Today I moved from Florence back to Sarnano. I packed the car up this morning, and there are now boxes strewn once more all over the flat.
This is about the 7th move for me inside of 18 months. And soon I am to move again. And as this will be to temporary accomodation, after that, once more.
By the time I get to the end of the year then, I will be approaching double figures for the number of house moves inside 2 years.
I don't know what the year 2008 holds, but I think there will be big changes ahead. And I hope to goodness that one of these will be that I don't have to move house. At all!
For my sister, who's birthday it is today, and who is also moving at the moment, Happy birthday Luce - and believe me - I empathise with the box chaos!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Terrible Traffic
There is a saying that policemen are like taxis. When you don't need one there are thousands, and when you do....
The traffic in Italy seems to be a bit like that too. When frankly it doesn't really matter whether you make it on time or not to a place, the traffic is free flowing and I can happily zoom up and down the autostrade... but when I actually need to be in a place on time, the traffic snarls up and becomes nightmareish.
Such was the case today.
Florence to Trieste on Wednesday took me just about 4 hours. (Although I am hoping that the Autovelux machines that snagged Wally's car zipping along the A1 in excess of the speed limit were not functioning so well on the day that I drove.)
Trieste to Florence today - over 7 hours. Making me 2 hours late for a meeting. Nightmare.
The traffic in Italy seems to be a bit like that too. When frankly it doesn't really matter whether you make it on time or not to a place, the traffic is free flowing and I can happily zoom up and down the autostrade... but when I actually need to be in a place on time, the traffic snarls up and becomes nightmareish.
Such was the case today.
Florence to Trieste on Wednesday took me just about 4 hours. (Although I am hoping that the Autovelux machines that snagged Wally's car zipping along the A1 in excess of the speed limit were not functioning so well on the day that I drove.)
Trieste to Florence today - over 7 hours. Making me 2 hours late for a meeting. Nightmare.
Transition to Alumni
Saturday morning, graduation day, dawned bright, sunny and blue skied. My parents (who had flown over from Hong Kong for the ceremony - brilliant!) and I quaffed large amounts of coffee before getting in the hire car up to the Ferdinandeo palace. As parents had seen pics of classmates, and vice versa, everyone thought they recognised everyone else - and the fact that not all parents and relatives could communicate in the same language didn't stop people from chatting happily.
The ceremony itself had quite a bit of input from us in the class. We wanted to have a ceremony that reflected us all - something personal to the 30 or so of us who were graduating.
There were a few sniffles in the house when Andrea, the head of our course spoke, and reflected on the group and the year gone by. And the speech from Vladimir the head of the ham company who made the key note was very inspiring.
Moving words, and the great setting of the hall at the Ferdinandeo Palace, all washed down nicely with yet more prosecco in the garden.
Of course there was also the the obligatory hat throwing moment too - marking the moment at which we go from being students to being alumni! The real world beckons again.
The ceremony itself had quite a bit of input from us in the class. We wanted to have a ceremony that reflected us all - something personal to the 30 or so of us who were graduating.
There were a few sniffles in the house when Andrea, the head of our course spoke, and reflected on the group and the year gone by. And the speech from Vladimir the head of the ham company who made the key note was very inspiring.
Moving words, and the great setting of the hall at the Ferdinandeo Palace, all washed down nicely with yet more prosecco in the garden.
Of course there was also the the obligatory hat throwing moment too - marking the moment at which we go from being students to being alumni! The real world beckons again.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Partying for graduation weekend
What a weekend it has been! Graduating with an MBA is almost a more exhausting process than the entire year until that point had been!
I arrived in Trieste on Wednesday night, after working the morning at the Company in Florence. I was (predictably) late leaving the office, and not even the dreaded Autostrada del Sole between Florence and Bologna could slow me down as I bombed my way up to Trieste. (The road goes through the mountains, carrying the truck population of central Italy, and is a 1 hour stretch of winding corners and dark tunnels - just awful.)
On arrival I parked the hire car, and went straight for champagne with the people who were already in town. This was to set the tone for the rest of the weekend pretty much.
Thursday morning's thesis defence was a little slow after the excesses of Wednesday, but turned into an interesting debate about the future business model of the pharmaceutical industry. Made more interesting still by the boys that came in to support / spectate - doing wonders for my street cred in the eyes of the examination panel!
The weekend was a blur of new visits to old haunts, Circus for lunch, Portizza for coffee, Piazza del'Unita, Walter for bubbles galore. Oh, and of course, Nanut, Nanut, Nanut for wine, wine, wine!
Sunday lunch time was a calm affair, seafood lunch down on the waterfront by the harbour. And amazingly, no wine. But lots of planning for the next Trieste party, this time for Barcolana and birthdays on October 14th.
(Photos to follow...)
I arrived in Trieste on Wednesday night, after working the morning at the Company in Florence. I was (predictably) late leaving the office, and not even the dreaded Autostrada del Sole between Florence and Bologna could slow me down as I bombed my way up to Trieste. (The road goes through the mountains, carrying the truck population of central Italy, and is a 1 hour stretch of winding corners and dark tunnels - just awful.)
On arrival I parked the hire car, and went straight for champagne with the people who were already in town. This was to set the tone for the rest of the weekend pretty much.
Thursday morning's thesis defence was a little slow after the excesses of Wednesday, but turned into an interesting debate about the future business model of the pharmaceutical industry. Made more interesting still by the boys that came in to support / spectate - doing wonders for my street cred in the eyes of the examination panel!
The weekend was a blur of new visits to old haunts, Circus for lunch, Portizza for coffee, Piazza del'Unita, Walter for bubbles galore. Oh, and of course, Nanut, Nanut, Nanut for wine, wine, wine!
Sunday lunch time was a calm affair, seafood lunch down on the waterfront by the harbour. And amazingly, no wine. But lots of planning for the next Trieste party, this time for Barcolana and birthdays on October 14th.
(Photos to follow...)
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Back to Trieste
Tomorrow I am going back to Trieste to finish off my MBA. I defend my thesis on Thursday, and then the partying starts! On Saturday we have our graduation ceremony, and a bit more partying...
I hear the weather is rubbish at the moment, but sunshine is predicted for the weekend - here's hoping!
But whatever happens with the weather, it will be fantastic to be all together again, like the good old days as Haki would say!
Either here or on Facebook there are bound to be one or two pictures of the next few days.
And ever the optimist, I am packing my bikini too - you never know!
I hear the weather is rubbish at the moment, but sunshine is predicted for the weekend - here's hoping!
But whatever happens with the weather, it will be fantastic to be all together again, like the good old days as Haki would say!
Either here or on Facebook there are bound to be one or two pictures of the next few days.
And ever the optimist, I am packing my bikini too - you never know!
One Year Old Today
Trieste Trasmissione is a year old today!
I wondered at the beginning if I would be able to keep it going (it hasn't always been easy). Or if people would ever actually read it!
But it turns out that I did.
And that you do!
So thank you to everyone who is reading, and who has read, and who, I hope, will continue to read.
I hope that the content and pics are interesting and that you will keep surfing back for updates.
And I will try to continue to write, and take photos! Whether that is from Trieste, or from elsewhere...
Comments are always welcome - so please send them through, and thanks again for being readers!
I wondered at the beginning if I would be able to keep it going (it hasn't always been easy). Or if people would ever actually read it!
But it turns out that I did.
And that you do!
So thank you to everyone who is reading, and who has read, and who, I hope, will continue to read.
I hope that the content and pics are interesting and that you will keep surfing back for updates.
And I will try to continue to write, and take photos! Whether that is from Trieste, or from elsewhere...
Comments are always welcome - so please send them through, and thanks again for being readers!
Characters of Firenze, Part 3
Can a car be a character? I think the answer has to be yes if the car in question has a strong enough image, and connection with the city.
I'm not talking about the Smart car, or about the wonderful battered Fiat 500s that I see driving around Florence, or even about the much sexier new 500s that are also multiplying around the city.
Instead, the real character for me in the car stakes in this city is the electric car. These tiny little motorised vehicles are reminiscent of Postman Pat's van from the English cartoons, but potentially with more of an edge, as you can't hear them zooming towards you. This makes their approach behind you down the small cobbled streets somewhat risky.
But if the car can in fact be a character, then this little yellow electric car, on permanent charge near the residence for me is the hollywood model. I am not sure how far it can go on a single charge, but something about it, the colour, the shape, or the fact that someone leaves in plugged in like a charging mobile makes is seem awfully endearing!
I'm not talking about the Smart car, or about the wonderful battered Fiat 500s that I see driving around Florence, or even about the much sexier new 500s that are also multiplying around the city.
Instead, the real character for me in the car stakes in this city is the electric car. These tiny little motorised vehicles are reminiscent of Postman Pat's van from the English cartoons, but potentially with more of an edge, as you can't hear them zooming towards you. This makes their approach behind you down the small cobbled streets somewhat risky.
But if the car can in fact be a character, then this little yellow electric car, on permanent charge near the residence for me is the hollywood model. I am not sure how far it can go on a single charge, but something about it, the colour, the shape, or the fact that someone leaves in plugged in like a charging mobile makes is seem awfully endearing!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Mercato Centrale
Today as Jenny was saying goodbye to Florence we decided to head downtown for lunch.
After the (obligatory) coffee in Caffe Villani, I went one way, to drop something off with Massi, Jenny, Ivor (her boyfriend) and Viktor a.k.a. Junior (her brother) another. But we had decided to meet at the Trattoria in San Lorenzo Market that we frequent on Saturdays to have a cheap and delicious lunch in great surroundings.
Sadly, today, the queue defeated us, so lunch instead was in the Mercato Centrale, in a trattoria at the end of the stalls - the food must at least be fresh as it doesn't need to travel far!
I could have spent many hours, and many Euros in the market, but we had to go and show the guys the rest of the sights of the city, so we headed off to the circuit (Piazza Della Republica, Piazza Signoria, Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio) before Jenny and the guys went home. Of course the route also tok us past the Duomo - check out all the tourists taking pics by the cathedral - and there are maybe only half as many now as in July!
I did a little shopping - making the most of the end of the sales before heading back on the trusty 17 bus myself.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Cantinetta Antinori
The cantinetta is one of our favourite hang-outs in Florence. This is mainly due to the service we receive from Daniele, the barman, and from the fact that, as Cameron and Massi work for Antinori, they get a great discount!
Tonight Massi treated us to a delightful bottle of Tignanello, in which Cameron swore he could taste caramel, and we chatted with a guy from Portland USA, who was living in Amsterdam, in Florence for work, and delighted to meet some people to chat to. So delighted in fact that he treated us to Grappa Tignanello and desert - chocolate tart - YUM!
I am hoping that if I stay in Florence, Daniele will recognise me just the same, and that I will get the same level of service - and discount that we enjoy now! But whatever happens, drinking Tignanello in the bar of the company that makes it, makes for a great Friday night!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Farewell Florence
Tonight we said farewell to Florence with a dinner together. The idea was that we would go somewhere lovely, to see the city at night without a concern for the budget! We were planning to start with drinks in the Cantinetta Antinori, but it was full, so instead we went to the unspellable place in the corner of Piazza Della Republica for the delicious, but ridiculous-looking drinks that you can see in the picture.
After this brief interlude, we went back to Cantinetta for a glass of wine - not the best in the place by a long way - then off to restaurant La Giostra, run by Hapsburg princes, and hidden away on Borgo Pinti. The food was delicious, the wine lovely and the place divine. The 45 minutes we had to wait to get the table we had booked was more than made up for by the company, and the quality of the grub. And at 30 euros a head - no complaints! Other than the fact it made Friday a long, long day....
Back to Lignano
I was asked by the school to attend the team building course for MIB XVIII, the new MBA class, in Lignano - to the north of Trieste. It was the same place that we went for our team building the year before - and with the same games! So many memories! The sun shone throughout, and whilst it was good to meet the new people the best bits for me were hanging out with Massimilliano for 3 days - so much fun! - seeing Giulia on Tuesday night as she drove over from Pordenone to meet us for a drink and; the last, hitching a lift on the lfeguard boat - with the lifeguard rowing - in order to see the race with teh home-made rafts. (Team building near water makes raft buliding an obligatory activity!) I don't know who enjoyed the race more, the people in it, the old boys and gals watching, or me, on the lifeguard raft, watching the race. The lifeguard, Marco, asked me if I needed anything else, but he wasn't able to supply me with the mojito I asked for!
Max and I went for a swim afterwards, then slept for an hour on the beach in the sn. Can't be bad!
Sunday, September 09, 2007
David
Finally yesterday, for the first time, I went to see David in his home in the Accademia, the museum that was set up in the 1800s to allow the students of Florence's fine art school to learn from the former Florentine masters.
The iconographic image is everywhere here in the city, from the copy of David in Piazza Della Signoria, to aprons, postcards, books and posters, there is no escaping him.
But still seeing the statue for real for the first time is something that stops you in your tracks. As you round the corner in the museum, he is waiting at the end of the hall, bathed in natural light from the domed glass ceiling over his head.
The marble shines bright white and, even from a distance, you can see the veins on his arms standing out, and the sinews of the muscles on his legs.
When you get up closer you realise the real mastery of Michaelangelo even more. Built from a single block of marble, meaning, for the leg area for example, he had to carve the tip of the kneecap first and work inwards, the details are awe-inspiring. For the record he did not make a mistake with the perspective of the hands and the feet! The statue was created to be placed 40 metres above the ground, on the Duomo, so Michaelangelo adjusted the dimensions accordingly. But even though no-one would see it, he still carved the details to perfection, the ears are especially amazing.
On the way out of the museum there are other Michaelangelo carvings, not complete, but somehow engaging all the same as the blocks of marble, still in their raw forms, have a torso or a knee emerging from them. Incredible.
The iconographic image is everywhere here in the city, from the copy of David in Piazza Della Signoria, to aprons, postcards, books and posters, there is no escaping him.
But still seeing the statue for real for the first time is something that stops you in your tracks. As you round the corner in the museum, he is waiting at the end of the hall, bathed in natural light from the domed glass ceiling over his head.
The marble shines bright white and, even from a distance, you can see the veins on his arms standing out, and the sinews of the muscles on his legs.
When you get up closer you realise the real mastery of Michaelangelo even more. Built from a single block of marble, meaning, for the leg area for example, he had to carve the tip of the kneecap first and work inwards, the details are awe-inspiring. For the record he did not make a mistake with the perspective of the hands and the feet! The statue was created to be placed 40 metres above the ground, on the Duomo, so Michaelangelo adjusted the dimensions accordingly. But even though no-one would see it, he still carved the details to perfection, the ears are especially amazing.
On the way out of the museum there are other Michaelangelo carvings, not complete, but somehow engaging all the same as the blocks of marble, still in their raw forms, have a torso or a knee emerging from them. Incredible.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
A taste of the tropics, to go
Tonight after work, Jenny and I took a walk to Esselunga - the supermarket nearest to where we are staying in Florence. A bit more expensive than Ipercoop - our normal food shopping hotspot - Esselunga is also much smaller, but has a different range of things, including a lot more available for people who don't have the time or energy to cook properly after work!
I was browsing for fruit and veg when I saw a small plastic container divided in two - coconut in one half, mango in the other.
The coconut was eaten by the time I got back and the mango, which I have been missing like mad, lasted about 2 1/2 minutes after I walked in the door - fabulous! The other thing that caught my eye was the tagliata to go - very thinly sliced steak, ready to be cooked, and a single portion of parmesan flakes and another of rocket to put on the top. And all for about 2 Euros 50!
The tagliata stayed on the shelf tonight though, because I was tired and couldn't be bothered to cook. Instead we took a slight detour via the wonderful Rosticerria Cento Stelle - literally the 100 Stars Roasting shop. This is not a rating on the quality of the food - although it could be - the stuff is healthy, and great - but named after via cento stelle, the road in which it is located. The roast chicken was delicious, especially with the mango... And thankfully the chicken was also still hot, because the weather turned in Florence this week, and we have been shivering through the days dressed in our best summer clothes! Unless the temperature goes up in the morning, the early closure tomorrow afternoon could see an emergency trip to downtown Firenze for some retail therapy! Or I could just buy more mango, and dream of the summer sunshine!
I was browsing for fruit and veg when I saw a small plastic container divided in two - coconut in one half, mango in the other.
The coconut was eaten by the time I got back and the mango, which I have been missing like mad, lasted about 2 1/2 minutes after I walked in the door - fabulous! The other thing that caught my eye was the tagliata to go - very thinly sliced steak, ready to be cooked, and a single portion of parmesan flakes and another of rocket to put on the top. And all for about 2 Euros 50!
The tagliata stayed on the shelf tonight though, because I was tired and couldn't be bothered to cook. Instead we took a slight detour via the wonderful Rosticerria Cento Stelle - literally the 100 Stars Roasting shop. This is not a rating on the quality of the food - although it could be - the stuff is healthy, and great - but named after via cento stelle, the road in which it is located. The roast chicken was delicious, especially with the mango... And thankfully the chicken was also still hot, because the weather turned in Florence this week, and we have been shivering through the days dressed in our best summer clothes! Unless the temperature goes up in the morning, the early closure tomorrow afternoon could see an emergency trip to downtown Firenze for some retail therapy! Or I could just buy more mango, and dream of the summer sunshine!
Monday, September 03, 2007
Writing the unwriteable?
Its been a bit quiet on the blog of late as I have been writing my MBA thesis. Marketing the Unmarketable: A study of marketing tactics in the pharmaceutical industry.
I thought this was a great title when I set it months ago, and have been reading shedloads of information about the topic.
But the deadline approaches at midnight tonight and it has become more like writing the unwriteable than marketing the unmarketable. I didn't sleep much on Saturday night, and only 2 hours last night.
But with 2.5 hours and counting, it may go down to the wire but i'll get there.
And to celebrate I have grand plans. I intend to go to bed. And sleep!
I thought this was a great title when I set it months ago, and have been reading shedloads of information about the topic.
But the deadline approaches at midnight tonight and it has become more like writing the unwriteable than marketing the unmarketable. I didn't sleep much on Saturday night, and only 2 hours last night.
But with 2.5 hours and counting, it may go down to the wire but i'll get there.
And to celebrate I have grand plans. I intend to go to bed. And sleep!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
