Vagabond Artist

Florence, So much to do. I love my new apt even if it is filthy and I am scrubbing the terracotta tiles individually with VIM a comet-like powder bleach. Alot of elbow grease and they change from a wicked black to a vivid red, the warm color of the baked earth from Impruneta. Luckily there are no mosquitos to I can really enjoy the terrace. The other people whose windows look on to the terrace are calm enough, some TV and talking but quiet at night.

My house is so close to the central market that i can walk out the door and do the shopping and be back up the 54 stairs in 1/2 hour. Via San Gallo is a new area to me. It is fun to discover a new place in a city so small where I lived for 21 years. It is less touristy on this end of Via San Gallo.

A few nights ago i wanted to go the the oldest vegetarian restaurant on via delle Ruote but it was closed so I walked across the street to a wine bar, VinOlio, and had a super duck breast cooked with a honey mustard sauce and mashed potatoes, I love mashed potatoes. Then for dessert a mousse of Ricotta. It was so delicious.

Today is the first time that I have been able to look at a computer since I arrived a week ago, not to mention the week before I came, so much to do its nuts.

Luckily I have my banged up but trusty "chocolate" bike (it is brown) for cruising around the bumpy streets of Florence. When I painted my second hand, perhaps seventh hand bike the color brown, everyone said yuck. I looked at it and said, "It looks like milk chocolate to me." So then two of my friends painted theirs brown too.

today i go to Murlo to see a friend and tomorrow go to Arezzo to spend the weekend of Fattoria Tabarrino the home of the most important Jack Russells in Italy. It's great to be "on vacation" in Florence in September. The sun is shining and the light is limpid. So much to do.