Ciaio!

I now know the most important phrase in Italian:
Dove è il negozio del filato più vicino?
(Where is the nearest yarn store?)

You’re probably wondering why I need to know this…well, we found some decently priced tickets, so we’re going to Italy in March! Specifically, we’re going to Venice and Rome. We’re not going on any tours, so I’m trying to absorb as much Italian as I can before then so that we survive the trip and don’t accidentally cause any international incidents. It’s funny – after taking 5 years of Spanish and 2 of French, I can read a lot of Italian and understand what it says. Now I just have to learn a ton of vocabulary so that I can actually speak it. Oh, and why exactly is it that in every Romance language the most common verbs – to be, to have, to go, etc. – are irregular? I ask you, does this make any sense?

My other goal on this trip is to travel light. We’re bringing 1 (yes, 1) suitcase. We’ll each have one carry-on. (I’ll have to carefully consider what knitting (on bamboo needles) to bring. No scissors.) And of course I’ll have my camera bag. Now I just have to find a camera bag that can double as my purse and carry my camera equipment: the digital rebel, at least one other lens, a flash, and little things like memory cards. It can’t scream, “I am a camera bag, steal me!” I’d like it to be stylish (read: leather, preferably brown, none of this black cordura nylon, big plastic quick-release buckle stuff). It, obviously, needs to have good quality padding. Heck, what I really want is for a nice leather purse and a camera bag to marry and have children. I guess until that I happens, or unless someone can offer a better suggestion (anyone?) I’m going to settle for a lowepro napa bag – assuming I can find it (since it’s discontinued) somewhere. If it came in brown, I’d stop looking. (Don’t ask me why. Black is probably more stylish. I just prefer brown.)

Anyway, if anyone has been to Venice and/or Rome and has good suggestions about things to do that may not be in the tour books, or if anyone knows where to find a nice camera bag-purse, let me know! Grazie!