I have often pondered why Italians are so keen on building fast cars. What is it that compels these people to create speed machines like those slick looking Ferraris and Lamborghinis? Having been in Italy for a little while now, I bring forth two theories. One - so the guys here can date several girls from different regions at once. This would require the ability to get from point A to point B and back in as short a time as possible so as not to raise any suspicions. On top of that they have a good looking car and can get away with being even more tactless and relentless about hitting on women. I have a feeling that if the women in this country were even half as willing to engage in sex as the men, the population in Italy would be giving China a run for its money.
My second theory is that anybody that has any sensitivity to heat in any way needs to own a car capable of going about mach so that they can get somewhere where they won't be fried in extra tasty crispy fashion like the Colonels chicken. It seems only appropriate that the Italians name one of their fastest cars after the prince of darkness given that they use it to escape from temperatures equivalent to those in his domain. I know it's just a matter of me getting used to it, but for now I feel like if I don't consume my own weight in water every hour I'll end up spontaneously combusting down some random side street here in Florence and that would be a shame, because it would mean that I would be unable to eat any more Gelato.
It seems that Gelato is served on every single street corner here, and I'll have to admit that if I were to let up my self restraint in even the slightest way, I would end up depriving my future children of a college education simply to support my Gelato eating ways. There is simply no food that could be better suited for mass distribution here. It's cold, it's cheap and it's without a doubt the most delicious substance a person could ever think to put into their mouths. I don't know why substances like Prozac need to be made when food like Gelato is already in existence. Sure, we'd have a lot more fat people walking around, but at least they'd be happy, fat people.
Anyways, getting on to the trip, I think we'll finally be able to satiate all those people out there who seem to live for nothing else but see us post pictures. Brian is choosing and uploading them as I write this and I give you my personal guarantee that I will not allow us to leave this establishment until they are being displayed on the website for your viewing pleasure. [Brian's note: Haha! Sorry Markus. We're leaving the establishment now; selecting, modifying, and uploading just takes too long. We'll hit this cafe tomorrow to actually post them.] Since I last wrote we've been to Venice, Bologna and Florence. Venice was exactly as I remembered it, picturesque and beautiful with the exception of the prices there. I don't know how the locals keep from running around naked since a shirt in Venice costs about as much as one of those Ferraris I was mentioning earlier. St. Marks Square is just as charming as ever, though, and wandering through the winding streets of Venice with it's narrow alleys and hundreds of canals is an experience I would recommend to almost any interested traveler. Bologna was a little but of a let down since our hostel was 50 minutes from the city center and also had a 11:30pm curfew in effect. Since it's the only decently priced place to stay in the entire city, we decided to move on to Florence.
So now we're in Florence and we're going to see what it has to offer. We'll let you know what kind of adventures we experience and whether David is really as cool as everyone says he is. Till the next posting.
Take it easy,
Markus
Posted by Markus at June 26, 2003 08:06 PM