more unbelievable beauty

today i did an organized tour which was pretty good. i mean i had to meet the group crazy early and was the last one to get on the bus.

first stop we went to Siena, home of burnt. It's an old medieval town full of old buildings and hills and stuff - really pretty. An apparently really famous for banking - having the oldest working bank (as in company) in the world. those dudes did something right.

then we went to an organic farm\vineyard for lunch which was really tasty. the farm was located on a hill with the most gorgeous views of the surrounding hills and valleys. I felt like maybe is should become an organic farmer - but then reality stepped in and i realized that I don't really like to work. I think I would just like the farm with the views and someone making that organic olive oil and wine for me.

We went go San Gimignano, a small walled town with absolutely no new buildings in it. I strolled through the streets with some newly made friends.

Then we had a beautiful drive up and own the hills to get to Pisa. I saw the tower and I took some wonky pictures but this time the wonkiness isn't my fault. apparently everything tilts there. that's what you get building on sandy soil without proper foundations - wonky pictures.

Fiesole

I got out of Florence today and headed into one of those little towns in the surrounding hills. It was a mostly sunny and kinda warm day. I have to say that it is absolutely freaking beautiful out there. The whole walking up hills and then trying to descending them without going ass over kettle was a bit dicey but the views were absolutely worth it. The day was a bit misty but you could see for miles and miles, other towns, and the entirety of Florence laid out below. So I hung out, reading, soaking up the peace for a few hours.

I returned to Florence to go to the Academy of art to see the real Michelangelo's David. But nooooooooo. These people decided to close 2 hours (that's right 2!) to have a staff meeting. em . . these things should happen at a time when they don't interrupt my schedule. Like, I think someone forgot to tell them this. I will how have to get there at 8.15 on the morning that I leave to try and see it. It may not happen.

ashes and other stuff

Today, i walked my poor feet something ragged. I had booked my ticket to the Uffizi gallery online so I wouldn't have to wait in line. Sadly, I didn't quite make the booking as I kept on getting lost. But the guy was nice and gave me my ticket. I think that it would have been a different story in the peak season. I spent quite a bit of time there and it was pretty good. Lots of Renaissance stuff by the masters and less well known. One of the purposes of these trips is to see the stuff that I studied in class in real life. Usually it gains something in the live viewing.

Afterwards, I just strolled along side streets, avoiding the main roads with no goal in mind, experiencing the city. I wound up in Piazza San Croce. Sitting on a bench, looking at the church, I made a friend - Priscilla. We wound up hanging out for the rest of the day.

We went to the Palazzo Pitti (being a bit tired of palaces and renaissance art) we skipped it and walked the the attached gardens. The the word garden doesn't cover it. Its a huge park with hills and trees and you cannot see the whole landscape but there are little surprises with grottoes and sculptures when you break through the trees. It was a gorgeous day out - sunny and warm - one totally perfect for spending in the sun

Then we went to the Piazzale di Michelangelo which is located on a hill (vomited up a lung walking up all those steps) across the river from the main city. It has the most magnificent views of the city.

Afterwards, I went to a tiny church for Ash Wednesday services. I, of course, understood nothing. The church was small but with vaulted ceilings so it was freezing inside. They don't even burn real candles anymore. Service was pleasant and I got my ashes. He sprinkled them on the crown of the head rather than a cross on the forehead. Who knows how long it will take for the ashes to work their way through the fro. We also all went up to wish him peace near the end of the service. I had never done that before either.

now my feet are killing me and my stomach is complaining that it's been more than 8 hours since lunch.

sideshow me

i stayed up all night before my flight getting done the stupid things i needed to do before leaving town.so i get to the airport and am waiting for my flight to be called. i rest my eyes only to wake up when i realize that there is this woman sitting next to me. i was so bleeping angry. she sat down next to me and POSED (WTF!?) while 4 (FOUR!) of her friends were taking pictures of us.

how does this seem even remotely kosher? I'm guessing that she has never been this close to a black person before but to objectify me like that? and then to take my picture without my permission. When i yelled at her, she and her idiot friends said "it's okay, it's okay" but am pretty sure that they did not delete the picture (they did take the pic as i was staring at their cameras as the flashes went off).

I am at the freaking airport not a sideshow carnival and at least ask for permission. when people ask, i usually say okay but erg.... It makes me wonder how many times they did it before I woke up.

you say drill, i say torture

today we had an earquake (we get those in romania) and fire drill. It happened at the end of a lesson that my students were taking a test. I held them back a few minutes (that's right, health and safety first!) to try and finish the test. I don't think that went too well since that annoying bell was ringing the whole time.

but the fun part is that we were standing outside for 20 minutes in the not warmest weather, watching the firemen. It was a training exercise for us and them. I think it's great that the firemen people learn how to put out fires well - in the off chance that I will be trapped in a burning building here. But dear lord! it was freezing (literally) and I had no jacket on and neither did most of the kids - though they seemed not to be feeling it. The fire department brought out the trucks (5!), connected the hose , turned on the water and put out imaginary fires. They also had that cool ladder thing that extends like 5 storeys. They put on some demos for the kids and let them play with the equipment.

Remember when we were in school and the police would come in with the suitcases full of drugs behind glass so we could see what they look like. I think it was to show us drugs were bad or something, but really it felt like a class on how to accurately identify the drugs to make sure your dealer doesn't rip you off by. Fond memories. i kinda looked forward to those visits every year and was a little disappointed when they stopped having them. This kinda felt like that except not so much fun for me cause I was cold and they wouldnt let me play with the stuff.

Ohio

the other day, i was at the post office trying to send some work back to a university in iowa where i've been doing some work. so am sending it registered mail, cause things sometimes get lost at the post office here. I had to try and read the entire address back to her to input it in the computer. sounds easy right? except that romanian is a phonetic language so people dont spell things to much. there arent names for the letters, just sounds. while i can speak (sort of) its hard making sounds that are pretty meaningless to me (and just trying to get my brain to not say 'aye' but 'ahhh').

When we got to the state part, IA didnt translate for her, so i said,"Iowa." She responds with "Ohio?" back and forth we go with iowa and ohio. i said to her that it is a state in the US she again responds with ohio. then am all having to give a mini geography lesson - there are 50 states in the US. Ohio is one and Iowa is another - before she would put the state on there.

how random is it that Ohio is familiar to her. Thank goodness i wasnt all trying to Idaho.

okay. . . back to rehab

am not doing so well with this procrastination thing. am a lazy procrastination addict. every so often, i think about what i could accomplish if i actually did things on time. i sigh and go back to doing nothing.

have found this website www.stickk.com which helps you by charging you for not meeting your goals. but i keep procrastinating on registering.

this is vicious.