Sunday, 6 July 2014
Florence
We're still feeling rather smug about our view. Today we walked over to the piazza near the Uffizi gallery. Jack did some sketching and we did some people watching. Then we joined the hordes crossing the Ponte Vecchio and did a loop back over the river Arno (stopping for gelati) and then had a look at the Museo di Galileo which was chock full of many beautiful scientific models and apparatus. Handblown glass vessels, globes, thermometers, barometers, telescopes. It was fascinating and different and beautifully quiet (did I mention the hordes?) and I can see where Jack gets his need to view things at high speed. S set a cracking pace. Actually he wanted to make a beeline back to the fantastic panini shop across the road from our apartment. Sadly it was closed, like the carousel that Ganma & Nonno mentioned. At one stage someone snorted at us and we were momentarily insulted until we realised S was wearing his Daddy pig t-shirt.
Saturday, 5 July 2014
A room with a view
This morning we caught the train from Milan to Florence. Just like Lucy and George we've ended up with a knockout view (though I'm pretty sure E.M. Forster didn't describe it like that). I can't quite believe it, and neither it seems can S or Jack.
Milano!
On our second day in Milano we were determined to not get lost and to see the Duomo. We managed both, well we only got a little lost. I've always had what I thought was a good sense of direction that actually wasn't and S just seemed to want to walk in circles or the 2 sides of an isosceles triangle.
We walked through the Galleria Vittoria Emmanuelle, surely the most beautiful shopping mall ever. It seemed that we were too early to purchase anything from Louis Vuitton, Gucci or the Todd shop, though we did admire their range of rainbow coloured loafers.
Jack also twirled on the bull's testicles for luck. Ahem, a mosaic of a bull where you spin on the spot where his testicles once were. They were definitely there twenty years ago but now there's an indentation instead.
The Duomo is pretty stunning and its impact was only slightly lessened by us getting scammed. We were pleased to see we weren't the only suckers. We strolled around the piazza and feeling peckish decided to go in search of Via Spadari for a food place my parents had mentioned. It's called Peck and it's apparently an institution. We were somewhat bamboozled by the choice available (over 3000 kinds of parmigiano) and left empty handed. Crazily we darted into Laduree across the road and purchased 4 macarons in the most beautiful presentation box ever. Shops like these should come with a warning for hoarders.Who knows what I was doing purchasing a french delicacy in an Italian city?
We had a look inside the Duomo and then popped into Benetton to buy Jack some socks and ended up purchasing new shorts and a belt as well. We decided to go back to Peck for lunch as they have a restaurant above the deli. I was concerned it might be snooty but the staff were great fun, the food was delicious and the people watching opportunities numerous. We swapped dog photos with out waiter and had a wonderful time, not to mention great food and wine. We rolled back down the hill to our apartment where Jack could once again enjoy watching his favourite cartoons in Italian and filling in his travel diary.
Jack also twirled on the bull's testicles for luck. Ahem, a mosaic of a bull where you spin on the spot where his testicles once were. They were definitely there twenty years ago but now there's an indentation instead.
The Duomo is pretty stunning and its impact was only slightly lessened by us getting scammed. We were pleased to see we weren't the only suckers. We strolled around the piazza and feeling peckish decided to go in search of Via Spadari for a food place my parents had mentioned. It's called Peck and it's apparently an institution. We were somewhat bamboozled by the choice available (over 3000 kinds of parmigiano) and left empty handed. Crazily we darted into Laduree across the road and purchased 4 macarons in the most beautiful presentation box ever. Shops like these should come with a warning for hoarders.Who knows what I was doing purchasing a french delicacy in an Italian city?
We had a look inside the Duomo and then popped into Benetton to buy Jack some socks and ended up purchasing new shorts and a belt as well. We decided to go back to Peck for lunch as they have a restaurant above the deli. I was concerned it might be snooty but the staff were great fun, the food was delicious and the people watching opportunities numerous. We swapped dog photos with out waiter and had a wonderful time, not to mention great food and wine. We rolled back down the hill to our apartment where Jack could once again enjoy watching his favourite cartoons in Italian and filling in his travel diary.
Friday, 4 July 2014
Lost!
Yesterday we were tired. We ambitiously set out towards the Duomo but did not make it. We ended up wandering in circles, had dinner early (don't eat in places where they have photos of the food out front) and went to bed early. We did have a gelato (Jack's second for the day) before bedtime but they were either super melty or we were eating too slowly. Now if we get lost we can just follow the chocolate drips back to our apartment
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The Best Airport in the world
Years ago I had a bad experience or two in Singapore. Lost luggage, explosive food poisoning, dreadful accomodation, but then I went back in 2008 and really liked it. One thing I love is the airport. It's like that epidosde of Kath and Kim where Kath and Kel spend the weekend at the Tullamarine Airport. They emerge with blinding smiles and matching coogi jumpers.
Because Jack and I were only in Singapore for 7 hours we decided to stay at the airport. We booked into a transit motel, visited the butterfly zoo and cactus garden, had a swim and spa, shopped, had wonton noodle soup for dinner, visited the Koi pond and had a nap. And there were still things we didn't do like find the three storey slide and visit the cinema.
Then it was time to leave. At one in the morning. Jack was hard to wake and I got the giggles as I kept waking him only to turn around and find him slumped back on the bed, fast asleep. Eventually I succeeded and we boarded another plane. Singapore to Milan is a longer flight so I managed to read another book (The Rosie Project) and watch 2 movies, Philomena and The Monument Men and Jack watched the Lego Movie. Again. But it wasn't a great flight and neither of us slept much. If only we'd pulled our blanket completely over our heads like the man next to us. There was a family nearby with 3 x Sams and they had there work cut out for them. Finally we arrived at Malpensa Airport and caught a taxi into Milan. All we had to do was locate where we were staying. How hard could that be?
Because Jack and I were only in Singapore for 7 hours we decided to stay at the airport. We booked into a transit motel, visited the butterfly zoo and cactus garden, had a swim and spa, shopped, had wonton noodle soup for dinner, visited the Koi pond and had a nap. And there were still things we didn't do like find the three storey slide and visit the cinema.
Then it was time to leave. At one in the morning. Jack was hard to wake and I got the giggles as I kept waking him only to turn around and find him slumped back on the bed, fast asleep. Eventually I succeeded and we boarded another plane. Singapore to Milan is a longer flight so I managed to read another book (The Rosie Project) and watch 2 movies, Philomena and The Monument Men and Jack watched the Lego Movie. Again. But it wasn't a great flight and neither of us slept much. If only we'd pulled our blanket completely over our heads like the man next to us. There was a family nearby with 3 x Sams and they had there work cut out for them. Finally we arrived at Malpensa Airport and caught a taxi into Milan. All we had to do was locate where we were staying. How hard could that be?
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| Note to self: remind S to purchase a manbag |
Up, up and away
For a while I wasn't really living up to my moniker. It's rare but not unheard of to get jetlag heading from Wagga to Sydney or Melbourne. S was contemplating going to a conference in Florence and we were contemplating tagging along but Sam is not a good traveller. He squeals. And wriggles and then he squeals some more. Imagine that on a plane. He has many other great qualities but serenity is not yet one he possesses. So we decided not to go and I was I have to say a little sad. I went to Italy many years ago and felt right at home. Food, food, food and art and music and well, you get the idea. Then my mum suggested she would look after the boys and so the trip was back on without Sam. Jack is an excellent traveller and so was allowed to come. His willingness to try new foods also helped.
So on Wednesday Jack and I flew to Singapore. Our flight was very good considering we were in the cheap seats. I read a whole book in one sitting (I can't remember the last time I did that). It was my book group book, My Salinger Year and I liked it a lot. It reminded me of when I worked in the glamorous and highly underpaid world of book publishing. I finished just before we landed for which I earned a high five from Jack. Jack watched the Lego movie and entertained himself deciding what he would do first at Changi airport: the butterfly zoo, cactus garden, pool, cinema....
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Tuesday, 6 May 2014
Early Star Wars Day
Star Wars fans are such wags. The reason that I say this is that they celebrate Star Wars Day on May the 4th (as in May the 4th be with you). There seems to be a lot of Star Wars in my life at the moment due to Jack's current obsession and memories of mine from childhood. I loved that first movie (I refuse to call it the fourth one) and re-enacted scenes over and over again at school. Santa brought me a Princess Leia doll, who was never quite the same after I undid her buns and my brother had a Blaster. Jack thought it was sad that I never got a Leia costume (coming from a boy who has an Anakin, Luke, Obi-Wan and a Darth Vader costume) and asked Santa to bring me one last christmas. Must've had other things on his mind.
For Jack's birthday I wore a Leia wig and a white skivvy, but wasn't entirely happy with the look. The wig seemed too small (could it have been made for a child?).
As May approached I checked my work roster and noticed I would be working on May the 3rd. And working with a friend who has a Han Solo costume. Should we celebrate Star Wars day in the library and one day early? We decided that we would, though our co-workers did not seem keen on also dressing up.
The result was fun. Wearing even just Leia's buns (I cut them off the wig and pinned them onto my head) certainly caught people's attention as I bought dog biscuits and groceries before work. I got mostly positive reactions, some funny sidelong glances where people pretend not to stare and one customer who thought I was a Nun. A dad came into the library with his little boy (dressed as Spiderman) and he was really excited, so excited he got another member of the public to take a photo. Minor celebrities we were.
For Jack's birthday I wore a Leia wig and a white skivvy, but wasn't entirely happy with the look. The wig seemed too small (could it have been made for a child?).
As May approached I checked my work roster and noticed I would be working on May the 3rd. And working with a friend who has a Han Solo costume. Should we celebrate Star Wars day in the library and one day early? We decided that we would, though our co-workers did not seem keen on also dressing up.
The result was fun. Wearing even just Leia's buns (I cut them off the wig and pinned them onto my head) certainly caught people's attention as I bought dog biscuits and groceries before work. I got mostly positive reactions, some funny sidelong glances where people pretend not to stare and one customer who thought I was a Nun. A dad came into the library with his little boy (dressed as Spiderman) and he was really excited, so excited he got another member of the public to take a photo. Minor celebrities we were.
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