Before Tomorrow

Florence is so overrun with tourists, that you don't want to do anything touristy - even take photos. I took this one anyway.

Many thoughts.

The Uffizi blindsided me. I heart Filippo Lippi and Botticelli. I had no idea it was going to be so amazing.

The cab from the train station to the hotel initially took me to the wrong hotel yesterday, so I actually got to see a lot of Florence. Florence is kind of hideous - crappy suburbs - except the historic city center which is hideously overrun with tourists. My hotel (Hotel Alessandra) turns out to be squarely located in the center of things; its kind of perfect.

I was going to write a long rant about how Italian food can't hold a candle to French food, but I had a superb pasta appetizer tonight, so there's a stay of execution. I'm in a very anti-Italian mood... I think I'm just carrying a torch for Paris. Italy is going to get me on the rebound.

Everywhere I go lately I meet people. The Uffizi had a two hour line, so I had plenty of time to get to know these fellows from St. Joseph's. I spent dinner talking with a Canadian remediation engineer. Apparently, that means cleaning up the Exxon Valdez and what-not. The world is full of great people.

I'm in the mood to write postcards. If you want one, let me know.

Italy: Third-World Country? More evidence is accruing. Everything is badly organized, everywhere. Its laughable.

John just gave me a great idea: go to Palio di Siena, a horse race in Siena. I'm in!

I'm firmly committed to learning Italian while I'm here, mostly because I blew my chance to learn French in France.

Song of the day: LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends.

Bonus beat: LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great.

ps. I'm going to start taking down the songs of the day after a week. I'll begin my taking down the old songs in a few days.