October 30-31st The Festivities-a weekend filled with expectations and wishes-some of which were fulfilled as expected and others transformed in an experience not completely planned but ultimately loveable and memorable just the same. On Saturday I met my parents in Rome for the wedding of my cousin. The ceremony was held in a small but gorgeous chapel, the middle of three chapels. The walls were covered with frescoes, an ornate alter in front, the pews lined with crème colored cloth, roped off with gold, with flowers lining the sides and front of the chapel. The ceremony, about 35 mi [View Full Entry]

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Jiovanoti, a popular singer here in Italy, wrote a song several years ago titled "Per Te". In my italian class, we wrote a few stanza's of our own, in dedication to the youth in our lives. Happily, I wrote a few of my own thinking particularly of my new nephew Seth, but no less in loving thoughts of Sophie, Luke and Joshua. Per Te-(without the rhythm of his song) Per te uccelli che canta la mattina e per te gelato scoglie nel su' mano per te un bacio della mamma e per te i palloni come cani e per te ogni [View Full Entry]

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October 16-17-VICENZA * I took a trip to visit my father’s cousin Ebe this weekend, and what a treat! Not only did the food she set before me inspire me to salivate for 2 days straight, but her house is a museum of treasures-as her father was an artist and each room, corner, hallway, shelf is a archeological, artistic piece of family history. I spent the mornings with Ebe at the table in the kitchen, watching her brown the prosciutto-wrapped roast, while chatting about friends, cooking, family. I am sipping a café, tasting biscotti sent from Milano, but savoring the smells [View Full Entry]

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Monday, October 11, 2004. * Let’s not believe that just because a week starts out badly, that the rest of the week will follow in the initiator’s footsteps...because if we do, fate has cast an interesting spell this time. Before I skip back to Monday’s events, let me switch time on you and tell you what I’m doing at 8:15 am Tuesday morning, as this is the direct effect of the previously mentioned event. I arrive home from Choir rehearsal at 12:20am. I go to bed, awake at 6:30 to turn on the boiler switch to heat water for the shower. [View Full Entry]

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October 1-7 * On Friday, I reluctantly bid farewell to my penthouse flat in the center of Florence, and made my way to my new apartment, where I was greeted by my new flat mates (a little English slang for ya). Friday was a tough day, as the hermit that I am had made my nest quite comfortable in the studio apartment, my routine formed…leaving that life and heading to a new one, although quite exciting, was and is difficult for me. But heck, I came all the way to Italy with most of my life unanswered. I can handle this [View Full Entry]

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Monday, September 27th * I found another friend, and we spent a few tranquil hours getting to know one another at the Parco Cascine this afternoon. My friend, a good book, gives me an excuse to lounge on a bench, with the afternoon sun warming my back, and my mind flirting with another world. Any good book is good company, the kind of companionship that gives you permission to buy a piece of chocolate cake at the book store café while reading or browsing stories, or sit on a bench while passersby or groups of runners wonder what it is that [View Full Entry]

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Travelblog covering Wed-Sunday Sept 26th Realizing that I’ll soon be in a completely different environment living north of Florence center, I’ve been strolling through the streets checking out stores, reading my book in Piazza Republica, and generally taking it easy. Lorenzo (remember, the owner of my September apartment, with whose family I had dinner a few weeks ago, and who also found me a dentist...very kind, humorous, helpful) found me one afternoon, and after I complained to him about the differences in style between Italy and America, he took me by the hand and led me to a [View Full Entry]

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Saturday/Sunday September 18/19, 2004 * Boticelli, Gentileschi, Ruibens, Andrea del Sarto, Raphaello Sanzio, Filippo Lippi, hung in tremendous frames one hanging from the next, 3 rows high…some hanging in dimly lit corners, others high and bold, recognizable by the lovers of art history. The Galleria Palatina, in the Pitti Palace, held my attention for a full 2 hours, with room upon room, antechamber upon antechamber, stocked full of imagery-either wall to wall frescoe, rich fabric, gold and crystal, or walls filled floor to ceiling with various framed images. To see some of these pain [View Full Entry]

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The stillness that this city lacks will be found in the parts of the city away from the center, my new home. I found an apartment in a quiet, but social neighborhood north of Firenze center, with large windows allowing lots of air flow, a view of the city from my bedroom window, a lavatrice (washer), elevator, small enclosed terrazza, and a tub in the bathroom. I'll be living with a group of 3 other late 20, early 30 year olds, who both work and study. The building is incredibly clean, and around the corner are all the resturants, markets, gelaterias, [View Full Entry]

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For all of you concerned about my running experience along the curves of the Lungarno (the hazardous street I described in yesterdays journal), you'll be happy to know that I have found a quiet, peaceful park called Parco delle Cascine. Many years ago it was used by the Medici as a dairy farm (it is a long, 2.25 mile oval park with paths layed between trees, flowers, bushes, lined with wider, paved paths for bikes, runners, etc) and is thus called Cascine from the word "cascina" or dairy farm. Later on, from what I know, it was full of dear and [View Full Entry]

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