a YUMMY YUMMY picnic! A nice little treat!

Day of trains

Friday July 10

The rest are spending the day and catching a late train home but I have to be back to baby sit so away I go all by lonesome....Walk to Corniglia train station – train to La Specia (switch trains) – train to Sarzzana (switch) – Train to Pisa (switch) – Train to Florence (switch) – Train to Castiglion Fiorentino – Scoot to Lignano

Haha. Ran into a friends from dinner the other night that asked where they should go for something a little more exciting. They didn’t bring cameras with them (since they were going to the beach) so one asked if I could take a picture of her friend (because it was a good hair day) and email it to her for her match.com profile. Hilarious!

So…Just spent my train time logging the trip in my journal. Had enough time in Pisa to grab lunch and then 30 minutes in Florence allowed for a quick run to the food market for dried fruit. I love it. Not healthy at all since its covered in sugar…pretty much candy. The melone is delicious! Got back in time to rest for about an hour before babysitting….so exhausted but so worth it. I LOVE the beach!

Definetly lagging for the rest of the night! Alfonzo’s brother, his wife and kids, their nanny, and friends came for dinner. Elia and I joined them…shared a Pizza di Brooke. Five cheese (Bianca) with mascarpone instead of gorgonzola con spec. Yummy!
CRASHED that night! Why is the sun so draining?

HIKE HIKE HIKE

Thursday July 9
Today was hiking (serious hiking) from Corniglia to the next two towns of Vernazzo and Monterosso. This part makes up 7km of the total 9km of hiking trails and consist of intense mountainous up and down “oh sweet Jesus” stairs after stairs after stairs. All the hiking took around four hours with a lunch and gelato break in Vernazzo.

We sat along the water and enjoyed a tasty sandwich. I love that all the sandwiches here are pretty much just meat and cheese. SEE…I'm NOT A FREAK! An entire country enjoys their sandwiches the same as me. Plain and dry! Gelato in Vernazzo was amazing and must be included on the list of must haves upon visiting here.
Hike was for sure a workout (not so much a fan of workouts on vacation) but the views make it all worth it. It was really fun even though it was a bit grueling at times.

The last leg of the hike was not quite the terror I had remembered, though we did it from the opposite direction and I think it was just a bit easier (less stairs to go up). Still had us shaky legged and crazy huffing at times.

vernazzo

So…Monterosso is more accessible by car, therefore, a bit more active with a greater expanse of beach (more sandy then rocky). ALL WE CARE ABOUT IS A SWIM…and oh what a perfect swim it was. Water felt so amazing after all that hiking! Spent a few hours on the beach...again doing NOTHING! So nice!

The previously mentioned gelato of Vernazzo was so good that we trained back there for dinner and a revisit for gelato. Again we just sat by the water, ate, watched the sun set, and each did our own thing…reading, ipoding, journaling. Then back to Corniglia…so sad the trip is over. I just kept thinking… “why don’t I live here”….seems like if you know someplace so beautiful exist...you should just live there. So maybe that’s my new plan…marry for money and live here!

4 am train! All for the love of Cinque Terre

Wednesday July 8

Sum of my day:

Midnight scoot to Catiglion – 4:30 am train to Florence (switch trains) – Train to La Specia (switch trains)- Train to Corniglia (WE ARE HERE!) get our room – hike to Manarola – hike to Riomaggiore (lay on beach) – train back to Corniligia

Good travels getting here…could have used a little more sleep on the way but that’s ok. I'm just so excited to be here! It’s really one of the most gorgeous places in the world (at least from what I have seen)

In Corniglia we meet Cristina to get our rooms for the next two nights. Me and V in one and Arlene and Jeanie in the other. Re-pack our bags with the essentials for doing nothing but enjoying the gorgeousness that is the Cinque Terre (books, towels, ipods, sunscreen…). There are five (cinque) towns that make up the Cinque Terre and Corniglia (our home for 2 nights) is the center town. I would very much recommend staying here upon a visit, its tiny, fairly void of tourist (lacks beach access), quiet, adorable and amazing views.

So today we hike in the direction of Riomaggiore … the easier of the hiking (not much extraneous hiking – even parts are now handicap accessible) though there are 282 steps up to reach Corniglia (we took the bus upon arrival…its vacation!). The other direction is fairly brutal and by all means a huffing and a puffing of a treck.

The yogurt (icecream) we had before leaving must be noted. and praised. It was AMAZING! Just good ole tasty vanilla yogurt but it was topped with lemon and honey. Sounds odd and I'm not so much a honey fan but this was…again…AMAZING. SO, upon travel to Cinque Terre you must visit the Yogurteria in Corniglia and get it with lemon and honey (limone e miele)!

But for today…its easy strolling and beach sunning time. THE PLAN: LAY ON THE BEACH! Vanessa’s “secret” beach to be exact. Looking down at this “secret” beach from the trail…it’s a little Swiss Family Robinson with a shady ass ladder leading down to the water. A rusty old sign claimed “ruined path”… but a determined Mama Duck (Vanessa) leads the way to…INFATTI…a ruined path, totally landslide away. SO we have no choice but to continue on to Riomaggiore and share a not-so-private beach with everyone else (or so we think). We arrive to quite angry waves and QUE PALLE…beach access is behind a locked gate.

One little locked gate nicely situated along a rock wall that four little girls can EASILY scale to our very own almost PRIVATE beach!

Over we go…the appropriate timed pause to run along the path and avoid seaworld shamoo sprays as we pass the large jutting rocks bearing the brunt of the “waves to the angry”…and safely arrive on a fairly flat expanse of tucked away beach in a lovely cove around the corner and out of sight from our illegal entry. PERFECT! Grazie Mille to these angry waves that have resulted in our nearly private beach ( a couple of locals either knew another route or hopped the gate as well).

SO…for a couple of hours we just got some sun, laying Swedish massage style, on our large smooth rock beach. The others of course getting a tan and me…just turning a lovely shade of red that can almost be guaranteed to return right back to my lovely shade of pasty white.

Oh well. It’s gorgeous and our beach did treat us to some lovely and not so lovely people watching.

A little eye candy to our right, “3 o’clock guy” (as such to me and V because he asked the time at 3 o’clock…and humorously referred to as the same by Arlene and Jeanie because he was positioned at their 3 o’clock). Eye Candy was at the beach for most of the afternoon getting sun and showing off by battling the waves and came to ask me what time it was… "he’s coming to profess his love for you – V”…not this time. thas saved for awkward 15 yr olds!

The not so pleasant view would be…while standing at the water’s edge looking back at the oldish dude sprawl legged with little trunks…

DUE PALLE! Literally this time. YIKES!

Eye Candy was photo documented. Due Palle dude was not. He did try to battle the waves as well (less gracefully than eye candy) only to give a repeated view of CRACK! Like I didn’t get enough with the due palle!

My beach time was mainly devoted to a checked out nothingness, some pretty rock searching, the acquisition of a cute little stubble of driftwood (my only souvenir because my purchase in the Cinque Terre were predominately eaten)…and spent some lovely tie gracefully napping in my own drool. No worries, I woke up and turned my head to commence in a new drooling nap position.

photo: lunch before our illegal entry

We trained (not hiked) back for a nap and shower before dinner…except V and I just spent nap time in way too serious of discussion. Dinner scouting actually resulted in the cheapest menu, the best view, and gnocchi on the menu…YUM!

Also menu scouting came across:
I love the funny little translations that sometimes get made from Italian to English. One of the menus had translated spicy pasta as “pasta to the angry”

We family styled dinner with our entres, wine, assorted fried fishes, salad, and French fries. Good food…and the lovely atmosphere of a grouchy waitress…weirdly quiet diners (we kept worrying about being to loud because everyone else seemed to be on awkward wordless first dates)…two starving kitties…and a lovely conversation with two American women who just showed up on a whim to be displeased with what they found. Too quiet. WTF? Did you really just come to one of the most beautiful places in the world to complain? What more do you want? They were not a fan of hiking…and the next day were frequently mocked during our day…”uh, I only walk on my treadmill….uh, this place is just a little too beautiful for me.”

Scooting by moonlight

Tuesday July 7
Morning run…still have not quite made it to this “top” they speak of. Thought I had but the lack of a giant crucifix proves apparently not.

Afternoon scooting exploration. Just wondered through the countryside a bit. Still amazes me and the sunflowers are in season so I'm getting the stereotypical Tuscan countryside experience. Lots of pics of sunflowers will be soon to come.

Plan was to head to V’s as soon as Eli went to sleep. Catching a 4:30 am train…and OF COURSE Eli didn’t go to sleep till after midnight! So I full moon scooted to Castiglion and crashed for all of 3 hours!

Good call with the rescheduel

Monday July 6

Running, hiking, raining, reading…good book “Empire Falls” by Richard Russo (Won a Pulitzer prize)….I’m enjoying it.

An awkward kid followed me around all evening. Looked 15 but claimed 18. Don’t think he was slow (I hope not)…just socially awkward and a bit weird. Tried to be nice and make what little conversation I could…what’s your name…how old are you....where you from? Big Mistake! Later after dinner he confessed his love for me and asked me to be his girlfriend. Tried not to laugh and told him “solo venti cinque e su”…(only 25 and up)…Persistent little sucker claiming 7 years was just a little…saying please please. Thought about telling the kid “yes, Ill be your girlfriend” (what could it hurt…never see him again) but the thing with where I live is…I CAN ALWAYS BE FOUND. And I don’t want this kid following me around again. So I told him no, sorry you are just a bambin(little boy). Hope that wasn’t too patronizing but my Italian is pathetically limited and I was trying to get across the point that he was too young…Plus he was starting to get on my nerves…I was watching Elia and Ruby (little british 2 year old whose mommy was eating at the restaurant) and this kid was really pushy that I sit and talk with him and I was trying to explain that my JOB is to chase these little 2 years around and I didn’t have time to butcher the poor Italian language anymore.

Turning down boys is not a much recurring problem… This 2 year old on my hip does a pretty good job!

I'm going to have to shave my legs again…

Sunday July 5

Buh! Early morning showers made for one HOT & HUMID afternoon! I hate humidity…who doesn’t?
Today there is some big bike race ending at Lignano…last night (about the time Elia is falling asleep) there is what sounds to be a small construction site going on right outside its window. Why is there a stage being erected outside at midnight?

Bike race ceremonies. thats the answer

So it’s a pretty crappy day with lots of play time indoors. The finish of the race (in the rain) was fairly exciting and Elia got a kick out of the helicopter landing that had been covering the race for television. I'm supposed to be going to the beach tomorrow and am all packed up but the weather forecast rain for us… and giving the last few weeks we take that pretty seriously. I love Alice for being so flexible. V gives her a call and we are going to try for later in the week in hopes of sunny days. I'm taking two nights off so it’s really sweet that they would let me change last minute…and really wonderful that Elenora can switch last minute too. So hopefully it all works out that we get good weather for our little vacation. Kind of good timing…I am a little worn out from walking all day yesterday and carrying Elia all day today (very clingy today and just wanted to be held…sweet but he is getting big!).
Past out for the night a little relieved that I wasn’t getting up a 3 am to catch a train. (that’s the plan for beach day!)

Happy 4th of JULY!

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! Though Italy seems to celebrate everything they possibly can…America’s independence didn’t make the list. Buh.

So my only fireworks were the ones I doodled in my journal around the date on the morning train.

Arezzo has a once a month antique market that is a pretty big deal. The shops display all out in the streets and people hall in from all over! It’s AMAZING! When I came as a student it wasn’t near a large in the colder months and was mostly antiques I could far from afford or fit into any suitcase. A bit of a bummer but still fun to look!

This time there is SO SO much set up that you really get a mix of amazing antiques, to great midcentury modern (drool), to just plain oddball collections and junk, and even some just crafty items. I was in heaven…especially with all the great vintage pieces…oh what I would do with giant shipping crate and a bit more funding! Again fun to look. I barely skimmed…there was just so much…and I was looking for fun little purchases for myself and keepsakes to remember my time here (my version of tourist souvenirs). I really have not done much shopping so it was good that Alice is late paying me and I have a limited amount in my wallet. I love artwork so I had a good time searching out stuff I could actually afford.

I bought an oil of the interior of a church…its pale with lots of blues, and grays. Really liked it. I also picked up another that had a Tuscan countryside feel to it (though the background mountains are gray not green). Still I really liked it! I also bought a (guaranteed original…I guess guaranteed by the guy selling it) 50’s lifesavors advertisement. So cute and liked the Italian written on. The lifesavors are the numbers on a rotary dial phone and it says something like “every number is a good one” It also list out the flavors in Italian and English. I chatted with the guy selling it too…very nice old man. He wanted to know where the prints new home would be…very excited it would make it all the way to Texas.

Before heading back and cutting off any more spending I went back to pick up a hippie hand-made purse I saw right when I got there. The guy selling them was super nice and it was good I waited because I was torn between two…one way more costly than the other…and when I went back the more expensive one had sold. Good, didn’t need the temptation and I still liked the one I ended up with!I caught a great photography exhibit in an old church (love the contrast of modern work in that setting) called “Sacred Earth” by Micelle Cuzzani. Blew me away. Very inspiring! Hard to explain but they were large photo collages that rotated to create landscaped circles. SO COOL! Made me want to start doing a bit more experimenting with photography! (which began at the train station and hundreds of pics with my little camera of a graffiti ‘d train)

So it was a really great day that inspired a weird reaction out of me…I think it was the combination of a few shops (selling midcentury furniture) that excited me so much and the photography exhibit…but I just went off journaling about what I want to do career goal wise in the future.

Haha Emily caught the long rambling email about this later!

We are planning our future shop, architecture office, photography, cook booking, garden herbing, midcentury lamp, gallery….business combination extradinaire. I'm tired of having this list of things I wish I could do with my life. Why not just do them? Boring myself in an architecture firm will be my temporary job while I figure out how to manage all these other things. I want so much to just LOVE what I'm doing everyday and get depressed at the thought of a mediocre office job for the rest of my life. Why do we commit ourselves to such things?

I know I have to make a steady living but whats the point if you aren’t living? Haha. Ok again…a little glimpse into my cheesy soul-searching Italy contemplation time.

Ok..Im also watching Elia in all these evening but I'm writing these blogs in retrospect from my journal…which is usually not written at midnight after having watched him…so a lot of my time with him doesn’t get written about as much. Nothing too exciting. We just play outside and have a little routine. He is still being quite the handful! Worst at meal times! We are thinking of starting a time out chair for punishment since he just ignores the word no!

I can run at noon in July and not die!

Friday July 3

Man I'm not missing that Texas heat! Sorry to all those suffering that hundred and something blaze! Crazy… With all this rain they are having a much cooler summer here then usually. Guess I shouldn’t complain about the rain too much.


So I headed to Castiglion nice and early for the Friday morning market. It was packed! Way more stuff then when I was here as a student…again must be because its summer. The market is stalls and stalls selling all assortments of food, clothes, shoes, housewares…etc. I'm going for a beach towel and actually limited my purchasing to just that. (I don’t like buying clothes without trying them on)
Stopped in and said hi to V…was driving by the school on my way out and the door was open. She invited me to lunch but told Alice I would be back. Stopped by the grocery store for beach snacks. Friday mornings are NOT the time to head to the COOP. Everyone is probably out doing what I was…market and groceries. I got raisons, nuts, and granola bars…(an exercise in self control since there is pretty much an entire aisle of surprisingly tasty prepackaged pastries)

Got a run in before lunch. One productive morning for me! This is proof that the summer heat is not that bad…I was able to run for over an hour at noon in july! They think I'm crazy and its too hot for me to running outside. I went and looked up the conversion so I could tell them how hot it is in Texas. A and A both just looked shocked. Alice said “oh no, no, no I could NEVER live in Texas. This is not possible.”
They also live without A.C. in this country so it’s hard to comprehend functioning in that kind of heat.

Sat with Alice after lunch discussing having children. They really did not plan on having any..of course they are happy now…but they were happy with out too. Ive already said that I don’t KNOW that I want children. So if I don’t want a life about my children…and I don’t want to have a life about my career…What do I want to do? Ha. This is how I'm spending much of my time here! Pondering things I have no idea about and maybe not much control over. But I think I can set goals for myself and a direction that I want to try out.
Anyways…
Went for that scooter ride I’ve been trying for the last few afternoons. Up the mountain and down the other side. OH my amazing! It is one of the most gorgeous, peaceful drives I’ve ever been on. AND it drops me in Arezzo at the end!
Why has no one mentioned this?

a lil view from the scooter

I don’t drive to Arezzo because the only route I knew was big scary highway. Down the backside of the mountain is one of the most enjoyable drives and gets me to Arezzo NOT via Highway Scooting. Though, once there, this means driving in traffic, street lights, one way streets…and we all know how great my sense of direction is. Maybe I should keep taking the train to Arezzo. But I'm sure I’ll brave it one day. Why not? I’d say what’s the worst that could happen?...but the worst that could happen is I kill myself on a scooter so…..

I also plan on figuring out what other places are in scooting distance. I really enjoy my time with Breezer!