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Our last day – PAR TOT!

mike — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:34:23 +0000

On our last day in Italy we unexpectedly found ourselves in the middle of a huge event called “Par Tot” (meaning “For All”). I had a great vantage point standing on the edge of the Neptune fountain, joined by our friend Patrick from MN. It was a city wide event of costumes, music, dancing, floats, jugglers, stilt walkers, and… you name it!

They began forming up in Piazza Marjorie mid-afternoon and started down the street for a mile long parade a few hours later, ending up in a park for after dark activities.

What a fantastic way to end our stay in Italy, and it would be worth a return trip just for this event!

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Bologna Day 5

mike — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:01:19 +0000

What’s left to do? Ah, the Museum of Medieval History. Most museums we are accustomed to feature collections gathered from around the world, typical of an era or a people. But in Bologna, the collections are of local history. Bologna is unique in that, while other cities exalt rich men with massive tombs, the Bolognese exalt the scholar. We saw many tombs of many dead scholars. Another sweltering day, so Liz’s little handheld fan came in very handy. However, the Bolognese museum guards tail-gated much more closely after hearing its hum and seeing something in Liz’s hand. In the afternoon, Charlie and Jane arrived after a long drive. We took them on a high-speed tour of the archeology museum and the anatomical theater (Liz and Mike’s Greatest Hits Tour), and then for cocktails at Rosa Rose. Dinner at Ciro’s Pizzeria, followed by a moonlit stroll in the Piazza Maggiore.

That’s all for now – more in a few days when we get home. Including some great video of street performances in the the plazza!

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Bologna Day 4

mike — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:28:41 +0000

Awoke late today. Despite the best efforts of our most hard-working maid, our room is starting to smell funny. Heat. Bananas. Cheese. Bad combo. But it’s raining, which is lovely. A cool drizzle. The Italians are freezing. We are loving it. After breakfast, we spent hours and hours at the Archeological Museum, an amazing collectionof antiquities dating back to the Etruscan era. (Who imagined the Estruscans were so tall?) Giovanni, an extremely helpful museum guard, translated many exhibits for us. (He was the child the teacher used to call on all the time. “What’s the capital of Illinois?” He knew the answer, and now look what he does for a living!) An amazing collection of Etruscan artifacts (until the Gauls came and had to wreck it for everybody), as well as Roman, Greek, and Egyptian treasure. Lunch at McDonald’s (why not?), a bit of window shopping, and then a tour of Bascilica di San Petronio, the massive church that anchors one end of Piazza Maggiore. Construction began in 1390 and ended in the 17th century, yet it was never completed. It contains the largest interior sundial on earth, constructed by the astronomer Cassini. A short stop at the Neputune Fountain so Mike could take a million pictures. Then, a tour of the library, which contains underground Roman ruins visible through glass and cool Italian chairs.

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Bologna Day 3

mike — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:41:36 +0000

Got an early start today, and discovered a whole area of town not seen before, just outside our hotel. Toy shop, meat shop, restaurant, bunch of cops standing around waiting for trouble that never happens. First stop — The Basilica of San Francesco, built in 1237. Outside are the Tombs of the Glossarists — airborne catacombs for teachers of Roman law. Then on to the flower mart, and the Trambus Open. One all-day pass buys you “hop on, hop off” privileges, and a Bologna-wide tour. We opted to “hop off” in the middle of nowhere, but got a great panoramic view of the city skyline in the bargain, followed by a long slog in the heat. Back to the room for exhausted napping. It it so very, very hot. Molto caldo. But the Italians don’t seem to sweat. The men wear long-sleeved shirts with ties and jackets. Evening was devoted to shopping. Found a small wind-up surfer for Conner, an Opinel for Mike (nifty folding knife) and a purse-size fan for Liz, who has taken to pointing it at sweating waiters and waitresses, who seem grateful, or at least not too annoyed. Dinner at Cafe du Midi Restaurant and Pizzeria at Via Porto Novo. Home for a shower and a long, drained sleep.

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Bologna Day 2

mike — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:11:48 +0000

An earlier start today, as we have learned that everything closes at 1, and that by 1 we will be exhausted and sweaty and will need to go back to the hotel to dry out. A creepy mime greets us in the Piazza, a small part of the endless activity there. We see a Ferrari parked in a no-parking zone (even the manniquins stare), then schlep across town to the Museum of Anatomical History for a look at the way medicine used to be taught (apparently if you were a good student, you could get your name and family crest on a plaque that would still be there hundreds of years later. Take note, Kelly). Outside the Museum is a statue of Galvani, the fellow who figured out that if you shocked frog legs with electricity, you could make them jump. We’re guessing he also figured out how to galvanize stuff, since his name is the same. Mike was pretty thrilled by this.

Further schelpping takes us to the Botanical Gardens at the University of Bologna — oldest University in the world. The gardens seem hot and depressed. Liz thought hers was the Garden of Tough Love (”if you can survive in my garden, you can stay”) but clearly, Bologna is the real Garden of Tough Love.

On the walk home, we see a burned-up car and 5 incinerated motorcycles, to add to our collection of Unexplained But Interesting.

After our daily nap and escape from the heat, we emerge to find food. After a lovely al fresco meal of Ravioli with Butter and Sage (ravioli con burro e salvia) and tortellini with prosciutto and cream sauce, a stop at Piazza Maggiore gives us a wireless connection. We find 3 chairs (priceless) and sit for a moment, but then are tossed out. “Chiuso!” So we sit on the warm pavement to upload photos and send email messages home. Liz is accompanied by a fellow emailer, who appears to be both a mime and a Ryan Air employee. Possible? A Mime/Pilot? Think about it, Nick….

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Bologna Revisited – Day 1

mike — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:06:05 +0000

We left Minneapolis at 3:25ish, after a slight delay due to an Indian woman’s anxiety attack. After her husband’s pleas for either a roomier seat or anxiety drugs were rubuffed, they left, and the baggage handlers had to rummage through and “deplane” their bags. Arrived Amsterdam 11 p.m. Minneapolis time/7 a.m. Amsterdam time. Arrived Bologna 11:30 a.m. We took the autobus, which would not stop to let us off at the hotel, to the train station where we promptly caught a cab to go back to Albergo Panorama. We slept for a few hours — heaven. hot. swallows whistling relentlessly outside the window. Then our first stroll through Bologna, and a stop for pizza and vino at Ciro Pizzeria. On to Piazza Maggiore for people-watching and the only breeze in the city. Everyone is out, always. Despite the heat, the women wear fashionable boots and skinny jeans.

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Lady Bird Johnson Wild Flower Garden

mike — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 01:23:47 +0000

A lovely day at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Garden in Austin, Texas, begins with breakfast/brunch/lunch at Whole Foods, a nice cuppa java from Starbucks, and a short ride across town. The Wildflower Gardens are ripe with promise. Coming back in another two weeks, we’re sure, would reveal a whole new assortment of plants in bloom. Lovely hardscape, engaging stone towers with circular staircases that lead to overlooks, and a clever arrangement of rain-capturing eaves and troughs, all leading down, down, down to water features and turtles. Lovely.

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Visting Austin, Tx

mike — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 02:17:18 +0000

Saturday, March 14. We strike out for Austin, and make our way to the University of Texas. There, we see the history museum (but don’t go inside), the capitol building (but only from a distance), and the Blanton Museum of Art. We view the modern/contemporary art section of the permanent collection, speed past the antiquities, and spend a luxurious amount of time viewing Birth of Cool, an exhibit focused on mid-century design, culture, furniture, and music. Much time spent watching a small girl spin wildly in an Eames chair. Our favorite? “Stacked Waters,” the acrylic installation by Teresita Fernandez. Beautiful, restful, makes you want to stand in the atrium forever.

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Christmas 2008

mike — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 01:39:28 +0000

The holiday activities were non-stop, end-to-end events with family arriving from Texas, Arizona, Colorado and Iowa. It all began with cookie baking at Liz’s, then a beautiful event Christmas eve at the home of Carla and Les with their clan, and Christmas day at home with the kids and Conner. Friday we took Conner, Lindsay, Nick, and Austin to visit Jeanne and Tony and spread some holiday cheer. Then Saturday, off to Brainerd for the other side of the family. Curt and Rene treated us all to a party and sleigh ride with all the aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. Wow! What a great time. Next off to the homestead for a big feast and gift exchange.

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Nick drops into town

mike — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:24:38 +0000

Nick was on his way through the other day and we got a chance to say hello and get a quick tour of his new ride. It’s a very fine, fast bird and he has already crisscrossed the continent (which makes it a little easier leaving the big bird behind).
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