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| Gone Walkabout | Journeys around the world by Sean Connolly | |
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Italy |
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[ Back to Introduction | Table of Contents | On to France ]
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| 05.08.01 | Firenze, Italy | Map  |
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My bike and I both made it safely to Florence. It's a tiny airport. My bags arrived in their duffel on the conveyor, and they carried my bike in through the door, as simple as that. I put it together on the spot, with no damage except for a cracked reflector. The day wasn't that hot, but it was extremely humid. I was pouring with sweat by the time I was done. It was an easy ride into the city. The traffic was heavy, but they seemed to respect bikers. I didn't even get lost thanks to the well-marked signs along the way. The pension I was planning to check was up a narrow flight of stairs. But the hostel next door on the ground floor suddenly looked far more appealing. L35k for a 4-person room with lockers. Ostello Archi Rossi. Very clean and friendly. I left my bike locked in the garage and moved in. That shower felt damn good! After that, I spent the remainder of the day looking for maps, emailing, and strolling around town. I've been to Florence a few times in the past, and like the city. That night, I went to bed early and slept deeply and restfully in the single bed.
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| 05.09.01 | Florence | Map |
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I woke early this morning to a cool, gray, expectant day. A chill breeze blew in from the window as I finished my breakfast.
I was taken somewhat aback at the crowds, though. I know I was here before during peak season, and I don't remember the sheer volume of tour groups clogging up every doorway. It seemed that everywhere I went, large tour groups surrounded and held me back. They were quite annoying. Footsore and jetlagged, I returned to the hostel for a nap. I instantly fell asleep for hours. I woke to be invited by a couple guys in the room down for a beer. Who am I to say no? This evening should be a warning to me. I was planning to have one beer, then go out to dinner. One beer turned into many. One hour turned into all night. I was enjoying the conversation, but I allowed myself to be distracted from my purpose: I'm not just here to socialize. I ended up skipping dinner and getting to bed late, two strikes against my first day of biking. Tomorrow should prove interesting.
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| 05.10.01 | Radda in Chianti | Map |
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Then, as I was riding along the cobblestone streets, I noticed my bike making too much noise. It turned out, my rear rack was almost falling off. City Cycle must not have tightened it enough when they fixed the bike back in San Francisco. I hope that's the only thing that wasn't tightened enough.
Once on the right road, I settled in for the long ride through some fascinating countryside. Rolling hills, crumbling ruins, medieval cities up on the hilltops. And *groan* the road took me up each and every one of them. I made the mistake of skipping lunch, figuring I'd eat in Radda. Big mistake. The day was hot, I was guzzling my water, eating a power bar, a couple GU. A six foot silver snake was crushed in the road. The hills into each city were defeating me. I was out of fuel, and there was nothing left. I had to start pulling my bike off to the side of the road and rest every few minutes. When I got back on, every stroke was agony. I was suffering in body and spirit, trying to find the energy to keep going. This pilgrimage is off to a proper start.
At the tourist office, a motherly lady helped me find a reasonably cheap place to stay. She blew me a kiss and winked when I thanked her. She said it was more expensive for me since I was alone. "You need to find a good woman!" Ha! I settled into my room, about 500m out of town in a house. A shower took my remaining energy, and I collapsed afterwards. I managed a trip to the store for water and food, but just barely. Maybe I should have rented a bike while mine was being repaired back at home to train a little more for this trip... In the evening, it was time to eat! I had a nearby restaurant recommended to me, but was told to go early. Good thing, too, because the place was full to bursting (as was myself) by the time I left. Five courses, with a very attentive staff. A welcome sparkling white wine when I sat down and some bread. Bruschetta to start. Then, some tagglitelli. Then, a mouth watering chicken cacciatore with a salad. And some gelato for (belch) dessert. All washed down with a liter of Chianti classico. By the time I left, 2.5 hours later, I was stuffed, tipsy, and very satisfied. Just what my body needed: fuel. I was asleep by 10:00, and slept like the dead.
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| 05.11.01 | Siena | Map |
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Today was much better. I woke early after a long night's sleep and got ready for the road, nice and relaxed. My legs were sore, and I didn't feel strong, but I only had a short ride ahead of me. I climbed *groan* onto the bike and headed out. At first, it was a rather severe uphill out of town and I was cursing the map. But I turned a corner, and it seemed like I literally fell out of the Chianti hills down to Siena. I barely pedaled a stroke the entire way, my reward for the pain I went through yesterday. I couldn't help myself, singing out in a full voice. It's a great day to be alive! I raced through the green hills, a splash of bright red poppies on one side, a deer leaped across the road, old stone villas on hills above young vineyards looked down on me. I was in Siena before noon, riding through the imposing gate into the medieval, cobblestone-paved streets of Siena. Magnificent. This town beats Florence easily. What a feeling here. I saw a clearing ahead, and suddenly, my bike and I burst out of the narrow streets into il Campo, the "square". Shaped like a giant shell, the piazza sloped down to the old belltower. People lay in the sun, ate at nearby cafes, and just strolled about. What a marvelous, mellow feel the place had. I had some trouble finding a room. No one had single rooms available. One problem of travelling alone. Ah well, I found a tiny room at Hotel La Tuscany nearby and did my (becoming) usual post-ride routine. Shower, wash clothes, collapse in bed for an hour with the guidebook.
Next, I wandered over to the Duomo. Wow. Gothic and Romanesque masterpiece. I just sat on a nearby wall for an hour and looked it over. Everything from the green, white, and red marble, to the bronze door, to the wedding cake of decorations on the top, it was all over the top. And on a grand, colorful scale. The inside was similarly amazing. Paintings on the walls, pictures on the ground, the blue ceiling with stars, the carvings of hundreds of faces all along the gallery. The columns were black and white stripes. The windows, bright stained glass. As usual, there were far too many tour groups around, but there was so much space, it didn't matter as much.
Right now, I'm sitting again on the wall outside the Duomo, people watching, ignoring the tour groups that constantly gather around me to take their pictures, and enjoying the day. Admiring the Duomo, admiring the lovely Italian girls, ignoring the street cleaning machine that just swept the latest tour group away from me. Ha! Must comment on the vehicles here. What an odd mix. 3 wheel cars, mini cars that look like they were cut in half. Motorcycles with cages, roll bars around them. Modern BMW's. Unknown, I assume Italian, brands.
Today feels like a good day. I'm feeling good as well. In the evening, I went for a stroll and took a look for food. I wasn't up for eating alone tonight, so I never did eat. But I did come across something unusual - an outdoor concert right down the street. Set up in an old courtyard on the steps of some important looking site. What a strange scene, the loud music, the stone columns, the (rather small) crowd. Odd mix of music, too. Everything from "You are my sunshine" to "No woman, no pride". They weren't so good when I left, but it sounds like they're loosening up, and sounding better. Yeah, I can hear them clearly, echoing through the streets. Oh well, the music's getting better. Yawn, think I'll turn in now. Good day.
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| 05.12.01 | Siena | Map |
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A very late start to the day. I was up late last night poring over maps and guidebooks. I slept at least until noon. My body, it seems, is not yet adjusted to the time. But it was so quiet, too, the city did not intrude on my sleep.
I sit here now, replete with food, floating slightly from the bottle of wine, looking out over the city on San Domenica lit up in the distance. Trattoria Popei, behind Piazza Palio, is a place to be highly recommended. I'll have to remember this place for the future, as I will be back. Friendly staff, gorgeous food, and a nice view thrown into the mix. I regret now all the trips I took around Europe as a poor student. I missed one of the best parts of the place - the food! Yum! :-} If that smiley looks drunken, it's because I am!
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| 05.13.01 | Volterra | Map |
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An interesting day today. I got up early and hit the road. I had my usual trouble getting out of town. It seems that if you leave a city by the wrong gate, all roads only go one way. In this case, all roads lead to Rome. Um, no, not this time... Once I found my road, though, it was a beautiful ride. There was gorgeous scenery, rolling hills, with many nice towns along the way. I was going to Volterra, but I decided to add a detour to San Gimignano, even though it added some miles and hills to the day. There was a hard uphill into town, my bike doesn't seem to believe in momentum. As soon as I stopped pedaling, I would stop. I got my first taste of a headwind today as well. Turning west, I'm sure I'll have more of the same in the future.
It was a hard uphill and some fast downhill to get back on the road to Volterra. Along the way, a large bike race passed me going the other way. Thousands of riders going past. I felt like a different species altogether with my long bike and big packs as they sped by on their skinny tires and short frames.
At the top, I found a great walled city. With rubber legs, I walked my bike through the gate and to the nearby hostel. Problem was, they were closed until 6:00, and it was only 3:00 now. I could have waited, but there was no guarantee they would have space. So, I rolled down the street to the Hotel Etrucea. Much better than my Siena hotel. Friendly, with a nice room, unfortunately on the second floor. My legs barely made it with my bags. I showered, rinsed out my bike clothes and went out to explore the city. I was very tired, but not as beat as I was after day 1. I'm slowly getting stronger... The cities just keep getting better. Volterra wasn't as grand as Siena, but nicer without the crowds. There were plenty of tourists around, but few were staying here. Simple old duomo, a square with bell tower thought to be the model for the larger one in Siena, and narrow winding streets everywhere with grand views over the surrounding lands in all directions. The old Roman theatre must have been hard pressed with that scenery behind it. I sadly had my first disappointing meal tonight. I had my usual huge dinner, but skipped the wine. It just wasn't up to par. Not bad, but not as incredible as past meals I've had here. Ah well, they can't all be great. To bed early. Tomorrow might be hard, another long day like today, but hopefully without the uphills or wind...
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| 05.14.01 | Lucca | Map |
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A great day today. As I was checking out of the hotel, I met Bruce and Susan, from Montana. They were also biking around Italy. Bruce invited me to join them. Wow, they were really travelling light. No panniers, just a small daypack each and mountain bikes. It embarrassed me, usually proud of travelling light. Tonight, I'm going through my stuff to lighten up! It was a fast, easy ride today. First, a very steep downhill out of town for the first 10km or so. Then, it flattened out somewhat, but was still mostly downhill all day. There wasn't even an uphill into Lucca, a nice way to end the ride. Bruce and Susan were good riding partners. I forgot one of the advantages of riding with others. Drafting! We all took our turn, sucking the others down the road. Needless to say, I made more of a draft than the others. We got to Lucca nice and easy, but then things got harder. Every hotel in town was full. We rode from place to place, all over town, with no luck. One place had an expensive room for two, but Susan, bless her, wanted us to all have a place. Eventually, I told them they should just take the place, and I would meet them later. Our karma together must have been bad, because as soon as I was on my own, I found a place at Hotel de Torre. Very friendly owner, lovely room with shared toilet, and a powerful shower. Ah! I cleaned up and went out to meet the others. We took the 4km walk up on top of the city walls. There was a path that went around the entire city, with parks the entire way. Very interesting. Good talks, good scenery. Another average meal, but the company made up for it at least. The two of them don't have a TV at home. He ran a courier service until recently, and confirmed all my suspicions about San Francisco couriers. He had several recovering drug addicts working for him that came from working in San Francisco. Susan's brother works for High Adventures. Tough job, that. *grin* After dinner, I bid my farewells and wandered the quiet streets back to my place. I slept like the dead all night. A good day.
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| 05.15.01 | Lucca | Map |
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Instead, I did some errands. I found a box. I then went harshly through my gear and threw everything I could live without in there. I decided comfort is one thing, weight is another. I managed to lighten the load by almost 5kg. Then, out to find the first of several small gifts I needed to find for Amy. I have no idea what would be a big gift. I couldn't find anything, but settled for some high-quality olive oil I think she'd enjoy in her cooking. Not a special, personal gift, perhaps, but I'm trying. It was expensive, anyway. I wrapped the bottle in some of the clothes I was sending back, taped it all up, and walked it over to the post office. The owner of my hotel couldn't have been more helpful, giving me tape, driving me around, a nice guy working hard to make his hotel a good place to stay. It was rather expensive to send. But I've had trouble in the past with mail from Italy, so I tried Expresso this time around, despite the double in price. Feeling lighter already, I went back to the hotel... and took a nap. I've been sleepy every afternoon. Probably because my body is still not on local time, plus afternoons are when I finish riding. No problem, it works smoothly with the local culture. In the evening, I went out for a cheap (but decent) meal followed by some lemon gelato. Yum.
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| 05.16.01 | San Terenzo | Map |
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An easy day today. I received a warm farewell from the owner of the hotel (I never got his name, damn), and bid a slightly regretful goodbye to Lucca. I'd say number two on my list after Siena, if only because of the food. For once, I had zero difficulty finding the road out of town, and I was quickly on my way. There was one rather tough part climbing over a pass, but the rest of the ride went by almost without me noticing, I was enjoying myself so much. I miss riding with Bruce and Susan, though, that made it much easier the other day... Over the pass, it was a steep, windy, and rough descent. To the sea! I hit the coastal road, took a right, and kept right on going. I found a nice wide, smooth road, with relatively light traffic. This is obviously a huge resort area in August as the immense parking lots and countless hotels demonstrate, but currently, it had an odd abandoned feel to it, all empty. The going was so easy, I actually flew past Carrara - the town I planned to stay in - before 11:30. Looking at my map, I decided to shoot for San Terenzo, just short of La Spezia. Why stay in yet another city, when I can live cheap in a much nicer setting?
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| 05.17.01 | Monterosso al Mare | Map |
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Today was the complete opposite of yesterday in all ways. A big mistake. Bikers do not belong in the Cinque Terre (with their bikes, that is). The day started out easy enough. No one was around at the hotel at 8:00, so I slipped the money under the door with a note. A bit of an uphill out of town, but I felt strong, and it went fast. Downhill to La Spezia. I'm glad I didn't stay there last night. Half the harbor is industrial. The other half was nice enough, but it was still a city. San Terenzo was a better choice. As soon as I left La Spezia, though... Damn! Straight uphill for the next couple hours. Round a turn, there's more uphill. Another turn, yup, still going up. I felt strong, and I was riding well, but there's a limit. For me, it was at the turnoff for Manarola. The road had finally turned downhill, and I imagined I was over the worst. Wrong. The road immediately went straight up, steeper than anything I've seen yet on this trip. In addition, they were paving it, so I had the pleasure of tar fumes and sticky road on top of the steep road. That's were I started to need to stop. At first, every few minutes. Eventually, every single turn. Only willpower got me to the next turn, the legs were shot. It was hell, but I made it through. The sign for the turnoff to Vernazza was a very welcome sight. But wow, what a downhill! Straight down, even steeper than that which I just climbed. Winding, rough, potholes, gravel. I pumped the brakes the entire way down, and feared their failure. There's a gate at the entrance to Vernazza to prevent cars from entering, but I rode past, and into town. Man, tourist central! Very nice village, great square, lovely harbor. And completely overrun by tourists. I could barely get down the street walking my bike. And this is May?
Or take the train. Damn, the temptation. I could quickly take the train from town to town, or even out of the entire area up the coast and out of the mountains. It would be cheap, fast, and I wouldn't have to face those mountains again. It was close. I could barely walk from fatigue. The day was heating up. How the hell would I repeat what I just did? But, no. I've committed myself to go the entire way to Santiago on my bicycle. No trains, no buses, no cars. Only in the case of mechanical failure or injury will I change this. So I held true. With a weary moan, I climbed back into the saddle and rode out of town. It was 1:00 by this time. What the hell was I doing? The road immediately turned vertical. The shade vanished, and I was left struggling uphill with everything I had, which wasn't much. I took turns riding, walking, resting. Just tried to keep going. After a while, I had to sit down and try not to throw up, coughing up blood as I sat there. Heat stroke and exhaustion, and dehydration thrown in. I couldn't drink fast enough to replace the buckets of sweat pouring down my face. My entire focus narrowed to the next turn in the road. I couldn't tell you if many cars passed, or who I spoke with. A couple short exchanges, I remember. "Solitario?" "Si" "Enduro" "Monterosso?" "Si" "Buena Suerte" When the road turned downhill, I almost cried with relief. I was moving with sheer willpower at that point. With numb eyes, I made sure I took the correct turnoff to Monterosso, and rolled into town.
Before continuing, I should comment on the scenery along the way. It was incredible. Cliffs rising out of the sea. Mountains rising to the sky, covered every inch with vineyards and olive groves. Rolling hills mounding one on top of each other. Distant villages falling into the sea far below me. Monorails carrying people up into the "fields." Old churches. Old folks with so much character in their faces, a picture could be examined for hours. Despite the agony I was going through, I did indeed appreciate the beauty of the area. But why, why did I have to ride here?!?!?!?!!!! I was beyond exhaustion when I rolled into Monterosso. Price was no matter, I could go no further today. One place after the next was full. Luckily, there were many places. Unfortunately, I had taken the left fork into Monterosso, to the old town. The right fork had cheaper accommodation and a bigger beach, but I didn't figure that out until the evening. Anyway, I found an overpriced place, checked into my room, and collapsed. It took maybe another hour before I worked up the energy to shower. According to the scale in the bathroom, I've already lost almost 15 lbs since I left. Probably water, after today. Wow. I finally got myself out, bought a six pack of water, got myself dinner, and painfully hobbled home to bed, nothing left in me to even think beyond sleep. Not an easy day...
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| 05.18.01 | Monterosso | Map |
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Awake after 10 hours of sleep. Feeling poorly today. I think yesterday took more out of me than I thought. Feel like a cold's coming on. Or it could just be yesterday. Coughing, feeling hung over (dehydration?), all is not right. :-( I spent the day putzing. A couple hours on the beach. Not much else. Hoping I have the energy for tomorrow. This area is gorgeous, but not worth what it took out of me this early on before I had the chance to get in shape. I was looking at the distance I have yet to go, and it is intimidating/discouraging. Especially after yesterday. I'm lacking in time. What I have here is a great 3 month trip crammed into 7 weeks. I need to let go more of my need to see everything, and instead keep focus on why I'm here. Everything else is bonus. Late dinner and late to bed, feeling poorly. Blegh.
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| 05.19.01 | Santa Margherita | Map |
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A painful day today. I got an early start for once, and by 7:30, I was puffing up and out of the Cinque Terre. It was impossible to handle the hill first thing in the morning, but I never walked it. Most of the way all day, the pedals spun fast, trying to spare my knee, which was feeling fragile. Up, up, up, a little at a time. I made it to the top sooner than I expected, which is not to say easily nor quickly. Then, a fast, unwelcome downhill into Levanto. Unwelcome, because according to the map, as soon as I got there, I would begin a long, very steep ride back up and out of there over the remaining mountains. And so it was. I would manage .25km at a time before slamming my cleats out of their bindings and pulling up to an abrupt stop, my chest heaving for air, my knee aching, my head light. The day was starting to heat up, though it was still thankfully cool, about 75 degrees F. Thank god for the accurate map. I knew exactly when the reprieve would come. And it did. Zooooooom! Down out of the mountains, up to 50kph on the straights. But the wind! At one point, it picked me (me! 200lbs + packs!) up and blew me directly into the oncoming traffic. At 50kph, this was not a good thing. I couldn't steer back, I could only hit the brakes as the cars swerved out of my way. Luckily, traffic was light, and the road was wide. I slowed down after that. I was in Chiavari by lunch time. I had originally planned to stay here tonight, but I felt strong enough to push on to Rapallo, 12km down the coast. I should say up the coast. *sigh* Yes, more uphill out of Chiavari. If my knee weren't dying on me, I think I could have made it. But I was in agony, and had to keep stopping. I somehow ended up in Santa Margherita. Don't ask me how. The mind is not always clear when the body is tired and in pain. I found an overpriced, but nice room at Nuevo Riviera (1 star), and collapsed. This is a major resort town, I discovered after cleaning up and going out. High scale resort, at that. Oh well, it's one night. But I have to start cutting costs more.
I'm now sitting at dinner in the Trattoria San Siro. Very odd, but good meal. There was no menu. The very nice woman who ran the place lists the options. (I think dumbed down for me, listening to what she says to others). All in Italian, but my command of it is improving. I had some very tasty pasta, and now some chicken. Very simple, but tasty. The chicken here, even unseasoned, is much better than at home. I have no idea what this will cost, but it was exactly what I wanted. As if the woman is reading my mind. Ah, carbs and protein, just what a cycling boy needs. And, it all came to a grand total of, L25k. Can't complain about that. I only had 24k in small change, but she took that rather than make change for a large bill. Nice place. I'd go back. It felt like the powers wanted to balance out the day. A strong feeling there. Odd.
Remember me saying that night in Iran (and elsewhere) about how a good meal can completely change my mood. So it was. I bought a gelato down by the water, sat, people watched, and just generally mellowed out for the rest of the evening.
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| 05.20.01 | Finale Ligure | Map |
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Today had to be a test. No other explanation. It started well with a nice breakfast at my hotel. Charged up for the day, I hopped on my bike, and *groan* started uphill out of town. That's where the day started downhill, so to speak. Constants for the rest of the day? Pain. My knee is not at all happy. I think I messed it up badly in Mexico last month when I smashed it on the rock cave diving, and it hasn't totally recovered (may not without help). Then, falling on it in Florence didn't help. The last straw was the Cinque Terre. We'll see if it improves. It may be the one thing that can stop me from finishing... :-( Second constant of the day was wind. A strong headwind all day that would bring me to a standstill on a steep downhill. I tried it. It did. And so the day continued. Genoa was an even bigger nightmare than I expected. The Italian Alpiners Association, or something like that, had taken over the city. I'd been seeing the guys with their funny hats down the coast for the last few days, but that was nothing. Entire roads were closed off for their parades. In fact, every road I needed to take was closed off, with all traffic diverted far around town. I rode an extra 10km just getting out of town. The traffic was impossible as well. I was getting nowhere until I brought my San Francisco bike commuting skills to bear, and then I freaked out even a few Italian drivers. *grin* I finally escaped Genoa, and the long miles began. Today was my longest ride so far, 109km. Other than my knee and the wind, it wasn't too bad. I had trouble finding a single in Finale Ligure. Everything was full or wouldn't take singles. One place had a room, but I would have to leave my bicycle on the street. I finally found a room at Hotel Principe for a decent rate. I felt more energy than expected after today's ride. After washing bike clothes and cleaning up, I went out to explore. Finale is larger than I expected. Seems a decent place for a rest day. A good beach, some possible shopping, even a bike store so I can get some oil for the squeaky crank.
I was considering going out tonight and seeing if I could find a good pub for a few drinks. But it was raining tonight. So, I found a comfortable tavern and had a beer and a meal in the corner. It felt more like a pilgrimage that way anyway.
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| 05.21.01 | San Remo | Map |
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Surprise, I'm not in Finale tonight! Yeah, I'm surprised as well. It was supposed to be a mellow day on the beach. When I woke this morning after a restful sleep, it was pouring down rain. No problem. A mellow day writing letters and reading at a cafe. Or so I thought. I went downstairs to get some snacks at the store. The girl at the desk called me over and asked me if I wanted to stay a second day. Even though I said 2 days yesterday (in Italian). Anyway, yes, I'm staying. They thought I was only here for 1 night. Someone else had my room tonight, so I would have to change rooms. What a pain. Then she said that since I didn't eat here, the rate for the room was 96k, not 70k. Fuck that. Half hour later, I was packed and out the door. Places like that piss me off. OK, so what did I prove? That I could get wet. And I did! It was a torrential, chilling, windy rain all day. Sheets falling from the sky, waterfalls from passing cars, deep rivers to ride through. Traffic was heavy all day as well, so I didn't stop much. Just rode straight through to San Remo. My knee wasn't as bad today, but there were only a couple bad hills. My bike computer stopped working after the first 25km for some reason. It still responded to buttons, the clock kept time, but it didn't read any speed or distance as I moved. The rain must somehow cause the magnet not to work? I'm hoping it will work next time I ride. When I pulled into San Remo, I was thoroughly drenched and squelching. And dirty! All that sand and gravel I passed through was all over me. I took my water bottle and took a quick shower on the side of the road to just make myself a little more acceptable to a hotel. I wasn't any wetter afterwards, but at least I wasn't black with dirt. I found a great room at Hotel Eletto. A little spendy, perhaps, but I'm leaving Italy after this. Besides, after today, a little comfort would be nice. *sigh* I locked my bike out back, and sloshed up to my room. I stepped fully dressed into the shower, and the water ran black for a long time. San Remo is a high fashion town. The entire road my hotel is on is lined with boutiques. Armani, Gucci, and the like. But still nice for all of that. Odd, but the place was almost dead at night. Restaurants either closed or empty, few people around. I wonder if the rain scared them off. I had a huge scare this evening. I went down to check on my bike, and maybe lock it in a better place. On my way, I asked the manager if there was someplace inside I could put it. He walked back with me to look. And it was gone! Damn! I didn't freak out, but my heart stopped. "This is not good." was all I came up with. The manager kept his cool, said they probably brought it inside. And so it was, nice and safe. But I tell you, that empty corner almost killed me!
(Computer fritzed out, but from the map:)
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| 05.22.01 | San Remo | Map |
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A nothing sort of day. I just wandered about a little. It was too breezy for the beach, but I sat on the rocks and listened to the sea for a bit. Either it didn't have much to say, or I wasn't listening closely enough. Another dinner alone, then turned in, too tired for going out. I need to start eating more. The effects are showing. :-/
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©Copyright Seán Connolly |
Interesting enough spiel, though. I'm just not here to be a tourist. *shrug* I'd rather watch the people.
