28 maggio, 2007
Here is a picture i took from the Palatino which is the hill above the Colliseum in Rome and shows St. Peter's basilica in the background. I started my trip in KC driving a very full little BMW to Newark, NJ where i left the main highway and took a wrong turn. I highly recommend you do not follow in my footsteps. I was definitely doing a Chevy Chase imitation in Vacation when i got out of the car and walked into a service station to ask directions and everyone asked me if i needed a watch!!! Hope you remember that scene, otherwise you will have to rent the film. I finally found the dropoff place for my car which was filled with many cars some in pieces and Boris, i mean Alex, from Russia and his assistant Natasha, i mean Ena took my car filled with stuff to ship by boat to Italy and gave me a receipt. I hope it makes it!
I spent the night in Manhatten and went to an internet cafe on Saturday where I found out my plane tickets I reserved hadn't been reserved. 4 hours on my drug dealer phone which costs 25 cents a minute resulted in a flight out sat night instead of sunday, so i hightailed it to the Newark airport in a cab for 65 dollars and flew to Rome. All's well that ends well, they say and i did make it to Rome and spent 3 nights and 4 days reexploring a city which most Italians love more than any other. When you go or come and visit me, eat at Celestina which is in a nice, elegant quiet district.
I am now in Ascoli Piceno and hope to be an owner of an agriturismo or b and b within 10 days or so. My Italian associate who makes sure all properties have been properly vetted by notaries and lawyers and I will be exploring the countryside to find the best things to do, places to visit, foods to eat and wines to drink for our guests. I am looking forward to all my friends visiting!