taxi bus donkey

The next morning the sun was out, the sky was once again that science fiction uncapturable blue, i had spotted a few places for some photo opprtunities the previous evening and made my way to them before the crowds, the crowds I refer to being the crowds I would later find out don’t actually exist.I walked to the highest point of the town where the fortress walls that were once used as a convenient spot to pour burning oil on attacking hordes have now been converted to a cute little playground for the kiddies and a series of oval paths focusing on a simple piazza complete with a statue the purpose of which i couldnt quite get my head around. (more…)

With the number of anti inflammataries in my system graadually on the decline and the town of Arezzo returning me to an environment I found somewhat appealing I found my spirits once again buoyed.

I had spent some time yesterday afternoon wandering the streets, found a little place for dinner which seemed to have lots of locals in it, fumbled my way through the menu and ordered way too much but was also just as overindulgent on thecompliments i bestowed on .. the cook, the cook’s parents, the people who taught the cook how to cook, the waiter, his apron,.. his shoes, the colour of the walls … and the eggplantiness of the eggplants… yes it was one of those stick a litre of the local red in me and i wont let poor grammar get in the way of me having a good time kind of nights. (more…)

Having licked my wounds clean enough to parade before the public, and attempting to keep an open mind about Firenze really being as good as people say it is… I packed my bags, left my humble lodgings at la Giaconda and headed back to the train station to make my suave departure.

I used the 10 minute walk to Santa Maria Novella to decide on where to go, although I have had a rather organic time table for this trip, I have almost managed to plan at least a few days ahead, this was the first time I was looking to hop towns without having some klind of lodging waiting for me at the other end. No sweat, (more…)

My trip from Bologna to Firenze was reasonably uneventful, aside from the nagging heat, the only point of excitement was on platform 3 in Bologna station where … having managed to secure a patch of shade I sat and watched the other passengers arrive and fumble around like fools just like i did… when suddenly,.. he emerged from the underpass, the last of the great explorers. An American tourist who had obviously spent some time studying old tarzan movies before selecting the appropriate garments to accompany him on his no doubt adventure-packed package tour of Italy.

I don’t think kontiki stop in Bologna, mayhaps he is a scout for future expeditions. Now he wasn’t wearing a pith helmet,.. but if you were thinking along those lines you would have been rather close because i would wager Florence’s coldest beer on the fact that he had forgotten the helmet on a bus somewhere because the outfit was screaming for it. (more…)

The heatwave that has swamped this part of Italy continues unabated, it gets to about 40 on most days but the humidity and the breezelessness of it all make it hard to deal with.

I have managed to do more wandering but as the days passed this has become rather aimless. There has been some interesting indulging in the food and bevvy departments however.The highlights were, a simple gnocci gorgonzola, with walnuts, a single layer of home made gnocci coated with a thick gorgonzola sauce covering 2 thirds of a large plate with a sprinkling of parsley and basil scattering the portion of the plate closest to its consumer, marvellous,.. followed this up with salsicce grilliata, which translats as grilled snags,.. but these were magic, char grilled and hefty. (more…)

Basically a day on bloody planes or around them or within the centres that cater for them.

Most of you know that I am not petite,.. I am “rather large” so the prospect of sitting in confined space for some time is a bit hard to deal with.

First leg was melbourne singapore, Thanks to the silent killer SARS. Iraq and all that other good stuff the flight was empty. I exchanged pleasantries with the guy sitting near me and enjoyed 7 hours of lounging around, empty seats everyplace… watched “Adaptation” several more times,.. great movie … glad it won zero oscars however. (more…)