There seems to be something universal about the nature of government post offices, no matter where in the world you find yourself. But I think the Italians have really mastered the art of moving as slowly as possible. Like in most government offices that interact with the public, you can identify the most senior employees […]
After much confusion at the train station (the clerk helping me knew no English and had a lot of trouble with her computer), I’m all set to head north to St Gallen tomorrow. I think I’m finally beginning to get used to the cold weather, but I think a Swiss winter will be a new […]
Milan is quite the fashion-conscious town. I admit that I am a casual guy, and that tends to be implicated by my choice in attire, more often than not. But not having the inclination to give myself a “Euro-makeover”, as one elated backpacker described her Milan shopping experience, I’ve gotten used to being even scrubbier than […]
After agonizing over the decision, I decided to stick with the Italian theme and head off to Milan for a day or two. I spent several hours awaiting the departure of my train, even making it back to the cafeteria with the infamous bird-poomodoro. Got the same ham sandwich I’d had the day before. The […]
My last full day in Venice has been a good one. The sun broke through the clouds early in the morning, making for a beautiful day, even if it was a bit colder than usual. I caught up on some reading, wandered the streets some more, and I had a couple of really pleasant meals, […]
After a third day of walking around Venice, I am realizing that my navigation skills haven’t improved since day one. At least I’m not getting anywhere any faster. This is mostly because I refuse to look at a map unless I think I’m going in circles and can corroborate this suspicion with major landmarks. But […]
Venice is great! This is becoming a frequent kind of statement for me, but I have to admit that I continue to be pleasantly surprised. Since arriving in Venice yesterday afternoon, I’ve spent about 20 hours wandering around the city, exploring the windy streets. Slowly, I’m learning to navigate in a place that must look like […]
The longer I stay in Florence, the more I want to move here. Not that I would seriously contemplate doing so at this time in my life (for several important reasons) but I really love the mood of the town. Lots of places to get a good cup of coffee, read a book, that sort […]
Rome was a pretty amazing place, I must admit, but yesterday I decided to get out of town to Florence, which is only 90 minutes away by train. My walk to the station in Rome was a rainy send-off, but I arrived 10 minutes before the train departed and was soon comfortably snoozing in my […]
This morning I headed off to see the Vatican museum and some of the other sights. It was a bit crowded, but the Sistine Chapel was less packed than it could have been. The change in weather from South Africa (hot) to Greece (cool) to Rome (cold and windy) finally caught up with me; I […]