The Art Of Not Asking Why

Being home is good. I missed my corner, my writing, and my tech. But I also miss the breakfast at the wonderful bakery down the street or going down Via Romana, where the pigeons bathe in the sunlight on the shutters 📷.

I returned with a nasty cold (negative for COVID for now) which I think I got on the airplane. My nose was constantly flowing, to the point I had to plug my nostrils with tissues. Afrin was able to cut it down to “normal bad allergy” levels.

This morning, feeling much better, I drank my cappuccino (slightly sweetened like in Italy) and wrote down my thoughts in my notebook. It will take a while before I’m “fully” back, but I was happy to feel excited about what’s ahead. Florence is beautiful, and some areas around it look like they’re taken directly from a movie set. The wine was amazing, yet cheap and simple. I think I’m forever spoiled. The bakeries with excellent pastries for breakfast make my mouth water. The key, besides the freshness, was less sugar.

Now I plan on taking a nap (I am back to sleeping 5 hours a night), and then continue some more of my projects.

Copenhagen also has public bathrooms on main streets and plazas, food boxes made from pure cardboard that flattens to a tray as soon as you open the cover, and dedicated bicycle lanes (with hundreds of cycles, more than cars) everywhere you go. But the thing that impressed me the most was the lack of something.

Crossing a main bridge to the heart of town, we passed over the main waterway in the middle of the capital. The air was clean and cold and we realized we don’t smell the water. The smell I grew up used to in the city and everywhere in the world was simply not there. Shocking. 📷

We’re heading home through Copenhagen. We have a connecting flight back to NYC tomorrow.

Walking around, we encountered weird metal stripes on the pavement; they reminded me of Braille. It occurred to me that’s what they are: a guide for visually impaired people who use a walking stick. Genius. 📷

We’re leaving Firenze tomorrow, and I think this is a good picture to capture a moment that will stay with me. Peace, flowers, hills of green. 📷

This was taken in one of the local wineries.

The wine tour turned out better than I expected. Small intimate group, fun guide, and the best part was that I was able to handle my wine well.

In the picture - barrels of Merlot from a cellar of an independent local winery.

Also pictured - the winery’s friendly cat was saying hi to us 📷

Finally, a relaxed day in Florence. I went on a walk and captured more of the essence of the place.

There are many small shops and bars, like this one. Whenever possible I avoided the crowds. 📷

Rome is… Like New York. Similar grunge with millennia old structures scattered about.

We skipped the big ones. We’re not big for crowds.

With extra time to kill, we went to a video game museum instead. Playing old arcade games for free…? Worth it. 📷