Pisa, Italy, Sunday 27 September
I have never been to Pisa town. My memory like many others is of the Leaning Tower and the photo of me holding it up. The trip was uneventful and but for sea views from time to time was just farmland. When I got off the train and walked the 100m back down the platform to the exit, I noticed an older man writing a message backward into the dust on the window for his loved one as he gestured his sadness. I wanted to read it (surrepticiously (sp?) of course) but it was in Italian. Very romantic.
I kept with the good thoughts as I lugged my bag down two flights of stairs and back up another two to exit the station. That it is lighter doesn’t seem to make a difference.
I thought it would be cooler here, it isn’t. The taxi driver raced me through town like a Ferrari driver. He was off as soon as I got in the tiny car, taking me and my sunglasses which were perched on my head completely unaware. They shot of backwards into the boot. If there was a seat belt in the car yes I would have worn it.
Along the river, the buildings are all lined up on the pavement with tiny alleyways between them. They are all shades of terracotta except for the odd church which isa more your standard cement shade.
The Royal Victorian Hotel, where I am staying is delightful. It is not at all what I thought and while I am back to rustic approach to travel, I have shutters again so I am quite happy. It was a hotel used in the days of the British Empire which explains why it has masses of Victorian furniture and is extremely spacious (I got that maze feeling again looking for the Terrace). The ceilings surprisingly are very high and there is traditional Italian flooring everywhere. It has four stories and looks over the river at the front with a quaint rooftop garden that is surrounded by roof after roof and what must be a dove cote or maybe I mean pigeon roost (I clearly have romance on my mind) at the back. Coo-ing birds are everywhere swooshing between the roof line and the greenery. On my cheaper side, huge longline windows open onto a lovely courtyard.
Apperitvo’s (happy hour with food) are being served at 6,for me it is gin oclock and friends to find on the Terrace.
Pic is early morning in Pisa
We miss your daily missives - have you found new friends now...
ReplyDeleteNo news of significance from NZ, which seems more and more cold, rainy, antipodean and ordinary by the blog! We survived John Key's appearance on Letterman and I'm still undecided if I think it was good for NZ's profile to have us talked about infront of several million American's or unbecoming for the Prime Minister of our land. Nicky Hill apparently had something to do with the writing of one of the 10 statements about NZ.
Today is Sir Howard Morrison's tangi (he died peacefully in bed last week) and I feel strangely and disproportionately sad about it - maybe because I remember my Grandad and my Mum with tears in their eyes whenever they heard him sing How Great Thou Art (and my Mum endeavouring to sing along - badly - which I seem to have inherited!).
Baz and I are having WW withdrawal which will be all the worse with him also being away all this coming weekend. His all expenses paid trip to Phoenix, (accompanied by me in cattle class) is a flickering ember that diminishes by the day, which probably means it will be approved 6 days out just as I've reconciled myself to remaining on NZ soil until 2010. I will just have to live vicariously thru you in the meantime. x
testing :)
ReplyDeleteHi. Thx for Letterman update. Connecting an issue here, currently perched in the middle of a set of steps with patriots that have found free wifi!! Certainly some distration from you all with the b'day celebrations... but only temporary (this is an organised group and we have jobs we need to do from time to time). Birthday dinner tonight...we have just finished birthday brunch...it is 2.45pm. Phoenix, yay, we can compare sunny skies. Text me when you are off.
ReplyDeleteJax, yes I can get you through this. Email which I thought I had fixed is painfu (back to 1 out of 10 for effort), I know some emails are lost in transmission and not received so if anything of great news, fun or frivolity... text me. Also I have removed the google search links to try and keep this relatively private, clearly I am online but people should need to know the address to find us.
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