Mar 19 03:20 pm
Outside of my room window there is some scaffolding. It has become my own personal terrace. I sit on my window sill eating my dinner, some panini and vino from a local market, while people pass on the street underneath and street musicians practice and plan for the night's events.

My hotel room sits on the outskirts of the tourist area of Florence. It lies on the via Faenza, a small street resembing an alley. This allows me an interesting glimpse into the city's culture this night. Some chubby american girls in their sweaters, jeans and sneakers walk by singing -Im too sexy- as their ponytails swing from side to side. A local walks by chatting with a friend while her dog wanders in front sniffing the sidewalk. I am an invisible observer one floor up.

My bottle of chianti is now half gone and i can hear the musicians from within the restaurant next door. It seems like a good time for a stroll and some cigarettes ....

Mar 19 10:32 am
I am now in Florence. I decided to take a chance and venture out on my own. I have a hotel that is about a 10 minute walk from the Duomo.

Florence is a vibrant city. There is a high concentration of students and protesters. My sisters boyfriend, caleb, informed me that there is also a large communist contingent, kind of different for a cuban kid from miami. it will be interesting to see how things play out today and tomorrow. there is a definite tension in the air and several protest have been arranged. there a banners littered everywhere. i mistakenly stumbled onto the university of florence and encountered a scene unlike any i have ever witnessed. the student population is extremely active. i took some pictures for good measure, but was unsure about heading onto the campus ... maybe tomorrow i'll work up the nerve.

i also took the time and visited l' academia. The david is magnificent, but all the years of wear, tear and mistreatment have left a a noticeable mark. they also do not allow pictures to be taken ... which is kind of crazy as it is not a painting and subject to the same effects of flash photography. i tried to sneak some shots in, but i didn't have my camera and the kick ass Nikon i borrowed from caleb is quite complex to work. i'll go for now, as it is still early here and i need to get some more walking in ...

Mar 18 12:50 pm
As the rumours of war materialize, i went to a bar and got drunk on wine, beer and absinthe ....

Mar 18 12:48 pm
First coming into prominence in the 13th century, Sienna was fashioned into a european metropolis. Becoming a threat to Florence, the Fiorentines catapulted feces over her wall in hopes of triggering the plague. Unfortunately, they failed. Outside of the one nice lady at the hotel counter, this city continues to reek of the feces once thrust over its walls.

The city rivals Rome in the amount of tourist in the local to tourist ratio. It does lack the elder tourist as the city is made up of a tremendous amount of steep ascends and sloping descends. The city is comprised of a younger tourist and foreign student population that love to party, which may be the root of the locals ire, but given the lack of any significant works of art, they should be more caring.

Sienna simply did not pan out. We found what appears to be one of the best restaurant secrets in Italy, Osteria la Chacchera. The prices are beyond reasonable. The smells were enticing. The ambiance appeared extraordinary, but they had two tables and were booked solid through the night. I would only return to this wretched city if I had a reservation for this promising nugget floating in the brown ocean of Sienna. I wonder is Sienna is italian for shit.

Luckily, the rest of the trip to the region famed for its wine was much more positive.

San Gimignano, as previously mentioned, offered vistas that rival anything i have ever encountered.

Montalcino, famous for its Brunello di Montalcino, italys finest red, offered cold weather but warm spirits. The city sits 54km above sea level and gusting winds exagerate the cold. It was so cold the townspeople didnt dare venture onto the streets for extended periods. While not hiding from the cold in the duomo, we ventured into a small restaurant, Les Barriques Here we encvountered some of the best service and excellent food. We feasted on Polenta, a type of cornmeal, with ground wild boar and another plate with ground pheasant. The water and wine were incredible.

We did not remain too long as the weather was not condusive to extensive touring. Before leaving, we went into a small wine shop and hotel that sold some esquisite brunello. The wine sold in most enoteques, or wine shops, was a bit on the expensive side, compared to the prices in other regions. But this little shop offered such great service i bought a couple of bottles and started my wine collection.

Mar 15 05:45 pm
I'm sitting in an Internet cafe in Sienna. I'll be brief as it's late and they lock you out of hotels here, curfews. Today we visited San Gimignano. It is a city known for its many towers, a pair of which the old twin towers in New York had been modeled after. The place had the most incredible vistas of the Italian countryside. Absolutely unbelievable. Caleb, my sister's boyfriend and a fulbright painter here, absolutely loved the vistas ... i think that says something. I also visited the city's museum of tortures. i had actually heard of the musem, but was unaware it was in San gimignano. That was interesting to say the least. The city itself is okay; the drive to the city and the views from this moutaintop city are simply breathtaking.

I also found the place i want to one day live, Lucca. It is an city that still has all of its medeival wall. It is extremely clean and just got me somehow. Other cities have done other things, but Lucca just got me. It's diverse collection of works in it's various duomos is incredible and it is the only place i have seen health conscious italians; they jog on top of the wall the surrrounds the city. The views from this walkway rival anything i hve seen, outside of those in san Gimignano.

Tomorrow we are visiting Montalcino, a small town an hour from here which contains a couple of vineyards producing the regions famed Brunello di Motalcino. it is supposed to produce some of the best wine in the world ... i'll drunk you later ... i mean ... yeah!

Mar 14 06:32 am
The screeching and howling of the streets of Rome have been replaced with the quiet of a small mountain town. Seravezza is nestled in a valley amongst mountains filled with marble quaries. The city has been home to artist, particularly sculptors, for centuries. The Medici had a villa in the town, which still remains, and Michaelangelo used stone from this area for such masterpieces as the David.

Geographically Seravezza is located near the town of Pietra Santa, another town known for it s large collection of artist and marble, and Viareggio, a popular beach town on the Tuscan coast. Pietra Santa is home to the studios of such world renowed scupltors as Botero and Henri Moore. Just moments ago I strolled through the library's garden and was priveleged to a small exhibition of recent works by some other incredible sculptors who presently reside in the area. I took some pictures that i will post upon my return.

I will write more later, but now i must catch the train to Lucca, a city that remains completely walled.

..... oh, they play some dirty ghetto New Orleans blues in some of the bars ... i love it!

Mar 11 04:37 am
Rome is a catalyst. It is a city enshrined with the relics of antiquity amidst a chaos fo swarming mopeds and creeching cars travelling on ancient cobblestone. She is held together by fresh coats of graffitti that have been scrawled on ancient walls for centuries.

\"potere al popolo\"

My first full day has seen a beauty which I cheapen with expression. I have seen and understand the genius of MichaelAngelo to a degree i could not have imagined just two days ago. Sitting with my sister contemplating life and art in the Cistine Chapel until they politely escorted us out at closing is one of the most special moments I think I shall ever experience.

The environment is especially interesting given the current political climate. Everwhere the screams for peace, or "pace," are strewn on flags of all sizes and bearing a rainbow of colors.

Standing in St. Peters and marveling with mouth agape at my surroundings, I see the power of thought manifest and promoted by man. Although many tribulations were endured, the marvels of that spirit remain. It's no longer about belief systems or doctrines; it is about the spirit of man and imagination.

Given my normal guerilla style touristic stylings, I felt ashamed. I simply wanted to partake of the beauty that lies in the spirit and is pure. That has no name or special interest. It is the friendly smile a stranger on a sidewalk returns.

Mar 08 08:05 pm
as sit one last time before the greatest of adventures, my mind wanders. I wonder about a troubled time in a troubled region. it appears I leap into pearly fangs and the world grimaces; rumors steal. as I ponder the unknown, I remember the words of that great, respected 20th century American orator, Rodney king … why can’t we all just get along. sweet adieu my gentle and caring readers … oops, I mean ‘ciao bella’

next time it shall be from italia