DHL and Drummers

I remember the DHL ads from the TV in Hong Kong, as the man in the van fought through the markets, with the clued-in following in his wake, knowing that he knew the streets and the best way to get to his destination – irrespective of anything as inconvenient as a bustling market in his way.
I guess the DHL guy who came yesterday with the books has not done the market-navigation part of the training yet. He rang me, laughing, to say that it would in fact be infinitely better if I could come to the Piazza and collect the parcel myself. He was waiting in his van outside the Farmacia. And if I could be there in 5 minutes that would be great, ‘cos he was in a bit of a hurry.
I tried to give him directions to the house from the piazza (not difficult) and he was having none of it. But in need of the parcel, who was I to argue. 5 minutes later I was in the piazza, and had been thinking that maybe if he had come from Ancona and didn’t have a GPS system, he might not know my road. I was a little surprised to see the San Ginesio van – signifying that he had come from all of – oh – 2 valleys away, and likely knew the road all too well. Still, he enjoyed the delivery experience, laughing continuously throughout – and at least I have the books now – and have even already read one.
The evening performance of the Echoes of War was excellent – noisy and dramatic, and all credit to the guys (and 2 gals!) in the drummer troop. The fireworks at the end of the show seemed to surprise all, and spurred on a regimented big step forward from the drummers! (They were good the fireworks, but nothing quite beats the fireworks from a few years ago, during the spinning section of the gym display, when a rocket hit the branch of the tree it was being fired from, and came careening in a straight line towards the collection of elderly gentlemen in the front row – prime position for salivating at the women in leotards on stage. Hilarious scenes followed!)





Anyway, back to the drummers, I remain intrigued as to whether they are buying their medieval-looking tights from a costume shop with one blue leg and one white leg, whether they have to team up with a colleague, one buys blue, the other white and they share that way, or, in fact, given the popularity of the drummers at this time of the year, they have 2 sets of tights. If I see them tonight at the Spanish and Mexican Flamenco Show in the main Piazza, I will try to check if the legs that were white last night, are today blue, and vice versa.

Rain stops play...

I spoke to DHL first thing this morning. The less than charming 'Customer Service Operator' informed me in a a furious voice that yesterday it was RAINING in Bergamot, so the workers were not able to get in to dispatch parcels. And what did I want her to do as it was clearly not her fault (nor mine, I added!)and that MAYBE the parcel would arrive on Monday. At lunchtime, or later.
But if I really wanted to know, I would need to call again.
At the time we were on the phone, it was also raining here, but nonetheless I was working. And keeping my fingers crossed for sunshine in Bergamot!
I see now that the parcel is in Ancona, only 1 1/2 hours from here. But there are clouds sitting low over the mountains at the moment... It might be a bad sign!
A bright point tonight I hope as there is a show on in Sarnano called Echoes of War, which will combine the fabulous Sarnano drumming troop with fire eaters and dancers. Its free and starts at 10pm, so I think Chris, Irene and I are going to eat at the medieval Taverna Della Luna first. Pictures to follow.

Missing in action

I decided that the time had come with the thesis to get some books and really crack on with the work. So I went to Amazon, searched a bit, and parted with some hard earned euros for the books - and stumped up almost the same amount again for 'priority express' - in other words, DHL, to deliver the parcel.
I almost jumped on the courier man that pulled up outside the apartment today in my eagerness to get to the contents of the parcel. Unfortunately, his parcel was for someone else....
So now I am back in the internet cafe (yes, Terence, back in the 90's at best!!) and checking the status of the parcel online.
Amazon write confidently 'Dispatched!' Expected arrival 8th August.... errr... yesterday. I have been waiting in for 2 days for it so far.
So I made my way to the DHL website. They tell me the parcel is in Bergamo in the warehouse, waiting for the customer (me) to arrange delivery. And there was me thinking that a) I had and b) they were the delivery company.
Facing off rising panic that the 50 Euro books will never arrive, I dialled the help desk number. Only to be told that they had, in fact, closed some 3 minutes previously. But that I would nonetheless be charged for the call at a premium rate for using my mobile to ring.... Which I will need to do once again in the morning and hopefully this time be able to speak to a human being and find out why, when I am in Sarnano, and the dispatch is in Ancona, the books are collecting dust in Bergamo.
I suspect that this won't be reason enough to get an extension on the thesis, (24 days and counting).
Ah well, there is always the work I have to do for the office to fill my time!
Benissimo...

1st Anniversary

Today is a momentous occasion for me. It is the first anniversary of my arrival in Italy. Exectly one year ago, I got off the plane in Trieste. At the time I remember thinking 2 things - firstly "What on earth have I done? Why am I here?" and secondly "Maybe if I don't think about it, it will seem easier!"
Looking back now, it's hard to believe that I was ever so unsure of being here. I have spent this year learning a lot about business in class, & a lot about Italy out of class! I have made some amazing friends, and seen some wonderful things. And I will crack Italian properly if it kills me! (I can have conversations ok, but the writing - uffa!)
And now I am living in Florence, working hard in a really interesting job, and today, setting off back to Marche for a couple of weeks.
So all in all - La vita e veramente bella!
Thank you to everyone who helped to make this year everything that it has been for me, and thanks all of those who read the blog and send me comments!
And if anyone is wondering about making their own changes in life to do something completely different, or go somewhere completely different, or both! all i can say is that its worked out brilliantly for me so far.
But I can't help wondering where I will be this time next year.... the adventure continues!

Finally Shopping - update

So first things first, I bought nothing! It's true that the outlet is enormous, and the discounts too, but given that I had had to park almost 10 minutes walk away, and that the shops include Calvin Klein, Coccinelle and Charactere, it was still a little expensive for my tastes right now. Its true, I could have spent money quite easily on something but the numbers of folk were off-putting, now I know why Florence is empty on a Sunday, everyone is at the outlet! There must have been 500 cars at least.
There were some great jeans, reduced to Euros 40 from Euros 195, but I don't know of anyone who can take them up, and am worried that they will go the way of the last way-too-long trousers I bought - they languish beautiful and pristine at the back of the wardrobe. Come back Hong Kong tailors.....
Also, something that will not be a surprise to my mates here, I got lost on the way to the outlet. Actually, I guess that's not really fair on myself. It is more that I bombed out the door without double checking the direction to take. When I found myself near Arezzo - about 45 minutes away - I figured that as I had gone that far I might as well go the rest of the way and pretend it was an outing to the city instead!
And I am glad I did! Arezzo is really lovely. Much smaller than Florence, it has a real charm to it, augmented today by the antiques market (1st Sunday of every month). There was the usual collection of other people's rubbish, but some of the things were beautiful. If the lady on the chandelier tent hadn't been so officious looking, I would have taken a picture - amazing to see so much crystal hanging from the canvas roof, amidst old tea towels and smock dresses.
Parts of Life Is Beautiful were filmed in Arezzo, and I can see why Benigni picked it. Without the summer tourists and hoards of old-tat (and some nice stuff) vendors, it would feel like exactly the kind of pocket sized italian paradise he wanted to convey.
The shops looked pretty fab too.
I will be going back before I leave Tuscany!

Finally Shopping

The Florence Outlets are famous in italy. When I knew I was moving here, most of the girls, and many of the guys were telling me how fabuous the outlets are - with many examples quoted of Armani jeans for 30 Euros, and handbags as cheap as chips.
Now that I am alone here in the city, with Janet, Marina and Massi all on holiday, I have decided to take my Bancomat in hand and get out to the outlet and have a look for myself.
I am not sure that even with the 70% discount on regular prices, I will be able to afford much of the things on offer. But I figure if I don't go and look, I will never know. So tomorrow is the day.
Especially as I have a lot more work to do, so I won't be tempted to linger too long!

The best panini in Florence

The Slow Food guide has been the source of many gastronomic outings in places all over Italy in the last year, and Florence is no exception for the quality of the picks they have on offer. One of my favourites for lunch in Florence is the place near the Ponte Vecchio for panini. It is a small place, very modern, but the panini are amazing, and the staff lovely - they will always suggest the best things to fill the sarnies with. All the ham is cut by hand, and there were 6 options of pecorino alone today! ino is highly recommended for anyone who needs a break from the tourist trail, and when I was eating my sandwich, sitting on the wall in the sunshine outside the Palazzo Strozzi, there were worse (and more expensive) places to have lunch in Florence!
The rest of the day I spent at the residence, a dull way to spend a Saturday, but I have a lot of work to do before Monday, when I am going into the office for a meeting. And that's before I even start writing the thesis (now due September 3). Its going to be a busy few weeks....

Daylight robbery no more

My friend Justin tells me that he thinks I bring bad luck to my mates, as there have been tales of woe of bags stolen, and cars broken into and towed away since I arrived, just under a year ago.
But maybe my friends bring me luck! I found out a parking place near to the station, thanks to a tip from a friend, that charges 2 euros for 2 hours, and after 8, nothing. A huge improvement on the 2 euros for hour 1 and 3 euros for every subsequent hour that the station carpark charges. It comes to something when the parking costs more than the night out!
So from now on, I will be parking outside the hotel, and paying a lot less for the parking.
The good news is that I also have the doormen who look after the car. They tell me that the bonnet of an old Panda is a lot more comfortable to sit on than these new-fangled models... mainly cause they were dead embarrassed when I arrived and caught them mid-repose....
I think I have earned myself car watchmen for at least the next month!

The friendliness of the short distance runner

This morning I made the most of the cooler weather to go for a longer run than usual. I am delighted to say that the iPod battery also lasted the distance, it would be grim without the music - all credit to those that can run purely listening to the sounds of nature, but really, I get distracted by how tired my legs are if I try to run uphill without tunes in my ears.
Anyone who has been reading for a while will know that I love to run in the mornings. And here in Florence there is another reason why - it is so friendly! My running route takes me past a big campsite and uphill to the domain of the million(s) euro houses and then onto the hospital and the olive fields. Its lovely and, as a consequence, there are quite a few of us doing the same route more or less in the mornings. So its "Ciao", "Buongiorno" and "Salve" all round - to the other runners, the dog walkers, the amahs, the nurses and ambulance drivers, and the gardeners and builders, all of whom make up the crowd before 7am.
Excitingly today I may also have seen a real live property owner. The enormous mansion opposite the campsite is in desperate need of some TLC, but today, for the first time, the gates were open, there were 2 guards outside, and a middle aged lady came out looking very much like she owned the place.
Unfortunately at this point I was on my way back to the residence, so my attempted cheery smile of greeting may have appeared more like a grimace of pain!

Characters of Firenze, Part 2

I wrote before about the bag sellers, and today's featured characters of the town are also not Italian.
Every day on the way to and from work we are plagued by the windscreen washers.
These guys and gals from Eastern Europe prowl the side roads, and the main intersections, between the city and Sesto, where the company is based. Some of them know us now - 3 blonde gals in the Panda are not hard to miss - but still try every day to scrub the screen clean.
Occasionally they are quite sweet, and we get hassled less now that the car is clean. But sometimes they are agressive and very intrusive - with their filthy squeedgies and their bottles of vile-looking green solution.
One guy did actually clean the window one day, and actually made a good job of it - although not as good as Janet at the petrol station with a clean squeedgie when we were filling up with gas. (We tried to give her 50 cents, but she laughed and turned us down!!)
The worst though are the 2 girls by the station - the sponge-bearing terrorists who turn positively nasty if you say no to their proffered services - and even nastier if you fail to stop them before they start wiping and then refuse to pay them afterwards on the grounds you said no to begin with.....
Whilst the bag sellers are an added interest somehow to the city, and garner my sympathy in some ways, the car cleaners are a nuisance that Florence would be well rid of. Especially when it is close to 40 degrees, and with no aircon in the car, I have to sit with the windows up at traffic lights to avoid the outstretched hands.
2 real characters in this squad deserve a special mention.
There is one guy by the station who wanted to reach in the window and help himself to the screwdriver on the dashboard (drunk, stoned and filthy, he moved alongside the car before I had chance to shut the window.) I have seen him since, darting in and out of car windows, leaving other alarmed-looking drivers in his wake.
And the other is the old guy in the trenchcoat and hat who has to be frying in the heat, but nonetheless stalks the intersection, paper cup in hand, but seeming to do nothing to try to get cash - its just a stroll amongst the cars in his winter jacket.
Added to the mix tonight was an ambulance. Sirens blaring, I dodged out of his way as he roared through, followed by a number of ambulance chasers. These were not, however, unscrupulous lawyers chasing a buck as in the US movies, but simply aggressive drivers following in the path that the vehicle had cleared in the traffic.
The quiet of the residence was a welcome experience when I parked in the forecourt!

A change in the weather?

Tonight after doing some work, and chatting with friends on MSN, and my sister on Skype, I went out for a stroll. For the first time I can remember in weeks there was a breeze, and it feels a lot cooler. It was cooking hot again today, and we have only had one day of rain 9and then only an hour or so) since arriving in Florence. But with the aircon failing at work today, maybe its better that the temperature cools down a bit.
From Friday we have that ever-so-Italian phenomenon - La Chiusura. This is when the company (like almost all in Italy) will close for 2 weeks for the summer break. I am working on the Monday, but 2 weeks without office-based work will give me some time to finish off some of the bits of my project that I have not had time to do yet. And to get cracking on my thesis, which hopefully will be done by the time my friend Aeidin arrives on the 14th from Ireland.
Who knows, I might even have time to squeeze in some barbequeing and wine on the terrace in Sarnano....

Hitting the pavements again

Today a long walk - again. I got the bus to Cascine - the park in Florence near the river. Its OK, not exactly Hyde Park, but then its been 40 degrees here so I suppose it would be hard to maintain. But what with the rat the size of a small bear, the man relieving himself in the open air, and 400 construction posts, I am not sure I will be rushing back - and certainly not after dark! From Cascine, I walked to Forte Belvedere (uphill) and then to a church nearby - cool refuge from the heat, but a little imposing! Next stop, Piazzale Michaelangelo where Marina, who was with me, and I decided we deserved a cold Corona. Then down the stairs to the Porta and another refreshment in the sunshine before we went to meet Janet in the Mel Bookstore - a browsers paradise near the station with English language books, and music to listen to. Lovely.
This evening we had a dinner party for the first time, the three gals cooking in Marina's room - enough pasta to feed a small army.

Siena Saturday

This morning Janet, Marina and I decided that we should see a bit of tourist Tuscany. So, avoiding the Duomo-bound crowds in Florence, we jumped on the train to Siena. Said to have been founded by the children of Romulus and Remus, there are statues of the wolf and the children all over the city - including the one in the fountain which in this picture shows the wolf getting its teeth flossed by an accomodating pigeon!
Famous for the shell-shaped Piazza, the location of the annual Palio, Siena has a reputation for being beautiful. For us it was very nice, but not really of the same wow factor as Florence, maybe we are spoiled here!
We wandered around a bit and took the obligatory pics of the Duomo and the Piazza del Campo (its amazing how totally blase you can become about the history here after a while - oh look, its another thirteenth century construction....) then tried to grab some lunch, only to find everywhere closed. We ended up with paninis from a great salumeria with a boar's head outside the door, which we tucked into in a graffiti-filled alley sitting on someone's windowsill, next to an Ape truck. Not exactly a tourist's delight, but it was a mean sarnie!
Post-lunch we headed back onto the main drag, and after a lovely coffee and some of Siena's famous Panforte (literally strong bread - like a sweet dense fruit cake made of almonds and candied peel) we went to the Fortezza Medicea to have a stroll and take some pics.
On the way back to the station, we stopped at one of the main sights of the day - the Benetton 50% off sale- for a bit of retail therapy.
It is only about 6 euros to Siena on the city and one of the main selling points that it has for me is the relative lack of people. The Saturday crowds are pretty overwhelming here, and Siena felt sleepy in comparison.
it's a pretty place, but after this, my second visit, I am not sure that I would dash back. It just seems to be missing something to make it change in my eyes from nice to really special.
Although the Palio is on August 16th, and is said to be really awe-inspiring.. so never say never.

Tramonto....

My Friday afternoon constitutional took me out and about near Palazzo Pitti, and then onto the bridge near to Piazza Ognissanti to see the sunset. It was a beautiful evening, and particularly at Piazza della Signoria where Davide had a rare moment of solitude with only his shadow for company. Poor guy, he is naked and vulnerable in millions of photos globally...
The sunset was amazing, but the comment of the day goes to the American lady taking a pic of the lion near the Boboli Gardens. 'Wow" she said 'they made a great lion'... I somehow think she has missed the point of all those years and years of architectural genius and history!
Whilst she gets low marks for cultural awareness, high marks go to the buskers who brought a piano-thingy, a cello and all the rest to make a bob or two. I have to confess to not giving them any dosh - I haven't been paid yet, and life is really tough right now! - but I took a picture all the same. The other busker near to the Duomo has a sign, 'Taking pictures doesn't feed my children'. I can only apologise.... when things get easier, I have an IOU with the impromptu chamber quartet!

And now facebook...

The electronic ways to keep in touch just keep on expanding. The latest edition to my online networking is Facebook - thanks to Chris and Massi who have started a network for MIB XVIIers.
As with MSN, it appears that this is a trend that I have been missing out on - it is amazing to see so many old friends online, and to be able to catch up on people's photos too! I am not sure that I will be able to manage all of these ways to keep in touch, its really not my strong point, and sometimes writing the blog takes a superhuman effort! But as people still read it, I keep going.
The same I think will happen with Facebook - the more contacts you have, the more reluctant you are not to check in and see how people are doing.
We are all also busy communicating through email about our next MBA reunion. the jury is out as to whether it will be Munich for Oktoberfest or Rome for the White Night, or Trieste for the graduation. Or all 3!

Fai Da Te

Fai Da Te is the italian translation of Do It Yourself. Today this referred to the presents I made for Lucia and Federica at work - crowns for them to wear at lunch. The company lets people reserve tables in the 'restaurant' (canteen) and the birthday girls organised a cake and some bubbles for everyone to celebrate with. It was a great pause in the day, and lovely of the ladies to invite us to party with them after such a short time at the company. Buon Compleanno!

Calcio ancora

After a long and intensive weekend, I played football again tonight, this time with the girls from the company. We got off to a slow start, and were playing on a small pitch, but it was great to have a run around and to meet some new colleagues. I managed, through some lucky selection, to get myself on the winning team - the squadra viola (purple). At work this is the colour associated with the anti-psychotic drug - and that felt apt given how exhausted i was before I even got on the field! As always though, it ws great to have a run around, and, if I stay at the company, I will join the team for real. There is a rumour that there will be an international competition in Liverpool later in the year for all playees, so, as the token English gal, I will have to start studying Liverpudlian in addition to Italian - as I think I will be expected to translate!

Fantastic Florentine Weekend

What a superb weekend! A Florentine reunion of MIB XVII saw 12 of us get together for a weekend reminiscent of our Triestine days. I have a lot of fabulous memories from the weekend, but perhaps the best are the moments that each person arrived after a couple of months of not seeing each other. It was wonderful - Wally in Piazza Della Republica, with his backpack, Ciccio and Chris getting off the train in the station, Vlasta in our residence, Ale and Elis arriving at the bar at the top of La Rinascente and Dani and Amalia on the corner of Via Porcellana outside the restaurant. Anyone watching would think it had been a lot longer since we had got together!
We spent Friday night in Oltrarno in Piazza Santa Spirito, having a drink by the fountain at the open bar.
Saturday we headed to Sant'Ambrogio - the pic shows the guys near to the tripe van - an ape turned into a mini gastronomic locale by the owners. (We tried a panino with tripe and a drop of red wine to wash it down with - not as bad as it sounds, really - although I won't be indulging every weekend!)
Next stop, another place from the Slow Food guide, hidden under an arch 2 steps from the Ponte Vecchio, where we wolfed down fantastic panini and for me, proscuitto and melon. The oppressive heat got to us all after a while and after a rest on the steps near the Uffizi it was time for a cold beer to refresh ourselves - one near to Piazza Santa Maria Novella - where Marina, Andrea and I stopped for dinner the night before our interviews in May, and the others on the roof of La Rinascente.
Saturday night, our favourite osteria was closed, so we went to a place next door, a bit too touristy for my tastes, but with a nice atmosphere. Cocktails in Slowly rounded off the night for most, but Wally and I struggled to get back to the residence - ending up with a 2 hour walk back in the early hours of the morning. A nice chat, but I could have done with a few more hours in bed.
The climax of the weekend though, was Sunday, when we headed up into the Chianti hills altogether for lunch. It was an incredible day and with perfect weather and great food, we had a chance to really catch up with each other. If we could only now start earning the money we need before we spend it, things would be even better!
A final stop on the way back to the city for some pics before people had to leave to get back to real life. After we saw Vlasta off at the station, Ale, Elis, Massi, Marina and I had a last drink together in Piazza della Signoria, as Ale regailed us with stories of Florentine history.
Incredible really to see everyone, so thanks to all for making the time and the effort to come. And also big hugs to those who couldn't make it, but wanted to. See you at the next reunion! (We are already planning....)

Finally Fiesole

The residence where we stay is close to the small town of Fiesole, in the hills above Florence. I run up towards there but have never actually seen the place/
Tonight, after a long day, (and a short night, I was working on a presentation til the early hours and up again at 5am for more typing) the last thing I wanted to do was to return straight to the apartment and start working again.
So I kidnapped the girls in the car and rather than going home, we went straight up to Fiesole to have a look.
It was a hazy day, but the views were lovely down onto the city, and even better onto the olive groves around the village. Even better was the welcome respite from the heat - it really has been scorching - still above 35c when we leave work at more or less 6pm.
After a stroll we stopped for an aperitivo at the exorbitant and well below average Blu Bar - avoid it! then realised that the spontaneity in not going home meant that we were all without food, the shops were shut.
So the only thing to do was to go for a pizza at the place near to us - I'Giuggiolo on Viale Righi. We had pizza, nice but could have done with a bit less charcoal effect on the base! But I think we have been missing out by not trying the coccole - like the dough balls in Pizza Express - which are served with proscuitto and stracchino cheese. Almost everyone in the place seemed to be munching through them with gusto!
And now its only one more (half) day in the office til the MBA XVII gang arrive. Wally is coming by car from Bologna, and will be here in time to meet us at the station where we will greet Chris and Ciccio coming off the train at 9pm.
The following morning Vlasta should arrive, and also Dani and his girlfriend, Amalia, and Ale.
I can't wait to see everyone again - it will be quite the weekend! Expect a lively post on Monday!

I'm quiet in Italian

Those that know me, know that I speak a lot. Really. But yesterday the meeting I attended was all in Italian and for me it was a novel experience.
My Italian has come on leaps and bounds since I have been here in Italy, and accents aside (they sometimes make it tough to understand what is being said - as in any language!) I can now more or less understand everything. And if not all the words, then at least the gist of what is under discussion.
But reflecting on yesterday's meeting I notice that I am much much quieter in Italian than in English. Not in terms of volume (although that too I think!) but in terms of what I say.
It really made me think about all of my colleagues at MIB for whom English is not a first language. I have a lot of opinions about things, but once I have understood the conversation, and translated back in my head the bits I don't understand, I find myself sometimes unable to say what I think in Italian.
This will come with time I am sure - after all I have only been learning Italian for a year properly. But for now, a huge hats off to all of those folk on my course, and elsewhere, who every day speak in a language at work that is not their first. It's an amazing achievement. And doing an MBA or a job in a second language is something I think you can only appreciate when you are in the middle of doing it.
I can't wait for the day - hopefully soon - when I can convey things in Italian in the way that I can in English.
But maybe, for my friends at least, the Italian peace and quiet is nice for now!

Testing Trenitalia

Today a trip to Rome for a meeting. We got the train at 0640 (early!) and were due to head back at the end of the meeting at 1852. In fact, the evening traffic was more accommodating than that of the morning, so Luciano and I tried to change our tickets for the (10 minutes delayed) 1830 service.
The lady in the Eurostar lounge started the process, checking the availability and then canceling our original reservations in order to print the new tickets.
Then the problem hit.
The time was now 1831. The train was standing at the platform, with empty seats. And we had a booking on the train.
But, no tickets. As the original departure time of the train had passed, the system thought the train had left and refused to print the tickets needed.
We could, the lady helping us said, board and change our tickets on board. But the fine would be 8 euros per head. Not worth it for a few minutes. But really, what a system! In the end we had to reissue the new tickets, - but thankfully at no additional cost!
On Sunday we have more problems with Trenitalia. They have organized a strike for Sunday evening, exactly the day when many of our classmates were due to be heading away from a weekend in Florence.
This means that, amongst other people, Giulia can't come to Florence. Ironic when you think that her partner works for Trenitalia as a capo treno - like a train guard / ticket inspector - literally the head of the train.
When bemoaning the Trenitalia strke to Giuli last night, she told me that the last time there was a strike, he boyfriend finished work in one place, and, because the strike started, couldn't get home. He had to call in a lift from a friend half of the way, and another from Giuli for the remainder.
I hope a similar strategy will work for the friends that are coming, and might struggle to make it home on Sunday....

Are they jealous?

A few weeks ago I wrote about the news story on tomatoes on the evening news.
This even whilst the water for the pasta was boiling on the stove, I flicked the telly on. Dodging the evening game shows is no easy matter, so when I saw the news onMediaset's Channel 4 discussing a Financial Times article, my finger paused on the remote.
Not a coverage of world conflict, the Japan earthquake or the tensions between Russia and the UK, the article under discussion was about a criticism in the FT Magazine at the weekend, about the portrayal of women in Italy. Skimpily dressed at best, the use of semi-naked dancing girls with no plot motivation is something that I remarked upon a lot when I was first here - as you will see if you scroll back a bit on the blog to the beginning.
Naked Ambition by the paper's Milan correspondent Adrian Michaels, bemoans the lack of progress in women's rights in Italy, and especially the use of sex to sell. In other parts of the world the article points out, people would complain about this stuff, but here in italy its de rigueur. I hear you Adrian! It is unusual by international standards!
I have spoken with friends about it. The girls mainly laugh and shake their heads, the guys look surprised that I would see anything strange in it. My friend Wally, who studied communication science and must therefore know about these things (!) said it is a practice that was exacerbated by Silvio Berlusconi, (Mediaset's owner) who wanted to keep people tuned into the TV. And that specifically it was something that he did to lure people away from the boring national channels. (Wally's words, not mine!)
But the opinion of the anchorman on Channel 4 was that the problem was not in the showing of the barely-dressed ladies. Rather the problem lies with poor Adrian himself. Who is, after all, English.
The photographer who had been summoned via phone to comment agreed.
The English, it appears, are just jealous of the Italian men. The problem is just that the English women are no where near as attractive as their Italian sisters!
Perhaps to underline the point, the story, the last of the news today, was followed by the same bare-breasted lass on the beach as the tomato stiry.
And when I navigated to Mediaset's website, so that I could attach the link here, I see they are promoting the viewing of a video from one of their programmes. The self-proclaimed spicy videos showcases everything from sexy housewives to stripteases...
I can just see the jealousy on the faces of my countrymen now...

A prize for inventiveness

Goes to the owner of this red Smart for the parking. Anywhere else I have always thought there was something vaguely daft about having a Smart, but here in Florence they can sneak into the smallest spots, be it in the traffic or, as in this case, in one of the very few margins available near the Arno for parking. Even if it means that the owner had to park at a right angle to the rest of the cars.

Lakeside revellry

Saturday night, a party by the lake in Bracciano, at Irena and Mo's house. Alex was out from the UK and we were celebrating a milestone birthday (he has a year of celebrations planned - the next one in Peru - way to go!). We spent a few hours in the afternoon turning the beach area near the lake into a Moroccon den, and as the night set in it looked amazing, billowing purple curtains, flaming torches and candles. I somehow managed not to take a single photo, but if I get some from Irena, I'll post them! til then, take my word for it, it was wonderful! Really TomKat missed out by heading up to the castle for their wedding - Irena and Mo can throw a party! We ended up with vin santo and biscotti curled up in rugs on the beach, before retiring to the house for a nightcap.
Sunday was spent lounging happily in various spots near the house before making the move lakeside. After a lovely lunch of leftovers I reluctantly got back in the car and came back. I hope to make it back before too long.
It was lovely to see everyone, and also of course Morty the dog, who has recovered 300% since I was last in Bracciano - great to see!

Rooftop relaxation

Today I headed off into town for the Friday afternoon walk which has become a habit for me. I was pretty tired after the week gone by though, so when I spotted a sign advertising a rooftop bar in the La Rinascente department store, I figured I would go and check it out.
And its lovely! Reminiscent on the cafe at Peter Jones in London where you can see the roofs stretching into the distance, this bar is somehow even better. I am not sure whether this is because a) it is in Florence, b) you sit outside in the summer sunshine or c) because it affords the most amazing view down onto Piazza della Republica.
It's really special, and despite being a department store cafe, for me it has the edge over the much more exorbitant Hotel Continentale Sky Bar, that I tried with Sarah a few nights before.
So the Rinascente cafe is on the ever growing list of great places to go in Florence... I might publish the whole list in September, before I leave. But for now, I will carry on researching!

Really clean streets

Once a week in Florence they clean the streets. This happens in the middle of the night, and there is normally not a huge amount of evidence that the cleaners have been the next morning.
Unless, that is, your car happens to be there on the day they clean the streets, as we found out when they towed away the Panda for being in the wrong place on the wrong day.
There was, however, no sign that this was what had happened, and I thought the car had been nicked, especially as the streets were full of other cars and it seemed that it was only the Panda that was missing.
Anyway, after 2 harrowing days, the car is now back. And the only pain that remains is the whopping great fine to pay for the towing. Certainly it is something that you hope will not happen more than once. I will have to find out where the sign is that tells you what day and time is street cleaning time.
I also wonder whether if the car had been cleaner, they would have left it alone. Apparantly with work we get a discount on a car valet place near to the office, so I am heading there on Monday to get it a makeover, or at least a spit and polish.
One other memory of the missing car days is how very kind everyone at work was about it. Silvia and Rosa gave me the numbers to call to check on the car, and everyone shared their tales of cars that had been pinched, then returned by the police, normally in perfect shape. Lucia and Rosario who sit opposite me and had to put up with my long face on Thursday, sent me jokes to cheer me up, and we all went off for coffee (and on Friday, for a gelato!) to compensate for missing transport. Silvia also offered to lend me a bicycle to get about on. Really lovely.
If anyone ever needs a lift, I'm happily equiped to offer one again!

The week of long (but not lost) friends

What am amazing week!
Florence is not only on the trail of evrey American tourist heading north of the equator for their spring-summer vacations, but also, it seems of long standing friends of mine.
Thursday night I met Alastair and his partner Clare for a drink near the Ponte Vecchio. It's been at least 2 years and whilst we first met in London, had our first lunch in New York, it was here in Florence that we met again to catch up.
Friday I went to Marche, to meet Sion and Liz (recently engaged, congratulations you 2!) - friends from Hong Kong, who now live in Dubai... they were with Ceri and Shams - also hong kongers, now living in Abu Dhabi.
Saturday, a brief jaunt to London to see Luca from MIB, and to attend my friend Caroline's wedding party. Caroline and I travelled Asia Pacific a lot together when we worked together in Hong Kong and also last met in London over a cocktail or two more than a year ago.
Tonight, dinner and drinks with Sarah, a friend and former colleague from New Zealand, currently also residing in London.
And on Saturday night, the plan is to head for Bracciano, to more Hong Kong friends, and to welcome in a new decade for Alex, another London/Hong Konger.
All in all its been a wonderful time. Full of old mates, rehashing the old tales of mischief, and having a lot of laughs catching up on the new gossip for us all.
Tonight Sarah and I headed to the extravagant but wonderful Ferragamo-owned Sky Lounge at the Hotel Continentale just off the Ponte Vecchio for a glass of bubbles. And then to the wonderful, but far less extravagant pizzeria which Massi took us all to our first night in Florence, for a pizza and pecorino with honey (if you have never tried it, do! It sounds unlikely, but is really delicious!)
Talking of the first night in Florence, tomorrow marks one month since my first day at work. And fittingly today I did a presentation to update on all my work so far. When we wrapped up 2 1/2 hours after we started, I was certainly ready for that glass of cold prosecco.... And there are worse places to drink it than on the roof of a chi chi hotel, with the good and the great of Florence, overlooking the Arno!
To any friends reading this who have not made it here yet, do think about it - Italy is pretty fab at any time of the year, but the long summer sun-filled days are really something to behold. Book those tickets!

Happy Birthday Fiat 500

When the new Mini was launched a few years ago, there was a lot of noise in the car review pages worldwide. For the birthday of the Fiat 500, and the launch of the new model, the noise tonight was in Turin, the home of Fiat. An incredible spectacle on the water in the city, with music, lights, fireworks, actors and, as I am typing this a model/DJ/violinist playing whilst a jet ski acrobat artist dances in the dark on the water. Incredible. Now I just need a real job in September and I can treat myself.... Another thing for the shopping list - it gets longer by the day!

What goes up must come down, thankfully

Yesterday I decided that the time had come to restart the habit of running in the mornings again. Now that I am back to sedentary office life, and coming home tired after 730, a short walk is all the exercise I am managing in the evenings.
So, with apologies to Janet who lives in the room upstairs, I set my alarm for 6 and hauled myself out of bed at the crack of dawn.
As long-time readers will know, I used to go running in the mornings, and actually I really enjoy it. Its a great time of the day and nice to start the day by doing something that is just for you. The added bonus here in Italy is that the light has a beautiful quality in the mornings, and I can run seeing the houses (fantasy shopping - if I had a few million, which one would I like...?) and the olive groves.
The hills are steep, but the way down is surprisingly fast.
It was tough going this morning though - despite my early night. Its always worth it when you get out there, but when the alarm went off I was tempted to hit the snooze and turn over. Luckily, I know myself well enough, so I had put it on the other side of the room, meaning I had to get out of bed to turn it off. And then once you are up....

Market research

When Florentine Annibale asked at work today where we were eating gelato in Florence, I had a feeling that a great recommendation was on the way. In fact, he recommended the place i had read about on the weekend on the New York Times website (since they recommended Da Pepe in Trieste, I take their review seriously.)
The place in question is walking distance from our residence - Badiani - a place that has been serving ice cream since 1933. In particular, it is famous for its Buontalenti (a registered trademark) like a richer sweeter vanilla. But I went with Annibale's suggestion of Chocolate and Orange, with chunks of dried orange chopped through - yum!
And I now know that Badiani is the exact distance from my apartment of one small cup of ice cream. Which makes me wonder how many ice cream cups I could measure the run that I plan for tomorrow morning in!

10 years on

It is 10 years since the Hong Kong Handover, one of those historical moments that works like a bookmark, so that you can remember what you were doing when.... and then see how life has changed since!
The first 9 years after the handover was not so very far removed from June 30 / July 1st 1997. I was at a party with friends on the Peak on the 30th, and another one, on the 1st. We spent a lot of time watching the big screens to see the change of the flags, and the departure of the Britannica, and so the Pattens and Prince Charles.
And it was absolutely chucking it down with rain.
Today by contrast dawned once again bright and sunny, and Vlasta (who is here for the weekend from Munich - Monaco for Italian readers!) and I went to pick up Massi and head for the hills. We went to a beautiful spot first of all, with a church nestling on the crest of a hill to look at the view of the valley all around a bit, but the access has been completely closed by the monks who live in the 'spiritual house' nearby. The view must be amazing, no wonder they don't want to share it!
After this a quick dash to a place near to Greve-in-Chianti and a lovely long lunch, catching up on Vlasta's news, and planning the visit of our other MBAers who should be here in a few weeks time.
I am happy that I can look back and see that the last 10 years have, for me, moved in the right direction - I am loving living in Italy. There are many things about life here that really suit me.
But apologies to Florence, and maybe I'm biased, but there is honestly no fireworks show on earth like the ones over Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. With the world watching on TV and the internet, HK did itself proud at its 10 year party.
I wonder where the lead up to the next 10 year anniversary will take me...

Un po di con-fusion

Tonight I went to pick up Massi and the wine he had ordered from his company. It took almost an hour and a half to reach him on the other side of the city from Sesto - a journey that Google Maps said should take 24 minutes. The traffic was even more unbelievable than normal! Once I was finally made it, I had no desire to rush back into the traffic again, so we went to Il Battibecco, a restaurant that we had been recommended before, that we had tried to go to on our last trip to Chiantishire - only to find it closed.
The place is beautiful,flaming torches, flowers and terracotta statues on the lawn. To make a change, it was steak for dinner - its becoming a Florentine staple for us - maybe because, as Massi said, we haven't eaten steak for 7 months of student life!
But with the steak came salad.
And in addition to the grated carrot, valeriana (for which I don't know the name in English - its mache in French...) and cucumber, there were nectarines, grapes, raspberries, blackberries, oranges... it was a little strange. Somehow it seemed to be like the kind of salad that you would find in an English fusion restaurant - or in Hong Kong. But out in the Tuscan countryside, it was a little at odds - more confusion than fusion.
The only thing more colourful than the salad was the owner's trousers - post-box red jeans with Swarovski-esque diamante, not for the faint-hearted!

Runners beware of Google Map!

I owe a debt to Google map. I have been running near the residence where I am staying, but my lungs are struggling a bit with the fumes from the cars chugging past.
So tonight I decided to look at Google Map - and the satellite picture - to see whether I could find a spot of green to head for.
Triumphant, I pulled on my trainers and headed out the door at a steady pace, humming along to my favourite running tunes (Black Eyed Peas, Monkey Business - I try to do the whole album, which means I am out for an hour more or less).
I was delighted to breathe the fresh air as I turned up an almost country lane and into the domain of the gated mansion, in some cases, double gates! The scenery was gorgeous, but as I headed for Fiesole, the hills started to bite a bit.
I realised when I was half way up that what looks flat on Google Map (or flat-ish) can in fact be a heck of a climb when you are pounding the pavement in your Reeboks!
Still, it certainly beats running next to the traffic, and I will go out that way again - it must be easier the second time around!

A near miss!

A short note to the driver of the black car on the roundabout near the Ipercoop in Sesto Fiorentino this evening....
I know this is Florence
And that your car was bigger than ours
And significantly newer too
And that we are stranieri (foreigners)
But - you still need to look before you turn right off a roundabout - especially if you are in the wrong lane at the time
And beeping loudly (and gesticulating rudely!) at me, is no let-off for appalling driving!
Thankfully, we escaped without a scratch, apart from my poor heart which beat faster as far as Santa Maria Novella...
If a cat has nine lives, how many does a car have? We used one up today to be sure....

Smelling the air (again)

I wrote about the aromas in Florence once before, when we all went to Chiantishire last week. But its amazing, downtown, really there are 2 all-pervading smells - meat on a grill, and the occasional waft of jasmine, which is currently in bloom and, especially in my neighbourhood, is perceivable every now and again, and is beautiful and always unexpected.
Tonight, after a quick aperitivo in new-Nanut (no pizza, olive ascolane, peanuts or anything else - come back Portizza!) Massi and I got the munchies so headed for a place he found on the internet, that is famous for steaks.
Reminiscent of an old butchers, with white tiles half way up the walls, it was clear what we wanted before we went in - and even before we smelt the indoor barbeque from the kitchen at the back (the smoke and the smells reminded me of a trip to Tokyo with my friend Becky 2 years ago when we ate yakitori kebabs under the train bridge with the locals.)
The waiter, friendly but tired, said we didn't have long to order as they were soon closing. Luckily we didn't need long! 2 steaks, 2 salads and a half litre of the house wine later we were satisfied and satiated.
I would write the name of the place but a) I have no idea what it is and b) I think it is a bit like the Lonely Planet theory. The less you write, the less people know, the better it is, the more chance you have of getting in the next time!
So for those that know me, ask about the location of the secret steak house (and I will ask Massi - my sense of direction is still pretty bad!) For anyone else reading, just know that there are still places a little bit hidden away downtown where you can have the full Tuscan culinary experience - and - as Massi found it on the web, maybe you will too!

Characters of Firenze, Part 1

The more I wander around the city, the more I realise that there are a number of charicatures of Florentine life that recur time and time again. I'm not talking about the cartoon charicatures that the myriad of artists here are ready to scribble out as fast as you can drop 5 Euros into their hands, (although they might rank for a place in the Characters list on their own!) but the characters that you can spot in every part of the City of Art.
I want to write about each of them gradually, but my first pen portrait is dedicated to the African bag sellers.
An amazing bunch of guys, with, I am sure, an incredibly hard life, these guys are everywhere and now as much a part of Florence as the Arno or Davide, you can see them all over the city centre - from the Duomo to the Ponte Vecchio and back again.
They lay their wares out on huge white sheets, and stand shoulder to shoulder along the streets leading from every major square, hoping to lure one of the many, many, many tourists to make a purchase, at a negotiated price that is mutually acceptable.
I sat yesterday evening having a sundowner in the Piazza Della Republica, and watched the troop outside Zara for a while. The tallest guy, with the broad smile, who was nearest to the coffee shop seemed more successful than the rest - survival of the fittest - but I am not sure whether this was due to his height, the spot he had staked his stall on, his superior collection of bags, or his sales technique.
The bags are all knock-offs of course, and the police are supposed to be cracking down on the trade in a big way. So after a while a horn started to sound quietly and a rush of activity ensued - with every vendor on the street picking his sheet up by its 4 corners and, tucking all the copy bags safely inside, throwing it over his shoulder Dick Whittington style before dashing over to stand near the coffee shop, and off the main drag. Likewise the guys selling the sunglasses on carboard sheets - they fold in half and are carried like a picnic table around the corner.
Now surrounded by bag and glasses sellers, I watched with interest as a car bearing the words Polizia Municipale cruised slowly down the street.
After it had passed however, the sellers were back out with a vengeance, stopping only to throw a quick smile in the direction of the waiter (who in turn suggested they might like to give me a bag for free - they didn't but it was nice of him to ask!)
In the hour that I sat at the bar, this process happened twice - and each time the bags were gone for about 1 minute or less. The more experienced of them have it sorted, they can lift and move the sheet without really disturbing the lines of products inside. The newbies though, have a harder job, having to rebuild the display every time.

Tonight on the news

After the usual news fare (hot weather causing fires - its 44 degrees in Palermo!; politics; something featuring the Pope) an unusual story on Canale 5 about the tomatoes this year. There seems to be some debate about whether they are superior to last year's crop or not, with one man lamenting the early ripeness of the fruit this year following an unbelievably warm year. Consensus though, over the fact that the market-bought variety are the best, rather than those in the supermarket. Although I agree I can't help thinking that the interviewees should try the Hong Kong kind if they think the supermarket ones are bad - after a few days on the plane they taste nothing like they did when they left their point of origin. (Although the Italian ones are always better, even if you pay through the nose for them - and its not just that I am biased I promise!)
The article finished though with a recipe for Bloody Mary - made without vodka, but with carrot juice, tomatoes, cardamom seeds and lemon juice, and finished with the obligatory celery stick.
I was just pondering on the newsworthiness (or lack thereof!) of this particular story, when the first ad came on - a topless woman advertising suncream! Only in Italy....

Patriotism goes up in smoke

Today I spent the whole day walking around the city, trying to get myself oriented with Florence. My poor feet are killing me, but it was nice to spend a day out and about, especially the 20 minutes sitting outside the Piazza Pitti reading my book and resting! I have been across the Arno many times, and walked up to Piazzale Michaelangelo - with its amazing view down on the city. And seen Piazza de la Signoria at almost hourly intervals. I will eventually understand how it all fits together...


Tonight were the annual fireworks over the Arno for the Festa di San Giovanni - Florence's patron saint. Slow to start, they finished well, and there were cheers all around when the red, white and green stripes exploded in the air, only equalled perhaps by the cheers when there was a large purple explosion. (For the uninitiated, purple is the colour of the Florence football team!).

At the end - after 45 minutes - a vigorous round of applause, then the masses headed for the buses to get home.
PS Thanks to the anonymous reader who corrected me on the Saint's name - I have duly corrected it - apologies!

MIB beats Insead and other business schools

OK, in a football tournament, but nonetheless we are very proud of the guys who played in the hot Roman sun for 2 days. the MBA Cup must be a tournament worth winning - look at the size of the trophy! Congrats guys!

Just when you think you have nothing to write...

When you have a blog, there is a pressure that you put on yourself to write something as often as you can, to keep people up to date on the things you see around you. So tonight when I got back from the office early having gone in early this morning, I was feeling a little lost as to what to say. After all, today I got up, went to the office and came home again at the end of the day. Not exactly riveting stuff!
So after dinner I decided a stroll was in order. So I rang Jenny and Marina, and we went out for a walk, and a gelato. Ice creams in hand, we wandered into the park near the stadium.
Then we heard the music.
Thursday nghts in our park in Florence there is dancing in the park. There was live music - the strangely titled 'Max and Airbag Orchestra' (and I talk a lot so Marina giggled that it might be a good name for me and Massi to steal for a future group!) The airbag in this case however seemed to be mainly connected to the synthesiser which was blaring loudly, whilst the septegenarians (some plus change!) bopped around the dance floor, and the 3 grandkids shook their stuff in the middle. It was a bit like a dance from the Elizabethan movies, with the old biddies sitting around the edge on chairs, and a few game guys picking them up out of their chairs at random for a turn around the floor.
There was a lot of discussion amongst the three of us for the top dancer awards - and it got really tough to pick when the tango started - those guys know the moves! But, as with all tough competitions, we compiled the top 5.
Here they are in reverse order...
Number 5 - Pale green shirt. Nothing special at dancing but gets points for being willing to carry his wife's red handbag across his shoulder as he twirled around.
Number 4 - Any man who was brave enough to dance with the half naked 30 something in the silver bikini top. She was a real health risk for most of those guys!
Number 3 - The lady in the black top, with the fierce expression, who took control of every man she danced with, and pushed them around the floor
Number 2 - The tall guy with the beard, who couldn't dance for toffee, but got high high marks for enthusiasm (and extra laughter points for complete lack of co-ordination!)
and the uncontested number 1 spot goes to..... (drumroll)
The guy with a little white hair, glasses and a purple silky dancing shirt, who picked a different lady for every song (although was demonstrating a preference for the head-to-toe-in-turquoise lady when we left). At the end of every dance, he dashed across the circle as fast as his special black dancing slippers would take him, to claim his next partner.
After at least an hour of giggling, we wandered home, with Marina and I twirling and whirling as we left the park.
Thank you to the Comune di Firenze, and all the dancing folk for making this post WAY more interesting than it would otherwise have been. And of course, to the famous 'Max and Airbag Orchestra"!

Sniffing the air

Today we went after work for a drive to the hills, to decompress a bit after a tough day. Massi had asked the salesman for Florence for his company for some great (and cheap!) places to go, and we have already decided to return to the first place we stopped - the prices were so reasonable and the place so nice that it was completely full and we were turned away. We set off for the next recommended spot, and spent a funny 5 minutes sniffing the perfume of grilling steak in the air, trying to find the restaurant, before we realised it was a few unsuspecting English folk having a barbie in their own garden, and that the restaurant in question was, in fact, closed. After a short pit stop in a village nearby, without the air filled with grilling steak and where the Osteria was also closed, (is it a Wednesday thing I wonder?) we stopped a lady and asked her directions to a reasonable restaurant in the vicinity. She not only directed us to a place to go (very pleasant, but not up to Saturday's standards), but turned up at the place 2 minutes before us, to pick up a take away pizza!
The steak was out of the budget, so Jenny and Marina had pizza, and Massi and I cold cuts and bread, him with chips, me with salad.
And some of the local red, which is a prerequisite here.
Massi also told us all in the car that currently the mens' fashion collections are being unveiled in Florence, so the town is full of male models, and the social calendar full of parties. He is under strict instructions to work on tickets for us all with his connections, but somehow seems retiscent so far!

Fa Caldo!

I just heard on the news that the temperature could rise to 40 degrees centigrade in Tuscany over the next few days. Added to the humidity and the lack of breeze - Florence is in a valley - it certainly feels warm for the short time that I am outside these days.
On Friday we are scheduled to go to Rome for the MBA Cup, and it might be a bit warm for football! But I heard today that there might be a train strike....

Driving games

I used to work as a consultant for a big gaming company, but somehow never really got into virtual reality. The games I liked the best though were always the driving games.
But here is Florence, virtual reality driving games would only seem tame compared to the original Florentine experience! The traffic here is incredible, but at least when it is crawling along, you can nudge your way from lane to lane.
Much more scary is when the traffic is flowing freely. The signs send you from one side of a four lane road to the other, in the space of about 100 metres, and strangely, although there are 4 lanes drawn on the road there seem to be anything between 6 and 3 lanes of traffic in use! Added to this strange side to side journey across Florence's main boulevards are many other cars, some doing the same waltz as you, some doing the reverse, and some just lost! And then Vespas. And cyclists. And pedestrians. And buses.
You get the picture!
But the stranger thing still is, that it makes for a somehow very fun experience, as long as you keep your sense of humour (and I do try, with Marina and Jenny chatting to me happily to keep me sane, and all 3 of us singing along to the radio.) Also, importantly, after one week of driving mayhem, no-one has so much as touched the bumper of Massi's Panda, the car we are lucky enough to be driving around in!

An Ode to the Butcher

Across the road from the residence where I am staying is an old-fashioned Macelleria (butcher). Tonight I walked in for the first time ever, clutching my last 5 Euros in my hand and said to the man behind the counter - would 5 Euros buy me some chicken?
He said indeed it would and prepared to give me 5 euros worth of finest chicken breast, sliced neatly with all the yucky bits removed.
Then he looked across the counter at me and asked whether, if I needed money, I wanted him to charge 50 Euros to my Bancomat and he could give me the cash. I said that was fine, I can (hopefully) get some cash at work tomorrow.
Then, as he wrapped the meat, he looked at me again. "Listen", he said, "if you don't have money now, but you are hungry, I can give you meat for now and you can pay for it later - tomorrow or whenever."
I assured him that it was fine, I was really OK with the chicken (and not destitute, just caught short away from a cashpoint) and with many thank yous, left the shop.
It's a very Italian thing, this unexpected kindness, and the relaxed attitude to money, and even after a few years of coming here, I am still overwhelmed by it.
And for the butcher, his kindness has won him one very loyal customer, at least for the 3 months that I am living here.
PS - having just arrived home with the chicken, Massi rang to say him and his colleague and friend Cameron were going for pizza. So I hopped in the Panda (wonderful motor!) and joined them. The butcher's delicious looking chicken is now on the menu tomorrow night!

Chianti in Chiantishire

Saturday afternoon after a trip to the amazing central market in Florence, Massi and I heard the call of the hills, and set out in the Panda to Chiantishire. After a brief photo stop at a terrace garden overlooking the city (with about 1000 other tourists!) we wandered happily up and down little lanes, climbing until we found the wonderful Ristoro Di Lamole , and sat down to watch the sun go down over the hills, with a glass (or 2) of chianti, and some salami and cheese. Fabulous, and I hope only the first of many such trips into Chiantishire.

The New Nanut

Regular readers will know that in Trieste the Enoteca Nanut was a key feature on my social caendar. In the round of farewells to Trieste, we said goodbye to it, and to Luca the owner, many times. So finding the new Nanut - especially before the expected visitors start arriving - was a priority.
The good news is that after very little searching, Massi has found the new official Enoteca. Right opposite the Palazzo Pitti (over the Ponte Vecchio) the enoteca is lovely, as is Eduardo the owner. And the prices were way better than you would expect from the location - but maybe after our conversation the owner just realised that we might be good for business over the months that we are here!
I have also found my new official bar for coffee and brioche in the morning. Caffe Villani is diagonally opposite the place we are staying, and the coffee is not bad - and the brioche fantastic.

MSN SMS SOS

We are all still in touch with each other - thank godness for new(ish) technology!
The wonders of Skype, SMSs and MSN mean that my classmates and I can still chat happily and keep each other in the loop, now about work, about our new cities, about any gossip (!) and, most importantly, plan weekends together.
Next weekend we will all be in Rome for the MBA Cup 2007. And at the end of the month, we are trying to plan a weekend in Florence with a tour guide to see some of the culture here... and who knows? Maybe try the local Chianti too!

Back to one pot cooking

The luxurious days of life-with-a-dishwasher are over for me. In Trieste, I turned into the kind of cook that you know has a dishwasher - from the number of pans, plates and utensils that were used in the cooking process.
Well, habits may die hard, but without a dishwasher, they also die quickly! Now that I am washing up myself again, I am back to cooking on one pan, with one spoon - or better still - not all all.
Luckily my employer feeds me well at lunchtimes, and the morning brioche in the new official bar over the road keeps me going, so I only need something light in the evenings.
It's salad again tonight - terribly boring, but good for the upcoming weekends on the tuscan beaches in a bikini!

There is no 'c' in 'Tuscany'

Having spent 9 months getting to grips with rudimentary Triestine dialect (and learning 1 word in Udinese, which is a language and not a dialect), I am now acclimatising to the Tuscan accent. Florence was the birthplace of Italian, thanks to Dante Alighieri, and so the dialect here is the 'real' Italian.
But with one exception. In Florence, the Florentines do not pronounce the 'c' when they speak. So 'Cosa fai?' (what are you doing?) becomes "Hosa fai?'
And Coca Cola, "hoha hola" - more or less.
It's a lovely dialect, very soft, and after a few months I may have forgotten all Triestine, and all the c's too. Making me incomprehensible when i speak I expect...

The Mosquitos are like Tigers

My Chinese star sign is tiger - an animal admired for its strength and many in Asia comsider the tiger to be the king of the animals and not the lion, like in many other parts of the world.
Since I arrived in Florence however, it is clear that the king of the insects here is a kind of tiger - the tiger mosquito. Apparantly this tenacious little thing arrived from Asia a few years ago on a boat, liked it, and stayed.
I live near to the stadium in Florence, and was trying to profit from the location last night by opening the windows to listen to the Renato Zero concert for free. The concert was good, but this indulgence has managed to help me to create my own city of Tiger Mosquitos in the apartment. I imagine that they spend their time biting me, then flying around to recover ahead of the next nibble, and in the process laughing at the anti-mozzie device that I have plugged into the wall.
I have added 'Off' to the shopping list for the weekend!

Arriving in Florence

Here I am in Firenze - or Florence to the millions upon millions of British and American tourists who are headed this way. And many of them are already here! After Trieste, when you could notice if there was a swell in the number of english-speaking foreigners (to around 20), the town seems to be thronging with visitors from overseas.
This is good news if you are in the tourist business - everything is crowded - from the Ponte Vecchio to the smallest wine bar, It makes it a little challenging sometimes to get around in the city centre, but as Massi said, it creates a great atmosphere - with everyone on holiday you feel a little of the holiday spirit too!
I arrived on Sunday afternoon from Marche, and met Massi at the station, map in hand, to help me get to the apartment.
My first encounter with Florence's one way systems passed successfully thanks to the co-pilot with directions, but since then I have been driving around lost in the labyrinth! (Mostly happily, although my sense of humour disappeared on Sunday night when I was lost on the way home!)
On arrival I dumped the bags at the room (very pleasant, like a large hotel room) and headed straight out to wander around the city. We watched the sun set over the Ponte Vecchio, beer in hand, calling classmates up and down the country to check in! Janet and Marina arrived later on and so our first night in Florence was in a small trattoria, with a bottle of red and Florentine steak. (Once we got the bill, we decided that the steak is off the programme for a while!)
Then a bit of a wander around the city, before heading off on the incredibly long journey back - once we know the streets nights like Sunday, driving around for hours around one way systems, will seem like a bad dream. But it was certainly a reality on Sunday... If ever you needed GPS, its here.

A week in London

Many people I meet ask me how often I "go home" to London - which always strikes me as a strange question as I don't feel 'at home' there at all - as much of a tourist as the next person from Italy (but without the 7 or Invicta backpack) or from Hong Kong (with less designer gear, and an older camera!).
But it is always great to be in London, even if, like this time, I had not much chance to see old friends and catch up with people.
A few people I did catch up with though, were those folk from MIB that were there. Luca, of course, is now working in the city, and looks to all intents and purposes like a real city guy - as you can see from the picture!
The only other photo I managed to take in my short time in London was of Paolo and I, with self timer one night outside where I was staying. The car in the background is a Lamborghini, so the photo is destined for Wally!
It was fun to see a bit of London with people who don't get to go there so much, like in Hong Kong with visitors, it reminds you what a great city it really is.
Especially when I went for a run with Paolo on Friday morning in Hyde Park, and then to the National Gallery in the afternoon. All with the sun shining brightly too.
The clothes shopping wasn't bad either - thanks to my long-suffering Mum who accompanied me up and down Oxford and Regent Streets....

Rosita e Simo and Gardening

Saturday night in Sarnano, and a trip to the theatre to see the one woman one goldfish comedy Rosita e Simo. A play about a woman who is tired of life in Milan, so buys a goldfish and heads to the seaside - or rather Civitavecchia - the port outside Rome. There she finds herself living near ladies of the night in an ever more comical situation as she tells her friends back home that everything is rosy. It was funny and I was pleased that I could understand all the play, but felt bad for the actress as the theatre - already small - was not exactly full! I think that the subject of the play was perhaps a little racy for the octogenarian population of this town!
Yesterday I spent almost all of the day in the garden, tackling the roses which have gone crazy in my absence. They now look barer, but better, and the lawn looks like the remnants of an Indian wedding, as it is half covered in bright red petals. I still need to cut the hedge, and the grass, but some jobs will have to wait. Much to the disappointment of my patient neighbours, I have not yet entered the most beautiful garden competition that seems in full force down my street.

3 thank yous

Firstly to Paolo, who came to help me carry my many bags to the car, and to load it up ready to go. No easy job, especially as he only got to bed at 330am! I have no idea how long it would have taken me without his help - maybe I would still be there!
Secondly to the person who, for the very first time this year, left the loading bay space on Via Torrebianca so that we could pack up the car without having to lug the stuff around the corner to the other carpark. I have never seen that space empty before, so I am taking it as a good omen for the next chapter of the adventure!
Lastly, thank you to all of the readers who have sent me comments to wish me luck in Florence. Some of you I know and some I don't, but I hope that you will all keep reading as I - and the blog - go on tour to Tuscany! I really appreciate you taking the time to write - thanks again.

Photo Farewell

One of the things we will all miss about wonderful Trieste is the sea. So here are some pics for the MBA XVII family, whether they are in Rome or Bologna, Munich or Milan, Florence or even overseas...

Triestine Feast Day

Yesterday I had a real Triestine feast day. It started with a coffee at the coffee bar near Ponterosa, me and Vlasta sitting in the sunshine by the canal watching the world go by. We went up to school for a while then when Vlasta headed home to pack, I went to get a ham sandwich at Da Pepe. I was the only one in there - no influx of Americans yet!
Then packing started in earnest. It's incredible how many things you can pack into a small flat! Every time I move I tell myself that I will streamline things in future, but seem to still have a pile of stuff. The recycle bins on via Machiavelli profited a lot during the day though!
In the evening I met Max for a spritz at La Portizza, then picked up a pizza to go before continuing with the bags at home.
At around 1130 Giulia and Janet rang. They were coming back from a burger after the gym and wanted to say bye. It was also Bianca's birthday from midnight, so we all met up for a last Zampoli icecream before going back to yet more packing!
Giuli said that if I had managed to squeeze in some Jota {bean and vinegar soup} that I would have covered all of the Trieste specialities!