Girl in Giro

Posi!

2009-08-08T14:59:00.002+02:00

Just wantyedf to let everyone know that i survived the move out of Venice (just barely!) and I am now enjoying some time in Positano!

Back in Italia

2009-07-23T15:24:00.002+02:00

It has been a long time, again. I am now back in Italy, currently in Venice closing up my apartment. I have made the decsion to move back to Washington DC, at least for the meantime. After everything that happened this Spring, I know it is not only the right choice, but the only choice. It has been difficult and sad, but I am also looking forward to a new adventure.

I was just in Puglia for several days, and before that Giuseppe and I were job hunting for him in Washington. It was very successful and he is now going to the Visa process to come to the States! We will starting working there in September.

In the meantime we are taking some time in Puglia, Venice, and the Amalfi coast to tie up some loose ends and relax after what has been a ridiculous 4 months.

I am feeling better and am looking forward to the Prossimo Passo!

Stroke Part 1

2009-06-24T21:05:00.002+02:00

I thought I might start talking about my whole stroke experience, so that at least I have it "documented" on my blog.

During Carnevale, at the end of February, I got the flu. I ached all over, was very tired, and had a fever for two days. I pretty much stayed in bed and by the fourth day I was felling better, and had that typical lingering cough one gets after having a cold.

One day I coughed, and I got an immediate pain on the back of my neck, on the left side. I thought that I had whiplash or had perhaps pulled a muscle in my neck with the movement of the cough. It was not a particularly strong cough, nor was the pain that bad. I figured that I would wait and see if it went away on its own.

It didn't. It did not get better or worse, although certain times and positions were worse than others. After two weeks I bought myself a neck brace--one of those big soft white ones, thinking that I was putting stress on my neck and this way I could let it rest. I wore it around the house, but it did not help. Again the pain was really not that bad, it just wasn't going away.

After a month I went to see a physician-- a general practice guy-- and told him about my neck pain. He examined me, poking me and asking if certain areas hurt. I was lying on the table, and while examining my neck he told me to relax. I did. Then he cracked my neck.

I had an immediate stroke. I felt panicky (probably also because I was not expecting the neck cracking, and would have absolutely refused it had I known). The room started spinning, I got "pins and needles" in my left hand, I had trouble keeping my left eye open, trouble walking, and I became very very tired. The doctor thought I was just scared after hearing the neck crack, but I insisted he call an ambulance. I knew something was wrong.

Table Manners?

2009-06-22T19:24:00.002+02:00

Today in the Style section of The Washington Post, a reader wrote in to "Ask Amy", an advice columnist. This reader complained that he was so disgusted with American table manners because after cutting their food, Americans switch their forks from the left hand to the right in order to then lift the fork to their mouth and insert the bite. He mentioned having to turn his chair in a restaurant to avoid seeing this. Is it really that disgusting?

I'm glad Amy shot him down.

Are European table manners better? I've never really thought about it.

I'll try and post the link when the article comes online.

Crime?

2009-06-20T07:10:00.003+02:00

Recently I have been reading some Italian expat blogs that have complained of theft and crime in their respectives cities and towns. Getting my car stolen in America would be hard enough, but having to go through it in Italy would be ten times the nightmare-- the bureaucracy and foreignness of the whole ordeal--dealing with Italian police would be a pain in the arse.

Anyways, back to the point: One of the many reasons I love Venice is that one can galavant around at 4 in the morning without any fear of getting kidnapped or mugged (and of course, no car theft!) Actually it is the absence of cars that makes the city so safe. Kids walk to school on their own and come home from their friends house by themselves after dinner. Women aren't worried about walking home alone. I cannot say enough about how important this is.

Okay, I just had the feeling that I have already blogged about this.....

Missing Italy

2009-06-19T00:54:00.002+02:00

We all know that there are positives and negatives to every country, but after 6 years in Italy, this is my first summer in the States, and summer is definitely one of the positives of living in Italy. Italians just change in the summer time, and that feeling washes over the country. A beach is never too far away, and the days seem to last forever. Nights become... special.

Luckily I will be going back for about 5 weeks, a bit in Puglia, a bit in Venice, and a bit in Positano, so I will not miss out completely on l'estate, but one of the major drawbacks to moving back to the USA would be knowing that I would have such limited time in Italy. How could I do it? 2 weeks a year would not suffice. I was so lucky with my job in Venice--I was able to take so much vacation time to come back to the states, but working here would not give me that opportunity. I'm considering teaching so that I know I could have summers off, but that doesn't seem like a good enough reason to make such a career change!

You won't believe me....

2009-06-17T05:54:00.002+02:00

...but I had a stroke. On March 28. In Venice. It's true! I had no previous health conditions, but I had something called a Vertebral Artery Dissection, which is the leading cause of strokes in young people. Basically, it is a tear in the lining of a vertebral artery (you have two of them running up the back of your neck). It causes a clot to form, and that clot can go to your brain a cause a stroke. I spent a month in the hospital, and for a good part of that time I could not speak, eat, sit up, walk, or even turn over. It was a traumatic and scary experience. My mother came over and spent a month in Venice, and with the help of physical and speech therapy I started to get better. On May 4 I came back to America, both because I wanted to go home and also because I had a lot of pressure from my family. I have since been continuing with rehab, and would say that I am at 95%.

This is the very short version, to update my blog. I thought many times of how I had unwillingly abandoned my blog a second time, and imagined all of the entires that I wanted to write and how I could possibly explain everything that has happened. I hope to be able to cover everything, and I am excited to get back to my blog.

I have had many life changes in the last three months, including having to face the decision of which continent I will be living on in the near future. I am in Washington DC right now, but still have my apartment in Venice. I'm a little freaked out by everything that has been going on, but I'm going to try and hash our some of my impending decisions on the blog!

I missed you, blog!

Venice Travel Tip

2009-03-28T13:37:00.006+01:00

I suppose, having lived here for 5 years, I should offer some advice for visiting this very popular destination.

Tip of the Day: Gondolas

photo courtesy of abster.wordpress.com

The most popular Venetian attraction is the Gondola ride. Gondolas used to be used as transportation for the affluent Venetians, but now are strictly reserved for tourists. Many say it is a rip-off, but I disagree. True, they are extremely expensive, but an evening ride through the back canals of Venice in a silent gondola is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Venice from the water is not the same as Venice from the streets. The gondola can offer a different perspective, and give you a taste of how that city might have been in its glory days. Gondoliers are infamous in Venice, they make a lot of money and pay very little taxes. Many say that they are ruining their trade by being disrespectful of its heritage and rude to their clients. Do not fret though, there are still a couple wonderful gondoliers, who love what they do and are happy to offer you your true Venetian experience!

When choosing your gondola ride, be aware of prices and times. This is the best way to avoid getting ripped off. The official price is 80 euro for 40 minutes for up to 6 people before 7pm. Every additional 20 minutes is 40 euro. After 7pm it costs 100 euro for 40 minutes and 50 euro for every additional 20 minutes. BY LAW they cannot ask more. Establish time and price before setting foot in the gondola! Tips are not necessary unless your gondolier was exceptionally gracious and entertaining.

Now for the most important part: DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT take a gondola ride in St. Marks. Any stop where there are 15 gondoliers waiting around trying to sell you a ride is a big NO-NO. The touristy areas do not offer characteristic gondola rides, and more likely than not you will end up in a gondola parade-- lined up with a billion other tourists and a gondolier yapping on his cell phone and smoking a cigarette while yelling across the canal to his gondolier friends. This behaviour should not be tolerated and if your gondolier does any of the above, complain and report him.

To maximize your experience get as far away from the touristy areas as possible. You also want to avoid the choppy Grand Canal and Giudecca Canal. You want your ride to be through the quiet, back canals of Venice. I recommend S. Croce, Dorsoduro, and Castello. You will see a gondolier or two hanging around a small bridge somewhere--that is who you want to approach.

Most gondoliers do not sing, however there are a few who do, and they are to be treasured (and tipped!). Recently I have seen one in Castello who sings beautifully to his clients. Next time I see him I'll try to get his number in case anyone wants to book him!

Au Natural

2009-03-24T13:48:00.004+01:00

The other day I came across this article on the Corriere della Sera website.

For those of you who do not know, Corriere della Sera is a major Italian newspaper. The article talks about the "disappearance of natural breasts" due to the large increase of breast augmentations in the USA. It claims that natural breasts could soon be a thing of the past now that this operation is the most common plastic surgery in the country, surpassing liposuction.

Although I am not staunchly against plastic surgery I find the number of women who get boob jobs to be very scary. Most seem unaware that implants are not meant to be permanent. The average implants have to be replaced every ten years, meaning that a 20-year-old could have to undergo 5 interventions in her lifetime. That is, of course, if they do in fact last the full ten years. I also recently read an article about banning breast augmentation for underage girls--as if that should even be an issue?!

Unlike many other cosmetic interventions, breast augmentations place a foreign object in your body, making them riskier then say, a nose job, because even if the procedure goes smoothly, there is always a risk that the implant is faulty or simply rejected by your body. Regardless, I can also respect that this procedure does allow many women to feel better about themselves, especially cancer survivors who now have a chance at reconstruction, permitting them to feel more like themselves. I worry though, about what it means when so many women are getting GG cups put onto their size 2 frames, and how natural breasts have become almost unrecognizable in pop culture. Why do we feel so compelled to prefer something so unnatural? Yikes indeed!

How I Came to Venice-- Part 1

2009-03-20T13:58:00.009+01:00

I myself tend to be a fan of personal blogs--those where you feel that you are getting to know the person who is writing, so I thought I would share my How I Ended Up Here story.

In 2001, when I was a mere 20 years old, I signed up for a summer program with my University in Arezzo, Italy. I had studied Italian for a year and the idea of spending two months in Tuscany sounded pretty great. I had been to Italy before, one time on a family vacation, another time during a high school semester in Switzerland. This though, would be the first time as a semi-adult, I would have a bit of freedom.

I arrived in Tuscany, together with 25 others from my University, in mid May. We were staying in a villa outside of Arezzo that had been restored and was being used as a youth hostel. We had our weekends free to travel, and I started planning my first weekend trip, together with 5 other girls, to the place I had always wanted to go, Positano. After the first week of classes we got on the train to Naples and figured our way out onto the Circumvesuviana and then the bus from Sorrento. Needless to say we had a great time, and were thrilled to have chosen such a beautiful place. I almost suffered a heart attack when we arrived, beyond ecstatic to have finally found the place I wanted to spend the rest of my life. But we'll get back to that some other time.

Arezzo
photo credit http://www.cimt.it/images/piazgrande1.jpg

The following weekend we headed to the Cinque Terre, then a group trip to Venice, a weekend in Nice, and the final weekend in Rimini. Between trips, I really enjoyed Arezzo. I would go running in the countryside and walk along the main promenade in the city center. Tuscany is great, but it seems the entire world knows it, which is why so many foreigners choose to live there.

At the end of my trip I was so in love with Italy and so excited to be able to speak a foreign language, I changed my mind about spending a semester the following year in Australia, and instead started planning a way to come back to Italy. After a final trip down to Positano, up to Lake Como, and over to Zermatt, Switzerland, I headed back to DC to finish my summer.

After a bit of fighting with my University I convinced them to let me do a semester in Padua. I would have preferred somewhere in central or southern Italy, but there are few immersion programs in those areas. I was adamant not to study in Florence. I knew I wanted to be in an immersed environment, and anyone who steps foot in Florence knows that American students have saturated that city. Unfortunately many study abroad programs send students to Florence, and so I had to convince my Uni that Padua was a better choice.

The following January I arrived in Padua, enrolled at the city's university, the second oldest in the country. Padua is a university town, and much of the city's life is based on the large student population. I found the classes to be mediocre and boring (so much of Italian uni is having a professor lecture you in a room where there are more students then chairs, and having this done in a foreign language can be brutal when you have a non-existent attention span like myself. Furthermore, I am sure I did not know how to choose classes and am sure that someone who knows what they are doing would have been better off than myself). Nevertheless, I enjoyed riding my bike all over the city and participating in the student events. I came to the conclusion that people from the Veneto were not very nice (I still believe this) and it was not as easy to integrate as I had hoped it would be. Most students in Padua returned to their hometowns for the weekend, which made it difficult to socialize, and like many Italian students all over Italy, foreign "Erasmus" students are seen as silly and annoying, and most do not want to bother making friends with someone who is leaving after 4 months, and who might not even be fluent in Italian.

This is not to say that I didn't love my semester abroad. I did. I made many friends, mostly with other foreigners, my Italian improved, and I travelled throughout Europe. Towards the end of my stay I fell in love with a medical student in Padua and decided to spend the summer teaching English there so that we could stay together...

Out of the cold...

2009-03-17T17:57:00.004+01:00

I know that just as soon as I post this message the rain, clouds, and winter gloom will return for a last appearance, but FINALLY sun and warmth have arrived in Venezia! Foreigners seem to think that Italy has mild winters. Not true, I say! Although it is not nearly as cold as say, Helsinki, Venice is COLD in the winter, and Italian homes are not nearly as cozy as their American or northern European counterparts. I freeze in my house all winter, and still pay a ridiculous heating bill. It rains and rains and rains, not heavily, but like a constant wetness that hides the sun for weeks at a time. Italians, being their sun-loving selves, go into hibernation. Venice pretty much dies off from November until April, with a brief but annoying overcrowded Carnevale break.

Furthermore, winter seems to last forever here. Most years, I am still wearing jackets into May and June, and I hesitate to break out my sundresses before July. In DC I can wear shorts in April.

Anyways. Enough complaining.

Today I read an article in LEGGO (a local Venice newspaper) that said that this summer is going to be ridiculously hot, with record high temperatures through September. BRING IT ON!!

Bad Blogger

2009-03-15T14:28:00.005+01:00

Yikes. I feel like a kid who didn't do her homework. I have been a terrible blogger, abandoning my blog for many months. I felt very guilty and inadequate! Who can't keep up a blog?!? I watched as my favorite bloggers continued to post interesting and entertaining messages and I couldn't be bothered to sign in! Then, as time passed, it got worse, because I how could I start after So Much Time had passed?

Well I'm back. And I am going to try again. I am still in Venice, although I did go home to DC for three weeks at Christmas. Over the winter, my fifth in Venice, I thought a lot about my future here--both in Italy and in Venice, and have come to the conclusion that I no longer want to stay in Venice. I had been thinking about it for a long time and hope to change within the next six months.

Otherwise, all is well. I continue to work, although a bit less thanks to the economic crisis, and hope to take some time off this spring. I have also continued to read my favorite blogs religiously. Having all Italian friends here in Venice, I love having fellow ex pats to relate to--even if it is just by reading their blogs!

The Grand Canal at Night

No Gots

2008-08-23T15:12:00.003+02:00

OK, I didn't go and I dont want to talk about it. I had found a room in Positano and I wasn on the Alitalia page ready to book my ticket, and I didn't. So undecided, I was. Geesh.

I ended up doing nothing for three days. The first two days I watched the Olympics on TV and almost never left my house. I went out once to have a coffee with a friend and I bought shoes, justifying the purchase with the money saved from the trip-not-taken. The thrid day I went to the beach and read a book. I watched the Sex and the City movie in English for the first time and spent a lot of time on my slingbox, mostly watching the Learning Channel and HGTV. I love Jon and Kate plus Eight. Such a great show.

I relaxed and slept late. Today back to work. Sigh. I am a summer person. I am happier, more fun and gosh-darnit better-looking in the summer. The fact that it is the end of August is already making me nervous. Can I really do a whole other winter here? I think one of the main reasons I live in Italy is so that I can be here in the summer. I suffer from September (even though its still warm there isn't that "summer feeling" in September) all the way through May just so I can can have those precious three months of sun, beaches, and Italains. That's right, the people here are different in the summer. They are Mediterreanen and the sun gets into their blood. And into mine too.

Pros and Cons

2008-08-17T13:53:00.006+02:00

OK,

So Tuesday Gius is going home for a wedding and coming back on Friday night. I don't have to work Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and possibly Saturday. If I went somewhere...

...the PROS would be
1. It is my last chance to go somewhere this summer so I should take advantage of it.
2. I could get down to Positano again, get some sun, and possibly be there for the make-up Ferragosto celebration or I could go somewhere else that is closer and less expensive. but really who am I kidding, of course I'll go to Posi.
3. I would not have to stay in Venice all alone, literally ALL of my friends are away.

...the CONS would be
1. the cost--I have already gone down to Posi twice this year-- I dont know if I feel like paying for another roundtrip plane, hotel, ferry boat, meals out, beach chairs, etc...
2. I would be alone, which is not so bad because I know people there, I have been there alone before, but still not as fun as usual. hmm.
3. I would have to leave Daphne alone for two nights. I have a couple people that could stop by and feed her, but I hate leaving her alone 23 hours a day.

These stupid lists never work. What do I do?

Special K Frutti Rossi

2008-08-13T22:48:00.004+02:00

I am obsessed with this cereal and since all of my visitors have left and I can once again do as I please, this has become both my breakfast and my dinner (not all that cheap at the special Venetian price of 3.19 a box). Currently, at 10:49 pm I am enjoying a bowl before Gius gets home. It is too hot to cook and I don't feel like creating too many dirty dishes as I am already up to my neck in house cleaning-- even neat guests leave dirty sheets and towels and extra dust.

Other than that today I have eaten two cucumbers, olive bread, 4 Oreos (which are just making their way to Venice), some cheese and crackers, and a peach. My diet is so screwed up but it probably has to do the the overall weirdness that is Venice in August. The city is half-closed and although it is a slow tourist season Venice is teeming with Russians and Eastern Europeans who do huge group tours but stay on the mainland. People are either gone to the beaches or here but kinda anxious because the summer is ending and would rather be on vacation.

But alas, there is the simple pleasure of eating Special K at 11pm all by myself.

My Cities

2008-08-11T22:53:00.003+02:00

I am very intrigued by my little visitor feed on my webpage. I see that I have some regular visitors and this THRILLS me. I seem to have a regular from Manassas, Virginia (not too far from DC) and another from St. Louis, Missouri. The former is where I grew up (DC, not Manassas) and the latter is where I went to school. I LOVE both cities.

Perhaps I am biased, but DC has got to be the greatest city in the States. It is beautiful, green, full of parks and bike paths, has tons of FREE museums, is international, cosmopolitan, young, fun, not too northern, not too southern, close to the beach and the mountains, and well, it is and forever will be, home.

St. Louis is my second American casa. I love that midwestern ease. 24-hour Schnucks supermarkets, the Loop, cute Clayton and the trendy Central West End. My university was in a great part of town near parks and shops and I have so many memories of a city that I miss.

I will try to post more on the cities soon! I know I need some American posts!

Adolescenza

2008-08-10T23:21:00.008+02:00

So everybody knows that adolescence is a difficult, embarrassing, awkward time. We all have many a moment that we can recall cringing at the idea of past haircuts, boyfriends, and interactions. Kids in America seem to really suffer their ways through middle and high schools. We even see some of the most tragic results of this in the news when events like the Columbine shootings take place, but most of us experience adolescent angst on a lesser level.

I think a lot of this awkwardness, frustration and insecurity is present in many cultures, but I have to say, I think that Italians seem to live through it better than most. Italian kids are just as strange, silly, and confused as their foreign counterparts, but they do not seem to be as aware of it, and they certainly do not seem to be as unhappy about it. Perhaps this has to do with some cultural differences-- American kids can be very isolated in their homes and dependent on their parents if they want to do something or go somewhere. Italians kids can often meet up in the piazza whenever they please. I do think that Italian parents are less strict, which can lead to some big problems, but also has its advantages.

This topic came into mind today while I was at the Lido beach here in Venice, watching a big group of 14 year olds run around, joking and playing and just having fun. They were obnoxious, yelling and spitting and hitting people with their soccer ball. They left a bunch of trash on the beach, but they seemed to lack that self-awareness by which so many American youth seem imprisoned. I was almost jealous.

Tim Parks mentions this a little in his book where he writes about his children (I don't remember the name right now). His comparison is with British youth.

What do the other expats think?

As for myself, I just got back from another mini-break in Positano with another visitor. Tomorrow she leaves and I will have a bit more time to myself to get back into blogging. Positano was lovely as always, now I just need to convince Gius to move there...and come up with a cool 2 million euro for a house...

Creative Travelling

2008-07-31T16:47:00.004+02:00

Howdy.

So I have already complained a lot about the ridiculous prices of travelling in Italy now compared to how they were in the past. I spent 210 euro for a plane ticket to Naples and the train comes to 150 euro for the same trip.

Since I make this trip many times a year, I have been looking into some other possibilities that would be easier on my wallet. I found AirBee, a new tiny little airline that flies from Brescia to Naples, but still costs about 150 euro, and I would still have to get to Brescia. I looked into car rentals, but embarrassingly enough, I can't drive a stick shift. (I know that is horrible, I have been living here for 5 years, but hey, I live in Venice, and most of my Italian friends do not even have licenses, but I'm ashamed). Renting automatic cars is much more expensive, as is leaving the car at a different point, meaning dropping the car off in Sorrento and renting it for only one day is the same as renting it for three days and bringing it back to Venice--but then I have to pay for parking, and gas, and repairs for the almost guaranteed damages I will cause.

Lastly, I came up with the idea of flying RyanAir to Rome from Treviso, taking the bus from the airport to the train station, and then taking the train to Naples from Rome. This whole ordeal, round-trip, is about 120 euro. Yey! Now we're getting somewhere... even if it is a bit round-about.

Back in Action--- Kinda

2008-07-29T20:03:00.004+02:00

I had a friend visiting from the States for the last 10 days. We spent 5 days here in Venice and then 5 down in Positano. This was her first time in both places, although she has been to Italy twice before. We had a great time--she was here for the famous Redentore Festival and then got to visit my favorite place in the world with me. Yey! We had a great time in Positano. We lucked out and my usual pensione gave us a great room with a fantastic balcony and the weather was perfect. I was sad to make such a quick trip, especially considering the airplane prices, but was was relaxing and special nonetheless. We ate good food, went on nice boat rides, sunbathed, ate many a caponatas, and partied until late.

View from the balcony at sunset.

Most special and important of all, I met two of my very favorite bloggers-- Niki and Annika. Niki lives in Positano and I knew from her blog that Annika would be there at that time. On my last evening I saw them in the square near the beach, and I probably scared them half to death when I introduced myself. I was starstruck! I never read blogs before running across Niki's about 6 months ago. I read it from start to finish in a shockingly short amount of time. Gius made fun of me as I would laugh over the pictures she posted of friends of mine in Positano. From there I got into a couple of other blogs (NYC/Caribbean Ragazza, Michellana, Bell'Avventura and dove mi porta il cuore) and have been making my way through the expat world in Italy ever since!!

Tomorrow I have another friend coming for 12 days. I love that I have friends who want to come and visit, but I admit its hard not having a moment alone or with Gius for so much time---especially when there are three of us and a cat living in 30 square meters. Uffa. I hope to make it down to Posi again as 5 days is not nearly enough, but we'll see how work and plane tickets look.

Rude

2008-07-15T18:49:00.002+02:00

I live in Venice, which is in the Veneto region of Italy. I have, however, travelled quite a bit throughout the country, lived briefly in Tuscany and I visit Campania regularly. My boyfriend is Pugliese and my closest friends and from Alghero, Brindisi, and the Amalfi coast.

For those of you who also live in Italy you can appreciate the vast differences in character between the people in the different regions. For those who are less familiar with the country you might be surprised to know that Italians are hugely different among themselves. Obviously there are some generalizations that have been made about Southerners being more friendly and open, but I think that even within the north and the south there are some stunning inconsistencies in how people behave, react, think and decide.

I choose to live in Venice and have thus far refrained from complaining but I think it is time that I let on to one of my biggest peeves about the Veneto. The people here are SO RUDE. Yes, this is an obvious generalization and I have of course met many lovely people in the 5 years that I have lived here, but I gotta say that never in my entire life have I come across a group of people so racist, bigoted, xenophobic, touchy, aggressive and out-and-out IMPOLITE as here in the Veneto. Sounds great, doesn't it? This is not to say that I do not like living here-- I do. I choose to. I lived here long before meeting my boyfriend, so it is not as though I live here to be with him. My career here is very flexible so it is not as though I must stay in Venice for that. I stay here because I love the way of life. I love jogging at midnight and walking everywhere. I love the mix of culture and small town feel. And strangely enough, the whole "rude" thing is growing on me. (Not, I must say, on Giuseppe, who has lived in Venice for 4 years and does not like it. This though, is also typical of many Italians who have trouble accepting the people and ways of life of other Italians not from their region. I laugh a bit at him for this.)

Back to the rudeness. I live near a teeny tiny narrow little street where people can only walk in one direction at a time. The length of this street is a mere 7 meters. If someone is coming from the other direction you must wait about 15 seconds for him or her to come out at your end before you can enter. Today I was walking down the calle (and I am a fast walker) and at the other end I saw a neighbor who was waiting to pass. Behind the neighbor was a Venetian couple in their forties. I arrived at the end of the calle and said "ciao" to the person I knew. The woman of the couple (so often it is women who are snappy, why is that??) then snidely mocks me by saying "ciao" and making a "che palle" hand gesture as if to indicate that I took way too long to walk the last 3 meters of the calle and how dare I waste an extra half a second to say ciao to a person I knew instead of running by and saying excuse me. Why are her panties in such a twist? Why are some people so unhappy that they can't even be civil?

This is just an example. Store clerks and shop assistants are another noteworthy example. I have never witnessed such bad sales methods as those of the Veneto's commesse who see customers as an interuption and become offended if you choose not to purchase. When I lived in Padua I used to pretend not speak Italian so that they would think I was a tourist because GOD FORBID I was some type of immigrant. How many times while house hunting in Padua did I get told to my face that they would not rent to me because I was a foreigner, or even worse, not told to my face but being led on for weeks and ending up with a vague "no" and phones calls without responses. Venice is a little better on this front as they are a bit more used to foreigners.

People do not smile here.

Everyone pushes by without saying excuse me and invent crazy laws and rules just so they can have something to complain about. Tobias Jones hints at this in his book, "The Dark Heart of Italy" noting that Italy has more laws than any other Western country, most of which can easily be broken without any consequence.

I have many clients who arrive with some story about the ticket-seller or parking attendent who was unbelieveably rude. They are shocked that a city based on tourism could treat it's livelihood so horribly. Other places in Italy are not like this and I do not want to exaggerate--there are plenty of wonderful Venetians and the city is an absolute must-see. I would never discourage anyone from visiting Venice, but I just had to get this out.

Most frightening, I see myself becoming a bit like them. I smile less (and I notice better results form smiling less--as though people take me more seriously). I brush by someone without necessarily saying "scusi". I give stern looks when people block the streets or the water bus entrances. It's horrible! I need to stop! I don't want my (non-existent) children to be like this! I am becoming too Venetian!

What's in a Name

2008-07-10T11:53:00.000+02:00

For those of you who don't speak Italian, I thought I would explain the name of my blog, "Girl in Giro". "Giro", literally, is a "turn" but "in giro'' in Italian means "about town" or "out and about". "Sono in giro" means "I am out and about". Do any of the Italian speakers have a better way of explaining? Something to add? Sometimes the most obvious translations escape me....

Happy July

2008-07-07T14:10:00.003+02:00

Yesterday morning we got back from a lovely mini-break at Milano Marittima. I highly recommend the destination for anyone looking for a relaxing weekend escape. Many things about Milano Marittima are like any other Adriatic bech destination: Rows and rows of characterless three and four star hotels, a long white beach plastered with chairs and umbrellas, loads of teenagers, but Milano Marittima, unlike Rimini or Cattolica, has a great little town with heaps of trendy little spots that allow for ottimal people watching, fabulous little boutiques, bikes to rent, and a nature park nearby!

The first night we went into the old town of Cervia and walked around the night market, looking at a range of goods from organic honey to local ceramics. The second evening we lounged outside on a big sofa at a posh cafè that served us a chocolate fondue with fresh fruit, and the last evening we went for a walk on the beach after dinner. Nothing super crazy, but MM just has a nice feel to it. Sure, it's full of people and can feel a bit generic, but I admit that something about that is refreshing and fun. MM attracts the ''bella gente'' and Gius got a kick out of looking that the Lanborghinis, Maseratis and Ferraris parked illegaly all over the town. sadly, I have no pictues of the trip to share. We took the camera, but it never left the hotel room. I promise to be better in the future!

Ticket Booked

2008-07-01T22:04:00.002+02:00

Well after this post it is going to seem like I take a lot of vacations, but actually, I am just doing all of my vacation planning in one evening! Milano Marittima is three nights staying with a friend and a interregionale train ride away!

I spent about 52 hours on the Alitalia website booking my ticket to go down to Positano with my friend who is visiting in June. In the end the plane ticket cost 65 euro more than the train, but the train require about 8 hours more than the plane each way, so we are sucking it up and taking the plane, for a total of $334.70 USD which is OUTRAGEOUS. I blame it on Alpieagles, gas prices, and the weak dollar.

So now I am on the hunt for the least expensive room with a view in Fornillo. I have stayed pretty much everywhere on that side of the town. I have my favorite places but I feel that if I search harder I will find an overlooked pensione that will give me a room for 70 euro a night. Does anyone know of anything? Right now I have quotes for 90 euro a night, but I'm feeling nauseous after booking my plane ticket. Help!

Milano Marittima

2008-07-01T20:16:00.003+02:00

The day after tomorrow Gius and I are heading to Milano Marittima for three nights. MM is a beach resort on the Adriatic coast, north of Rimini. I had actually lived in Italy for a long time before ever even hearing about it, but it is really quite nice. I like to think of Milano Marittima as the Nantucket of Italy. It is a little more upscale than the Jersey shore, although it is still just another long crowded beach on the Adriatic. There are many families riding around on their bikes. It is also known for its very trendy nightlife. I prefer it to Rimini and Jesolo which are filled with teenagers, trashy looking tourists, restaurants with picture menus in 6 languages, and characterless souvenir shops. MM is also right next to Cervia-- a quaint little town that contrasts nicely to the beach atmosphere.

No Screens

2008-06-27T14:10:00.007+02:00

No luck in the screen department. Panorama, Auchan, and SME do not sell ANY type of screens for windows. We were going to go to Leroy Merlin (like Home Depot) but it was a 20 minute walk across the autostrada in 95 degree weather. No thanks, I prefer mosquitoes. I did, however, buy Scrabble and 5 DVDs that were all on sale at SME. I accept and am well known for my horrible and corny taste in movies and this sale had a lot of old classics, so I indulged and purchased: "Splash", "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids", "The Incredible Journey", "Oscar", and "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?". All excellent picks!!! Giuseppe, who is a huge film buff and can pretty much name the director of every film ever made laughed every time I chose a new DVD. He bought two old Woody Allen movies. Not withstanding his knowledge of films, he knows nothing of Hollywood gossip so I took it upon myself to inform him that Woody married the adopted daughter of his former lover, longtime girlfriend, and mother of his two children, Mia Farrow, here in Venice.

It has been so hot recently. Two days ago we went to the beach and the water felt like a lukewarm bathtub. This afternoon we are expecting thunderstorms, so some relief might be in the future.

Screens

2008-06-26T12:40:00.004+02:00

Today Gius and I are going to SME (a mix between furnishings, appliances, and home improvement store) in hopes of getting screens for my windows. Why don't Italians use screens? With the mosquitoes they have?? I don't even really get bitten by mosquitoes, but I hate hearing them hover over my ear just as I'm falling asleep...

Windows and shutters are actually used in Italy as opposed to America where in most houses windows do not get open and shutters are for decoration. Perhaps it would be too much of a pain to take to move the screen to open and close the shutters? Perhaps Italians want to be able to lean out of their windows to talk to their neighbors or send a basket down to the street on a little rope? When I ask my Italian friends they often just shrug... but then again, they've lived their entire lives without screens, so why change?

Mi Manchi, Alpi Eagles

2008-06-24T13:25:00.004+02:00

As you know if you have read my last couple of Posts, I go down to the Amalfi Coast a bunch of times every year, which means somehow getting to Naples. Sometimes I take the train, sometimes I fly. The train is annoying. It takes about 7 hours, and I have to change in either Bologna or Rome. If I am lucky the first train is on time and so I don't miss the second one. When I get to Naples I either take the hot, dirty, and slow Circumvesuviana to Sorrento, then wait for a bus to Positano. There are about 16 million people who do the same thing, which of course makes the whole journey horrible, and that's if the roads are open. If the roads are closed, I recommend swimming from Sorrento to Positano. If my schedule coincides with a ship, I pay for a taxi or take the bus to the port, where I get one of the two or three ships that goes to Posi. Both of these processes take forever, and since train prices have gone up recently, it made more sense to fly. It would all be a bit better if there were more connections in that area, but more connections might mean more tourists, and I dont want that either. So...

AlpiEagles is the name of the low-cost airline that flew from Venice to Naples. I could usually get a round trip ticket for 100 euro. Alitalia, in order to compete, kept its prices low too. Well now, AlpiEagles has gone out of business, so Alitalia has hiked up its prices and I'm sh*t out of luck, as my grandma would say. Round trip tickets are about 250 euro, but hey, the train costs 150.. Ridiculous. UFFA!!!

Escape Artist

2008-06-24T11:56:00.005+02:00

So the other day I woke up late with the boyfriend, Giuseppe. We both had a day off of work. We got up, opened the windows, made breakfast, and basically did nothing for the following two hours. Daphne was wandering in and out of the house, as she usually does.

I never let Daphne out when I am not home. there are too many tourists and stupid kids in a country that does not treat animals very well. When I am home I let her out a bit and try to keep an eye on her-- she tends not to stray too far from our "calle". In the year and two months that I have had her, she has "escaped" a couple of times-- once into the garden of my neighbor and other times into nearby buildings. I have always found her after an hour or so.

So after Giuseppe and I decided that we wanted to spend our afternoon in Padova, we got dressed and he went out to get Daphne so that we could close the house. He looked in her usual places--mostly being my neighbors' windows, but she was not to be found. Okay, not totally unusual. We started going up and down the nearby streets, looking in corners and on window sills. Still no cat. We went to all the surrounding squares. We asked the shop owners and little old women who all know Daphne. Nothing. One old crazy lady said she saw Daphne an hour before, but who knew....

So Gius and I are both fire signs (I'll get into the whole astrological thing later) but we tend to exaggerate, worry, and generally be dramatic. We came home, knowing that Daph tends to return on her own. We prepared a pasta al pomodoro half-heartedly, thinking about all the tourists and stupid teenage boys and the possible "guai". After three hours, still no Daphne. Out we went again, doing the same rounds, this time knocking on all of the "portoni", the big entrance doors to the buildings, hoping that she had gone in one and not been able to come back out. We listened for her meow. Nothing.

We came home and started making "Lost Cat" signs on the computer, choosing which photos to use. After about 15 minutes, Gius, not able to sit still, went out again to look. Soon after he called me from his cell.
"Come to the restaurant storeroom! I can hear her meowing!"

Sure enough, she had been locked into a nearby restaurant's dark, dank storeroom. They had closed it after lunchtime, and it was now almost 6 o' clock. Luckily, 15 minutes later the owner came back to open up for dinner... and Daphne came home.

The Beginning of a Love Affair

2008-06-20T17:42:00.005+02:00

Ciao a tutti,

Well every summer I go down to Positano as often as possible. I have been doing this since I was 20, so this will be my eighth summer visiting my favorite place in the world. It seems that many people have this same sentiment regarding Positano. I am not alone in that "feeling" that I get when the bus from Sorrento makes that last dangerous turn along the coast and Positano comes into view. My heart starts beating faster and I overload on anticipation.

The first time I went was during a summer I was spending in Tuscany. I had just arrived in Italy, and I COULD NOT WAIT to go to Positano. I was doing a language program through my university, and our very first weekend I planned a trip together with 5 other female friends. It was early May. I did all the research for rooms, trains, and buses.

Six 20-year old American girls, all who spoke at least some Italian, at the very beginning of the tourist season, when the Italian male is full to the brim ready to release his hormone-drenched pick-up lines on freshly-arrived targets is an experience unparalleled to any other I have had in Italy. And I have been around Italy.

Needless to say, we had a blast. The town was rather empty, and we were offered boat rides and dinners and "passaggi" on the motorini when it was still custom in Positano to go up the street the wrong way on your scooter.

Now, after years of watching the same boys do the same thing I just sit back and laugh, and enjoy the fact that some things never change.

I live for the energy that seems to spill over the Positano mountainside at about 9pm. That is my favorite time of the day in Posi. The sun has gone down and the town lights up. You can hear the music, the laughing voices, and the clinking of wine glasses from the restaurants along the main street and you can just FEEL that something is going to happen. The cars start coming in, parading down the street, observing the scene. This exciting beauty.

I went back one more time that first summer, and then again the next year after studying in Padova. The year after that I moved to Italy, and well, I have been going at least once a month from May to September. Sometimes I make a last-minute weekend trip and sometimes I stay for several weeks. I have a bunch of friends there, and one of my closest friends here in Venice is from Positano. I feel at home there, and every year in May I come THIS CLOSE to quitting my job and moving there for the summer. And every year there is some new British, American, or Australian living there who has done just that, many because of some new Positano boyfriend they met over the winter. Sometimes I get borderline jealous thinking that someone else could not love being there as much as I do, but alas, such is life.

I have come across many people, both in Positano and through various blogs, who feel that same way about the town. I think its a mix of the kind people and the beauty of the place that are so convincing. Italy in general has a way of capturing foreigners, especially women. In fact, most of the Italian expat blogs are written by women, and I will go into that later....

Some people feel about Venice, Florence, Rome, and Tuscany the way I feel about Positano. Being in love with a destination is much like being in love with a person. Sei perso.

Perhaps if I am a good girl and say my prayers one day I will get the chance to live there. At least for a bit.

Calcio

2008-06-19T14:14:00.006+02:00

Growing up in America you are surrounded by sports. Unlike so many European nations, the USA has many very popular televised sports: football, baseball, basketball, hockey, etc. Certainly unlike Italy, female sports are much more encouraged and popular. I grew up playing soccer, softball and ice hockey. My Dad always watched football on the couch. Funny then, how I never followed any televised sports until I started watching soccer in Italy. I am obsessed with the UEFA soccer tournament and have come to truly appreciate soccer. Tonight's game will be very interesting....

This pic is of Toni. Italian men are so beautiful. Sigh.

Simplicity

2008-06-14T21:46:00.003+02:00

Everyone says that living in Venice is "scomodo", literally, uncomfortable. There are no cars, few supermarkets, no strip mall-- or any malls for that matter. As I posted about before, moving anything that you cannot carry in your hands is a challenge. Housing is expensive, small, and old. So why do I find it so damn SIMPLE?!

I have a teeny tiny little apartment on the ground floor. My front door opens up right onto the street and all my windows face the street. I can just sit in in my house with the front door wide open and not worry about anything. I do this daily, while the cat wanders in and out as she pleases. I can walk to the supermarket, the tabacchi, the alimentari, the vaporetto (water bus), the panificio, the take-away pizza, the pasticceria, and the fruttivendolo all in two minutes. I can walk everywhere! Venice is a small city, and the farthest points form me are no more than A 30 minute walk through one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The water bus is always on time (no traffic back-ups!) and the city is one of the safest in the world. I feel quite secure walking around at 3 in the morning alone, and I am a fearful person. 8 year-olds walk to school by themselves or with friends.

When I get hit by island fever, I walk 5 minutes to the train station or 10 to the bus station. Padua trains leave every 30 minutes and take 30 minutes. Buses for Mestre leave every 5 minutes and take 10 minutes. I often go to Padua and Mestre, and less often to Treviso, Jesolo, and Verona.

Venice has its own beach, the Lido island, that is 30 minutes in vaporetto form my home. In an hour you are in the Dolomite mountains.

My monthly public transportation pass, which includes all vaporettos and all buses to the mainland costs 33 euro.

My life here is so simple, and it has to be the thing that I appreciate most about living in this city. I feel like I am living in small town America in the 1960s where the kids rode their bikes to their friends' houses and everyone went to the soda fountain and the local high school football games.

Of course I miss the convenience of America. I miss good take-out food, I miss huge multi-plex cinemas and I even miss shopping malls. I miss 24-hour supermarkets. I don't miss the creepy feeling of walking through that supermarket's parking lot at midnight. The small-town feel of Venice comes at that price, though, and I believe it is worth it.

Technical Difficulty

2008-06-08T16:09:00.002+02:00

Does anyone know how I can get my Title "Girl in Giro" to go on the bottom part of my Header photo?

My First MEME

2008-06-08T13:04:00.015+02:00

I can't wait to become an active member of the blogging community. I found this MEME on "dove mi porta il cuore" and I thought I would give it a try! Not strangely, two of my pictures are of Positano.... More on that later.

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

Thanks to allthe lovely artists who took these pictures:

1. black and white, 2. Maryland Blue Crab, 3. school, 4. Turquoise's Mosaic - April 8th, 2006, 5. TRL Photobooth - Heath Ledger, 6. Positano, 7. Positano from the sea, 8. 14th August 2007 / Day 226, 9. Stretching... ♫♫, 10. Self Portrait Artist Interrupted, 11. I view these days as I do rainstorms: I don't know when they're coming, but afterward, there's a rainbow. So I just let it rain..., 12. Mont Saint Michel

Murano Glass

2008-06-08T12:38:00.003+02:00

In response to the comment left below on an old post, I thought I would do my best to inform tourists on ways to spot the authentic Murano Glass in a vast sea of many fake glass shops with products made in China.

Almost all "serious" glass is from Murano. By "serious" I mean collector's items. The more expensive a shop is, the more likely the glass was made in Murano. That is not to say that all Murano glass is expensive. You can by trinkets for as little as 3 euro. The best shops are those that either make the items in the shop--you often see a person sitting in the back with a flame, making small items, or stores that sport the this logo in their window. This association guarantees that the products in the specified store are actually made in Murano, even though there are many authentic stores that do not belong to the association.

The most common-sense thing to do is to AVOID the most obvious tourist shops. If a store sells masks, glass, maps, Venice t-shirts, and magnets, then the glass (like the other products in the store) is most probably not from Venice. Try to find little shops that only sell glass! There are many glass boutiques where artists create jewelry and vases of their own design. These pieces are much more unique and very special. One of my favorite jewelry designers are the Sent Sisters, who have a small shop in Dorsoduro. Supporting the local industries is fundamental in a city as fragile as Venice!

Yey! Comments!

2008-06-03T11:25:00.004+02:00

This is very exciting! I had my first comments on my blog yesterday! Someone actually read it! Thanks to the both of you for your encouragement!

Entering the blogging world is very exciting. I have been making the rounds through many different blogs, most of them having to do with expats in Italy. It is so amazing to see what people are doing in this country. And their blogs!!! Some people have gone all out and I am impressed to say the least! Pictures, links, stores, feeds, conventions, everything! I never knew!

I have been living in Italy for 5 years now. My first year I was in Padua, and the other four I have been in Venice. I never moved here thinking that I would live here forever, and I still don't know for sure. One thing happens after another, and before you know it, your life is in Italy and the idea of leaving it to move home would be the equivalent of losing a leg in some senses. It becomes a part of you as I think any foreign home would. I know that in America I will always have my hometown, my family, my culture, and my language. I will never feel out of place. I have lived in Italy for 5 years and I still feel like the USA is home, but I reckon that if I leave Italy, I would not have those same ties of family, language, and culture that connect me.

I have lived here pretty independently. I was 22 when I moved here and I found my first job out of the yellow pages and was very lucky that it worked out marvelously. I found a room in an apartment with some students, and made some friends. A year later I moved to Venice to do a Masters Degree and have been here ever since.... I will try to fill in the history as I go along!

The photo is of my cat, Daphne. I speak to her in Italian, with the occasional word in Venetian. She likes to sit in other people's windows, behind the bars, where I cannot reach her. She is a teenager by cat standards, so I attribute this behaviour to the fact that she is in her rebellious adolescent phase.....

Thanks again for visiting!

My Slow Start

2008-06-02T14:05:00.003+02:00

OK, I realize that I have been starting slow on my blog, but since noone is reading it, it shouldn't be a problem. I am going to try to write regularly, and then perhaps someone will come? I tried searching my blog on google though, and I could not find it. I thought I had made it public on "settings" but I will check again! I will also try to add more photos, but my camera is not working, despite it being brand new.... I will try to do better!

bad tourist season

2008-05-26T11:59:00.000+02:00

Well, June is coming and that usually means that the Americans are on their way. This year, they are staying put on the other side of the Atlantic. That pretty much means disatrous business here. I have started looking for new business, but everyone seems to be suffering a bit this season. Not only is the dollar weak, but even the pound is relatively low compared to the euro. I guess that will mean less vacation time for me! Or rather, I could see it as an opportunity to go away for a bit, seeing as I won't be losing much business.

If anyone wants to rent an apartment in Venice, I can get you a good deal! I know some agencies that are desperate for reservations....

Chinese Leather

2008-04-22T20:47:00.000+02:00

Venice is a shrinking city. The economy is based on toursim alone, and young people leave the city in search of careers elsewhere. People prefer to rent their properties to tourists rather than locals, making housing very expensive. The bakeries and butchers slowly close and glass and mask shops appear in their places. The city is slowly becoming Disneyland. This is much to the faultof Venetians, who have succombed to the ease of making money off of fake Murano glass instead of preserving the city's culture with authentic artisian boutiques.

A new and disturbing trend is the huge growth of Chinese-run shops and bars all over the island city. Just today I passed by what used to be one of the few toy stores in Venice, near the Rialto bridge, which has now become one of the hundreds of Chinese run stores that sells fake leather bags to unknowning tourists. I believe in the integration of immigrants. One of the things that I dislike most about Italians is that I find them to be very xenophobic and I think they should do what is possible to welcome and accept the new immigrant populations. Nevertheless these horrible tourist-trap stores are ruining the city, allbeit no more than venetian-run tourist trap stores.

For those of you visiting Venice, make an effort to shop in real boutiques, stores that make their own products or demonstrate that they sell real Murano glass. Try to find a bar or restaurant off the beaten path, that does not have pictures of the food on its menu. It is vital, for the future of this city, that both locals and tourists make an effort to support shops that cater to quality goods and that support the local population.

Armadio

2008-04-21T20:40:00.002+02:00

One of the joys of living in Venice is the absence of cars. No car fumes to breathe in while walking around, less noise, less danger, prettier, safer, etc.. It makes the city very special and the advantages and countless. But today I had to move an wardrobe. I live in 32 square meters, and I am a total clothes horse, which means that the modest closet space that came with the apartment and the dresser I bought from the IKEA in nearby Padova just are not quite enough. My friend's grandmonther has recently been moved into a retirement home and he asked if I want to buy her wardrobe, so I took him up on the offer. The only problem being, of course, that he lives in Castello and I live in S. Croce. Today Giuseppe and I carried the four drawers on the vaporetto #51 and we will have to figure out how to get the 230 centimeter-tall frame to my house. They surely wont let us on the vaporetto and we dont know anyone with a boat! How can I have lived in Venice for three and a half years and not know anyone with a boat?!

2008-03-27T19:47:00.001+01:00

Welcome to my blog, I have now been living in Italy for almost five years, since I graduated from college in 2003. I moved here after having studied abroad in Padua with the intention of staying a year or so. Well, one year became two, and two years somehow became five. I have changed cities and boyfriends (boyfriends more than cities....) and I reckon it's about time I share my experience.