Small Wonders

Third Time is a Charm: Ciao Firenze!

I guess I'm Italian in another life, I am drawn there again and again. I recently was able to spend a week in Florence, my third visit. The first time was a one-day, full-out, grab-the-low-hanging fruit kinda visit. We had been in Tuscany with friends (scarily with a car) and we were stopping in several hill towns and vineyards, and Florence became just another stop on the list. I skimmed the major works in the Uffizi Gallery and saw David and ate pasta.

The second visit was last year when I was to meet my friends from the U.S but their flights were canceled at the last minute due to Hurricane Sandy. I was practically already on the plane, so I put on my big-girl panties, and went for a week on my own. That was pretty dicey because I had relied on my friend to plan the whole itinerary and so I found myself in Florence with a new guide book. I enjoyed myself very much. I could spend as much time as I wanted in the museum or gallery of my choice. I could sleep until I wanted, eat where and when I wanted -- and generally it was very relaxed. I went back to all the "first tier" tourist sites and soaked it all in.

Might I suggest May for your trip to Florence. And I'm glad my most recent trip was in the spring time because the roses were in full bloom and the bright Italian sun was a sure remedy for the dismal British spring I left back home. The planets aligned and my U.S. friends arrived shortly after I did and, despite their jet lag, we were off. I loved the second and even third tier sites and was introduced to some real Italians -- connections of my friend who just published her historical novel, "The Sign of the Weeping Virgin" which is set in the 1490s Florence. We followed the footsteps of her characters (the well-known Medici and Vespucci families) into small churches and original hospitals that still exist today. We talked about poisons and back alley doors that will be in her sequel. The views, the light, the food, the Italians -- it was a very special trip for me.

I've posted some of the photos in an album here and attempted to write some captions that might convey the immersion into Florence that I experienced. I'm pretty sure there's a fourth visit in my future, Rob needs to slow down and trip through the narrow streets with me -- without our Baedeker.

p.s. I noticed that Dan Brown's new book is EVERYWHERE -- "Inferno" -- another Robert Langdon adventure based in -- Florence!

Here are some links worth remembering:

Convent Accommodations

Airport and Transport Information

Trattoria Quatre Leon

Golden View Ristorante

Dante's Pizzeria and Trattoria

Uffizi Gallery and Tickets

National Museum of Bargello

Palazzo Strozzi (Seasonal Exhibitions)

Florence English Newspaper, The Florentine

London Biz

Rob made a foray into London today for a meeting today -- and the sun is even shining, and he doesn't look too tired -- and he even thought to send me a photo. All in all, brilliant.

Gelato anyone?

I'm heading back to Florence next week to join my friend as she researches the sequel to her historical mystery, The Sign of the Weeping Virgin (see the sidebar!). I imagine we will meet some lovely Florentines, have some amazing food, and wine as well. Ciao!

My Little Red British Robin

American Robins are big things so when I started seeing this little perky bird coming to my back door, I had to think twice -- this is a little British Robin. Isn't she cute? She's aggressive and I have only seen her, no others. And she sings, oh she sings.

Learning how to "Keep Calm"

The driveway surfaces in our Stratfordian neighborhood were due for an update and the contractor made a big mistake - he colored the asphalt gold -- and nobody stopped him. After a bit of snit, they agreed to replace the gold asphalt with nice brick pavers and so we've spent the last few weeks in a bigger snit. It was worth it though -- much better! See the before and after pics below. We stayed calm and carried on.

And so I took the opportunity to spiffy up the side entrance! That's lavender in the small pots. The shrubbery came with us from Zurich. The car is owned by the company :)

One Big Boat

Rob and his team in Istanbul, Turkey at the launch of one of their major power finance projects. Great picture, eh?

Beautiful Railroad Map from North Carolina, 1900

I'm designing a book based on the childhood stories and family history of my grandfather - he's now 92. He grew up in rural North Carolina where the railroad was the most important part of the town, bringing merchandise, gasoline, and the daily newspaper from Charlotte so the townspeople were finally up-to-date on the news. Can you imagine getting news that way today? Here is a beautiful map from 1900 showing the rail lines throughout North Carolina. Thanks to the University of North Carolina Collections for granting me permission to use it. Click on the map for a larger view.

Tractor Seats as Art

I tore this image out of a magazine months and months ago, thinking maybe I could re-create the cool graphic vibe of the design in the tractor seats. Saturday, I stumbled upon four in the same antique shop and so now I'm that much closer. I guess this should be on Pinterest!

October: new buzz, new beginnings

That title sounds hopeful, don't you think? If nothing else, I consider myself optimistic. I've been looking forward to this October for a very long time.

It was October a year ago I decided to sign up for an on-line continuing education course titled "Writing Lives" to learn about turning real life experiences into well-crafted writing. I was thinking about the possibility of grad school and this seemed like a good way to see how disciplined I was. That led to another on-line course "Writing Memoir and Family History." Same topic, a bit different spin. I started to think about how I'd like to capture the story of my life abroad. In May of this year, I took a 3-day workshop offered by the Center for Digital Storytelling (seriously amazing organization). Now my wheels were really spinning.

As I dived into my own family history, I discovered -- seemingly by accident -- a group called the Association of Personal Historians. They bring together professional personal historians who help people document and communicate their personal and family stories. I was gobsmacked, I never dreamed such a profession existed. I know you'll appreciate the brevity: I joined and I'm attending my first annual conference in two weeks.

So I am loving October and a new beginning as I work toward a micro business helping people tell their stories -- through audio, print and video. I know I will meet some generous people and learn exactly what I need to know to put it all together. There are five stories in the que and more in the wings.

Bonus beginnings: I get to visit my sister, Cathy, for the first time in their new city, by coincidence (or not) in St. Louis, where the conference is being held. And, after almost two years of barren earth, new landscaping is finally being installed and we have lots of loveliness being added to our home in the U.S.

I wish you some sort of new beginning this October. If you don't have one planned, then consider creating one :) It's a nice little buzz.

 

My British Auntie Irene

I recently spent a few amazing days in Cramlington near Newcastle-upon-Tyne where my 92-year-old 4th cousin is alive and well and talking a mile a minute in her beautiful Geordie-esque accent (I think it sounds more Scottish, definitely not hard-core Geordie). Here is a photo of her at the lighthouse at St. Mary's Island. We drove my car down the shore and had a lovely pub lunch outside at Tynemouth -- a rare day of beautiful sunshine.

I'm creating a short video of my visit with her and will post it in a few days. How lucky I am to have a living relative (and I met lots more!) in England. It was my great-grandmother Molly who, as a small child, sailed to America. Cheerio! (as Irene says, and now so do I!)