Looking Back

So, we are now back at home, pictures have been posted, wine has been drunk, and my body is beginning to figure out this night vs. day thing once again...

It's weird, though. We had a lovely, albeit somewhat frigid time, met a bunch of fun people, saw priceless art... but now that I'm back home, I sort of feel like, Italy? Check. Which is new for me. Every other time I've traveled like this, I've hated to leave and wanted to turn around and come back as soon as it was over. Now, I feel like OK, been there, done that.

Maybe it was because the weather was not all that conducive to wandering the city streets and exploring lots of stuff. Maybe it was that the emergency car repairs constrained my budget, so I wasn't shopping for everyone I've ever met or seeking out five-star restaurants. Maybe it's the lack of any familial connections. Maybe it's because Larry died ten days before I left. Or, maybe I'm just comparing apples to oranges, and Italy just doesn't speak to me the way other places I've traveled have done. Whatever the case, I feel like I'm bracing myself for returning to work tomorrow, where I'm going to get the, "So, how was your trip?" at every turn.

In other news, however, I should mention that my friend Erin's record of 8 scoops of gelato in a single day still stands -- I think I only ever got as high as 5. I can unequivocably say, however, that visitors to Venice should stay away from the gelato offered in the shops on Piazza San Marco. It was the least creamy, had noticeable ice chunks in it, and is clearly there only to cater to a tourist market that doesn't know any better. Seek out Gelateria Nico, even if you have to take a vaporetto completely around the city to get there. It's worth it. If you find yourself on the island of Lido, there was also a great little place there, right on the main street, where the scoops were humongous and they gave you a little wafer cookie with it, too. Yum.

In Florence, we did sample the wares at Vivoli, although did not get over to the competition at Perche No. (I think this was due in large part to the weather being at its coldest in Florence, making walking about unappealing and gelato as a reward unmotivating.) I had read in one of my guidebooks that gelato in Florence is generally sweeter than in other places, and based on my Vivoli experience, I can see where one could make the argument, but it was still damned tasty. The texture was a bit softer, so it got all melty a little faster, but the staff were very helpful in explaining the myriad of flavors available, and overall, I feel I can recommend Vivoli as an enjoyable experience.

The absolute winner for me, though, was Giolitti in Rome. These people have been around for over 100 years, and the place has sort of an old-time elegance to it... it's like black-tie gelato. They didn't seem too keen on offering gelato in a cup rather than a cone (I didn't see the option offered anywhere), but their cones are chocolate-coated, and their gelato was the smoothest, richest, creamiest, and most luxurious of any that I had during the entire trip. If I ever do find myself in Italy again, I'm going to try and get there to sample some more flavors.

Not sure that's enough of a reason by itself to go back, though.

My Ass is Freezing on the Beautiful White Marble

PA and I have agreed on many things, of late... Italy is fun, gelato is yummy, espresso is addictive, Italian men are overwhelmingly hot... but I think the one thing we agree on most strongly at the moment is that Zes was somehow destined to not make this trip with us. It is COLD here, and she would not have appreciated God's little meteorological thumbing of the nose.

That said, it is also beautiful. The whirlwind touring of Wednesday afternoon did not diminish the beauty of this city by any measure. Yesterday, we were on our own to scope out precious works of art, sample local gelato (yes, apparently there IS a difference between cities!), experience an Italian laundromat, and take a short beauty break. Today was Pisa, which... for all the pictures you've seen of a building that tilts and what's the big deal... was really kinda cool. Not to mention the church and the baptistery that are right next to it that you NEVER hear much at all about -- it's a new perspective on all of that, really. I felt similarly to how I did upon seeing Mt. Rushmore live and in person. You know what it's going to look like, but somehow, the experience of actually being there makes it altogether different.

On the down side, the clouds rolled in and the wind kicked up, and this was probably the coldest day we've had yet. On top of that, we just missed a shuttle bus that would take us back to our tour bus to come back to the hotel, and we were unaware that we'd arrived at the bus stop just exactly as the shift was due to change... so, yeah, our butts sat on those white marble bus benches for just over half an hour before we gave up and decided to walk. An unbeknownst adventure, as even the tour director wasn't sure how to get back to our bus on foot! It didn't take long, though, till we were safe and warm on our comfy big green bus, and back on the road.

Oh, and PA and I also got insulted by one of the Nigerian illegal immigrants who walk around selling fake Pradas and shit!! Yeah, the hilarity continues...

Dinner in Fiesole tonight, then on to Orvieto and Rome tomorrow morning... which means I'll have to pack after dinner. Better be careful how much wine I drink!!

Aaaaand.... We're Walking

Only mere moments available for this post, but for now, we have arrived in Florence, seen the Duomo, learned about leather, bought a sweatshirt, and realized how fabulous hot chocolate is here. Oh, and our feet are damned tired.

But, we've found the internet here, so more soon!

Buonasera!

It's evening here in Italy, and for the record, PA and I have decided that time passes MUCH too slowly over there in the States. We've been tooling around Venice all frakkin' day, and when she asked me what time it was in Chicago, the answer was, "Oh... 10am." That just doesn't seem right, somehow.

In the two full days here (not counting the day of arrival, when we were heavy on the gaping and glazed looks), we've covered a lot of territory, thanks in part to the purchase of 12-hour vaporetto (waterbus) passes. It's interesting... I didn't really use public transit at all whilst in Central Europe. I think that was both because I had local relatives to take me around Budapest, but also because I did more of the optional trips and therefore had less free time. But I also think that perhaps, somehow, in her own quiet and unassuming way, PA pushes me to get out there. Which... is a good thing when one is thousands of miles from home! But perhaps we've overdone it just a tad for one day -- sitting here at the keyboard, we are both feeling like we're still on a boat. For God's sake, somebody stop the rocking!!

We depart for Florence in the morning... looking forward to warmer weather (or at least a lack of wind coming in off the water), and are debating Italian haircuts. We'll see... stay tuned to this station for updates as events warrant!