You appreciate the finer things in life. You have a split personality - wild or conservative, depending on your mood. Wherever you go, you like to travel first class. Luxury, style, and fun - who could ask for more?
Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.
Thanks to Peter over at Portrait of Peter for sharing this quiz.
| Mint Green |
 Balanced and calm, you have mastered the philosophy of living well. Your friends seek you out for support, and you are able to bring stability to chaotic situations. You're very open and cheerful - and you feel like you have a lot of freedom in life. Your future may hold any number of exciting things, and you're ready for all of them! |
Shop owners first set up businesses on the Ponte in the 12th century. Rumour has it that a tax exemption on the bridge played a large role in the creation of these premises. For centuries food stores monopolized the bridge until Ferdinando I de’ Medici had Giogio Vasari construct a corridor along the top of the bridge to link the Palazzo Veccio with his home. He couldn’t stand the smell of rancid meat emanating from the butcher shops below so he thus promptly expelled all such businesses along with any businesses deemed lower-class. Goldsmiths and jewelers promptly took their places and are still prominent along the bridge today.
The far bank across the bridge is bordered by the backs of picturesque houses, their foundations lightly bathed by the river. Beautiful views are seen looking both up and down the river in part of the oldest area of town.
During the German retreat at the end of World War II, the Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge in
Love rests on no foundation.
While waiting in line at the grocery store today, I struck up a conversation with the person in front of me. Once she had paid, she grabbed her bags and left. The teller was in the midst of scanning my items when this person came back and handed me a bouquet of sunny daffodils just because. I am not quite sure how I touched her life, or if I even did, but her random act of kindness certainly touched mine. This has got me thinking how even a simple gesture, especially from a stranger can make one's day. Perhaps these small random acts of kindness won't have life altering effects of the same magnitude as in the movie "Pay it Forward," but this simple act certainly put a smile on my face. And isn't giving someone smiles and moments of happiness truly a precious gift?
From when I first set eyes upon her, I felt especially drawn to this melancholic beauty. Her wistful glance of yearning for that which never quite is in some meaningful way spoke to me as I understood that she was looking for some small measure of peace that we all seek, but never quite find. She surrounds herself with political messages which have thus far fallen on deaf ears and seek yet a captive audience. She speaks volumes in her silence. When we met again this last time in December, she seemed even more pensive as she held a snow white rose close to her heart in her barren surroundings.
Saint Anthony is apparently one of the most famous of all Catholic Saints and is often called upon to help find lost possessions, but he is also the patron saint of the poor and of travelers. Thus it seems all the more appropriate in the midst of this voyage that I stop. 
The Basilica built immediately after the death of this Franciscan monk in 1231 is large and imposing. It has a unique blend of both Romantic and Gothic elements. Inside the Basilica you can visit St Anthony's tomb. It has been said that when the vault in which his body had laid for thirty years was opened, his flesh was found reduced to dust, however, his tongue was seen to be uninjured, fresh, and of a lively red colour. St Bonaventure beholding this wonder, took the tongue affectionately in his hands and kissed it. Although no longer the red colour originally described, the tongue has been kept as a relic on display. 
The rav'ning Kite, whose traine doth well supplie
I stop at the crest of the hill to ask an elderly man for directions. The exchange is short as neither of us is quite sure what the other is saying. However, after a series of jests and pointing at the map, I'm pretty sure I am on the right track. I sneak one last peek at La Spezia before continuing on.
I can feel the coast approach, the smell of salt in the air. The forest abruptly breaks open and the sky opens up above me. Then suddenly I see it. Nestled on the coast, where steep cliffs and hills drop precipitously into the Mediterranean, is the first of the five villages. It is stunning and I take a few minutes to breathe it all in: the terraced hillsides, the vineyards, the rocky cliffs, and the colourful houses.
I continue to make my way down the mountain side until I reach the city gates. There is no car traffic in the villages and all vehicles must be parked at the entrance. The village is tiny but bustling with a flurry of activity as the locals make their way through the narrow streets, or greet each other from the front of their shops. There are few tourists at this time of year so I am a noticable oddity. The locals, however, are quick to say hello and show their wares.
When I reach the coast, I realize that I can look in both directions and see all five of the villages. It's supposed to be a nice walk from one to the next, but I only have time to take a brisk walk to the one neighbouring village on this trip. Unfortunately my time is short. I will have to come back on another trip to more throroughly explore the coast that links these five charming villages. But right now, I have a train to catch.
Cinque Terre is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.
I’d seen these mysterious walnut sized balls of tea in shops before and knew they were special, but it took some serious raving from a friend to convince me that they were worth buying. Basically, they are long green tea leaves, hand rolled and hand tied, dried with fresh jasmine flowers giving them a deliciously delicate scent.
But the magical pleasure comes when hot water is added to the ball. Almost like conjuring a trick, the ball unfolds into a spiky green starburst and a flower in the centre emerges and spontaneously comes to life and grows before your very eyes. Very clever and a joy for all the senses.
The chrysanthemum like flower that emerges is supposed to symbolize tranquility, beauty, longevity and health.
This place is of particular note because it serves the best Tiramisu in all of Italy and thus, probably in the whole world. My gracious host, the ever smiling Stephano, took painstaking care that everything was "just so." His father, the absolute spitting image of "Captain Haddock," who had just gotten home from a hunting trip in Ireland, eagerly lit the fireplace to ensure my comfort and attempted small chit chat in his broken English. 
The village was quietly serene and the scenery...well, let's just say I felt like I had stepped into a fairytale.
Jar number 1: Barbie under pressure. This jar is symbolic of women under pressure, striving for perfection. Barbie represents an unrealistic ideal of the female body image, an image that is continually reinforced through media: movies, magazines and TV. The Barbie in this jar is contorted in an unnatural fashion; just as women continually put unnatural pressures on themselves to strive towards the images and expectations that continually bombard them. The fact that Barbie is in water represents the female in today’s society always trying to keep her head above water but not always succeeding. In essence, Barbie is drowning.
Jar number 2: The masks we wear. In one sense, the items in this jar represent the ways in which women strive to be beautiful: a razor to shave leg and armpit hair; anti-aging cream to keep wrinkles at bay; foundation to create young flawless looking skin; lipstick to add colour; lacquer for the nails; tweezers to pluck those stray hairs… These are physical ways in which we try to hide our perceived flaws. However, this jar also symbolizes the masks we wear to hide our vulnerability. It is the difference between our private selves and our public selves. Each and every day with each and every person every one of us chooses what we will reveal. We create the image that we want to project.
Jar number 3: What’s super about that? Superwoman, super mom, the female executive, the domestic diva, and the sex goddess – it’s difficult to be it all. This jar illustrates the many roles the average female juggles and how we cope. The women’s liberation movement has brought about much freedom for females, but in many ways it has also created many pressures: stress and lack of time being just two. Many women work full time (represented by the money in the jar), yet working mothers still do about twice as much housework as their husbands (Morin, R. & M. Rosenfeld, 1998), (represented by the scrub rag). The condoms represent the responsibility of birth control that is often in the hands of the female. The diaper pin represents the female’s involvement in childrearing. The keys represent the running of errands, the transporting of children to various activities and the commute. How does she cope with it all? Is it the five cups of coffee? Mood altering drugs? Or the occasional headache medication?
The following pictures are of the Santa Maria del Fiore Duomo in Florence. Above the dome is visible through a narrow side street. Although I took some pictures of the whole church, it really is quite immense and a picture just does not render it justice.
The construction of this Gothic cathedral commenced in 1296 and was completed by Brunelleschi in 1436. The frescoes that cover the dome (seen above) were painted by Varsari and Zuccari. The paintings on the lower part of the dome depict the depths of hell. As you move up, you come to earth and then finally at the top the heavenly realm.
As many churches this age, there are narrow passage ways and steep stair wells. Going around this one (I no longer remember how many steps...but quite a few) left me dizzy and breathless, and not just because of the view.
Finally, the dome as seen at a lower level. This church was unique in that taking pictures of the interior was not an issue. In many of the churches, because they are considered sacred places of worship, cameras are not welcome.
