Jeffery and the Trumpet Vine

View from my trampoline

Cat gnaws off another limb

Zebras and Man

Dreary and wonderful.

So glad to be home. I had a really good run with Anthony this morning. I had missed Umstead.

Up in the air.

Back in Rome. Today a bird crapped on me. Going home tomorrow...

Our last night near the Arno

What Anthony really needs to go with the PowerCranks

A little tiny dog in a basket. Jorge will do.

Random. Over the last week or so...

For Monique

Is this what you had in mind? Dana took this for me...

Pisa, and major frustration at the train station

A few thoughts on Italian trains. 

• It shouldn't take an hour to buy a train ticket. 
• Trains bound north, should not decide mid-trip to turn south and not make the stops listed. 
• Ticket kiosks that say they take €20 bills should not tell you they don't have change after you have already put your money in.
• And then in order to get your change, you should not be made to wait in another one hour line in a room that is about 110 degrees with no fan or air conditioning.

Our afternoon trip Pisa ended up being an 8 hour excursion.
 

What I meant to post here

But ended up on Running Down, due to my incompetence. This is a mixed bag from Rome and Sansepolcro.


This baby with a baby (and a cigarette) asked me for money for taking her photo (top). I gave her €3, and then she went around asking the rest of the group for more money. I felt so sad, and can't imagine how wealthy I looked to her with my giant camera. Through my awful Italian I found out the baby was 4 months old.

 This cat is still sitting in front of the same restaurant in Sansepolcro as when Anthony and I were here 4 years ago. Unfortunately, I found out that may favorite Sansepolcro dog, Nayla, who would lay all day in the window of the travel agency, died two years ago. Below, Nayla from 2007.

More Rome

Rome

Outside of the Pantheon.

Assisi

And my Mom telling random Italians to quit smoking. They loved it.