la bicicletta e la collina

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),
I must admit that I really enjoy living out in the country, even if I prefer easy access to the city. It is so beautiful living in the hills, with views of distant snow-capped mountains. This is Tuscany. However, I have not yet made friends with my local collina (hill). I do love her when I leave the house. The way to go anywhere is basically … down. But after a long day or a fun evening out, she presents the opposite side of her coin and I find it difficult to ride my bike UP her lovely lines.

When I was a child of about 12, I think, I remember the very first day that I ate an entire Big Mac burger. I also remember another day in which I finished the entire can of pop (‘Soda’ or ‘Coke’ to some people). I felt SO proud! We often remember our “firsts.” And so I am looking forward to my new challenge of this collina. Unlike a Big Mac or a soda pop, this hill will make me a stronger and healthier person for tackling her!

The first image here is one of the lovely scenes I get to view on my way home. The second is a picture of my bike -- a gift from a friend. I took the image of my bike on Christmas morning and you may see one bag of artwork going with me on the ground beside the bike rack. I parked there and rode the Tramvia to get to the train station since I went to visit a friend in another city for the holiday.

And on another topic. I am fairly convinced that today was the second time I was way overcharged for something because I am not yet a savvy foreigner. In a small mercato, I bought two lemons (well, actually, one lemon and one small citron [cedra in Italian], a lemon-like fruit that is used to make the famous limoncello liquor down on the Amalfi Coast of Italy). I was charged 1.50 euros! [That is currently about $1.93.] I thought the price high, especially after he asked me if the price was ok (and I was remembering one half of that illustration by Norman Rockwell in which the merchant has one finger pushing down on the scale, see below). All doubt was removed when a woman nearby remarked, “Buon prezzo!” (A good price!) I was pretty sure that was sarcasm and a joke between them. None of the other customers heard this sort of comment.

The other time I thought I overpaid was when I purchased a new bike pump recently for 20 euros. I felt that was way too much, but since I had previously tried the two pumps that were in my current home without success; the woman at the bike shop had just put air on both tires for free; and I wanted no problems during the holidays when I suspected that the stores might be more difficult to access, I paid it. Besides, I am not in a habit of arguing about something when I really do not know the facts. And in a free market, there is the reality that something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Enjoy the Rockwell!

Positive Bicycling in Florence Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

After yesterday’s post you may have wondered why I would not do without my bicycle in Florence, given a choice. So, I thought I would include today some of my favorite positive images of bicycles in Florence.



I do love the way people use their bici. I enjoy the businessmen with their briefcases strapped to the rack over the back tire, or more often over the front. Mothers who can put one child in front of the handlebars, while another baby sits behind the driver impress me (see image of the yellow bike). I have also seen a combination of the two – a businessman traveling with his briefcase AND his child on the bicycle.



And I love the stylin’ ladies. Great clothes in all colors and styles – and those Italian spiked shoes on a bike – Mamma Mia!

I enjoy seeing the little kid bikes and I like being able to travel faster than I can on foot. I also cherish how much STUFF I can carry with my bike. Most of all, I love the way friends ride together on the same bike. It is carefree and charming.

The Perils of Bike Riding in Florence Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

If you have dropped in on this blog often enough, you will know that I love having the use of my friend Hafiza’s bicycle while I am living here in Florence, Italy. However, there are times . . .

As a pedestrian I must confess that I prefer to walk in the streets of central Florence. Maybe it is because the center of the strada is the most open space between Medieval stone buildings. Maybe there are fewer obstacles for a more carefree and daydreaming way of walking. Or it could be that the sidewalks tend to have little doggy (and sometimes people) “landmines” decorating them.

But as a bicyclist, I often feel frustrated at having to share the road with oblivious pedestrians. I mean – I MUST use the street, right? Some days are truly an obstacle course, and dangerous because people seem to change their minds about their courses or are suddenly attracted to some store window and turn right in front of another person.

Then there are the times in which a car stalls on these narrow streets – or wishes to parallel park and time stands still while horns honk away. (Do all city people lay on the noise so easily? Ouch!) THEN I do ride or walk my bike on the sidewalk.

In central Florence, car access is limited. The postal carriers all use yellow bikes with matching outfits, as seen in my snapshot here. Along the Arno River, the main Viale (the big road that follows the long extinct wall around Florence), and outskirts of centro, there are bike paths along the roads or on parts of the sidewalk. They are painted red with an occasional white bike icon marking the space. I have taken a few images of times when I was blocked from the road made for me (the cyclist) by cars parking rather blatantly in this space. Hmmmm.



Then there are the parking issues and thriving bike theft businesses. Any bicycle left in the same spot for more than about two days is destined for trouble, if it is still there at all once the owner returns. Florence does not have enough bike racks. And pedestrians take ownership of their sidewalks by doing such forgiving acts as slashing tires of bikes parked on a sidewalk and, in my case one time, picking up the entire locked bicycle and placing it on top of a trash bin. How do you like how one cyclist solved his parking problem? I took this image behind the Church of Santo Spirito.



This last image was taken after a friend told me about a nearby street that had fallen victim to an arsonist who had been vandalizing Florence in May of 2008. He was caught.


But I must admit that I had my most unpleasant biking experience last week. Wednesday night on my way to my friend Skye's flat for dinner, I was riding my bike near the Pitti Palace when a woman opened her car door suddenly before me. I think we both heard my scream right before the THUMP. Hafiza's bike did not make contact with the car door, so the bike and the car were fine, but my right shoulder took a beating that I have not had since my skateboarding accident in 1995. I am not sure why I felt so embarrassed to be hurt, but there it was. I was late to Skye’s place.
She had a bag of frozen peas for my injury, but I am still typing in pain and swelling.

Happy International Women’s Day.

Bicycle in Florence, Italy

For some reason I love hearing my name called out in the street -- gives a city a small-town feel. Today it was my friend Lisa whose voice stopped me. Our schedules have changed recently and we do not get to see each other as often as before. I miss hanging out with her. Allora, she caught me as I was riding down Via Fiesolana and she took this image of me with my new bike. I was headed to the station to buy a train ticket for tomorrow evening.

Besides being fun, my bike has also been a big help: I am still moving into my new place, slowly taking art supplies from storage and bringing them home on my bike. On my way tonight, I passed Piazza Santa Croce and I am wishing that I would be here in Florence when the event they are putting up all of these bleachers for happens. But instead, I am heading to the mountains near Austria for the weekend.

Ciao, ciao,
Kelly