David Beach's Blog

Notes from France...

I forgot that I wrote this at the airport in Paris. We were waiting for our flight to Florence. I thought that I could get an Internet connection at Charles De Gaul... but not so lucky. I just found it so I thought I'd post it.

First impressions of charles de gaul airport - paris, france.

I forgot about that fantastic men’s room/cigarette combo aroma. I call it “shitsmoke” - pardon my French. It’s a delight. God knows the best time to smoke is while  you take a dump.

I remember the first French word I ever learned. “Oui.”  It was the name of a 70’s porn magazine that we found at elementary school. Someone stuck a few ratty copies in the empty fire extinguisher case in the hallway. We all thought it was pronounced “owee.”

It was rather exciting. We would run around the playground jumping and kicking our legs up sideways yelling “Oweee!”

We had no idea what we were doing.

Flickr: itsbeach's photos tagged with thatguy

Link: Flickr: itsbeach's photos tagged with thatguy.

Italy Photos - Phase One

Here are the first batch of photos. 435 of them. They go in reverse chronological order. So the first ones you'll see are of Rome. We still have more to upload. I hope to get to that tonight. I also have to finish naming and tagging them. It will take a bit of time so stay tuned.

This photo was taken on the last day we had the scooters. We rode over the Arno and up into the hills. That is Florence behind us and the great duomo. The dude behind Jane is Giuseppe. Giuseppe was invaluable to us. But he only took photos of our backs. We don't know why. It was one of his many quirks. Giuseppe also liked to skip. He became part of the family over the two weeks.. following us around, skipping and taking photos from behind, I love Giuseppe.

See a slideshow of our photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsbeach/tags/italy/show/

Homa

We made it back this morning. After some flight delays... but all is good. The last few days in Rome were fine. We took the metro and walked around some. We finally got into the Colosseum. Jane was fascinated by the brickwork and is convinced that the small, thin bricks are the key to the survival of these antiquities. She may be right. If it was a structure and it was around 2,000 years old, it had small, thin bricks.

After my last post, we hiked down to the Pantheon (small, thin bricks). There were so many people there. Everywhere really. But we got right in and craned our necks to see the amazing dome and hole at the top. Later we had coffee at this "famed" coffee bar nearby...

Thoughts on Italian coffee: First, it's not all that great. They'd like to think so, but in reality, not so much. Oh sure they're big on "no cappuccino after 11AM" and "what's a mocha?" and other snobbery, but the actual coffee product is usually mediocre at best. They do some things right; such as using ceramic cups, drinking at a bar, and nothing is to go. They have good machines too. But most of the time, the beans are roasted off site, by the same company and they aren't all that fresh. The coffee all tastes the same. This "famed" bar near the pantheon is probably well regarded because they roast on the premises. But what bugged me the most about this place is that they pull the espresso into a demitasse with a teaspoon of sugar already in it. Then, since I'm an American, they have to tell me this and they give me a glass of water to chase it. Because, this coffee is probably too strong and bitter for my tastes... since I'm an American... I needed the chaser alright; to get the sickeningly sweet coating off my tongue. I drink my espresso as a double shot over ice with a splash of cream. No sugar. If the beans and roast are good, that's what I want to taste. I couldn't get this there. They don't put coffee on the rocks. They have "caffe freddo" which is pre-made, sweetened, espresso that's room temperature. They could do better with ice and to stop thinking that Americans are stupid about coffee.

Italy is freaking expensive. Never mind the exchange rate; dollar to euro Italy's prices are wacky. A caffe (shot of espresso) is 1 euro. That's good. A small bottle of cola is 6. WTF? A pizza for one person (about 12 to 14 inches) is between 5 and 8 euros. That's good too. A small plate of pasta is 12 to 15 euros. The cheapest dinner we had which included 4 pizzas and 4 sodas and a bottle of water was 33 euros. The most expensive was 110 euros and that included 4 small plates of pasta, a salad, 6 sodas, and a bottle of water. The former was at the best pizza place in Rome, the latter was at some cafe near the Piazza de Popolo. None of it made sense.

I read that Italy had a difficult time moving to the Euro from the Lira. No one really knew how to price anything. They figured if it was 10,000 lira then it should be 10 euro. When in reality the thing should have been only 5. All I know is that even though we put most things on the credit card, we still had to go to the ATM to pull out 150 euro every other day.

Who cares though... we were on vacation and it was fantastic.

We walked around the Campo di Fiori, then across the river to the quieter side of Rome. I started to take photos of the graffiti. For the record, every surface in Rome, that's in reach, is covered in graffiti. I know graffiti is an Italian word, but they take it to another level. Not just Rome, it was in Florence and some in Siena too. It covered just about everything. The only things that were spared were the Vatican and the Colosseum. But other than that it was fair game. It wasn't that good either. I like street art as much as the next guy, but this was just shit.

It poses a dilemma... because it is absolutely everywhere, how do you clean it? Where do you start? If you begin to paint over it all, everything will start to look new and fresh. And Rome is anything but new and fresh. That's part of its charm. Something should be done though... either find a way to clean it up and keep it clean, or give these kids some art lessons.

I think that's it for now. I have a few more things to add and remember for another post. I'll do that when the photos are on Flickr. Should be soon now...

I'm glad to be home. It was the perfect vacation. Just long enough to see so much and to want to come home.

Roma

This is our third day in Rome. It is very crowded with tourists and getting more so by the day. I figure that part of this is because Rome is always crowded with tourists and part of it is due to the fact that it's close to New Years.

We went to the Colosseum first on Thursday, the experience was totally disorienting. The line was long and we didn't have enough cash to get in so we bailed. There are people after you where ever you go around the big attractions. Selling crap, begging, barkering for restaurants, etc. Such a change from Siena. We went to the Forum and the ruins around the area, climbed up the hill of the capital and cruised around other places that I forget now.

Yesterday was all about the Vatican. We took the subway and walked into Saint Peters Square. It was crammed with people. In the center was a huge Italian styled nativity scene. St. Francis of Assisi started the idea of placing the nativity in an Italian setting and context. This way it seemed familiar to people. We waited in line to see the Vatican Museum with the Sistine Chapel being the ultimate destination. I'm reading an interesting book about Pope Julius the second and Michaelangelo and the painting of the Sistine Chapel. It's pretty amazing that so much important work all happened within a few years around 1500. I like reading about old school popes. They usually had children from several women, some liked to invite prostitutes up to their apartment and some liked to dress up as women... Julius had several children and was the "nephew" of a previous pope. He made have been the actual nephew or maybe the son. But it's no coincidence that the word "nepotism" is from the Italian word for "nephew." Julius was also a tyrant but he commissioned some the greatest art of all time. It never fails that from tyranny and struggle comes great art.

Later we went to St. Peter's Basilica and the burial area of several popes including John Paul II and St. Peter himself. The Basilica is too big for its own good. Again, very crowded. The lighting was poor and there is no real sinage or information about the various areas of the church. This is also the way it is in the Vatican Museum. You could be looking at something very significant or historical and you wouldn't know it.

Today was the Pantheon, lunch, and this Internet store. Next we'll go to Campo di Fiori. Jane bought some sweet boots. Okay... time's running out. We've taken more than 600 photos, so expect to see those on Flickr when we return. Tomorrow is New Years Eve... if it's like all of the other nights we've spent here, we'll be in bed by 9PM... we'll see. Oh and I got to scare the hell out of a guy in his underwear last night... he was trying to get into a room next to us and kept knocking on the door. No one was going to let him in. About 1 AM I got up and told him to get lost. I forget that I can be a little intimidating sometimes. The guy whimpered and ran away like a puppy.

Off to Rome

This morning we're off to Rome. Taking the train from Siena. Yesterday we drove east to Cortona. Cortona is the oldest city in Tuscany and it sits high on a hill.  The view of the valley was especially good.

I know that I have not posted any of the photos yet. Internet access has been hard to find. Especially one that I can use my own computer. I hope Rome will be a bit different.

I know Rome will be different than Siena. Here it is so mellow and peaceful. We've been spoiled in that we've been here on the two quietest days of the year, but even so, Rome is going to be a buzzsaw.

Smart Car and Bambi

Christmas morning, the kids woke up early. We had breakfast here at the borgo, then rented a car. A Smart Car. The one we have seats four. All of the cars are tiny here and run on diesel.

We drove around Tuscany and saw what all the fuss is about. It's very beautiful here. It feels a lot like California. The air, landscape, vibe... lots of familiarity. We went to several of the small towns around Siena. Most of them, I can't spell without help, so I won't bother. But look on a map and go just north west of Siena and you can see where we were.

Isaac got tired pretty fast. Getting up early didn't help. We made a decision early that we wouldn't "power travel", meaning that we wanted the kids to enjoy themselves so we won't overwhelm them. But we were out in the middle of no where trying to find a place to eat on Christmas. Most everything is closed the 25th and 26th. After our 3rd town, I could hear my great grandmother being channeled through the boy. "If you've seen one medieval fortified Tuscan village, you've seen them all." I'm paraphrasing.

We found a restaurant. One of the challenges here is trying to translate the menu. Sometimes there are English descriptions, but often not. So we have to try to look up different words in our books or try to ask the waiter what this or that is. Not everything is spaghetti, pizza, or lasagna. So we were sitting at the table looking over the menu and Jane asked what one of the items happened to be. The waiter paused... lowered his head, and spoke in a hushed tone so the children could not hear... "It is ah... Bambi."

Today we still have the car. We are going to go out to Assisi maybe, or maybe not. Tomorrow we pack it up and take a train down to Rome.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. We miss you.

Christmas Eve in Siena

Today is Christmas Eve and we are in beautiful Siena. We have a country apartment just outside of town. It really is as good as they say. So much more peaceful than Florence and the perfect place for an Italian Christmas.

We didn't go to Pisa the other day. It was going to take too long and the kids decided that they'd rather hang out in Florence. So we had a nice Tuscan dinner instead.

Siena hasn't changed in 800 years or more. It's a walled in city with stone streets and that go up and down hills and wind through medieval buildings. It really is amazing. Everyone is friendly and happy to be here. It's not difficult to imagine why.

As we've been here, we are getting indoctrinated into the Italian Christmas traditions. They go all out. They have Santa Claus (Bappo Natale) but he uses a latter or a rope to climb into windows to deliver gifts. Much more sensible when you think about it. The original Santa is from Italy or Greece. He would throw money through a window so the daughters of a pretty bad dad could pay him off instead of being sold to slavery.

They also have some kind of witch character that flies around and delivers gifts on the epiphany. January 6th. Witches are cool.

This afternoon we will be going into town to tour the Duomo and then look around before our dinner at 7:30. The traditional Christmas Eve meal centers around a female eel. I'm just going with the flow.

Buon Natale!

wednesday & thursday in Florence

Yesterday we went to see Michaelangelos David. The statue was moved some time ago from the main piazza near the uffizi to the Academia. Essentially an art school. This school is still there. It was started in the mid 1500's. (oh look i found the apostrophe on this foreign keyboard!) David was completed in 1504. Anyhow... a funny thing about this place is that many of the main attractions are hidden down alleys or back streets in nondescript medieval buildings and no discernible sinage. Here we have the most important sculpture in the world down some cobbled street and through a plain wooden door on the left next to a small grocery store. I kinda like that, but it takes some getting used to.

The statue itself does need to be seen in person to be appreciated. The veins in the arms, the back muscles, the hands. The glorious pubic hair.

Afterwords we rode down closer to the center of the city. I found a pair of used Levis 501's at the street market. They fit perfectly, so at least I could change my pants. I even haggled the price down.

When we got back to the hotel, all of the luggage except mine had arrived. The kids were so happy. My bag came today. No worse for wear. The children's gifts still there. Everything is back to normal. We'll have to find room for the extra clothes we purchased. The experience sure made us appreciate the little things.

Today we took off on the scooters across the Arno river and up into the hills above Florence. The view was terrific, but it was bitterly cold.

Thoughts on driving in Italy: It seems that everyone on the road believes that nothing will ever get in their way at any time for any reason. So they drive as fast as possible as if they have an invisible shield around them for protection. It may have something to do with religion or it could have something to do with an understanding of odds. The chances are pretty good that nothing will get in their way at any given moment, so why worry about it? So people drive insanely fast down insanely tight one way streets. Trucks, buses, scooters... the alley may be 10 feet across, so why not go 50 mph?

Pedestrians are like this too. It's the same mentality. You'd think that they'd be on the losing end of this game of chicken, but that doesn't stop them. Today, I was doing my best to keep up with the race, weaving around the lane, when a lady pushing a stroller just walks right out in front of me, somehow knowing that I saw her and was going to react. She put the life of her baby in my hands as she crossed the street. Again, odds are that nothing will happen to the baby, so why not go ahead and get where you want to go a second or two earlier...?

On top of all this, the streets go every which way. Every street is one way and it is never the "way" you want to go. So you have to go blocks out of your way just to go in the desired direction. When we rented the scooters, the woman said that she would give us her new ones. These new ones had 25,000 kilometers on them. I understand why now. It takes eight km to go two. In Florence there are no right turns.

Another thing about survival here is that the sidewalks are all about two feet wide. People going in both directions on these tight ropes just hug the wall or jump out into the street when someone passes by. You become hyper aware of every direction when going from A to B.

Oh and here's a tip. Never ever, under any circumstances accidentally put diesel fuel into an unleaded only scooter gas tank. You won't get very far...

Tomorrow is Pisa and laundry. Then Saturday we are off for our little Christmas in Siena.

Still no luggage...

well it is wednesday morning. still no luggage. everyone we have spoken with about this says that it is usually three days. that would be today. we have been spending a lot of time in shops getting provisions. underwear, socks, toiletries, kids clothes, clothes for jane and i. I am having some trouble because Italians do not usually come in my size. I got something that fit last night, but I think they are pajamas. the are comfortable at least.

The uffizi was fantastic. Saw the Birth of Venus, etc. etc. And there is a great exhibit on Leonardo.  But the Duomo (cathedral) was unreal. Breathtaking really. I have never imagined such a building.

Today after the childrens store opens we will go on our scooters to where michaelangelos David is. Then around the city center. We may also drive up to Fisole where there are some cool Roman ruins.

The worst thing about the luggage is that we had the kids christmas presents in there. I am really sad about that. I hope we will have good news today.