Here's the deal. We bought an original oil painting that the artist will create from a photo of Gus. He's really good, he's done movie stars and presidents.
Gus had his photo shot last week and which one do we choose?
Doesn't he look stately? Not at all the Dorkus Doggus he usually is.
His birthday is November 3.
I was in Winthrop a couple of weeks ago and while I swept chipmunk turds off the front porch, this bird flew out from behind a light. It kept flying around my head and I screamed wildly and ran into the house; swinging the broom at it.
It would land and fly away, come back circle and land. When I realized it was a bat, I thought I'd get some pictures of it. You don't often see a bat during the day, flying in circles, attacking humans. Come to think of it, I've been feeling like attacking humans lately and that weird puncture wound won't heal......
I thought I wouldn't like it, but I was wrong. Yup, my one wrong for the year, you heard it here.
It was the annual Regatta, the historical parade of gondolas and thank god, they shut down the main canal so the tourists from World-o-Ships can't get in. So it is very few tourists and all locals.
We found a spot near the canal and watched the parade. It was about 15 minutes, but worth it.
Freakin' hot Florence. Okay, I've resumed my travel tales. I hope I can remember.
John decided he knew where the hotel was from the train station. I had the directions, so I'm not sure how he knew. An hour and a half later, I asked a policeman, a very nice policeman (but not the mounted policeman I really liked). Mr. Nice Policeman walked us to the doorstep of the hotel.
I was so pissed. John is not in charge of directions for evermore.
We had a great dinner at the local joint around the corner from the hotel and I had limoncello, big yum. We stayed at the Hotel Columbo, which was a block from the main square and very clean with a great breakfast. The shower stalls were ship-like, but what the heck.
Some pics, including the Italian Stallion:
What did you expect, David? We saw him, but unlike the Great Unwashed, actually didn't take photos because we were told not to. I did, however, touch "The Prisoners", the series of statues he was creating before he died. I know, I touched history.
Went to another gallery that was overwhelming. We saw some original Rubens, Carravagio and others, but I can't remember now, which is why we bought the books to look at later.
BTW, before we boarded the train in Naples to travel to Florence, we had hands-down, the best pizza I've ever eaten at a little cafe packed with Mafia types. It was unreal, both the lunch and the Sopranos.
