The Journey Begins
I've always wanted to see other countries. Not just visit: actually see them. And I didn't want to see them in the ordinary way: from out the window of a tour bus or visiting popular landmarks. If I could choose, I always thought, I'd want to see them from a bicycle!
Earlier this year I began crafting a world-and alien world-on which to set a story. I'd been watching a lot of sci-fi films and shows wherein the protagonists travel to distant worlds only to encounter aliens who speak perfect English. And I thought, why English? So I decided that on my world, the aliens would speak Italian. Because I knew next to nothing about Italian, and it sounded like a fun language to learn.
A few weeks later a good friend of mine emailed me to let me know that she and her husband, whose family is Italian, were fixing up the family's villa in rural Tuscany, and would be hosting biking tours of the area this fall, and would I like to come?
I do not believe in fate, but I do believe in taking advantage of coincidences, so I signed up. Then I got my Amazing Aunt to sign up. So we are going together, to Italy, to ride bicycles, for two weeks.
We fly out on Saturday, via France, but I will begin my journey tomorrow, driving up to the Bay Area whence we will fly out of SFO. I intend to keep this journal updated with any amusing stories I want to save, and also with pictures (photographed or painted), but I'm told internet may be a little patchy where we are going, so I cannot guarantee the frequency of said updates.
We will be based out of the town of Bagni di Lucca, a little outside Pisa, which looks absolutely fabulous. I'll be bringing a watercolor notebook, and I'll try to do a painting a day-but we'll see.
Wish me luck!
Earlier this year I began crafting a world-and alien world-on which to set a story. I'd been watching a lot of sci-fi films and shows wherein the protagonists travel to distant worlds only to encounter aliens who speak perfect English. And I thought, why English? So I decided that on my world, the aliens would speak Italian. Because I knew next to nothing about Italian, and it sounded like a fun language to learn.
A few weeks later a good friend of mine emailed me to let me know that she and her husband, whose family is Italian, were fixing up the family's villa in rural Tuscany, and would be hosting biking tours of the area this fall, and would I like to come?
I do not believe in fate, but I do believe in taking advantage of coincidences, so I signed up. Then I got my Amazing Aunt to sign up. So we are going together, to Italy, to ride bicycles, for two weeks.
We fly out on Saturday, via France, but I will begin my journey tomorrow, driving up to the Bay Area whence we will fly out of SFO. I intend to keep this journal updated with any amusing stories I want to save, and also with pictures (photographed or painted), but I'm told internet may be a little patchy where we are going, so I cannot guarantee the frequency of said updates.
We will be based out of the town of Bagni di Lucca, a little outside Pisa, which looks absolutely fabulous. I'll be bringing a watercolor notebook, and I'll try to do a painting a day-but we'll see.
Wish me luck!