So this is from the second party of our new year’s. We had a couple friends over earlier in the evening, and those pictures may or may not be on the other camera, but I downloaded these first. The friends party was over and we were supposed to be getting in bed because there was a morning plane to Albuquerque that we were supposed to be on, and the whole week of adventure after that.
Instead, when Sophie texted our neighbor to wish them a happy new year, they said, we’re having a party, come over. So we did. There was a fire outside and karaoke inside, along with a bunch of potluck dishes, and punch that was mostly booze with sugar to cover it up. It was actually really nice to get to hang out, even though we paid for it the next day.
These are in black and white and still a bit motion blurred, in case you’re wondering, because my little pocket camera was at ISO 8000 and shutter speeds were in the 1/4 to 1/2 second range. I’m good at hand-holding but I can’t make the world be still.
Posted on 2023-02-03T00:17:12Z GMT
this wasn’t the last day of the trip, but it was the last day I was out and about; I tested positive for covid on returning to our room that night and so spent the rest of the trip isolating. I went to Boboli Gardens on the recommendation of someone from the Tabs supporters’ discord server, and it was a great place to spend an afternoon. In hindsight, choosing to be outside all day, and not close to anyone (no crowds), was a good call.
I feel like I could narrate the whole experience, but I also feel like it’s mostly here in the photos? Sometimes it’s nice to just let them do the talking.
one thing I will note, a lot of these obelisks had these little turtles at the base, holding them up. No idea what the symbolism is there, although I do remember the ‘turtles all the way down’ anecdote from Stephen Hawking, and of course discworld’s turtles.
And that’s it for the vacation photos, at least for that trip. A bunch of other things have happened since then, don’t worry. The posting will continue.
Posted on 2023-01-31T09:31:03Z GMT
The first day we had to spend in florence, as opposed to just stopping to sleep there before rushing onward to Sardinia, was kind of a slow start. I was alone, because Sophie had caught some kind of bug and stayed in the hotel to rest. 7 days of raving was bound to catch up to us. I felt fine, so I went out walking. Brought her back some breakfast, and then continued on my way.
I wandered around and took bad photos of narrow streets in deep shadow close to our bnb. Got myself some breakfast, coffee and a croissant in a little cafe that was arty and pretentious in a way they never seem to be here any more; local art on the walls, a few benches and simple concrete tables. Very good coffee, like everywhere that served espresso in Italy. I sat in the little cafe and tried to make a plan for the day, a plan which I mostly threw out the window. The second cappuccino finally got my brain into gear and I was off, ready to actually move and groove. See the sights, take some photos.
I started by walking towards the Duomo, ate a really good ham sandwich at a place down the street from the place everyone was in line for, and just generally wandered in that area for a bit. Lot of high end shops, expensive watches and jewelry, fashion houses that have an outpost in Florence, that sort of thing. I was not in a mood to shop, not particularly, but the people watching is always pretty good in these areas.
Did I do anything else of note that day? Wandered, bought groceries, went back to our airbnb, which was right by the main train station. Sophie wasn’t feeling well still, and a test confirmed: it was COVID. There was a couch in our room, so I slept there and tried to isolate. I’d also gotten my bivalve booster a couple weeks before, so thought I might be safe. Turns out I was just a couple days behind her.
The long essay (about how long it takes to build something) is coming. It currently has that problem that a lot of my anecdotes have, in that it doesn’t have a neat ending. My friend Alex used to say, when I’d tell a story like that, that I should end it with ‘then I found five dollars,’ so people a) know it’s over and b) think there was a point to my meandering. The point really is just the meandering, though, and nothing else. Once, I did find $5 in the street, and sent him a picture of it. I think I laughed about that for a whole day.
Posted on 2023-01-27T08:43:27Z GMT
