some thoughts on animals, bruises, and siena.

hello all. and by all i mean one, since i post so rarely that i am sure i have no readers left. i'm here in florence, wrapping up week one. the weather has been frigid and rainy, and i've already fallen down twice. this morning it was down stairs, and i have a black (yes, black) and red bruise about 4" x 3" in a rather unfortunate place. it may be the worst bruise i've ever had, trumping the black eye i got when my sister jumped off the metal seesaw and the shin bruise i sported for weeks after pitching face first into a pile of monkey grass and concrete. here's a tip: don't fall down stone stairs. other than that, a few things:


first, what on earth is this poor creature doing stranded in the arno? more importantly, WHAT is this animal? no tail was evident, and it was certainly unable to swim in the currently choppy waters. while i was investigating the matter an italian tv crew came to film it. i really hope he made it out okay.


do you want to know what awesome is? it's cat-dog showdowns in painting, like this example from siena that i saw today, after i fell down the stairs and before i went to furla. someone should hire me to choose details from paintings for postcards.

lastly, i just purchased a book called 'scandal in tuscany' that uses the pig painted in the lorenzetti brothers' 'good government' as the main character in a story of mischief and mayhem. the pig's name is cinta, and she is one feisty sow. witty borrowing from important painting or bastardization of art historical touchstone? i'll go with the former.

xoxo.