09/13/06

I am covered in mosquito bites that are festering from Venice and more from not having a screen on either hotels or hostel that we have stayed at. I woke up from a terrible nightmare @ 6:30am about Mercutio. I went on tribe and email Diana to check in with everything.

Everything is fine and we shower and poke around the hostel till 10:30 or so. Again, they are amazing hosts! Marcemo directs us to David.

The lines to David looked to be hours long so we thought it might be best to schedule a reservation and headed to lunch. We went to a restaurant named Tito’s on the recommendation of Silvia. Cherokee ordered a ½ liter of white and I ordered a ½ liter of red wine. It was the smallest quantity they sold however neither of us could walk strait after the meal. I had gnocchi with a meat sauce that was amazing and Cherokee had a strange dish of lox covered with some kind of Italian lettuce. Cherokee made the waitress (who spoke no English) laugh when we got up to leave and she make a drunk face and held her hands as if it was the floor and it was moving. After lunch Cherokee and I headed to our next hotel.

The B&B Manzoni gave us a large room centrally located. Cherokee really adores the room.

Yep! It is BIG!!!! AND NEW!!!! With pretty art and Colors! Tile floors and a nice BIG bathroom!!! I am not sure how the star system works around here but I would give it a 3+ (just cause the breakfast is all packaged otherwise it would be a 4).

After checking in we headed to Citta di Fiesole. We met up with a nice Australian (Millburn) couple on the bus. We exchanged information on cheap eats and found out they are also staying at our hotel J. Jim and I wandered to the area archeological and wandered around the ruins of what looked like a bathhouse. We bought 2 beers to go! Wow we are actually treated like adults! And hiked up the hill to Chiesa di Saint Alessandro where there was another lovely view of Florence from the opposite side. There was a small church and a pretty sunset. We had two more beers at the “Irish pub” while waiting for our reservations at another recommendation of Silvia's ~ Viladro. Dinner was very romantic with live music and authentic cooking. Jim got the spicy spaghetti and I got the rabbit with chicken and olives and we split a ½ liter of wine this time. The bus ride home was fast with no surprises. We went to sleep.

The pharmacy is great! We got hand lotion, athletes’ foot crème, and bite cream, bug repellant, and had some fun with buying lube.

09/14/06

Breakfast here is skimpy and pre packed. We went and did laundry and came back to the hotel. This is a very Italian neighborhood with no tourism. I guess that sounds dumb but I guess I just mean all working class locals. Very nice. I have been enjoying wandering around the streets window-shopping. We had a very nice lunch of penne and red sauce with capers and roast beef with zucchini. Everything is so fresh and the meats are served very rare. Mmmmm bloody!

It is sprinkling outside. We took the bus down to the Palazzo Vecchio where the imitation David is and a few other statues. We will need a reservation for the Galleria Degli Uffizi if we are going to go look at the art. We got gelato ~ I got pistachio Jim got strawberry. We went to the Museo di Storia Della Scienza where we saw lots of clocks and other gadgets (barometers etc) a very interesting thing there was the wax and other sculptures that displayed all of the different problem births. I wanted to take pictures but it was not allowed. We then walked to the Ponte Vecchio the bridge street that has a ton of jewelry! We then walked back up to the Duomo. The streets downtown are small and the buildings are multistory and close together so we were hard pressed in trying to fit the Duomo into pictures. From there we walked up the Via Carvor to the Pizza S. Marco then to the Galleria delli Academia where the original David resides.

This was an hour and a half wait in line. We were told that after 4pm the line got shorter. And I guess it was. My legs ache. At least it didn’t rain on us. David really is spectacular though there are also many sculptures there that are worth seeing as well as some fresco and oil paintings.

The walk back to the hotel was only about ¾ of a mile or less but there is so much poop and pee on the ground and I was surprised. We also found out the street our hotel is on is shared with the archeology museum.

It is now raining. I called my mom at work ant that made her happy. I am glad. It is close to the dinner hour (7:30) so we will try the other choice the Australian couple suggested J oh! Coffee here is so good! We have a free espresso machine in the lobby and earl gray in the room. We really miss Mercutio and took a picture of a Mercado sign nearby.

We had pizza & a calzone. It was very good there has been some confusion on paying the bill. They take a very long time to prepare it and tipping varies from place to place.

The area we are staying in is very nice for people watching. I perch in my window and look out at all of the activities in the half circle every day.

The bed is a little saggy and my back hurts most days here. Jim is a hornball.

09/09/06
Hotel Gran Duca di York Room 207
Piazza Cordusio
Duomo
Got a cell phone from VotoPhon
Last Supper at Piazza S. Maria delle Grazie

We found a snooty grocery store that was amazing! People buy things oddly though. They pick what they want, pay then get the food. Very confusing. Pictures were not allowed (or dogs) but the produce was PERFECT! The meat looked like nowhere I have ever seen it and the Salami is the specialty here and it is Huge and $$. We got a bottle of Grillegino, pears and brie (or a double cream still not too sure what it was) with walnuts for dinner. Yum

Our room is cute and yellow striped, but we have 2 beds… with white sheets for top comforters. A little TV is teaching us the numbers right now. Close and in walking distance of the Duomo and the last supper. Little tiny elevators! Getting a room with a balcony would be recommended for this place though. They look pretty from our window. We wish we had one.

Milan outskirts are poverty stricken and very industrial looking.

09/10/06

Verona: We got off the train and in the train station we had to pay to use the WC. We took a taxi to the Duomo and a local café. It was such a cute place, would be nice to spend more time there. The courtyard where we ate was enclosed with vines that grew up and shaded the area. Little birds and butterflies were around too. They also serve an interesting white wine spritzer that is orange and has a slice of orange and ice in it. We took the bus back and took candid pictures of the sites along the way.

Venice: The hotel is very close to the Internet, train (only in Venice is this a good thing), churches everything! Hotel Abbazia is very cute but much larger than I had thought. We had a drink next to the water The German crazy bitch at a café made us move seats when we only wanted drinks and gelato and not dinner. We finished our stuff at a new location left and bought disaronno and Lemoncello. Since it is local here it is so much cheaper than we are used to. The Lemoncello was not good though, tasted like syrup. I had a funny sandwich for dinner and Jim had a weird pizza.

We have been taking a lot of baths. Our sleep schedule is odd as well. We have been waking up between 4 and 6 am because we are exhausted by 7 pm.

The incense sticks idea here smells so good. They place the oil in vases and have sticks poking out to carry the oil into the air. (Thatched reed Laura Tonatto ~ Shanghai room fragrance).

Water is sold in the 1.5 or 2 liter and tastes ok. Cost can range between 1 & 2.50 Euro. Soda is very expensive here 3 Euro a can.


09/11/06

The smell of breakfast rolls and fresh croissants fill the air in the morning and church bells chime at odd hours (7:15 am or 6:15 pm). Coffee was great and breakfast was yummy and we are off to S. Marco Square.

Cherokee and I decided to tour by foot the Venetian streets. After walking for a bout a half hour Cherokee and I decided it would be best to bead back to the hotel. With only a tour map and the sun to guide us we were quickly lost. Traveling into housing areas and seemingly non-tourist areas of the town. Eventually with much excitement and some frustration we were able to find our way back!

We figured out the waterbus! S. Marco square was so fun we got sandwiches and Jim got one Euro gelato (blah) I fed the pigeons and they hung out on me long after I ran out of food. J Good times!

We rode a gondola and there were singers in the area, which made it nice. We saw the entire length of the Grand Canal including the Rialto Bridge. Our hotel is right off the main bridge. The course of the waterbus took us the back way to saint Marco so we didn’t know if we were going the right way for a long time. The ride back was much quicker.

The old men here are oogily and constantly staring at women’s breasts. Tap water is intolerable! Very good pictures are easy to take here! Fish Fish!

We went to the Leonardo DiVinci museum. Jim really liked that.

I took another shower with no curtain. That is an odd thing about here, no shower curtains. We went out to eat at Traditionore something or other. It was recommended and it said it was quite reasonable. NO WAY! The place was the worst and most overpriced place we have EVER been to! They didn’t even clean the king prawn appetizer. Also, a trick with appetizers here… unless specified they will always give you one for each person at the table. Blah. 130 Euro I would expect a whole lot more! We had fish (that we shared) and 2 of the lowest priced bottles of wine. Jim and I had a fight. It was horrible.


09/12/06

We ate breakfast bought some trinkets and went to catch the train. We stopped off at the church of Santa Maria. It is really a work of art.

When buying the train ticket I messed up and got one to Verona instead of Florence. The machine turned out unable to sell it to Florence anyway so we had to stand in the longest line EVER! It did move fast though (20 min) and we got our ticket exchanged. The ticket prices are much cheaper the day of travel. We have been very happy with this lately! Over 30%!

The train ride was nice and our spirits were high. Tuscan countryside is very hilly so there are many tunnels. It is very pretty. The train ride took about 3 hours and we shared a group of seats with a nice couple a cute old lady and middle-aged man (who I think had a bladder control issue) the train and bus stations here are “no safe!” (Silvia our host at Ostello Gallo di’ Oro) We love her! She rocks! She is AMAZING what a great place! We had a totally janky room with 2 beds stuck together and our own bathroom (that was down the hall &we had a key~ too funny!) We also had a shower in our room. Free Internet and the happiest helpful people we have EVER experienced!

We quickly figured out the main sights we wanted to see and here to be careful of. Recommendations of places that are cheap and good to eat and where the best views are! We decided that we LOVE Florence!@!@!!!!!

We got into the city about 3:00 and were off to Pizza Michelangelo by 4:30. That is great time! We had some trouble with the bus stop because we didn’t know that it went all the way to the top. We were not sure where to get off and we missed the stop that was right in front of the hill. That was ok though, so we got off as soon as we could and walked back then headed up the hill. We were troupers, Silvia had warned us that we didn’t want to have to hike it… it was fun though! It only took about 15 min and it is very pretty as we discovered the view of Florence while switch backing up the side of the hill. There were also lots of little discoveries as we went.

Amazing! The sunset and view were so very pretty! We had stopped at a grocery to pick up bread, salami (Tuscan, which meant big chunks of fibrous fat) provolone, wine and plums all for 15 Euro! The only thing we couldn’t explain to the woman was how much we wanted so we ended up with big blocks of unsliced meat and cheese. So we sat and drank out of the bottle and knawed on our dinner. Btw~ the Chianti was only 3 Euro! And good J!

We had some trouble with the bus R13 on our way back to the hostel. We were very lost in south Florence and got off the bus thinking it was our stop… very scary! Well not very but it is never fun to be lost. I wandered into a tobacco stand with map in had and big cow eyes. The man behind the counter was not amused. He was an older man with stress all over his face. He had big bags under his eyes that turned red and and giggled as he got very angry at having to explain how to get to the train station. He quickly calmed down once I knew where we were on the map and purchased water and bus tickets. Then we got out at Piazza San Marco and walked the 400 meters to our hostel. We totally passed out!

Soda is down to 1 Euro! And the big waters are too!

This is a photo of a painting I found in our attic when we bought our house. I have had people guess it to be all over. Where do you think it is a painting of?

I know that the slip on the back states that it was purchased from a Spanish art Museum.

thinking too hard


there is a lack of people to play with and i dont think i will actually check the responses on this blerg thing... hey ... here is a pic for your trouble tho


yea, it is a fishtank in the wall

Message Another fun game with these rules:

Ok, so this is the game:

RULES - Once you've been tagged, you have to write a blog (see my blog) with 8 facts/things/habits about yourself, saying who tagged you. In the end you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names and then send them a message so they become tagged.

No tag backs.

Tag. Mistress Meow, Chumtastic Fantastic all hail Mr. Flick!, Zareen, Robert, Dirk Struan & Captain merrick.


1. I think I am might fail Anatomy....
2. I have ADD
3. I have friends from High School I still talk to.
4. I hate to clean floors.
5. I love travel.
6. I am broke.
7. I have HORRIBLE handwritting.
8. I know how to work a pottery wheel.

who's been looking and at tribe in general. i havent been on lately cause of school but DAMN! nothing happened while i was out either. i have something like 80 tribes and nothing. jeez.....

hidden secret...
Body: HERES HOW YOU PLAY...YOU FIND AN EMPTY NUMBER 1-150 AND WRITE DOWN OF YOUR OWN. REMEMBER THAT YOU CANNOT TELL ANYONE WHAT NUMBER YOU PICKED! ITS A SECRET! JUST COPY AND REPOST IT!

1. I got a girl pregnant when i was 13
2. I am only half a man... Hahaha! (Seth knows what I'm talkin' about)(Not much of a secret)
3.I WANT TO BANG JESSICA SIMPSON! (shes effin hott)
4. I pretend I'm happy when I'm really not. I can hide it pretty well too.
5. I like vaginas.....alot
6.
7. I kissed my boyfriends brother.
8. I'm falling for a married man, it sucks....
9. I'm scared that I'm about to do something really stupid. Something REALLY REALLY stupid that I might regret forever..
10. I slepped with my boyfriends dad. (whoa!.. THATS FUCKED UP)
11.i was really shut down sexually when I met my current lover at an outdoor party. we played on the hill, and it waz the best loving i had ever gotton. i left with him and have really woken up in so many ways since then
12.
13. Im confused about everything, Im not sure what to do next, my heart is telling me 2 many things, and when I stop and take a look at it all, it makes everything worse. Im tired of shedding tears for soemthing that may not be real.
14.
15. i am madly in live with a woman that i'll never be able to get
16. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever be happy. I cannot NOT cheat. And it just ends up screwing things up in the end.
17. I slept with a complete and utter stranger once.
18. I've fallen for her so hard and so fast...and it hurts so much that she won't return the feelings.
19. I want sex, now.
20. I have an extreme crush on a straight girl. she knows it too
21. Sometimes i fear that the right person isnt out there, or if he is I won't find him & he wont find me.
22. I like someone.
23. I make n sell porno, not even joking :)
24.I still qwestion if I love him or not, even tho I know I do.
25. I want to be happy and get married and have another child by 2007
26. I am in love with my friend.
27. I really like one of my good friends and i don't know what to do.
28.
29.
30. I hate my best friend
31.
32. I want a girlfriend!!!!
33.I love boobs...lol
34. I have a great GF, but i really want to fuck a few other girls behind her back....... i also, burned down a house for money
35. fighting has never made the pain go away, but its pain that makes me fight
36.
37. (Thirty Seven!) I am a TROLL!
38.
39.
40. IM SCARED TO WRITE PERSONAL SHIT ON HERE AND EXPRESS MY FEELINGS , B/C THE PERSON WHO LAST POSTED IT CAN READ THIS BULLETIN, AND COMPARE IT TO THE ONE THEY POSTED AND BY MATTER OF DEDUCTION, CAN SEE WHAT NUMBER WAS MINE! AND IF U R READING THIS TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT, GO FUCKYOURSELF KHALID! HA HA J/P
41.
42.
43.
44. He says we're "just friends", but I want so much more than that.
45.
46.
47.I slept with my friends date before homecoming
48.
49.
50. i find two really hot guys makin out a turn on, and im a girl
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56. I say that I'm better off single. In reality I'm the lonliest person you'll ever know.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61. I cheated ...twice
62.
63.
64.
65. I want to be with him but he doesn't want to be with me
66. i shit my pants at the bus stop in 2nd or 3rd grade(www.myspace.com/trentfuckingtanner)
67.
68.
69.I care for him soo deeply but i don't think its going anywhere
70.
71.
72. I want to be with him forever, but I'm scared he doesn't love me as much as he says he does, but im afraid if I bring it up, it might turn him away because he might think I don't trust him...
73.
74.I've kissed 2 of my friends ex boyfriends while they were going out and they still don't know and one of the times I had a bf
75.
76.
77.i want him to ask me out but i dont think he will
78.
79.
80.I am ready to eat some pussy.
81.
82.
83.Im in love with 3 people
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.my man treats me like shit---and i secretly like it.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94. i lost my v-card to a married man
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.I love my husband more than words can say!!!
101.i got pregnant by another man
102
103.
104.
105.
106.
107. im a lot smarter then anybody really knows. and im awesome in bed.
108.
109.
110.
111.
112.
113. i pretend its all ok, but in reality, i want to run screaming away from all these people that i pretend to love
114.
115.
116.
117.
118.
119.
120. I slept with someone my best friend used to date. I also slept with a guy a friend of mine still cares for and if she found out it would break her heart. I don't regret it.
121.
122.
123.
124.
126.
127. I had a one night stand and made a realtionship out of it despite the fact i had a boyfriend
128.
129.
130.
131.
132.
133.
134.why cant they see the person i am inside
135.
136.
137.
138.i get jealous when my boyfriend talks to my friends or any girl...
139.
140. I fell in love with a guy when it was supposed to just be "friends with benefits." And I never told him, and we aren't friends with benefits anymore, just friends, and I'm still in love with him. And it hurts so bad that he will never know how I feel.
141.
142. i love men but i fantasize about women constantly its always on my mind
143.
144. i like my best friends brother.
145.
146.
147. i'm in love with a girl who once sed i was like her best friend.. but now i'm just an acquaintance 2 her now.. n she's in love with sum1 else
148.
149.
150.I dont think i will ever get married and it scares the shit out of me

heraldnet.com/stories/06/..._cuts001.cfm

see it isnt all in my head! i am surprised i lasted as long as i did!

We still need to do the curtains and someday we will do another coat of paint and then will be the time to try to actually texture the ceiling.. but I think it looks preeeeeety!

the color is eh and there is a big seam! what do you guys think? i mean, i know it is a hell of a lot better...

see my pics for 2 more

it goes...

i really want to play videogames....

Guys who wear this shirt Rock!

cooking????

Wow! It has been so long dealing with this fridge thing I have nothing in the house to eat!

It is a little bit more boring than I would have liked.. space is limited.

Appliance Shopping sucks Butt!

Have fun on your road trip! and hope you get to Europe soon! I could have sworn you were looking at the camera in this pic.. haha


Well it was good to get to know you! May our paths cross again!

I have seen like WAY over the top crap lately! Way more than usual. I guess everyone is having a last hoorah or something. I just seem to be getting bombarded with weirdo friend requests to boot.

What is going on round here?????

guess i am just a snob like that.. but i do not have the heart to leave them.. because for one time in my life they see when i leave and come hunting me down, quite uncomfortable if i do say so myself