Southern Tuscany

This weekend we rented a car and drove around Southern Tuscany. The weather was lovely, and we didn't even hit anything!

Highlights include:

- Finding a lovely hotel with a balcony and view of the marina for 80 euro a night.

- Eating lots of seafood! Including a delicious risotto. Although the restaurants were all empty since tourist season is winding down.

- Finding a "secret" beach to hike down to, complete with a very tan, old, wrinkly Italian couple

in tiny swimsuits.

- The hot springs at Saturnia, were we lounged in a warm, mineral laden river with lots of chubby European travelers.

- Getting lost in the hills on the way home, and having to ask a very ancient couple for directions. Which ended in lots of gestures, and "grazies" and general confusion.

But we made it out alive! Ah, windy hills of Tuscany. Great views but some car sickness.

The Apartment

If you are a visual person like me, you probably would like to see the apartment. It is lovely, tiny, and old. There is peeling paint and a old-lady print on the sofa, but it is ours. And it feels authentic.

By authentic I really mean:

1) We have a bidet.

2) We have a tiny Moka stovetop espresso maker, which I figured out how to use this morning. WHOA wake up coffee! Much stronger than a french press (which I heart).

3) The sound of motorinos is constant, as is the Italian ambulance wail.

4) We live three floors up from a pizza place, and our apartments neighbies are lovely Italian peeps.

5) The shower is tiny, and you had better not drop anything or you will fall out of the shower attempting to pick it up.

6) Our washing machine holds two towels OR four pairs of pants.

7) We dry our clothes on an outside clothes line. And then have to do calisthenics when we first put the jeans on, since they are as stiff as a frozen stick.

8) To light the stove, you turn on the gas - then flick matches at it until it flares up. Quite exciting.

9) The tiny loft upstairs is only big enough for Pips, or drying clothes if it is raining.

10) We can see the top of the Duomo outside.

Starting a Blog

I've started a blog for a couple of reasons.

1) My dear friend Christina told me I had to, based on the window view from the bathroom here in Italy.

2) My mom doesn't know how to use Facebook.

Which is to say, I feel bad that my mother is the last to see the pictures of all of my adventures. And I don't want to force her on Facebook b/c we are still working on "how to check the voicemail messages on your cellphone". Which has taken the last few years, and is still a work in progress.

Also, I have time on my hands as I wait for New Yorkers to wake up and email me about terrific jobs at the best CMO in the world. Thus, the blog beginnings.