From the writings of Jonathan Mack

Owls

Have I mentioned someone is here with me? My husband.Anyone who reads those words must necessarily feel a pang of sympathy for him. Poverino! Certainly he is first-rate, has chosen me the way my brother used to rescue baby owls and attempt to nurse them back to health in a cardboard box.A hopeless endeavor, but still admirable, don’t you think?

From the writings of Jonathan Mack

Monica Hates Giotto

“I hate Giotto,” says Monica, when we are alone in her shop. “You’re not supposed to say that. And I know he changed everything, perspective, et cetera--but I hate him. I had him for nine months in high school. Do you have any idea how hard it is to be an Italian high school student? History! Two thousand five hundred years of history--though of course of modern times nothing is said. Twice a day at least they must tell you that the best times were seven hundred years before you were born. If you are unlucky you get a teacher who wants to do a whole year of Dante. Not just six months--a year. Or Leopardi, the most depressing writer ever. I know you say you like these things--but imagine you are in high school. Imagine it is Spring!"Your teacher announces, ‘And now we will study Giaccomo Leopardi’ and you think, ‘That is it. I am going to kill him.’"As for me, I keep my own opinions. Of course I sell whatever calendars but if the customer asks me a question I am like, ‘Giotto, who?’"

From the writings of Jonathan Mack:

History Can Happen To You

Monica says, “You think it’s easy to live with so much history? When they removed the cobblestones of Piazza Signoria they found an entirely new city. For three years they blocked it off while they decided what to do. Finally they covered it up again. Too much trouble.“But history is something that can happen to a person. My house was being built and I got a call: there was a problem. What now? I said. They’d found an Etruscan kiln beneath my house. Enormous thing. For three months I had men digging in my backyard with tiny spoons. They want to cover my backyard in plexiglass, light it up from beneath and give tours. I’d make a lot of money. Of course the government will never get around to it.“Still, when I park my bicycle I like to think of what is under there. I’d like to be able to see it. I would have the most wonderful parties, looking down at the ancient times in my backyard.“On the last day two hundred people came and sat in my back yard. I sat in my upstairs window watching them. Very nice, I thought. But give me back my house.“Of course they made a book about it, the history I’m living with. Then they came and covered it back up with dirt. Now I get special tax breaks and in return I must plant no trees. Small plants only, nothing with roots.”

One of Italy's most enchanting cities-Siena
We got up Monday morning-it was a holiday. Had no plans. thought I would read most of the day. I'm reading Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth. We are going to discuss it in a book club that meets in an English bookstore near here tomorrow. It like the book-it's all about living in the present. Anyway, it was a holiday and we had no milk which means we can't have coffee! OH NO!! We went out hoping something was open. Our favorite corner place was open and we had two coffees each with two pastries each. As we sat there in the morning sun we were discussing our sabbatical. As you know we are in Firenze now but we don't really plan on staying here for the entire year. But the big question is where to go. We want to stay in Italy but there are many towns and cities in this country. We suddenly then decided we better go check some place out today. We decided to go to Firenze's rivalry-Siena. We dashed back to the apartment, got our stuff, recharged the battery to my camera and we were off. It's an hour and 15 minutes by bus. Very easy. A beautiful ride through Tuscany. Here is our day:

In the main piazza in Siena. The entire piazza slopes down. It made me feel dizzy!

The sign says, A hundred ways to enjoy?

Inside the main Cathedra

The Duom

The incredible floor of the Duomo.

Jonathan realizes that he has been here before. In fact, he sang with his high school choir in this Cathedral!

This is a ceiling!

The piazza from above.

Siena, as most Tuscan towns is set on a hill. They had to look our for their enemies.

Our Apartment

Here are a few pictures of our apartment. Even though we are right on the Piazza we don't hear a thing as we are facing the inner courtyard. It's very quiet. There can be a thousand people on the piazza and we don't hear a thing.

This is taken from the kitchen, a little study room between the bedroom and the bathroom. Jonathan is getting the computer ready for John to check his e-mail.

John checking his e-mail. The kitchen is in the background.

The bedroom.

LIVING THE DREAM

(as John always said)

My brother-in-law, John was in town on a tour with a football team from Terra Haute, Indiana. There were 40 football players and a total of about 140 people. Seemed like a nice group of people. They had come from Rome, were in Firenze for 24 hours, and then left for Venezia today around 2. They play only one game while there are here in Tireste. I had a test today in school. I got 88 out of a 100. Worse than my last test of 92. John was to call when he arrived. I went home after the test and called John then. They were just apporaching Santa Croce when I called. He was a minute from here. They were gathering in Piazza Santa Croce before leaving on their walking tour. Before that we went out for lunch. We met Cosmo, Fortuna and Leo three of the leaders on the tour. We went to a little wine, cheese, prociuto place one minute away. We had lots of meet, cheese and too much wine. It was a lot of fun as they were all very relaxed and having a lot of fun. We met at 2 for the walking tour. It was raining.

The entire group in front of Santa Croce

We all had earphones so we could hear the guide without him yelling. Most of the tour groups you see use these. That's why so many tourists are almost run over by crazy Italian drivers. They are concentrating on what is being said instead of looking out for traffic. John and i are standing on Ponte Vecchio.

John and Jonathan being tourists in the streets of Firenze.

our guide

Jonathan is talking to my sister Sheri. I couldn't believe we were all standing around on the Piazza talking to Sheri as she was getting ready to go to work.

John still taking to Sheri posing in front of Santa Croce.

The team



John and Cosmo. Cosmo is the official photographer of the tour. He was taking a video of the trip. He was a very dear Italian man who lives in London. We had a nice talk with him about Italy.


John decided to stay over at our place as it was easier than going out to his hotel. Our sofa turns into a bed so it worked out beautifully. We got up the next morning and went to the San Lorenzo area to go shopping on the street market and in the central market. We were shopping for Sheri and her crazy kids, Kylie and Aanna. I'm not going to tell you what we got.


Hmm. what should we get?

What are you looking at, John?

Let's buy vegetables and fruit for the girls!

The Italian Mafia.

The three studs!

Jonathan carrying the important luggage back to the bus.

John doing a deal on the street.

Saying goodbye to John.

A beautiful Day in the hills of Florence

A beautiful day in the hills surrounding Firenze. Gorgeous weather. Everyone here thinks it's horribly hot and humid but not for those of us who live in Tokyo. We had our date with Ann who we met at Ognissanti church the other night. We met her at Garage Europa as we planned. I was really looking forward to our big florentine steak. We took the elevator in the garage to the third floor and got in her car-a very retro Citroen. They call it a due cavalli (two horses) in Italy. Very cool. It was our first trip in a car in Italy and to top it off, we get a really cool car. It was about a 40 minute ride up the northern hills of Florence. Spectacular scenery all the way up. We started to see Florence in the distance as we got higher and higher. It was in the middle of the day so the pictures aren't very good. We got to the restaurant. Ann has been going there for years and years so some of the staff knew her. We ordered steak, two orders of spinach, two orders of tuna,onion and bean salad and two orders of fries. I thought it was way too much food but we ate it all. The steak was thick, almost rare and totally delicious. I think it even beats Iowa's steaks. We had a nice meal and a nice chat. Ann, has a very interesting life having lived in Florence for six months every year since the 80s. We had a wonderful yogurt fruit pie and then coffee. Our best meal yet. We haven't eaten much meat here so it was nice to get some food on my bones. We paid our bill which was under 100 euro so it wasn't so bad and then headed down the hill. We stopped by an amazing hotel to see the view from there. I asked for a price list pretending that maybe I would like to stay there sometime. I often do that so I don't feel bad about looking around the hotel. It was amazing. Maybe we will go back up for dinner some time. We then went to a huge park on the way back to the garage. We just drove through it. HUGE. I noticed a nice pool as well. Maybe have to try that out this summer.
We got back to the garage parked the car and then had a little cool drink at a near by bar. Jonathan and I walked home. He was headed for the gym and I was going to go home to do my homework but then I noticed a poster for a concert which was to take place in about 45 minutes. It was the Drake University Concert Choir! Drake is in Des Moines only 40 minutes from my hometown. I decided to just wait on the steps and study until the concert started. Before I went in I looked at the poster again and realized I knew the conductor, Aimee Beckmann-Collier. She was getting her doctorate when I was in Iowa City. I knew her name very well when I saw it but I had to think a bit before I realized all we had done together. In 1987 I organized the Iowa Choral Symposium. Aimee was my main clinician. A small world.
The concert was FANTASTIC!!! I cried during almost the entire thing! It was truly maybe the best concert I've ever been to. She is an amazing conductor. Italian audiences are great. They yell, and moan and stand and applaud after many of the pieces. I loved the spirit tonight. It was in a beautiful, small church very near where Dante met his love, Beatrice. I talked to Aimee after the concert and she remembered me-at least she said she did anyway. As I was walking out the church and the entire choir was standing around in the street. I told them that they practically changed my life with their music. They were very appreciative. They are off to Austria tomorrow. They should have a beautiful train ride through the Alps. What a great day!

Jonathan, Ann and the Due Cavalli

our wonderful Florentine bisteca

Ann and Jonathan at the Hotel San Michele

Florence-if you look carefully you can see the Duomo

Me and Ann

The Drake Concert Choir conducted by Aimee Beckmann-Collier