P.S. From Diana
P.S. from Diana -- Monday, November 10, 2008
Some incidental facts:
1. One day, Jim took a nap. No doubt he'll deny it, but it's true.
2. In case we don't get caught up to Nov. 5: Hooray!! We are very, very happy- and so are the Italians. The guy from whom we bought the olive oil in Florence, the woman in Piedmont who before she sold us the ticket to visit the castle, asked beaming, did we vote for Obama?, people in restaurants, everyone we've met. Jim set the alarm for 1 am and stayed up 'til 5, watching and reading on the computer. I dozed and woke up for hourly updates. What a great event.
3. Our past observation that Italian design genius takes a hike when it comes to bathrooms remains true. Either the shower is so small one cannot wash one's feet, or there is a hose and shower head in the tub but no bracket on the wall, or the floor gets soaked, or everything is wedged in so tightly you get black and blue negotiating the fixtures, or, or, or. It's so hard being an American tourist. (It may be different in 4 or 5 star hotels.)
4. On this trip I read:
What Are You Like by Anne Enright. Novel by dazzling Irish writer.
Mooncranker's Gift by Barry Unsworth. Sexy but creepy. Set in Istanbul.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Yuck.
A Thousand Days in Venice: An Unexpected Romance by Marlena Di Blasi. Double Yuck.
At Large and At Small: Familiar Essays by Anne Fadiman. A gem, as anticipated. I love Anne Fadiman. Can I be president of the Anne Fadiman fan club?
The Road to Oxiana by Robert Byron. Classic travel book (1930's Persia and Afghanistan) and deservedly so.
The Judges by Elie Wiesel. Interesting novel, a bit ponderously philosophical. Book Club book.
Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides. Hard to read about Japanese cruelty to American POW's in Philippines, but ultimately gripping and exciting. Book Club book.
Currently reading At Play in the Fields of the Lord by Peter Matthiessen. Another classic I'm finally getting to. Very disturbing but excellent novel about missionaries, mercenaries and Indians in a South American rain forest.
Lest you think we take too many books, I left some of the above here. And Jim brought tons of guide books -5 books about Florence, where we spent 3 days. Luckily he's the official shlepper.
5. I thought about Josie twenty times a day. And also about Noa and our whole wonderful family.
Two days left. What a wonderful trip. What a beautiful, endlessly interesting country. How fortunate we are.
Diana
Some incidental facts:
1. One day, Jim took a nap. No doubt he'll deny it, but it's true.
2. In case we don't get caught up to Nov. 5: Hooray!! We are very, very happy- and so are the Italians. The guy from whom we bought the olive oil in Florence, the woman in Piedmont who before she sold us the ticket to visit the castle, asked beaming, did we vote for Obama?, people in restaurants, everyone we've met. Jim set the alarm for 1 am and stayed up 'til 5, watching and reading on the computer. I dozed and woke up for hourly updates. What a great event.
3. Our past observation that Italian design genius takes a hike when it comes to bathrooms remains true. Either the shower is so small one cannot wash one's feet, or there is a hose and shower head in the tub but no bracket on the wall, or the floor gets soaked, or everything is wedged in so tightly you get black and blue negotiating the fixtures, or, or, or. It's so hard being an American tourist. (It may be different in 4 or 5 star hotels.)
4. On this trip I read:
What Are You Like by Anne Enright. Novel by dazzling Irish writer.
Mooncranker's Gift by Barry Unsworth. Sexy but creepy. Set in Istanbul.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Yuck.
A Thousand Days in Venice: An Unexpected Romance by Marlena Di Blasi. Double Yuck.
At Large and At Small: Familiar Essays by Anne Fadiman. A gem, as anticipated. I love Anne Fadiman. Can I be president of the Anne Fadiman fan club?
The Road to Oxiana by Robert Byron. Classic travel book (1930's Persia and Afghanistan) and deservedly so.
The Judges by Elie Wiesel. Interesting novel, a bit ponderously philosophical. Book Club book.
Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides. Hard to read about Japanese cruelty to American POW's in Philippines, but ultimately gripping and exciting. Book Club book.
Currently reading At Play in the Fields of the Lord by Peter Matthiessen. Another classic I'm finally getting to. Very disturbing but excellent novel about missionaries, mercenaries and Indians in a South American rain forest.
Lest you think we take too many books, I left some of the above here. And Jim brought tons of guide books -5 books about Florence, where we spent 3 days. Luckily he's the official shlepper.
5. I thought about Josie twenty times a day. And also about Noa and our whole wonderful family.
Two days left. What a wonderful trip. What a beautiful, endlessly interesting country. How fortunate we are.
Diana
posted by Jim Zurer at 4:29 PM
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