Anticipation

I am anticipating many things as of late. At this exact moment it is the fact that nobody is here to eat and it is 8:30pm. Where are all the customers? The Mille Miglia came through town today, so i spent the majority of my time this morning and afternoon looking at antique cars speeding passed me. There were some new cars also and every famous European car maker was represented from the 30s to today (BMW, Mercedes Benz, Ferrari and Audi just to name a few).

My mom, brother and Jim came to visit, conveniently using me as an excuse to make it over here. I was very happy to see them and we had a great time in Rome and then in San Quirico, visiting Pienza, Montepulciano and Florence. After, my brother and I packed up our bags and trekked to Bologna and finally Venice. We had a great time, ate great food and saw a lot of art!

Now for a little ranting... If God was ever literally present here on earth in human form, he must have been Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Looking up at the Rape of Proserpina and David was realizing that something bigger was at work in the universe. I came to truly understand that some skills are not just learned but also given to a person at birth. This was an ah, ha moment to say the least. We also saw the Sistine chapel on our tour of the Vatican (which was ironically hellish in both number of tourists and temperature... A scary realization of what i honestly picture Hell to be like). I was really looking forward to, not only seeing and taking in these great works of art, but also using my other senses to get a full albeit naive effect of what Michelangelo might have experienced while painting. At first I was disappointed and surprised at the stench of body odor pouring through the halls but I decided that this is what he must have smelled way back then. He was lying on his back for hours in a chapel without air-conditioning, painting with relentless intensity and intricacy over every detail in that chapel. No wall left untouched and no color, imperfect. This was his masterpiece and I am glad that I could smell what he had to have smelled in that room.

And to end... I am also anticipating the arrival of my girlfriend, Lia, here to Italy on next Tuesday. Somehow I convinced her to come visit and stay a little while to help out Lorenza. We are excited to see what life here has in store and I am happy to experience it with her. Life can not get much better right now (I immediately realize how annoying and cliche that is but I am not sure I am in the mindset to care).