When Nina and I travel together, I walk around a lot by myself. Today I decided to get out to la campagna. This is no easy matter when you start in the heart of Arezzo. Like many old European cities, Arezzo has expanded well beyond its walls and is surrounded on [...]
My Italian is still really bad, but I generally manage. The Italians I talk to don’t seem to mind how badly I mangle their language. Maybe those who have to listen to me ask for something have a laugh riot after I’m gone; that I can’t know. I’ve learned to lace my primarily noun-based Italian [...]
I’m not sure why Arezzo isn’t more of a tourist destination, but I’m not complaining. It’s a very nice city. Although its population is about 90,000, the old city is compact and walkable, if you don’t mind some steep climbs.
If you enter on the side of town where the rail station is, [...]
While there were times, especially when we seemed to be touring the Toronto airport by bus shuttle, that the laptop was a heavy and fragile burden, I’m very happy I took it along.
The logistics were easy. The iBook, along with many other laptops, easily deals with the voltage difference (electricity runs hotter in Europe). [...]
True, brain like sieve, but I can’t remember ever being rained on during a visit to Italy. Last night, though, we were treated to a mighty tempest. Few here have air conditioning and in summer nearly everybody sleeps with windows (large windows) wide open, so when a thunderstorm rolls through, it is almost like being [...]
Wim (Barry’s class)Originally uploaded by MrWoodleigh.
My Dutch friend Wim, sitting in our classroom in Lucca.
It’s true that I’m learning a little Italian in my beginner’s class, but what’s been most fun has been hanging with all the other students in the school, who are old and young and come from all over. My best new buddy is Wim, a tall, open-faced 50-something man from the Netherlands. [...]
As I hoped, I’m with beginning students and Mrs. W. is with intermediate students. Being lumped in with beginners is good for my fragile foreign language ego. I’m keeping up. Mostly what we beginners say is “Come si dice …?” When we’re really on our game, we say “Che [...]
Gardens of Palazzo Pfanner
Originally uploaded by MrWoodleigh.
We made it all the way around the walls yesterday and snapped this photo of the Gardens of Palazzo Pfanner. Turns out the part of the walls near us is the nicest (shadiest and prettiest).
We are staying on Ditch (or Canal) Way, Via del Fosso. A ditch, maybe 8 or 10 feet wide, runs down the middle of the street; as ditches go, it’s not bad. Its walls are made of brick. The walls rise above street level and are capped with concrete. You can [...]
