I am very drawn to arch shapes. And windows, doors and jaali/mashrabiya. Anything that compels you to look through, pass through. I mull over art that needs to flow out of my fingers with plays on these. So many ideas.
But did you run in nice stylish shoes?!
This reminds me of the time we merely asked the price of something in Thailand. Ended with a very angry seller. We didn't even want to buy. We didn't want to negotiate. We just wondered the cost. Curious. That was it. I learned to never ask about price ever again if you are not interested in the product. Felt terrible for misleading the man but he didn't have to get so mad!
Jerry's stories of Italy procedures, processes and inefficiencies are making my blood pressure rise, and all I'm doing is sitting on a sofa in the very consumer-comfy USA! So funny not funny. As tourists there, we got no glimpse of any of this. Except one thing. I share the story. Driving was sweat-inducing because of those darn gray speed camera boxes!! We kept our eyes peeled for them but when we got home, we got a bill from the Italian govt and apparently, we missed many boxes. I couldn't believe it. Unless, those boxes were gauging our speed before we even got the boxes in sight. Is this possible. Before I sound like a dangerous driver 1) we had to drive fast because everyone else was! 2) I worked in traffic safety for decades and don't want to speed, would rather not, and the few times I got tickets in the US I knew I was wrong, paid the price and changed my behavior. But that's not the story. Here it is: We drove from Greve-in-Chianti up to Florence, approaching from the south. There's a street, I think it might be the first street where you can turn right into the heavy tourist parking areas after approaching from the south. It has a bus lane. Apparently, there's a box to detect unsuspecting non-Italian-speaking tourists who drive in the bus lane. (At least, it was there 13 years ago when this happened.) The box tickets you as soon as you enter the block with the bus lane. Then there's another box at the opposite end of the block that tickets you before you leave the bus lane. TWO tickets. Both expensive. You WILL get two tickets because you can't go anywhere but pass the second box. Thankfully the credit card we used for the rental car expired shortly after our trip. The govt was unable to charge the card. We received the tickets and bill here at home in the US. Stupidly, maybe, I entered the number on the ticket online, to see where the heck we were caught. Now the Italian govt knew I received the tickets. I was gobsmacked to see the two boxes in the same block when you had no chance to go anywhere! Yes I agree it was wrong to drive in a bus lane. Why not put signs in several languages if the bus lane is so important?! I recall zero obvious markings that the lane was for buses. Living near large cities my whole life, I know they clearly mark bus lanes. I visited some Tuscany travel forums to get the scoop on these darn boxes and the ticketing procedures. It just seems like a scam. We did not pay the tickets. Hope I'm not on a list somewhere in Italy for the next time we visit! LOL. Or next time we'll use my husband's name!
Kylie should warn her viewers: Come to Italy and the chicken coop and pigsty, but set extra budget for the traffic tickets! Or cancel your credit card shortly after visiting, after all legitimate purchases have been paid and deserving store and restaurant owners compensated!
Some of these people make an unbelievable amount of money! People have no idea.