Six minutes to live.

It's been a while.

2009-02-23T10:19:00.002-05:00

Well, I never got around to posting those retroactive posts that I said I would...almost two years ago. In fact, I only just decided today to revive this blog because I'm in the planning stages of a post-graduation road trip across the country. Frankie and I are heading to Portland to stay with a friend for a while, and we decided to car-camp along the way. Exciting!

More information and pre-trip pondering to come soon.

An end to Summer.

2007-08-30T05:37:00.000-04:00

Oh, where does time go? It seems like only a few weeks ago I was wandering this city, looking endlessly for our apartment, our school, a good gelateria-pizzeria-whatever-else-eria. And now, tomorrow is the last day of lessons. I just finished the third and final part of our final exam, and now I'm arranging our hostel situation for our return trip home. I had meant to post a blog for Verona, and for Otranto, and for all the other really amazing things we've done since I last posted, but each time I get around to posting, there is either a difficulty with internet or an insurmountable amount of picture editing. And the longer I wait, the more the content piles up, and it just snowballs.

Quindi, once I get back to the states (we fly in from Dublin Tuesday afternoon) I'll be posting a lot of retroactive posts from our last few weeks in Lecce. I can't just let all of this content go to waste, and hopefully at least a fraction of you still care to read/see it. So, that's that.

Our train leaves Lecce early Sunday morning, and we're spending Sunday night in Rome. Our flight out of Rome leaves Monday at 18:00, and we'll arrive in Dublin sometime around 22:00. Then, after a day of traveling, we decided to cut costs by just sleeping in the airport (check back to see how that goes), considering our flight leaves Dublin early Tuesday morning.

I have a feeling i'm not going to want to do anything at all once I get back. But, alas, the grind is about to start again. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't ready for it.

So, the next time you hear from me, I'll be on my side of the Atlantic.

Till then.

Firenze.

2007-08-13T13:13:00.000-04:00

Giusseppe's internet cafe has reopened, so now I have access to my pictures from our vacation happenings.

I still have a lot of content from Florence and Verona, as well as a recent trip to the seaside town of Otranto, so today I'll just post the best shots from Florence.

Our hostel in Florence was, without a doubt, the best hostel of all of our travels this summer. Only a two minute walk from the main train station, Luna Rossa hostel had only private rooms, with satellite television and internet connections in each room; neither of which are necessities, but nicities nonetheless. Oh, and the view from the third story window wasn't too shabby, either.

Our first night was spent wandering around the city, with few to no plans made beforehand.

We stumbled upon the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio almost accidentally, and I liken the shock I felt to the first time we saw the Colosseum or the Pantheon. Just knowing how long it took and to what lengths Brunelleschi had to go to complete the dome makes the novice architect shake his head in disbelief. Absolutely amazing.

We had made plans before we left Rome to meet up with our friend Dan on the Ponte Vecchio, sometime in the evening.

We eventually found him, and we decided to take the trek up the hundreds of steps to the Michelangelo Gardens on the opposite side of the Arno River. One of my advisors at school had told me before I left this summer to see the Michelangelo Gardens, if for nothing more than the view.

The best advice of the trip, by far.

Dan, Frankie and I spent the remainder of the daylight hours up there at a cafe with an amazing view, and not to mention one of the best beers this side of the Atlantic, Chimay.

We couldn't rationalize leaving the cafe until we saw a sunset, so we stayed, and we saw an amazing tramonto.

The next day we spent at the Uffizi Gallery, and I'm sad to say I have no pictures from the four hours we spent there. I was going to bring my camera, but Dan reminded me, yet again, that no picture can do those works justice. He was right.

The next day after the Uffizi we left for Verona, and that's where the next post will pick up.

Alla prossima.

Siamo tornati.

2007-08-07T05:26:00.000-04:00

Well, we're finally back in Lecce after an amazing break. I'm writing this in the school computer lab, because I'm back to life sans internet (oh, the horror), and our favorite internet cafe is closed for the summer. So, we have to find a new one, and then there will be an extended trip report, with Florence and Verona pictures.

I promise.

Ciao.

New beginnings.

2007-08-03T10:39:00.001-04:00

I don't often like to delve into my personal life on here (go figure, an online diary, and no personal stuff?), but this without a doubt warrants mention.

I asked Frankie to marry me today, and she said yes. Thankfully. The setting was quite storyworthy, but that's for another time. Long story short. Big castle on a big hill set atop the mountains overlooking Verona. We decided to buy some panini and a good bottle of wine and picnic at Castello San Pietro. Notes are written all over the ledges on which we were sitting, most of which are love notes. She wrote one to me, and I wrote one to her. But, mine wasn't just any old love note.

Yeah, I'm suave.

Cheers to us!

Roma, l'ultimo giorno.

2007-08-02T10:56:00.000-04:00

Monday morning we woke up to a quaint, traveler budget-esque breakfast of fresh fruit and toast, with some succa d'arancia (orange juice) we found left over in the fridge. I checked around in the kitchen's cabinet for a Moka pot to make some coffee, but had little success. We decided to grab a cup on the way into the city, at one of the dozen or so bars along our street.

After coffee we randomly ran into one of our good friends Dan walking across Piazza Reppublica. He had rented a bicycle and was on his way to the Borghese. We were all pretty ecstatic to see each other, as we both had some decently interesting travel stories to share, he especially. We decided then to spend the day together because we all really cared about seeing one thing in particular: the Vatican.

Because of lack of time (we're in Verona now! O, dio mio it's gorgeous) and a bit of a lack of sleep, I'm just going to upload the pictures sans explanation, unless absolutely warranted. It works well this way, though, because I couldn't begin to explain in words what we saw in the Basilica and Piazza San Pietro. We spent two hours completely speechless. Unfortunately, none of these pictures can adequately convey the sights either, but...it's better than just my aimless rambling.

Seeing Michelangelo's Pieta was without a doubt the highlight of my day, after spending about a week studying it in a class last year. Again, I forgot where the statue was located, so seeing it behind glass, under the light from the Dome of St. Peter's Basilica, was absolutely amazing. Again. A picture can't suffice. It's not possible.

After the Vatican Dan, Frankie and I all went on a goose chase around Rome, looking for three of four Caravaggio paintings that Dan was on a mission to see. We found a priest in the Piazza of the Vatican who pointed us to one church in Particular, San Luigi dei Francesi, in which three Caravaggios are prominently displayed by the altar. It had been a while since I studied Caravaggio, but the paintings were fresh in Dan's mind. Se we searched, and we found them. And they, again, were breathtaking.

This painting, of all, The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew, was the gem of the series. They all were flawless, but this one in particular drew our gaze for what seemed like an hour. And, as my friend Dan pointed out, this series of paintings in San Luigi rival any painting in any museum, because Caravaggio painted them all specifically for this church, almost 500 years ago, and there they remain to this day.

Unbelievable.

Afterward, we headed back to the Pantheon with Dan, because we were early enough to get inside.

And, because after a year of reading Shelley's Rome blog, I've had yet another sighting of her posting material. This one, however, is quite the find. I present to you, Mr. Arrotino.

Here's the full story, if you'd like some more information. I suggest you do, too. Her pictures are much better than mine, but I was walking down a street market in front of our hostel when I saw him walk by. I had to be quick, you know.

Anyhow, both days in Florence and both in Verona are on their way.

Ciao, ragazzi.

Roma, once more.

2007-07-31T07:55:00.001-04:00

Apparently I've been making a habit of lying to you all, because our hostel in Rome indeed did not have wireless access (thus explaining the lack of posts for two days), and I just remembered that the David isn't in the Uffizi, but rather the Accademia. The former of the two didn't really bother me at all, because Frankie and I had an overwhelming two full days in Rome. The latter, however, I'm still pissed about. Oh well.

As stated in my last post, our train left Lecce Sunday morning at 6:00. The six hour trip wasn't too bad this time, as I occupied most of my time with a couple newspapers (La Gazzetta dello Sport, and the only independent newspaper in Italy, which happens to be Communist: Il Manifesto) and a new book I bought the night before: Annelisa e il passaggio a livello. The countryside in southern Italy is truly beautiful, so that also helped pass the time. Once we arrived, we found our hostel fairly easily, and we spent an hour or so talking with Alessandro, the owner and manager. We had originally booked a mixed dorm room for two nights, but by some divine intervention he put us up in a private double room with a private bathroom. It was small, but it was a bed. And a bathroom. Private. So, needless to say, we were happy with Alessandro and his Ciao Roma hostel.

F and I knew, vaguely, the places we wanted to go and the areas in which we wanted to eat. The "main" things remaining that we hadn't seen on our last trip were the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona and the Colosseum at night. At least, those were the places we figured we could reasonably fit-in to six hours of walking. I've been told a few times that the Spanish Steps seem much smaller than most people imagine, so when we approached the top of them (after a long walk up-hill) I wasn't too surprised with the mass of tourists that dwarved the steps themselves.

I was hoping there would be a decent view from the top of the stairs, but the way the architecture is laid out, there really wasn't one good place to get a shot. Anyhow, the view from the bottom was pretty nice.

Seeing the Pantheon for the first time was undoubtedly one of the most overwhelming things I've ever experienced. Not just because it's almost 2000 years old (around 126 A.D., more or less), but because, unless you're looking on a map to find it, there's no way of knowing where it is until you round a random corner, and there, in the middle of Piazza della Rotonda- which houses countless restaurants, cafes, shops and even a lonely McDonald's, sits the best-kept temple in the world. And it's insanely large, to boot.

I totally was not expecting the Pantheon to be as big as it is. But, I suppose it's just one of those things you have to see to believe. Unfortunately, on this day (Sunday) the door's close at 1, so we weren't able to go inside. We decided it was a must to go back on Monday.

After the Pantheon, we walked over to Piazza Navona to see the fountains and the artists working in the square. We wanted to eat in the Piazza, but all of the restaurants seemed to cater to the tourists (or, us, basically) with prices through the roof. I decided on a good way to guage the price level of any restaurant: check and see how much they charge for a Pizza Margherita (just cheese, sauce, and basil)- if it's more than €6 or €7, then that place is too expensive. Works well for me, anyway.

We capped off the night with a walk to old Rome, to see the Colosseum and the ruins. The moon was completely full and brighter than I had seen in a while, so immediately I knew I had to get a shot of the Colosseum with the moon above it. Being dark, and knowing my shaky hands, I bartered with one of the street vendors and bought a small, but big enough tri-pod for €10. Unfortunately, by the time we got up close enough to the Colosseum for me to frame a shot, the moon was nowhere to be found. Evidently it had ducked behind some buildings while I was smooth talking the vendor. Who knows. I used an exposure time of almost 6 seconds for most of the shots, and I'm really happy with how they all came out.

I'm only going to post Day 1 of Rome for right now, because Day 2 was much, much too overwhelming for only half a post. That, and we just got to Florence, and I promised Brunelleschi I'd check out his dome.

Vacanza.

2007-07-28T12:25:00.000-04:00

Our train leaves Lecce tomorrow morning at 6:00 A.M., and arrives in Rome sometime around 12:00. Our hostel is situated fairly close to Termini station and we're only traveling with one bag this time around, so things should go a little bit smoother. As of now, we're planning on seeing the rest of the sites that we missed the first time around tomorrow, and then spending the majority of Monday at the Vatican. )

All three of our accomodations (Rome, Florence, and Verona) have wireless access, so I'll have time to update while away. F and I are meeting up with a friend from school in Florence, and we've reserved tickets for the Uffizi. I'm so giddy it's stupid. The only thing that has kept me away from the Uffizi thusfar has been the reported 6-hour wait in line, but with reservations, I've been told, we won't have to wait. I'm hoping that's true.

I forgot my camera today, otherwise I'd post a few pictures from our trip to the Leone de Castis cantina. Just watch the firedancers a few more times until I can update, Roma style.

Ciao, for now.

Fire dancers.

2007-07-23T08:08:00.000-04:00

**Edit**Until the video authorizes, there might be some difficulty viewing it.

Because of its close proximity to everything in Lecce, Piazza Duomo has become a central meeting place and a starting point for most, if not all nights. I was really surprised by the number of street performers in Lecce, and the fact that most of them are amazing at what they do only adds to their coolness, if you will.

I spotted these two performers late one night, and I had the forethought to have my camera ready. So, I present to you: awesome fire performer people, pt. 1.

Eventually, I plan on getting information and pictures/videos of all the unique street performers here, which would make for a neat post.

Thursday we're heading to a wine tasting seminar at a nearby winery, and next week we're off to an olive oil press to watch the magic happen (that is, the magic of Italian olive oil production). There's big stuff for the blog soon.

I hope everyone in the states is enjoying the moderately warm summer (81 degrees today? Oh, man), because here I sweat more in the shower than I do on the hottest day in Columbus. Today, it's 104, and yesterday, at the beach, it was almost 112 on the sand.

O, Dio mio.

Viaggi.

2007-07-19T07:40:00.000-04:00

We finalized our travel plans for our 9-day break yesterday, with a trip to a local agenzia di viaggio (travel agency).

Roma, Firenze, Verona, e poi ritorniamo a Lecce.

Non vedo l'ora.

Torre dell' Orso

2007-07-16T08:38:00.001-04:00

I apologize for the week-long lapse of posting, but I've been pretty busy this past week with school presentations and reading. I bought two new books: Kerouac's On the Road in Italian (or, Sulla Strada) and a book by a well known Italian author called Per un attimo immenso, ho dimenticato il mio nome. It's becoming easier and easier for me to understand longer texts, and it's helping immensely with my vocabulary and sentence structuring. Also, it helps that my Italian roommates are bibiliophiles like I am, because we spend a lot time talking about Italian and American works.

This weekend was yet another spent lounging al mare (at the sea), but Saturday was a little different than our school had originally planned. Frankie and I again decided to skip the organized day trip to Trani, and instead we piled into Davide's tiny Fiat ane he drove us to a beach near his hometown of Maile. The beach was called Baia dei Turchi (Bay of the Turks), and it was, again, a beautiful, clear-water beach along the Adriatic Sea. For some inexplicable reason, I didn't bring my camera along for that trip, so I couldn't document the hours I spent playing soccer with Davide and his friends on the beach. Afterward, he took us to his parents house in Otranto, and we spent a few hours talking with his family over coffee and his mom's homemade Tiramisu-like cake. Again, I was amazed by the hospitality of Italians.

Sunday, too, was spent at the sea, only this time I made sure not to forget my camera.

Torre dell' Orso is a long stretch of beaches along the Adriatic Sea, made up of Baia del' Oriente (where we were), and Baia dei Turchi (where I was Saturday with Davide), and a sprinkling of other, smaller beaches. When we first got to the beach in the morning, there were hundreds, if not thousands, of people on the beach, leaving only walking space in between each group of people, so my friends and I found a nice spot in the shade just behind the beach, from which the picture was taken. We spent the largest part of the day up there, until I decided to walk around a little bit more and see the other side of the beach. I'm glad I did, too, because on the other side of the beach, obscured from our view by some of the gaping cliffs, was some of the prettiest coast line i've ever seen.

The view from the bottom of the cliff I climbed to get a better picture.

A close-up of the rocks.

After discovering the other side of the beach, I went back to our spot and convinced the others to follow me back to the, in my opinion, best spot at Torre dell' Orso. Once they got there, they all agreed. The water was warm and clear, and we waded around the far side of the rocks to find another grotto of sorts, hidden from the rest of the over-populated beach. I spent a few minutes trying to decide how to get my camera across the water without ruining it, when a friend of mine chimed in: "Throw it in a plastic bag."

Genious.

So, we waded back to our belongings, and I double wrapped my camera in two large ziplock bags (which, of course, we brought from the 'States, because Italy has yet to discovery their utility), and waded back to our hidden cove.

With the plastic wrapped tightly around my camera, leaving only the lens exposed, I was able to get some pretty cool shots of the water and the rocks.

The view from the hidden beach.

Fellow explorers.

In all, this past week was filled with all sorts of intersting things, including new great gelato, cafe and architectural discoveries. I promise more posts in the next few days, as Frankie and I start planning our oncoming 9-day break.

Alla prossima.

Porto Selvaggio.

2007-07-10T08:55:00.000-04:00

Sunday morning the entire OSU group and I trekked to the bus stop nearest our school, for a day in the province of Nardo, at Porto Selvaggio, a gorgeous, rocky coastline with clear waters and cliffs spanning for miles. Because of the location of the beach, we had to hike for about a mile to get down to the water.

We were all surprised when we saw the Romanesque lookout tower nestled atop the tallest cliff, adjacent to Porto Selvaggio, and we all stopped in awe for a few minutes, in typical tourist fashion.

Beaches are extremely popular in this region of Puglia, especially on Sunday, when most stores in the city close, and families have nothing else to do but relax al mare. This day was no exception, as a hundred or so Italians spread out all around the rocky shoreline.

Shortly after arriving at the beach, I noticed a trail that led up the side of the mountain, presumably leading to the Torre at the top. I wanted to investigate the scenery first, before swimming or lounging about. Here are a few shots from our (Frankie, our friend Jim, and myself) trek up the mountain.

The climb up was actually quite a trek, as we followed an almost unnoticeable path leading up in between rocks and groups of trees. Once we reached the top, however, some 20 minutes later, the view completely assuaged any fatigue we felt.

Torre Rinaldo is a typical coastline lookout tower, constructed most likely during the beginning of the Roman empire. It’s nestled in between Gallipoli and Porto Selvaggio, and offers amazing views of the coast along the Ionic Sea. I spoke with the two Uomini (men) on top of the tower stairs, whose job it was to keep an eye on the beach below with a few trusty pairs of binoculars. One had been doing the job of a watchman for almost 20 years, he said, and the other, presumably his son, had just started.

The rest of the day was spent swimming in the cold, refreshing water, and jumping off a small rock formation with a few Italian kids. Italian kids are nuts, by the way, as most of them already drive scooters in the insane Italian traffic by the time they are 12. More on that topic in a later post.

Underneath the rocks in this picture, where I was standing when I snapped the photo, was a grotto that went underground for about 30 or 40 feet. The rocky ceiling had holes in it, allowing the afternoon sun to seep in and light the underground cove. The water was even more translucent and blue in there, and it was times like that in which I wished I had an underwater case for my camera, like Jeff over at Jeff in Puglia.

Tonight is my Scalpellino (stone carving) course, and I plan on bringing the camera along to document the happenings. It’s a great class, and it will only get better as I get the hang of those pesky sege (saws) and chisels.

Fortunately, I think i'm balancing the inane amount of panini and calzoni I'm eating with the equally inane amount of walking we do around Lecce. It's a fairly simple city to navigate, which is nice, but it's big. And I don't mind it at all.

Lecce

2007-07-09T07:29:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in the previous post, our school has organized day trips every Saturday and Sunday while we're here. Being so close to the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, almost all of the trips are to nearby beaches or sea-towns. This weekend, there was an organized trip to Otranto and Porto Selvaggio, both of which are only a 30-45 bus ride away. During the next two months, we are scheduled to visit Otranto two more times, so Frankie and I decided to stay in Lecce on Saturday and take advantage of the saldi (sales). Twice a year, all throughout Italy, there are sales at most clothing and shoe stores, and the second saldi period started Saturday. It was heaven for Frankie, but still not my cup of tea. So, I walked around with camera in hand, and captured a lot of the "must-see" sights in Lecce (at least all the ones that appear on most of the postcards).

I walk this street almost every day, on my way in centro (downtown). It's right behind Porto Napoli, one of the main entrances into the city center, and there are numerous shops and ristoranti along the way.

These door knockers caught my attention while walking to the Duomo (cathedral).

Piazza Duomo is the main square wherein lies, you guessed it, the duomo, and there are always weddings or funerals taking place. Luckily, on this day, there was a wedding.

All of the architecture in Lecce is constructed out of the local Pieta Leccese, a stone for which Lecce is renowned. During the first four weeks of my trip here, I'm taking a scalpellino (stone carving) course, and all of the stone is the pieta leccese. More on that subject at a later date.

This is Piazza Sant. Oranzo, and standing atop the 30 foot obelisk is none other than Mr. Oranzo himself.

There is a Roman Ampitheater in Sant. Oranzo that is amazingly well preserved. It's juxtaposed with a street full of shops, cafes, and tobacchi (corner stores) on one side, and the other, a McDonalds (ghasp!) and the main bank in Lecce. Luckily, there's only one fast food restaurant in Lecce, but man do the Italians love it (despite the average 7 Euro value meals).

The name of this last chiesa (church) is escaping me at the moment, but I'll definitely do some more research. At night, it's one of the most beautiful buildings in all of Lecce, because of the intricate Baroque facade made out of the Leccese stone.

And to honour my word in the last post, here is a little gem I found while perusing a touristy-type shop in front of the Coloseum.

You can read more about the Priest Calendar here, at Shelley's Rome blog.

In the coming days: a tour of the Baroque architecture of Lecce; our day trip to the beautiful coast of Porto Selvaggio, and some reviews of the best gelaterie (gelato shops) in Lecce.

Alla prossima.

Wireless!

2007-07-06T09:24:00.000-04:00

Finally, after days of not being able to access my laptop (God forbid, right?), I found a moderately priced internet cafe that has access points in over a 100 locations in Italy. There are computers with internet access available at the scuola, but my flash drive doesn't seem to work properly on them, and that is my only source of uploading pictures.

But, I digress. We've been in Lecce since Sunday afternoon, and things are going amazingly well already. We have class from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. every day, and in the evenings our school has planned excursions for us, in many different surrounding cities near Lecce. Tomorrow we're heading to Otranto for a day at the beach and a tour of the city, and Sunday we're off to Porto Selvaggio, for another day-trip in spiaggia.

I've been mainly getting acquainted with the city and my new apartment (with two Italian university students, Davide and Nicola, and their 5 month old puppy Markos), so I haven't had much time to take pictures, but in the coming weeks I'll assuredly wear my camera out. The architecture here is, at times, breathtaking, and there seems an endless amount of trattorie and gelaterie, all of which make for decent blogs.

But, I do have some pictures from Rome still on my flash drive, so here are those.

La Galleria d'Arte Nazionale, as seen from the front door of our hostel in Rome.

The first real espressos.

No caption needed.

L'Arco di Trionfo.

The monument Vittorio Emanuele.

I'm not sure what those guards are called, but they seem pretty proud.

La Bandiera.

Piazza Venezia.

Shelley, if you read this, I have a picture which I'll post next time that you'll probably enjoy. Let's just say we saw some "hot priests."

Jeff, if the gelateria you were talking about is Natale, then I've already found it, and it's godsend.

I hope everything is going well back in the states. Frankie and I are just starting to get into the swing of La Dolce Vita.

A la prossima.

Roma.

2007-06-29T19:03:00.000-04:00

Frankie and I braved yet another day of non-stop flying/busing/training today to arrive in Rome this evening at 8:30. We've already had an amazing time in the Eternal City, despite our travel induced exhaustion. We didn't have much time to get out around the city tonight, after checking into our new hostel and acquainting ourselves with the insane hustle of Rome. It's honestly like nothing I've seen, and I'm already hooked. We initially planned on walking from Termini Station, the main train station, to our hostel, but after we realized the directions we had written down from Ciao Bella's website were mindnumbingly confusing, we opted to hail a cab. I've heard stories from expats and friends alike about the insane drivers in Rome, particularly from the backseat of a Taxi, and I can honestly say that you can't quite comprehend it until you're in it. And we were in it.

Nash, the owner of our hostel, was incredibly welcoming and helpful, and he pointed us to an excellent Pizzeria just a stones throw from our front door. After some remarkable wood-burning oven cooked Pizze, F and I decided to walk down to Trevi Fountain before calling it a night. Apparently, everyone else and their mother decided to do the exact same thing, as we rounded Via del Tritone to a hoard of tourists, street vendors and the occasional group of locals all mingling in a mass of camera flashes and coin-tosses into the water. The fountain itself was absolutely breathtaking. I only took a few pictures because every angle was obscured or ruined by another tourist's head, but I did still get a few. Looking at them now, I don't think pictures can really do it justice.

So, you'll just have to come to Rome.

Much more to come tomorrow, when we actually have daylight to roam the city.

A domani.

Ciao, Dublin.

2007-06-28T20:30:00.000-04:00

Well, for starters, it would be an understatement to say that today was a day of mixed emotions.

We woke up relatively early this morning (relative to our regular schedule in the 'states, that is) to a halfway decent Avalon House breakfast of coffee, orange juice, toast and jam. We were expecting our luggage at noon, but we couldn't sit around that long, so we went out to get (more) coffee instead. We called numerous times to the airport service desk to see if our luggage was yet in Dublin, but the ServisAir people don't seem to like answering their phone too much, so we ended up leaving a lot of messages. As I said in yesterday's post, I wouldn't mind our luggage getting delayed a day or so, but when we're without clothes in inclement weather, it's much easier to get irritated. We decided, after a few hours of frustrating phone tag, to forget about our worries and enjoy Dublin while we could. So we did. And it was an amazing day. We started at the Guinness Storehouse (which is local speak for the Guinness Brewery- in fact, when I asked a bus driver which bus to hop to get to the Brewery, she looked at me a bit cockeyed and said "Wot?" "Oh, the storehouse I mean" "Oh! Take the 16A then!") early in the afternoon. Luckily, it was only €9.00 with a student ID, and with each entry ticket comes a free pint, once you reach the top of the Brewery, so essentially it was €3.50 (if you judge by the average pub price) to tour the factory. Quite a bargain, I must say.

Afterward we did a lot of other things. Including, but not limited to: viewing authentic James Joyce and W.B. Yeats manuscripts at the Dublin Writers Musuem; riding on the top level of a double decker bus in the pooring rain with loud-mouthed Dubliner pre-teens at our back; listening to a 70 year old man named Valentine talk to us about the "days of yore" (his words, not mine) while he showed us his horse Rocky's worn down horseshoes; closing down John Kehoes Irish Pub with a group of raucus but insanely hospitable Irishman, all the while singing a mix of traditional, Smith's, and Otis Redding songs. We did a lot of things.

Oh, and our luggage arrived somewhere in between. And we did the latter of the list above with our two new, really nice roommates, Kathy and Ian.

It was a good day.

But enough of my half-sleepy, halfp-tipsy rant, because with my luggage came my laptop, and the USB cable for my camera.

So here are some pictures.

The sky over Ireland.

Some streets near our hostel.

Our first proper pint.

Brilliant!

The view from atop the brewery, at Gravity Bar (with the Joyce quote looming over his city).

Valentine the ex-Guinness worker, who wanted some change in exchange for a picture, to buy his horse Rocky some new shoes.

Frankie and the Brilliant! gate.

The road outside the Dublin Writers Museum.

One of the many streets in the main shopping district, near Temple Bar.

Our last meal in Dublin, from an excellent pub/restaurant called Cornucopia.

Today was a good day.

And tomorrow morning we're off to Rome, where I'm certain we'll have two equally if not better days.

So, as the title of this post implies, goodbye Dublin. You've been an unspeakably nice host.

Dublino.

2007-06-27T19:37:00.000-04:00

We arrived in Dublin this morning at 7:30 a.m. The flight went rather well, but our luggage was somehow left behind when we boarded the plane. We had to sprint from one side of JFK to the other (which, my friends, is no fun, considering it is insanely large) to catch our connecter flight to Dublin. That, we were told, is why it missed the plane. Suppposedly all four bags of Frankie and my luggage is still in New York, and should be delivered to us here by noon on Thursday. Ordinarily I wouldn't mind, but I left Columbus' 90 degree heat wearing shorts and a t-shirt, to arrive in Dublin's rainy, overcast 55 degree weather. I wasn't smart enough to pack backup clothes in my carry-on, so Frankie and I both had a viable excuse to go shopping when we got here. I'm not complaining.

We just got back from a night out at the pubs, which was great fun. There's nothing like a pint of Guinness or Beamish straight from the source.

There is wireless in our hostel, so as soon as our luggage arrives tomorrow morning i'll post some of the pictures from today, and many more tomorrow. So far, Dublin has been more than hospitable, and we've already met some amazingly nice people.

The Book of Kells, The Guinness Brewery, and Trinity College all lay in store for tomorrow, so I should certainly have some blogworthy material in the coming days.

A domani.

Today.

2007-06-26T02:42:00.000-04:00

It's 2:42 a.m. right now, and Frank and her mom are picking me up at 10 a.m. to drive to Columbus, for our 4 o'clock flight. I just got off the phone with F, and she's staying up all night to try and force herself to fall asleep later tonight on our way to Dublin. The 6 hour jet lag shouldn't be too bad if we both can manage some sleep on the plane. F packed a copious amount of valium to get her through the flight. Me, i'll take a glass of wine and the latter half of Widow for one year. That should do the trick. It'll be her and my first time flying internationally, so we're both pretty excited.

Our hostel in Dublin has an internet connection, so hopefully i'll be able to post one of the nights when we're there. We really don't have anything planned yet, so I think i'll spend the rest of the wee hours of the morning figuring out a pseudo-itinerary. Does anyone who's been to Dublin have any recommendations? We definitely want to see Trinity College, the Guinness factory and the Temple Bar District (luckily our hostel is situated snugly between all three), but aside from those, we've got nothing planned. Really, I just want a good pint at a nice Irish pub, so I think one day we're going to take a bus to some smaller villages around Dublin.

The next post should be either tomorrow or Thursday, if all goes as planned. That is, if the luck of the Irish is on our side.

Last leg.

2007-06-19T15:21:00.000-04:00

After another eleven hour drive, thankfully sans traffic and speeding tickets, we arrived back in Ohio late Sunday evening. The trip couldn't have been better (except maybe some more waves), and it was exactly what I needed to recooperate after a physically and emotionally taxing final few weeks of Spring quarter. Yesterday I spent the largest portion of the day running errands and preparing my apartment for F's brother, Pat, who will be watching Salvador for the summer. It's sad to say, but I think my apartment is cleaner now than it ever has been in the two years I've lived here. Hopefully it stays this clean.

I ordered $300 worth of euro on Friday (only €210, thanks to our poor, faltering American dollar), and they arrived already yesterday afternoon. So now, officially, the only thing left to do is wait.

This time next week, I'll be boarding a plane. I thought these last few weeks would creep by painfully slow. Boy, was I wrong.

Sunrise.

2007-06-15T06:43:00.000-04:00

6:08 a.m.

Surf City.

2007-06-11T17:56:00.001-04:00

After eleven hours of driving, two hours of grid-locked traffic and one smugly-given speeding ticket, we arrived last night. We celebrated Drew's birthday with drinks at Il Beauchaines, a water-side restaurant where he works as a waiter. I had a nice Santa Clara Sauvignon with dinner; shrimp, scallops and mushrooms in white wine and lemon sauté. Both were great.

I woke up this morning at 7:30 and walked to the beach.

A good start to a great week.

.

Also: There's wireless here. A nice surprise, indeed.

More dispatches later.

Hiatus.

2007-06-07T12:54:00.000-04:00

I just finished my finals for the quarter. I'd write something about how nice it feels to be done, but i've got so much to do still, before my summer truly begins, that it's hard to celebrate.

I'm leaving for Surf City, N.C. on Saturday, so I won't be able to post again until the following Sunday.

I'll be back with some pretty, representative pictures next week.

au revoir.

Funz.

2007-06-05T15:00:00.000-04:00

So there's this game I play when I can't find anything else to do (like study for two comprehensive finals in two days. make sense? yeah, I didn't think so either) that I call Think-of-Something-Really-Strange-That-Involves-Your-Name-and-then-Google-it. It's a riot, really, if you're as easily amused as I. To play, just think of an unfinsished phrase that starts with your name, for example: "John really likes" or "John took a bite out of" or my favorite "John keeps poking my". Then, google it, with the quotes, and see what gems you can find. Here are some fun ones.

John feels a bit...

"John feels a bit frustrated and makes a logical decision."
"John feels a bit lonely."

"John feels a bit uneasy about letting other people know about his interest in the stock market." (Who told?)

"John feels a bit too self-consciously bizarre for his own good."

John looks a lot like...

"John looks a lot like Tony, with that same lean, lanky build (both must get it from mom.)"
"John looks a lot like Gary Coleman."
"John looks a lot like a painting."
"John looks a lot like my kindergarten teacher, damn."
...and then the last one

John can't stop thinking about...

"John can't stop thinking about doubling the number of college graduates."

"John can't stop thinking about the fact that he knows Natalie's husband is alive and well." (I sure hope so.)

"John can't stop thinking about how hot it would be to get Rodney on his stomach and lick him until his jaw aches."

So, seriously, I didn't make that last one up. Google it yourself.

I don't even want to know who Rodney is.

Anyway, this is certainly good times, so try it out and post a comment linking to some of your favorites.

Finally.

2007-06-04T09:06:00.001-04:00

Yes. Yes.

It's about time.

Oh.

2007-05-31T11:11:00.000-04:00

Also, I started reading the book in my sidebar yesterday. It's quite good so far.

Have any of you read it? Thoughts?

I boxed up all of the books in my apartment last week, so I've got only the three that I left out for the plane ride and the summer (Garp, The Poisonwood Bible and Joyce's Dubliners).

It's all happening, again.

2007-05-31T10:57:00.000-04:00

Today is my last real day of class, before my hellish week of finals next week. It's been increasingly difficult to stay focused these past few weeks, with my trip to North Carolina and l'Italia shortly following everything academic. I've managed to do fairly well, though. Today is also my last day of work at The Lantern for the summer, though I plan on contributing while I'm in Lecce. The next few weeks don't appear to be any less hectic, save for the week and half i'll be spending here:

A good friend of mine lives in a condo in Surf City, North Carolina, and for the past few years my best friends and I have made the trek after finals week to the East Coast. I'm looking forward to it almost as much as Italy, just to be able to spend some time doing absolutely nothing with some great guys.

Then, only a week after I return, F and I leave for Dublin, and then to Rome, and then to Lecce.

Oh, how close it all is! Finals are the last thing on my mind right now, which certainly is a bad thing.

le sigh.

Night time.

2007-05-23T23:49:00.000-04:00

I ventured out from my cave-of-an-apartment tonight to snap some photos, and play with my relatively new, and still relatively unused monopod. It works wonders at night and in low-light situations, or anytime a slower shutter speed is involved. The nice tripod I once owned has recently come up missing, otherwise some of these proceeding photos would be a tad bit sharper.

A few of them I really like.

Here's the Neil Avenue bridge that spans the fabled Olentangy river.

There's a bike path that runs along the river that i've cleverly titled il lungolentangeo. The path has an inlet immediately in front of my front door, which is terribly convenient when I want to go for a run or a bike ride.

Here's my Colosseum, so to speak.

And, finally, here's the other side of the 'shoe that faces two residence halls on campus, Lincoln and Morrill Towers.

In other news, I've emasculated myself to an even greater degree this week by relenting to the powers at be (Frankie). I started going to a tanning bed (hear me out), but only to try and "condition" my skin before I spend the next three months on a beach this summer. I've got that type of pasty, Irish complexion that burns to no end, and then quietly transitions back to white. So, I've sucked it up and i'm frying my insides slowly, or at least until I burn myself badly enough that first time.

Some things I always said I'd never do just keep popping up. No one let me near Grey's Anatomy or Lost.

Those will remain on the list.

Hectic.

2007-05-21T23:26:00.000-04:00

So. Many. Things. To do.

Once again, a quarter has passed by seemingly unnoticed. And, now it's crunch time.

Whatever that means.

A few more weeks and I'll be sending dispatches from abroad. That is, if I can manage to find a connection somewhere. God forbid I develop connectile dysfunction.

I've been reading a lot more lately, despite my constant state of hurriedness. It makes for a nice balance of rush and repose.

I've been especially fond of Stanley Donwood, whose book of short stories I pulled from aback my book shelf.

If you can stomach a semi-lude but amazing short story, do check out condiment. Just finish it once you start reading it. You'll thank me.

a presto.

Perspective.

2007-05-17T17:20:00.001-04:00

Moment of Zen.

2007-05-07T16:41:00.000-04:00

Sometimes when I'm without words, pictures work just as well.

Carnivorous.

2007-05-03T21:46:00.000-04:00

I've been a vegetarian for the last 6 years. I can't really explain why I started, except to say I had an epiphany of sorts when I was 14 or so. I had a few older friends who were vegan at the time, and they let me read some vegetarian/vegan literature that completely turned me off the idea of eating meat. I guess at the time it was something to do, something with which to identify. I don't remember if I thought it would last, but it has.

Each time I meet someone new, or each time someone I know semi-well finds out that I'm vegetarian, they always ask why. And for the longest of times I had difficulty telling people why I didn't eat meat. When I was about 16 or so, I started to identify moreso with the idea of not eating meat out of protest of factory farming, unsanitary and unhealthy production, and overall shady and underhanded conditions for animals. I started explaining how I wasn't against the eating of the meat, but rather how it's produced, manufactured, harvested. The healthiest of diets, I would read, were those that were meat free, with emphasis on fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, et cetera. This is really what I've been basing my ideological diet and eating lifestyle on for the last few years of my vegetarianism.

Well, this week marked the first time in six years I knowingly and willingly ate meat (there were some accidental slip-ups along the way). As any of you (who read this thing semi-often, granted) will know, I'm spending a few months overseas this summer, in a country where food and the production of said food is perhaps the most culturaly identifying trait about the country. I've wrestled with the idea of staying vegetarian when I'm in Italy, and for a while the thought of eating meat while abroad never so much as crossed my mind. But, I rationed, eating in Italy and eating in the United States are so vastly different, as concepts, that I couldn't really attach my Americanized rationale to something un-American, like Italian fare. I felt like I would be missing out on a big part of local culture if I filtered what I would and would not eat.

When you eat prosciutto in Italy, you can safely bet that either Mr. Macellaio fed and raised that pig, or someone he knows did. When you eat fresh parmigiano, you can count on one hand what's in your cheese. (Try doing that with any food in the states.)

Oh, so why did I start early? Well, just like any regularity, if you don't put meat in your body for so long, it will learn to process foods differently. So i've been taking it slow, for now, with small amounts of pollo and occasionally turkey, to get my body accustomed to it again.

It's still very, very strange. But, eventually, I'll be conditioned well enough. And then, look out Mr. Macellaio, and prepare the salumi.

Guerilla Update.

2007-05-02T10:15:00.000-04:00

After some brief googling, I came across something that made me go, "Huh?" Apparently, The Lantern covered this already, and I didn't even notice it. Here is the article, which addresses the question of, who is V? Apparently he/she is an artist named Vinchen, who only responds to people via e-mail. Here's an excerpt from an e-mail he sent to one of our writers:

"You should question the validity of everything you are told rather than tacitly accepting the facts presented to you by entities whose interest are probably not the same as yours."

Makes sense I suppose. Read the article, though. It talks about some of his other works, which sound equally funny/thought provoking.

I was looking forward to doing some more investigation into who V was myself. But, it's still neat I suppose.

Che misterioso.

Thoughtful graffiti?

2007-05-01T11:26:00.000-04:00

I've read a lot lately about graffiti in Europe, particularly in Italy, and how a lot of it seems to be politically or socially motivated, rather than arbitrary like most of the graffiti in the U.S. In the past couple of months, however, I've started to notice a rise in the amount of political graffiti showing up in Columbus. I'm not sure if it's because of the current state of our government, or a spike in the number of people turning to creative endeavors to voice their discontent, but one thing is certain: these sort of guerrilla graffiti artists, as i've dubbed them, have some creative and thought provoking ideas. Take, for instance, the first piece I noticed, while driving to work a few months ago:

At first I didn't really understand the point, and then I noted the placement of the painting next to the phone. After asking some people in the Short North, where this is found, I found out that it was painted sometime after the Patriot Act was signed and solidified, which makes complete sense.

Next, this one was pointed out to me by a colleague at work, who had driven past it countless times before he even realized it was there:

Apparently, it showed up sometime after Hurricane Katrina hit. Again, the message is subtle but biting. When I went looking for it the first time, I drove by it three or four times before finally seeing it. I think that's what appeals to me about it; how you don't even realize it's there until you look. In fact, just one street down is an identical sign with the actual, city mandated message "No parking during snow emergencies."

This next one isn't as creative as the previous two, but it's still clearly politically motivated:

Again, not as creative as some of the ones i've been seeing, but lightyears ahead of most of the trash that gets sprayed on walls around here. Is there anything comparable to this in your town? I'd love to see what others around the U.S., or world for that matter, are noticing.

************************
Update: Well, after I initially published this post, I was looking through the other pictures I took today. I noticed this one, which is the Uncle Sam piece, but from a different angle:

Now scroll back up to the street sign picture. Notice anything similar between the two? I guess after looking at both of them, I had sort of an investigative epiphany:

Looks like we have a serial, politico graffiti artist on our hands. I need to do some more investigation into this one.

Silence.

2007-04-30T05:18:00.000-04:00

One small gesture from one small blog.

And, to the families of the victims of the shooting in Kansas yesterday. No place is immune to these sorts of senseless acts of violence.

Hookah!

2007-04-29T12:49:00.000-04:00

Since I moved to Columbus three years ago, I've always wanted to buy my own hookah. It didn't help that my apartment is situated just a block from a nice hookah lounge, either. So, I've been browsing e-Bay for nice bargains, with no real intent to buy anything. But, I stumbled across this gem for only $30, and I couldn't resist:

Shipping was $20, too, but $50 total for a three-hosed hookah is not bad at all. So I'm stoked. It should arrive sometime this week.

Coincidentally, when F and I return from Italy this summer, we're moving into our new apartment the week we get back. Right across the street from us is an amazing hookah bar that sells wine, mediterranean fare and excellent hookah selections with real fruit (if you order an apple hookah, they hollow out an apple and put the shisha inside, and likewise with other fruits.)

More info to come when my new toy arrives.

Security and more.

2007-04-27T09:11:00.000-04:00

Yesterday F and I drove down to Cincinnati to see her parents, and because she had a date with Doctor Dentist (eek.) But before her appointment, we decided to run to the mall to kill some time. Normally i'm pretty good about not spending money when I need to be conservative, but lately it's been increasingly difficult. We stopped by a fancy-schmancy travel store first, equipped with $40 leather passport covers and $2000 rolling luggage, so needless to say I didn't expect to shell out any cash here. But, after strolling around, I decided to buy one of the ultimate, tourist security items: the hidden fanny pack. You know the one. The camoflauge brown, nylon,"super sweat resistent!" one that any travel store will scare future tourists into buying. Well, I bought one, but only because everyone i've talked to recommended one.

The partially helpful, partially creepy french salesman at the store also reminded me of another item I needed to buy. "Make zure yoo zecure yoor laptope," he warned, stroking his neatly trimmed goatee. Of course! I totally forgot about a laptop lock. Our study-abroad adivsor warned us all against taking our laptops with us this summer, saying it will be excess weight, might get damaged and could certainly be stolen. Everyone else seemed to nod and accept the tidbit of information, but for me, a writer/photographer, my laptop is often my third arm, and there's no way I could leave it behind this summer.I've secured a deal with my local paper, and I'm going to contribute some travel stories and anecdotes about a student's life overseas while in Lecce, and I also need somewhere to store the insane amount of pictures I plan on taking. So, I think I make a decent case for bringing it along. And besides, I want to keep you all informed with pretty pictures and longwinded rants about where I've been getting espresso, prendendo il sole and carving the local pieta Leccese.

Besides my laptop and camera, I'm embracing minimalism as much as possible while abroad.

The picture above is basically the lock I bought. I realize the little guy isn't going to stop the determined thief, but it will dissuade anyone living in my house from snagging it up.

R.I.P.

2007-04-12T11:14:00.000-04:00

1922-2007

Today is a sad day. Though, I'm one of few who can say that I attended his last lecture ever. Boy, am I ever greatful now.

You'll be missed, Kurt.

And, in your own words: So it goes.

Waiting for my judgment day.

2007-03-29T07:50:00.000-04:00

I can't stop listening to this song (or watching the video, for that matter). It's called "Penny on the Train Track", and it's pretty great. The video is even happier, so I thought i'd share it:

This song will burrough it's way inside your brain, so beware. It should make your day a little brighter singing all day.

Huzzah!

2007-03-27T17:15:00.000-04:00

The header is fixed.

The small, anal retentive portion of my brain is finally appeased.

Ok. All together now. *Collective Sigh*

Updates and such.

2007-03-27T10:13:00.000-04:00

Ciao, tutti. I've been AWOL for a little more than a week now, and lots of stuff is going on. Which most likely accounts for the lack of posting. Firstly, spring quarter started yesterday, and it couldn't have fallen on a nicer day. It was upper 60's to lower 70's all day, and not a cloud in the sky. The forecast today seems a little cloudier, with rain projected for the rest of the week, but...I suppose that would be the fabled spring showers.

My classes this quarter already seem great. I'm taking a lighter load than usual (15 hours, 3 classes), because I just started a new job as an editor at the school paper. I'm taking Italian 221 and 202 (Italian Cinema, and Conversation & Composition, respectively), as well as Comm. 604 (Media Ethics). I had the two Italian courses yesterday, and I can already tell they're both going to be fun. My cinema course is in a big auditorium, with a theater sized projection screen, and we're viewing some of the greats (Fellini, Antonelli, De Sica). My professor is a riot, too. Imagine Mr. Bean, with more exaggerated facial expressions, and a suprisingly peculiar Italian accent, and you've got him: Signore Simone Castaldi. After reading his bio online I can already tell he's quite established in academia. Should be a fun class.

I've been going to the gym everyday, sometimes twice a day, to get rid of this spare 20+ lbs. i've been lugging around since October, and it's starting to pay off. Five pounds down, 15 to go. I guess, in the end, I'm determined to not be that fat American on the beach this summer. Just the visual is motivation enough.

The first orientation for the Lecce program is Friday, and i'm excited to see what our advisor has planned. F and I booked all our hostels two weeks ago, so now we just need to arrange our living situation in Lecce, which will be done largely by the University. I'm excited to live with Italians. I'm sure my language skills will greatly improve in those two months alone.

Anyhow, i'm off to get some breakfast and espresso.

A presto.

Help.

2007-03-17T14:16:00.000-04:00

I need help! The header for my blog seems to be askew on every monitor but my own. Is anyone else seeing an uncentered header up top? The trusty "< center >" doesn't seem to fix it.

Much ado about nothing or not, I don't like asymmetry!

A new look.

2007-03-16T16:04:00.000-04:00

I've decided to up and change the name of the 'ol blog. Why? Well, I was doing some thinking, and I came to the conclusion that I write considerably more than I talk. In fact, I don't talk that much at all. So "word of mouth" seemed a bit out of character. Where does "Six minutes to live" come from? There's a great quote by Isaac Asimov that reads:

"If a doctor ever told me that I have just six minutes to live,I would type faster."

I've always loved the quote, and I guess I admire the devotion that great writers can contribute to their craft. Maybe changing the blog title will help muster a new will to write. Let's hope.

In other news: the weather here is back to the mid 30's. I told you!

Sigh.

Salvatore.

2007-03-15T19:27:00.000-04:00

Sal says "Ciao, bella."

Notice the arm of the couch he demolished. I really need to buy some nail caps.

Rooftops.

2007-03-15T14:41:00.000-04:00

So, I sort of have an affinity for rooftops. For some reason, I really enjoy finding ways to get on top of buildings, as dumb as it sounds. Naturally, the easiest buildings to get on top of are parking garages, and in downtown Columbus they are certainly abundant. Remember the picture of North Market yesterday? That was taken from a parking garage directly next to the market after I had completed the first half of my afternoon excursion. Here are some seemingly random shots from the same spot:

My good friend and band-mate Josh had told me, recently, about a parking garage downtown that offered sweeping views of all of Columbus, from ten stories up. I forgot the general area of where he said it was, but I figured I could find it if I looked well enough. So, I decided to do just that. Along the way I stopped at the Nationwide Insurance building's parking garage, to take a few shots of the skyline, but the first two were a bit over-exposed:

I like the little rooftop terrace on the first building in the foreground. That'd certainly be a nice metropolitan retreat on a summer night. From on top of this building I played around a bit with the zoom capabilities on my camera, and I was pretty surprised at how well the shots came out. I felt like a mix between a lurker and a papparazzi. Moving along still, I recognized one of the buildings that Josh described as being next to the garage, and I found it. It wasn't as tall as I had expected, but I was able to get some pretty good shots, despite getting the evil eye from a few suits in the elevator on the way up:

You can faintly make out Ohio State's campus in the distance of the last shot, noticeable only by the red brick buildings. I spent probably a half an hour on top of the garage looking around. I love the inevitable tingley sensation you get when you peer over the edge of any tall building, which is probably why I enjoy climbing them so much.

Here is the way down (the first attempt at capturing video with my camera):

That's all for today.

An afternoon excursion.

2007-03-14T13:01:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was absolutely beautiful.

It was 71 and sunny all day, after a weekend of gloomy skies and windy 40 degree weather. I'm not sure where exactly the warm weather came from, but i'm certainly not complaining. After work, I decided to take advantage of the momentary clement weather (come on, this is Ohio people, it'll be snowy by this time next week), and take a walk downtown.

Across the street from my work, in the Short North district of Columbus, is Goodale Park which, in the spring or summer time, is blooming with tons of flowers and plants. Yesterday, however, after recovering from a stark winter, the park was fairly baren. So, I walked through it without pulling out the camera. I did notice something unusual, though, which caught my attention. Carved into the pillars that hoist the park's gate, were some atypical if not creepy looking faces:

At least to me they seemed out of place. Anyway, a few blocks south of Goodale Park is a place that should be familiar to all Columbus natives, and is where I walk to almost every day for lunch:

North Market is like most open-aired community markets, save for a few minor differences. One, it isn't outside, despite four huge skylight windows that would convince you otherwise. Two, most of the vendors inside the market have other, main stores somewhere else in Columbus, and three, on the second floor of the market is a food-court-esque dining area where patrons can eat and congregate and whateverelse. There's a huge variety of ethnic foods to choose from, from Indian to Thai, Sushi to Tacos, and a splattering of other various ethnicities (not to mention some pretty great ice cream and chocolate). Like most food markets, there is the common Fruttivendolo:

The produce here is always fresh, and the sellers are equally nice and helpful. I should really buy from this place more often, but it can sometimes be pricey. Next, there is a the ever-so-prestigous Pure Imagination Chocolatier:

You can buy anything from the traditional box of goodies, to chocolate-dipped orange slices, to pistachio crusted caramel truffles (rumor has it, the latter of the three are amazing). Pure Imagination was in the news recently for a catering gig they landed all the way in L.A, as their chocolates were included in the complimentary gift baskets handed out to the Acadamy Award nominees. They've also been known to cater directly to the stars. Pretty cool, huh? Moving along. I can't say that I've ever eaten at the next shop, but the sign always seems to catch my attention:

I mean, everyone likes a good wurst, right? (Except, of course, for the vegemites like myself)

And now for my personal favorite vendor in North Market:

Although their name doesn't really translate into anything in Italian, that doesn't stop Pastaria from making some kick-ass, fatto in casa, pasta. They're known for creating random and uncommon variations of standard pasta dishes. For instance, last week, a co-worker brought back a box of prosciutto and ricotta filled ravioli, as he suggested, made right in front of him. My favorite is the striped mushroom:

There are a number of other shops besides food vendors, as well, like a custom wood framing shop, a wine cellar, and a Native American clothing store. It certainly warrants a visit, if you're in the area.

Tomorrow I'll have the second installment of my afternoon, spent climbing skyscrapers (no, really), so do come back and check it out.

A domani.

One more time.

2007-03-12T09:23:00.000-04:00

This marks my second attempt at the book in my sidebar*. I only stopped reading it the first time because of a class that required me to read two books simultaneously, which, if you know me, doesn't much make time for a third.

I'm sick of reading books that allude to Joyce and not knowing it. So, i'll start again.

*Portrait isn't nearly as daunting as Ulysses, so hopefully I'll finish it in due time.

Un po' in ritardo.

2007-03-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

This is my retrospective post for International Women's Day last week. F yelled at me for not posting something. But, ho dimenticato! Here's some nice mimosa-ness:

My band had its first show Saturday night, and overall it was a big success. We've got three more coming up in the next few weekends, so there will most likely be some updates on those. Also, F took some pictures Saturday, so i'll be sure to post those soon.

A bit Odd.

2007-03-11T22:07:00.000-04:00

A few years ago, while indifferently leafing through an art critique magazine at a local coffee shop, I stumbled on an article about a new, burgeoning form of painting that seemed "to be gaining equal amounts of praise and scrutiny." This new movement, dubbed Kitsch painting, is based on the premise of immitation, or rather emulation, of baroque and other classical styles of painting.

The term Kitsch originates from the german word kitschen, which means to scrape up mud. It originally held negative conotation (and still does, depending on who you ask), however in the past 50 years or so, a group of painters have taken the term and made it their own. The story in the magazine focused primarily on one man: a norwegian painter named Odd Nerdrum. Nerdrum is one of few painters who are clinging to the Kitsch title with steadfast pride, maintaining that there is a clear distinction between Kitsch and art.

The first thing that struck me about Nerdrum's paintings was the insane attention paid to detail, likened to early Baroque predecessors. His depictions of the human body are incredible, as he focuses only on what is real; nothing is exaggerated, and everything is observed.

Almost two years had passed since I first read the Kitsch article. I had tried in the past to remember Odd' name, to find out some more information about him, but to no avail. Recently I was, again, looking through a magazine when I saw his name in an advertisment, and immediately it jogged my memory. I found his website, and here are a few of my favorites of his:

Black Self-Portraite

Self-Portrait as the prophet of painting

Man Bitten by Snake

Dentures

He paints a lot of humorous self-portraits, and sometimes they seem to be a bit self-praising (see: Self Portrait as the prophet of painting), but they're all amazing. I really enjoy finding modern painters who can emulate old masters as well as Nerdrum. Another great Kitsch painter is Jan Ove-Tuv, also a norwegian, who studied under Nerdrum for years.

Sorry for the boring post. I get giddy when I remember certain things.

It's about time.

2007-03-06T20:27:00.000-05:00

Today, ladies and gentlemen, marks a day in history not yet seen in the current Bush administration.

Lewis "Scooter" Libby was finally convicted of obstruction of justice and pergury, an offense almost guaranteed to receive serious prison time, according to some CNN analysts. Those of you who haven't been following this case (understandably, as most of it seems like just another corrupt, Washington politico scandal) allow me to recap, because there are numerous events that lead up to Signore Libby being charged with a federal crime. In short, it started with comments that President Bush made in his State of the Union address prior to the initial invasion of Iraq. During the speech, Bush implicated that Saddam was attempting to purchase mass amounts of weapons grade uranium (wow, it's been a while since that term's been used, eh?) from various operatives in Niger, Africa.

Well, that simply was not true-- in fact, it was pure fabrication, likely included in the speech to bolster the American public's support of his invasion (his, not ours). Joseph Wilson, a former U.S. Ambassador to Niger who was sent to Africa to investigate said claims, wrote an Op-Ed column in the New York Times, stating what he found, or didn't, in this case. (STAY WITH ME HERE PEOPLE. I'm getting to the punchline soon)

Fastforward a few months, in late 2003, after the column was published. Well-known Times columnist Robert Novak published a story stating that "high-up government officials" were skeptical of Wilson's findings, saying that he was only in Niger because his wife, CIA Agent Valerie Plame, was there on business, and that he was simply jetsetting along with her.

Well, therein lays the problem, folks. In "passing," they outed one of the most clandestine CIA agents in the country, Valerie Plame. Ironically, Plame was working on a WMD case at the time. So, for those Washington high-ups to not even bat an eye at releasing that information publicly, in a clear jab at Wilson for criticizing the war-mongering Bush administration, is simply ridiculous, and is the main reason for this pandemonium. Patrick Fitzgerald was called in to investigate the case, after Novak and the Times were mitigated of any crime (the source is the law-breaker, not the medium). Everything was traced back to Libby (as well as Rove, and most likely Cheney and Bush) after he repeatedly lied to investigators about leaking the information.

As a journalist, I'm torn on the matter. In my opinion, Novak was wrong for publishing the information (he claims that he thought Plame was an overt agent), so tisk tisk to the news media. But on the other hand, it all originated from an administration that does not welcome any criticism against its actions.

So, to put an end to this long-winded post, I'm glad Libby was found guilty. In the words of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid:

"It's about time someone in the Bush administration has been held accountable for the campaign to manipulate intelligence and discredit war critics,"

Amen, brother. Couldn't have said it better myself.

Falling into place.

2007-03-05T20:11:00.002-05:00

My passport came in the mail last week. I'm shamelessly ecstatic because I've never gone anywhere that necessitated a passport. So it's here. And I'm pumped.

Two weeks ago, F and I both received our acceptance letters for the program in Lecce, at l'Universita degli Studi di Lecce. We weren't really concerned about not getting in, but it's certainly comforting just to know.

Now today, for fear of rising airfare prices, we bought our plane tickets together. We're leaving Columbus on Wednesday June 26th, at 4:10 p.m., and arriving in Dublin at 7:00 the next morning. F comes from an insanely large Irish family (the Liddy's on one side, and the Carr's on the other), so she certainly has a soft spot in her heart for the country. We're staying at the Avalon House, a fairly well known hostel in the heart of the Temple Bar area, and I'm not gonna lie; I'm looking forward to the countless pints of Guinness. Then, after two nights in Dublin, we leave for Rome on Friday, June 29th. We're not sure where in Rome we are staying, yet, but I think I found a nice hostel, located only 15 minutes from Termini station, and three or so minutes from the Spanish steps. It's right across from Palazzo Barberini, and it's called Ciao Bella. Everything I've read thus far has been only positive, so it seems like a keeper (Shelley, have you heard anything good or bad about the place?) After two more nights in Rome, we're hopping the train for Lecce, to start classes on July 1st.

Our first orientation for the program is in the coming weeks, so that's something else to look forward to. The quarter's almost over and I can't believe it. I'm glad, though, because campus really thrives in the spring. The first hint of warmer weather teased us last week, only to vanish overnight (in typical Ohio fashion, mind you) and in its place: snow.

Somebody yell at me to take pictures, because apparently mustering the will-power on my own is proving ineffectual.

Have mercy.

2007-02-27T17:05:00.000-05:00

The weather's getting warmer. I'm pretty excited, because Columbus has been a giant, icy-hell for the past few weeks. Once the weather is nicer, and I'm not up to my eyes with things I have to do, the posting will pick up a bit. Honest.

But, for now it's back to writing.

Ciao, ciao.

Basta!

2007-02-16T15:36:00.001-05:00

I've come to the conclusion that people only read my blog when I post memes. So, here's my second shameless attempt.

1. What is your occupation? - I'm a full time lover, baby. Also, I go to school and write advertising copy for real estate agents.

2. What color are your socks right now? - Military issued flannel socks. Shyeah, my feet are warm.

3. What are you listening to right now? - Coworkers, Riccardo arguing in terrible English, the new Shins album in the background.

4. What was the last thing that you ate? - Peanut butter and banana bagel. No, not a bagel with peanut butter and banana on it. An actual peanut butter and banana flavored bagel.

5. Can you drive a stick shift? - Indeed.

6. If you were a crayon what color would you be? - F crayons. I'd be a grape scented marker.

7. The last person you spoke to on the phone? - Frank.

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? It wasn't sent to me. I stole it!

9. How old are you today? - The square root of 1440 divided by 3.6.

10. Favorite drink? - PBR

11. What is your favorite sport to watch? - Calcio! and of course college football.

12. Have you ever dyed your hair? - Oh my, yes. Many times, many different colors. I've since wised up, however.

13. Pets? - Salvatore.

14. Favorite food? - Indian: Saag paneer, curry, basmati rice, and naan. The greatest combination of food.

15. What was the last movie you watched? - Io Non Ho Paura - Era magnifico!

16. What do you do to vent anger? - Anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm rarely angry. It's strange. I'm certain i'm unhuman.

17. What was your favorite toy as a child? - Anything and everything He-Man! Grayskull, go!

18. What is your favorite season? - Autunno.

19. Hugs or kisses? - Please, and thank you.

20. Cherries or Blueberries? - Raw? Cherries. Incorporated in a dish? Blueberries.

21. Do you want your friends to email you back? - I rarely e-mail my friends. I usually just phone them. But, whenever I do, yes. Of course.

22. Who is most likely to respond? - To this? Oh, I don't know. Who ever isn't sick of me yet.

23. Who is least likely to respond? - All of you who are sick of me.

24. Living arrangements? - The last time I checked, questions still required verbs. So, I will answer this nonsensical question nonsensically: canteloupe.

25. When was the last time you cried? - Funerals, probably.

26. What is on the floor of your closet? - Let's see. Hiking pack, old clothes, various soccer balls.

27. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? - I'm not sending this to anyone.

28. What did you do last night? - Ate Chipotle with Frank, rented Il Ladro di Biciclette and the Hours, and passed out on the couch.

29. Favorite smells? - Fall.

30. What are you afraid of? - Heights, after a certain height. Failure.

31. Favorite dog breed? - Hmm. Probably Weimaraners.

33. Number of keys on your key ring? 12. Apartment, car, frank's car, frank's apartment, Caribou key, office key at Lulu, laundry room, and some others I forget.

34. Favorite day of the week? - Saturday mornings.

35. How many Provinces have you lived in? - Derp? I'm a newb to the traveling life, but i've lived in a few states.

36. Favorite holiday? - Festivus - for the rest of us!

37. Ever driven a motorcycle or heavy machinery? - Fork lifts and scissor lifts, illegally. Which, by the way, is quite a funny story.

38. Ever left the country? - Not yet. Quest'estate!

39. Favorite kind of music? - This is hard. Depends on my mood, really. Folk in all of its forms is probably the top contender, followed by post-rock, hardcore, metal, and some hip-hop.

40. Last book you read? - I just finished The Devil in the Hills by Cesare Pavese, and now I'm finishing a book I failed to finish a few months ago, In America by Susan Sontag.

41. What career do you wish you had pursued? - I'm in the process of pursuing it, thank you.

One of these days, I'll write my own meme. Then, it will be ultra meme.

San Valentin-who?

2007-02-14T17:20:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day, you.

Tonight Frankie and I are going to a fairly nice Italian restaurant here in Columbus, Due Amici (all you expats in Italy, shut it, it's the best we can do!).

Crap. I forgot, she doesn't know I'm taking her there yet. I'm hopeful she won't read this before tonight.

Pictures of food and adventures later to come.

Yes.

Crap on Macs

2007-02-12T10:39:00.000-05:00

So, apparently my blog looks all jumbled up on Macs, particularly with Safari and Mac Explorer. Is this true for everyone? All Mac users, I need your input.

Shakespeare, what?

2007-02-07T16:05:00.000-05:00

I was reading this today, on cnn.com.

Two prehistoric lovers, who died almost 5,000 to 6,000 year ago, uncovered in their dying embrace. And, they were uncovered in Italy, near Verona.

Only in Italy. Honestly.

Ouch, and aww.

2007-02-07T12:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, despite a traffic-jamming snowstorm that crippled all of humanity (at least the incompetent drivers of Columbus portion of humanity), I made it to my tattoo appointment with Ant at Stained Skin. He's done all of the work on my half-sleeve so far, and it's about 3/4 of the way complete. I started the sleeve with what I've always, since as far back as I can remember wanting tattoos, wanted to get: The Great Wave of Kanagawa.

It's on my right arm, stretching from my shoulder to my elbow, and thrown in the mix is a (very cool looking) Japanese koi fish; one of the most popular Japanese themed tattoos. After Anthony told me his favorite tattooing style, withoutadoubt, is Japanese style, I felt obligated to stick with the East Asian theme. So, I relented and let him do what he wanted with the coloration.

The only thing not yet complete is the body and face of the koi, and a lotus flower that will fill in an empty gap on the back of my bicep. Yesterday, Anthony started filling in the Koi, and he did quite a smashup job, if I do say so myself.

The color looks so dull because scabbing has already started, so once those trusty platelets and white blood cells work their magic, a nice shiny color will be revealed. Also, the inner arm is one of the most painful places to get tattooed, so needless to say this little guy was painful.
I've got about 2 more hours of work before it's complete, and I'll post the finished product once i'm done.

And now for something completely unrelated. If, for any reason, you were thinking that your cat is cuter than my Salvador, these pictures should quiet those notions.

Drats! I just remembered I forgot World Nutella Day! I need to get on that!

Jazz without the swagger.

2007-02-01T14:45:00.000-05:00

Stream of Consciousness: Jimmy Joyce style, take 1.

I've had this song in my head.
It's been buzzing and bopping since before I can remember. Since before, a while ago. Some time. Lapsed.
It's like jazz, without the swagger. Or blues with no heartache.
I know this song like it's mine, like it should be mine. I've played this song, I know I have.
And then, when it's there, in my fingers like I've got it-- It's gone and then back again, awkward as ever.

I gave up on the song once.
I just quit, stopped listening. Filled my ears with dialogues and noise.
Something constant, neverchanging.
People talking and talking. No hearing, just talking at, to, or over-- but never with.
Constant.

So it's back to the song, that I know I know. I know it. It found me. The song in the air.

It's mine.

Why not?

2007-01-28T16:49:00.000-05:00

I've never (in all honesty) filled out a personal survey online before, so this is my maiden meme (mmm, alliteration.) You can thank Sognatrice over at Bleeding Espresso for this one.

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was your first thought?
I need to shave.

2. Do you read while you’re in the bathroom?
Sometimes I'll read the ingredients on the back of the shampoo bottle, just to see what random chemicals i'm putting in my hair on a daily basis.

3. What’s a word that rhymes with “fit”?
Knit.

4. Favorite planet?
Well, it was Pluto, but some stupid scientists ruined that for me. So, Earth.

5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list?
Mom.

6. What is your favorite ring on your phone?
"Oh the tiiiiiiiimes, they aaaaaare a-chaaaaaaaaaanging"

7. What shirt are you wearing?
Ohio State block letters. I have so many of them.

8. What were you doing 20 minutes ago?
Eating pad-thai.

9. Name the brand of shoes you’re currently wearing?
A cream-colored pair of skin.

10. Bright or Dark Rooms?
Bright if I'm doing something that requires light; dark if I'm doing something that requires dark. I'll leave it at that. (Sogna's answer was too good not to use.)

11. What do you think about the person who posted this survey?
I wish I lived where she does.

12. If you’re in a room with two beds, which one do you sleep in?
The one that Frankie's in.

13. What were you doing at exactly midnight last night?
Driving to get coffee with Frank.

14. What was your last text message you received on your cell?
I've been text message free for two years, and I don't hate it at all.

15. How do you like your eggs?
Sunny side up, with toast to clean up the mess.

16. What’s a word/phrase that you say a lot?
Right on. Bummer, man.

17. Who told you he/she loved you last?
Sarah Marie Frances Carr.

18. Last furry thing you touched?
Il mio gatto, Salvatore.

19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days?
Caffeine. Nicotene (Shut up, I know it will kill me.) Hashish.

20. How many rolls of film do you need to get developed?
It's all digi-tal, baby.

21. Favorite age you have been so far?
16, withoutadoubt. No work, no bills, piece-of-cake schooling, and my own car.

22. Your worst enemy?
I should say something psuedo-poetic like myself, but i'm not. So, anyone who says they are their own worst enemy.

23. What wallpaper do you have on your desktop?
A picture I took of the Lane Ave. bridge.

24. What was the last thing you said to someone….
Bye.

25. If you had to choose between a million dollars or to be able to fly?
Come on! This one's easy. Do you know how much money I could make if I could fly? Every shoe company/soda/candybar/restaurant would line up for endorsement deals. Plus, I could rob banks and fly the hell out of there.

26. Do you like someone?
I like a lot of people, thank you.

27. If you could punch one person in the face, who would it be?
Tucker Carlson, and then I'd steal his stupid bow-tie.

28. What is the closest object to your left foot?
Salvatore, begging for aforementioned pad-thai.

29. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be.
My beard-growing ability (or lack thereof).

30. If one thing about you could always remain the same, what would it be.
My weight, 30 pounds ago.

Play along, and post a comment so I can read.

Don't Kill the Messenger.

2007-01-26T12:19:00.000-05:00

A recent post published by my friend Shelley over at At Home in Rome, reminded me of an article I wrote recently about the problem of graffiti on Ohio State's campus. I was told to report on a local campus-area organization, and find out what it was exactly that they were focusing all of their energy on. After talking with numerous sources, l found that the issue of graffiti removal was a hot topic. So, I wrote the article after one of the organization's meetings, to run in the following day's edition of The Lantern.

The next day, when I picked up the paper, the graffiti article was the lead story above the fold, with a decent looking photo spread. So, as an aspiring journalist I was happy to just have a front page clip.

3 hours later:

During my lunch break at work I hopped online to check my email. I didn't think much of it when I saw that I had five new messages, but when I noticed that all of them had "In response to your graffiti article", or some vulgar variation, in their subject lines, I got a little nervous.

As it so happened, the photo editor/photographer decided to run these pictures alongside my story:

I didn't even realize, until reading the emails, the context of the pictures. Not only were these walls legally painted almost a year ago, but they were painted as a tribute to Daymon Dodson, a well-known musician in the Columbus scene, who died this past summer. Anyone who's anyone knew Daymon, which meant (to all of you who have ever taken a logic course) that anyone who read this article immediately became livid with me, regardless of the fact that the article never mentioned that wall.

The truth of the matter is, I was as shocked as anyone to see the pictures run along side my story, and I spent the better part of a week explaining this, in numerous e-mails from people who had contacted me. The article, which you can read here, focused on the petty vandalism that plagues the walls of residents and businesses in the campus area. Despite the disconnect between the photos and the story itself, I was threatened, I was called a horrible journalist, as well as countless other things. All because of a miscommunication between higher ups.

This calls to mind a famous quote in the realm of journalism, which reads: "Lawyers hang their mistakes. Doctors bury theirs. Journalists put theirs on the front page."

Anyway, one good thing did come of this debacle: I learned that people still read.

/end rant

The Incredible Lasse Gjertsen.

2007-01-24T16:35:00.000-05:00

Some of you may be familiar with this Nordic phenom, but my guess is that most of you aren't. So, i'm posting his latest film segment here for your viewing pleasure. Lasse is the king of splicing film, as he displays magnificently in this clip. Watch and see, friends.

I need to meet this guy.

Preparations and procrastination.

2007-01-24T11:08:00.000-05:00

Geesh. It's only been a month and already I've been slacking on the blog. Honestly though, I'm going to kick it into gear here shortly. Lately, with work and class and writing for The Lantern, which in itself is a part time job, I've had no free time. Blah blah blah, I know. But, seriously. I've been busy.

Anyway, this summer my other-half Frankie and I are making our first leap across the pond, to spend the summer studying in Lecce, Italy. Those of you familiar with l'Italia know that Lecce is a very old city in the southern region of Puglia. Those of you who aren't savvy on Italian geography, however, imagine the heel of the Italian boot. This region is Puglia, and all the way at the bottom of Puglia, near the Adriatic Coast, is Lecce. Where Frankie and I will be for July and August. Yeah, I know. I can't wait, either. Graphical representation, go!:

So, considering it is my first trip out of the States, I had to apply for a passport. I finished up the passport requirements last month, and I'm turning in the application for the program itself tomorrow. Both application processes were relatively simple (except for the inane $97 passport and $100 application fees), when compared to some of the Italian red-tape many expats have to navigate around regularly. So, now I just wait. Frankie and I are planning on leaving the states a little early, possibly June 24th, and staying in a hostel in Dublin, before flying into Rome for a few nights. So, if any of you know of some cheap lodging in Rome, or can recommend a hostel, I would greatly appreciate it. More updates as they come.

Ciao, a tutti.

Arrivaderci, 2006.

2007-01-01T11:14:00.000-05:00

Happy 2007, everyone.

Home for a spell.

2006-12-27T19:02:00.000-05:00

Here are some photos I took this week. Some of them are pretty, and some of them are pretty lame. First, Cowan Lake:

Here are a couple old shots I took a few summers ago. They were taken two seconds apart from each other.

Oh, lightning.

I'm aware that these posts have been pretty lame, but, I'm still testing the waters. Give me some time.

Doogie Howser, man.

2006-12-26T15:33:00.000-05:00

Well, I suppose this is the first official post. You'll have to excuse me. I haven't been privy to the mega-structure that is the blogging world in the past, and I'm just now becoming keen on this sort of e-journaling, if you will. As an aspiring journalist I suppose it's important to document daily happenings, which I've attempted to do in one way or another for the larger part of my life. When I was a kid I was really into the allure of keeping a journal. I'd watch Doogie type his cursorless journal entries at the end of each show, and I'd set out, almost invariably, to find something to write in. Usually I got sidetracked by whatever sidetracked eight year olds back then, but every so often I'd grab a notebook from my brother's room and write lucidly about whatever. When I was nine I told my mom I was going to write a book, so I took a hefty stack of notebook paper, grabbed a pencil, and locked myself in my room. Two paragraphs later, after I introduced my two-headed sea monster and his eerie lagoon, my attention returned to GI-Joes and playthings. Since then i've tried off and on to keep a steady journal, however my attention span seems to be the only thing not developing as I get older.

So, all superfluity aside, this blogspace will most likely be filled with random photography and "ranty" antecdotes. Although, doing this really makes me want to buy an old IBM, kick back with my Dr. Pepper helmet and immature Italian friend, and write some super-sappy generalizations about how life is tough sometimes. All without a cursor, mind you.

Come on. I mean, when was the last time someone shamelessly referenced Doogie Howser, man?