mike-theworldofmike.blogspot.com
The World of Mike: So, what makes them so smart?
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The World of Mike. Thursday, June 14, 2007. So, what makes them so smart? Okay, so I'm fascinated with cars. Always have been. And I know, in the U.S., we like our cars bigger, better, faster. But, these little cars are everywhere underfoot in Italy. The Smart car seems to be an answer to some of the crowding on the streets of Europe, and they are everywhere here. Little more than a two-seat car with a motor somewhere on it, they come in all sorts of flavors. Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom). So, what ...
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The World of Mike: Scooterista!
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The World of Mike. Friday, June 8, 2007. Yeah, I'm kinda in two-wheeled heaven. I've been watching these people and their scooters, and I'm telling you, it's a different environment. For one is their riding style. Most where open-faced helmets, and I'm presuming it's to allow you the ability to smoke. Or talk on the cell phone. I actually saw a guy today talking on a cell phone with one hand and adjusting his helmet with the other. The only thing missing was the cigarette. June 8, 2007 at 11:14 PM. Conwa...
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The World of Mike: To market, to market
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The World of Mike. Friday, June 8, 2007. To market, to market. I finally got my lazy butt out of bed to run along the Arno River. Holy cow, it was beautiful. The sun was just rising, highlighting a chapel across the river which was reflected in the water. With the streets free of tourists, Italian shop keepers were busily readying for their day, sweeping, primping, giving the American weird looks as he plodded by. No photos while running. One morning will be dedicated to rising early just for photos.
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The World of Mike: Rome in the morning
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The World of Mike. Wednesday, June 13, 2007. Rome in the morning. This morning's tour took us to the Roman Forum, the Colliseum and the Pantheon, as well as seeing several sites by bus. The first stop on the tour was the Capitoline Hill, which is now a museum. It is perched on one of the seven hills that ancient Rome was built atop, and is quite beautiful. A pair of statues greet you on either side, and I swore that one of them was text messaging someone. Lots of tourists surrounded the place, and we wer...
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The World of Mike: Our hotel
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The World of Mike. Tuesday, June 5, 2007. In the words of my friend Kurt, uh, yeah, it rocks. Our hotel, Ca' Segrado, is located on the Grand Canal that winds its way through Venice. Its window overlooks the canal, with a courtyard separating us from the adjacent inn. You can sit on the windowsill watching gondolas, water taxis and all manner of craft slowly floating down the canal. It's been great so far! We have a gondola ride planned this evening, and dinner somewhere on our own. Does your wife know?
mike-theworldofmike.blogspot.com
The World of Mike: Gondola ride
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The World of Mike. Wednesday, June 6, 2007. So we did the ultimate touristy thing in Venice last night. We rode a gondola. It was actually a lot of fun, because even though it was a "touristy" thing to do, we got to go down some smaller, more out of the way canals, and get more of a glimpse of what life is like for a resident of Venice. Window flower boxes, laundry hanging from windows drying, and dogs sleeping on boats tied to nearby apartments were the norm on the backstreets. The last couple of days.
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The World of Mike: Finding a gold mine
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The World of Mike. Saturday, June 9, 2007. Finding a gold mine. Today may have been Crystal's favorite day in Florence. We had nothing on the agenda, and while I had planned on getting up early to once again view the sunrise, we slept in until around 9:30 and hit the streets around 11. We found a great pastry shop down the street where I had a chocolate filled bigne and the best caffe' americano I've had since I was here. I'll be back. It involved some pretty steep hikes, but once we reached the top of t...
mike-theworldofmike.blogspot.com
The World of Mike: Best Italian meal evar!
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The World of Mike. Wednesday, June 6, 2007. Best Italian meal evar! Or, at least that we've had so far. Typical Italian meals last from two to four hours. It is served in several courses over that time, starting with an apetizer (antipasto), a couple of main courses, desert, coffee, etc. We were taken downstairs in the restaurant, which wound around through wine cellars until we found our places. The meal was incredible, to say the least. Fortunately, I was stuffed enough that I didn't have to do that.
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The World of Mike: And so it begins!
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The World of Mike. Tuesday, June 5, 2007. And so it begins! Finally, we're here! It's been somewhat troublesome for me to post, which is why this entry is a little late. Our internet service at the hotel is not working, and I forgot a card reader, which made it a little difficult to get images from the camera. With the purchase of a card reader (12 euros for you, not 15, senora) and the discovery of a nearby internet cafe, we're back in bidness. June 5, 2007 at 8:47 AM. Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom).
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The World of Mike: Settling in
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The World of Mike. Wednesday, June 6, 2007. Another nice hotel stay in a beautiful Italian town. The Hotel Executive is a block away from the Arno River, and a 10 minute walk from the Ponte Vecchio Bridge, a bustling place with merchants selling all types of Italian knock-offs. Get caught with one of those, and you get busted along with the person selling the stuff. Too bad one of you can't be with us, eh? Hey Mike- Love the photos! June 6, 2007 at 9:11 PM. We noticed a lot of the Italian buildings leane...
