On metros and clothespins and being old for my age.

I haven't updated in a while, obviously. I know, I know shame on me. Got that out of your system? Good, because this is an update.

I didn't update my entire time in France because I was very busy nearly all of the time and it turns out that I like sleep more than I like blogging. I'll write more about France later, if not now then when I get to London.

The only thing I'll say for now is that I dislike diagonals and serpentine's and classical riding as much as I did when I was younger. Also jumping hurts my back.
I was going to include a picture with that, but unfortunately the wifi signal here isn't very strong and it's having none of my sass.

Be nice. It's only my second time.

After leaving France I spent a few days in Paris, then a few days in Venice (loved it, except the hostel which had bed bugs. If you weren't already aware, bed bugs are pretty much the worst thing on the planet.) and then a few days in Rome.

My ranking and awards for each of the cities I've visited are as follows:

 Overall enjoyment:
1. Venice
2. Barcelona
3. Rome
4. Paris

Best in city transportation/navigation:
1. Paris
The metro is cheap and goes everywhere and it isn't too crowded. All the major sights have stops.
2. Barcelona
I never tried to use the metro or a bus, but it was a big open city and I had an easy time finding my way back after wandering for a few hours.
3. Rome.
 There's a metro system.... kind of. There are huge gaps of city where there isn't transportation, which is fine, unless you're a wanderer like me. In which case you can get lost for hours with no way back. It's also incredibly crowded, and I mean face pressed against the glass crowded.
4. Venice
It's a giant maze with no metro/buses and damn near impossible to navigate. It all looks similar and many streets aren't marked. I even gave in and bought a map. It didn't help.

I was very proud of myself for learning how to use a metro. I'm a country girl and I had never taken the metro by myself before, much less one where nothing is in English. It took a few 'wrong direction' trips before I really got the hang of it. I'd also never taken a taxi by myself before, until Barcelona.

Best bargain shopping:
1. Rome
I loved all the little street garage sales and markets. It was bad for my shopping habit.
2. Venice
Jewelry is abundant and affordable, since I have an addiction, this was not a safe place for me to stay.
3. Paris
4. Barcelona

Anyway, the long and short of it is that I enjoyed my times sightseeing. I actually rather like tourist traps- everyone is excited and happy. I also love shopping for bargains, so I kind of like all of he sketchy little street vendors. Except for the squeaky blob guys, the draw your picture guys and the string bracelet guys.
The first refusal you get a polite no thank you. The second time you get a simple no. The third time you get my "horse voice" which is basically: 'I SAID NO.     NO' with a scolding motion.

The string bracelet guys are the worst, they're pushy and they group up on you. I don't like feeling pressured. Unfortunately for them, I'm used to standing my ground against pushy thousand pound animals.



I'm old. Well, I'm not even 24 yet, but I'm old on the inside. Possibly the outside as well. Nobody, and I do mean nobody, has thought that I'm as young as I am.  The most commonly guessed age? 30.  This has been happening since I was 18.

They keep saying that it's not because I look old, it's just my attitude, way of walking and self confidence. I think they're just trying to cover their asses.

I have accepted that I'm old for my age however. I'm staying up until 10:30 right now and I feel like a tired hoodlum. I was invited out clubbing in Barcelona, Paris and Venice and I chose to go to bed each time. I do not regret my decisions.  I am well past the point in my life where I can stay up and out until 5-6 am. European clubs get started way too late for my taste.

The girls did drag me to a club while I was in France. It was rather lame and didn't actually perk up until 1 am.  I required several vodka and red bulls just to be able to stay awake.

To be fair, I've been waking up until 6:30- 7:30 this entire time. I'm not sure when 8 am became sleeping in for me, but I can't say I like it.

On clothespins: (and stick shifts)

I am never going to be able to live this one down. I was putting the washing out to dry (sheets and towels) on the line and I could not make some of the stupid clothespins work to save my life. I did go and ask my host if I should just drape them over the line or try and pin up.  She said over. Apparently what she meant was drape them over, then pin them.

The wind blew half of them into the grass later on. It's not my fault, I'd never used a stupid clothes line before. They were amazed I'd never pinned anything before and looked at me like I'd grown two heads. I said that in America, we have this fabulous new fangled invention called a clothes dryer that does this for us.

Seriously though, screw clothes lines.  I do not want to hang my bras up on the line for all the world to see and my breeches never seem to get dry like that.

Really though Europe, dryers, get on it. My French home didn't have one either, although it rained just about every day so it all had to be put up inside (we used a rack).

Also automatic cars. They're really pretty fantastic. They're easy to drive and handle well. So why in the hell, does everyone here drive a manual stick shift car? Nothing is smooth and it's all complicated.

And apparently I have to learn to drive one. I am not excited.

My host said she assumed I knew how to drive one since I had said I had a driving licence.
 And I do. I can drive a car. I can drive an SUV. I can drive a moped. I can pull a horse trailer or a hay trailer. Just with automatic cars.

I've never even tried to drive an manual car before. But apparently we need two drivers for when the kids come, and my host doesn't drive.

It's not just the stick shift that's making me nervous about driving in Europe. It's the fact that traffic laws apparently don't exist here. All the signs are crazy (and in Italian) or nonexistent.  The roads are too narrow and winding as well.

I am never complaining about Arkansas drivers being crazy ever again.



Anyway, tomorrow I get to sleep in until 7 am (this is exciting to me) which is why you get an update.

Tomorrow the new workaway girl and I will move into the small apartment thing next to the barn. It's currently inhabited with hundreds of spiders.

I hate spiders.

She also hates spiders.

Amazingly, she's even more afraid of them than I am. Which means I get to do the spider killin' tomorrow.

I'm taking shots of vodka and wearing a mask... okay a scarf, since I don't actually have a mask.

While it will be nice to be in a different building from the children, when they come, we're just hoping and praying the wifi signal reaches. I don't think it will as it barely reaches to my bedroom in the main house.  (Update: it doesn't)

This will be an issue for both of us and we will have to find a way to get wifi because that is one thing I'm not willing to compromise on.

Thankfully we'll each have our own rooms which will be nice.

Now it's 10: 45 and it's well past my bedtime. I did an "all day" ride through the gorgeous Tuscany country side today and my body would like me to stop yapping and go to sleep.

So goodnight. I promise I'll try to update more and even tell some stories before I forget them.

Unless there's no wifi...

London picture update:
'Spider killin

You thought I was joking about the scarf didn't you? Well you were wrong. 

Webs. It completely clogged the vacuum. 

More effective than a broom:  sucking them into the wooshy vacuum of death. 

gross kitchen.

Sandra's serious face

How classy ladies celebrate making their home fit to sit in.