Tuesday, June 29, 2004
I'm settled now in Prato - it's pretty bloody hot and my nose is sunburnt. Yes, I had sunscreen on, but it sweated off.
The flight wasn't too bad. It certainly improved markedly once I got off Qantas and on to Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong. (The little telly in the back of the headrest really make a difference!) I only managed to catch a few hours sleep from India to Turkey, but not feeling too jet lagged. My program of pre-departure sleep adaption has worked well - and you all thought I was just sleeping in until 11!
I spent Saturday in Pisa, checking out the tower (hasn't budged in the four years of my absence) and the thronging crowds. Sunday was in Prato (about an hour from Pisa). It's a cute town, very Tuscan. Palace Hotel is a bit dodge, but okay. Certainly not four stars, as claimed. :-(
Yesteray I popped over to Florence (Firenze) and just wandered about. Went up the top of Il Duomo. The view is just amazing: windy streets, red roofs, piazzas, skyline punctuated with all manor of bell towers and domes. Inside I got a close up look at the paintings on the ceiling of the dome. Devils shoving hot-pokers up the arses of sinners is a wonderful motif for Rennaisance humanists, and they really brought the full brunt of their aesthetic sensibilities to bear on the job. The illiterate medieval peasantry couldn't help but get the message loud and clear: do what we say or else.
Fashion Observation. I always look to the chic Italian youths for a heads-up in what we'll be wearing in the near future. For the fashionistas reading, here's the skinny. Cargos are huge. I thought that was so 1999, but no. They're everywhere. Three quarter length, camouflage, heaps of zips. For the ladies, tanned is big. Very big. Some of the brownest people in the world are here. Twice yesterday I thought I was in a leather jacket shop, but it was just a piazza with stationary tanned people gawking at a monument. Very disorienting.
Lots of people doing the all-white cotton outfit thing with white belt and shoes. I think Italians have been doing this for centuries with no sign of let up. Probably helps accentuate the tan. But, white and red is very popular too (fortunately my complexion). White cinos, red top with white piping. Is that a football team or something? For the men, haircuts are getting decidely mullety. Kind of square, almost boxy hairdos with short straight fringes. No goatees or sideburns.
Sexually aggressive catchphrases on T-shirts has been de rigeur for the ladies for a while, but it seems the men are about to get in on it. Most egregious example: one young gentleman had "Fool. Fuck. Forget." emblazoned across his chest in 20 cm letters. What a charming sentiment. Strangely though, it was painfully obvious to everyone in the restaurant that he was in the very early stages of wooing his date. Why he thought that motto would help his chances I cannot understand.
Anyhow, enough reportage. I've got my DC tomorrow (that's what we're calling the doctoral consortium now, apparently) but we're having informal dinner and drinkies tonight. I'm going to go through the materials once again this arvo to make sure I've got intelligent things to say about other people's work.
Now, I'm going to find a breezy piazza and sip on a macchiato.
--- posted by Greg 8:42 PM
Friday, June 25, 2004
I miss you already, Greg.
--- posted by Marie 12:19 PM
Today is departure day. Flying via Syndey, Hong Kong and Rome I'll end up in Pisa about midday Saturday - some 36 hours from now. Got all my marking done and my presentations ready, got some plane reading ... all set to go! (Passport, tix, credit card, glasses - the rest can take care of itself.)
My German teacher has set us homework over the semester break - we have to write a page about what we did over the winter break. Hopefully I'll be able to get some help :-)
Strangely, while I'll be away less than a month (back on the 18th), my pack is just as full as when I've headed off for twice as long. I guess it's all to do with washing cycles.
Weather's looking good - 25 degrees when I get in, ramping up to 32 throughout the week.
Just to really rub it in, compare and contrast:
Ciao!
-Greg.
--- posted by Greg 9:14 AM
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Neal - I am very sorry for your loss, you have our deepest sympathies. Looking forward to seeing you and Penny on Tuesday and we can make you a coffee from our machine (heh heh).
Gerd - you make me want to spew with jealousy. Imagine being able to go to Spain for the weekend!!! As to going to Europe... you know I would absolutely love to come but I am not being flown over by Monash Uni like my dear partner... I am INCREDIBLY jealous of him and would love to go back to Berlin and see you again. Berlin is one of my favourite cities in the world. Yes, we should make plans for catching up overseas somewhere, it sounds cool....
Oh, and congratulations to Greg for getting letters in the paper two days in a row! That column in The Age can't be too far away.
Hope everyone's well
Marie
--- posted by Marie 11:30 AM
Monday, June 14, 2004
Wow a new blogging platform..
Yes it has been a long time.
I have to document this very sad day. The queens birthday will no longer be remembered the same.
I have the worst news ever!!!
The COFFEE MACHINE HAS DIED!!!!
All is not lost we have a stovetop backup.
Penny and I have been very quiet lately as we are both in a mad study mode. Looking forward to next week when it is all over.
Hopefully I won't be so slack on the blog front.
Neal
--- posted by Neal 4:04 PM
Friday, June 11, 2004
Yep, I'm looking forward to a trip in July. I hope you guys have a good time in the wilds of Spain and are looking forward to enjoying the coffee and culture in Berlin with me.*** ADV *** Just a quick plug for Rickie's new business doing geogspatial application development - creating systems to track vehicle GPS data for clients in Melbourne. That's Rickie Makin at www.makinsoftware.com
And believe me, that's just what he does!
*** ADV ***
Re: Luka-sitting. Yeah, we had a great afternoon playing and eating and visiting the park. He's such a good little fellow and a pleasure to spend time with. (That said, I was very relieved it was only a wet nappy, not a dreaded dirty one.)
-Greg.
ps. Yes, it would be good to drag the old bones around a bit before they seize up completely!
--- posted by Greg 7:51 PM
Thursday, June 10, 2004
Nothin' big from this side of the globe as well. We're headin' for Spain on the weekend to set foot on the hopefully amazing and wild Pyrenee mountains and than we have enough of the rugged "outback/bush" we'll see what the north coast has i its pockets for us. I reckon Neal or Paddy would be happy to join us. I kinda like the idea - maybe we should think about some plans for the next years, before we grow to old and can't move our bones any more.
I'm also looking forward meeting Greg in July. This time I don't even need to speak English... Where are you this time Marie?
So have a nice Summer, ähhm Winter... Sorry
Cheers Gerd
--- posted by GoatHorn 11:52 PM
Not much news from me except IT'S A LONG WEEKEND, COMING UP. I was kindly invited by my sister to see Justin Timberlake at an 'intimate' gig in St Kilda but have decided to go down to the beach instead. Sorry Justin - but I know you've got Cameron and you'll get over it.
In other news, Greg and I looked after Luka on the weekend... it's the first time we've ever looked after a baby and I think we did quite well, considering. Our KPI for the day was that he still have 75% of his limbs by the time his parents picked him up... which we managed to achieve. Phew.
Hope everyone's well
Marie
--- posted by Marie 2:23 PM
