Thursday, April 27, 2006

Drunken Bloggin

Hhheeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

What is sup! Damn!

I am in an internet cafe in napoli, or Naples for you fans of large areolas!

What did that mean?

Don't ask me, I'm plastered.

I am unsure what they put in the pizzas in Napoli, but it is delicious. My theory is that they coat the bottom of the oven with crack cocain. I want more! Crack infused pizza dates back to the ancients who lived in Pompeii, who were punished by god for having so much premaritial sex and living next to a huge delicious volcano.


Speaking of Volcanoes, I'm going to Stromboli tomorrow. Stromboli is the most active volcano in the World with lil eruptions every 10 minutes, but will they give me a tour to the crater? It is not tourist season yet. but damn it, i will see some magma before I leave if it cost me a limb.

I donàt need my left foot anyway.

Blam! I love writing that. Blam. Blamooo Blam!

Naples is actually dirtier than New York, bet you didn't know that. I hope I don't git mugged on my way home.

Tomorrow the islands. Peace.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

I've been a bit distracted lately


Bologne- Piazza Maggiore, site of the best fountain EVER!

Finally- MARZO


It's hard to keep drawing, when there's so much cool stuff to do. We had to take a photo since a scanner wasn't available.

Let's get Awesome!


Hello to the boys in the band "Awesome", kick ass at On The Boards with your new show. Joanna says hi, we listen to your album all the time in Italy.

Bologne- death by pork

Sure the sights are amazing, but the best part about Italy is the food.

My towel smells like olives.

I'll write more when Iàm not spending hours downloading photos.

Lucca- View from the tower


Sunshine (techno beat) On my shoulders, makes me happy!

Florence-Arno River


Real World XIV Florence Pose

Portofino- Turisimo Amore

Torino at night

Lucca- On the City Walls

Ussigna- Mountains surrounding Torino

Switz-Buy Sunglasse$ before accending!

Milano Duomo, Roof of Spires

Bologna- Joanna in the Garden

Bologna- Twin Towers

Bologna- Lower Leaning tower from Above

Bologna-Parco di San Pelligrino

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Berlusconi no more? Elezioni Politiche 2006

Last night I had a dream that all my friends back home in the U.S. came to Italy so they could vote for the left in the Italian elections.

In Italy it was Florida all over again. Almost 60 million voted and it came down to a few thousand between the left and the right. I went to bed late watching the election coverage in Italian and it looked like at that point that the right had won, thus giving the corrupt and charasimatic Berlusconi another 5 years to fuck up Italy. Earlier that day the exit polls said the left was way out in front (sound familiar).

The next morning I was told that the left had declared victory at 3 am. I was surprised that the TV stations owned by Berlusconi hadn't declared him the winner. Yes Fox News is even more corrupt than Italian stations owned by a corrupt president.

To absolutely no one's surprise, Berlusconi will challenge the results and there will be a recount once the expatriate votes come in. So it has really only just begun. I was surpised by how much I actually cared. I know a talk a good game when it comes to international politics, but my body was reacting violently to the news. I had a stomach ache, a head ache and then I had the dream with everyone I knew coming to the rescue of Italy and then we were all arrested by Berlusconi and troops.

The next morning when I heard the left had "won", I nearly exploded with joy. We will have to see how it plays out.

Tomorrow I'm going to Bologna with Joanna and we're staying in Chiara's flat which she doesn't use anymore, (how many places do these people need?) and then we're all heading south to the seaside in Puglia to do some camping and swimming and such.

Then Joanna and I will head to Sicily, the home of my namesake and Great Grandparents. I can't wait to see the Sicilian volcanoes, I've never seen lava before. I won't buy a car because driving in Italy is just too crazy, but I did just buy a cell phone, so maybe I can call home soon.

Arrividerci.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Sirmione

Matterhorn

Milano chillin

Finally, a computer that does not crash when I try to post a blog.

Last week my mom came to town and we rented a car, which means I got to drive in Italy.

HOLY SHIT! These people are crazy! That center line that seperates oncoming traffic? Forgettaboutit! Turn signals? Unnessicary! Pedestrians? Invisible! Speed limits? Whatever. Parking? Middle of the street will do just fine, and the sidewalk is also an exceptable option.

AND! . . . The traffic in Milano is actually worse than Los Angeles. I did not think it was possible, but you did it Milan. At 10:00pm the freeways surrounding Milan were jam packed, not just a few spots like L.A. but everywhere.

We went to Torino, which was really great, all the Olympic sites we're closed. Good one Torino, way to think ahead. So I didn't get to skate on any Olympic Ice. Then we drove up and into the Italian Alps which was amazing. I blasted some Rachmaninov and we wound our way around tiny one lane roads that gripped the side of steep hills and cliffs. Guard rails? Eh. The trees will stop you eventually.

Torino, which few people consider a top destination. (Our Italian hosts mocked us for coming to Europe and not visiting Paris, but TORINO, yes one must see Torino?) It was actually a really beautiful city with the white capped mountains peaking out between tiny little streets lined with neo-classical balconies.

After that we returned to Milan to pick up Lieta, countess Lieta we will call her to distinguish from my sister and she actually is a countess. She is very modest though and would get upset if we called her that to her face, but since she does not use the internet . . .

Countess Lieta, my mom, Joanna and me packed into the car and I drove us to Switzerland. The mountains were huge and the sun was shining and snow was everywhere except on the road which was beautifully manicured. In fact Switzerland is the utmost in modern sensibilities, with great care for the environment and super fancy new technology everywhere. We parked the car at the base of the mountains and took a train up to the village of Zermatt. No cars are allowed in Zermatt, you can only walk or be transported by electric taxis and busses. The Countess was in charge of booking us a room in Zermatt and as one can imagine, she did not go for the bargain basement place Joanna and I would have searched for on our own.

The room was amazing, with a huge deck overlooking the river and a view of the coolest looking mountain on earth. The Matterhorn. The mountains in Switzerland have forever changed my perception of just how beautiful mountains can be. I love the Pacific Northwest, and we do have them beat on the Mountain, forest, island, water combo, but the Swiss peaks are another level altogether.

That night we feasted on a huge fondue masterpiece in the cutest little restaurant. I overstuffed myself on Guyere and bread and wine and snails and potatoes and uchghgh.

Cheese, too much cheese. I think I finally hit two hundred pounds that night for sure. I'm afraid to check the scale and then convert from the metric system.

Later that week after returning from Switzerland we went to Sirmione, which is a quaint little ancient Roman Peninsula that juts out into Lake Guarda in northern Italy. It too was a fantastic place to visit, with an old perfect castle, just like the ones you picture as a kid with a moat and a draw bridge, and at the end of the penisula is the ruins of a Roman villa overlooking the lake perched high atop a hill at the end of the penisula.

The next day my mom flew back home to return to her job, and Joanna and I are chilling back at Angelo's ridiculously cool apartment in Milano.

I'm sorry not to blog more and the pics are not flowing yet and the calendar is way, way behind and may never show up until I figure out all this weird Italian tech. But I'll write as much as I possibly can. Thanks for reading.

Ciao per adesso
Ciao for now