Arno River Firenze.jpg b
Italy was all that one would expect and I'm sure I shall be mentioning or showing some predictable things...but it is the unexpected I am thinking of now. Did you know that every roving muscian in Italy plays "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"?! True. The Lotto is also very big there. When they show this very serious business of calling out the winning numbers, the background music was from "I Love Lucy"! There was this curious man reading his paper along the riverside, wearing a hat he had fashioned from his newspaper. Motor bikes everywhere...up walks a man with his dog named "Sally"...he nods his head toward a long row of parked bikes and Sally correctly picks out theirs, hops on the middle area and soon her master ambles up, mounts the bike and off they roar, Sally's ears flopping in the wind. Stumbled upon Italian cartoons, playing "The Road Runner", "Sylvester the Cat", and my favorite..."Popeye"! Don't have to speak Italian to understand those old greats. Somehow it emerged that Jon would read the maps and get us where we were going and I would order all our meals. Worked quite nicely, that. Beautiful light there and wonderful colors. Breath-taking the wall paintings and other art in the basilicas...much better than in the museums, I thought. Turned out this one church around the corner had a martyr thing going...paintings of people(Lorenzo) being boiled in oil...St Catherine being put on the rack and sent her way...another being "grilled". Not easy times, those. And yet they inspired such beauty. Italy is a kaleidescope of warm rich color. Also, they eat like horses...course after course! NO WAY to eat that much, no matter how yummy. Only thing cheap is wine...liter of good wine for 4 Euros!
Fashion-wise, the top accessory seemed to be bright scarves and pointy, pointy shoes-ouch! I settled for the scarf, an orange & blue woven affair(Jon only occasionally threatened to use it as a noose). Wonderful as it was, Dorothy had it right...there's no place like home. Collected Sue, all spruced up in a new halloween bandana, and Kitty, who apparently hates "camp", thank you very much. Hey, no expresso?!!! Just when I was getting used to those little thimble coffees. Cheers to all...and loads of blogs to catch up on so off I go.
posted by sylviasometimes @ 10/02/2004 03:54:00 PM
5 Comments:
Nice to have you back in the fray Sylvia. glad you had a good time and enjoyed your Italian sojourn. Its late here so eyelids drooping and numbness creeping into my weary extremities! better go get some shut-eye as john wayne might say.
Sylvia, I think you ought to add poetry to your list of interests, because I saw your little one on 'Sea Blue Grass' just now. I was quite proud of my own two-line attempt, but when I went back and saw yours following it, I nearly swallowed my tongue. Let's see some more of your poetry!
Wow, Stan, thanks for the compliment.
You're welcome. Wonderful story about that dog Sally and the bike!
Italy's wonderful isn't it?
Welcome hoooooooooooooooommmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!
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