Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Travels with Fluff: Vacation Photos Starring a Tub of Fluff (Part V: Fluff in Italy)

Fluff and Duomo in Orvieto


Welcome Back to Travels with Fluff!

New to Travels with Fluff? Check out the previous posts.
Introduction
London and the Opal Coast of France (for one day, to get some wine
Dispatch from the What the Fluff? Festival in Union Square, Somerville
New York City
Fluffy in Memphis

Don’t forget to take the Fluff Quiz at the bottom of this post. Answers to the previous Fluff Quiz posted too!

This past spring, Fluff and I got to go see my sister and brother-in-law while they were working at an art program in Orvieto, Italy. This was the best vacation I’ve ever had. Mostly I just hung out in Orvieto, a beautiful hill town in Umbria, but I also went to Rome and Florence for day trips.

Alas, there are no Fluff pictures from Rome, as I went there alone and everyone warned me not to take what I didn’t want to lose while sightseeing there. A Fluffnapping would have broken my heart. There are, however, some good Fluff shots of Florence. Enjoy!


Sister's balcony

View from my sister’s window

Fluff's digs

Fluff’s digs at sister’s

Piazza de Republica, Orvieto

Piazza della Republica, Orvieto

Fluff and clock tower, Orvieto

Torre del Moro, Orvieto


Fluff on the Clock Tower, Orvieto

View from the top of the Torre del Moro

Eagle on gate

Eagle from the Roman Gate, Orvieto


Fluff on Duomo Steps

Piazza del Duomo, Orvieto

Fluff with blue ape

Fluff and a blue Ape


Electric Rickshaw

Fluff and an electric rickshaw

Fluff and Italian Boxed Wine

Fluff and Italian boxed wine

Firenze e Roma

Road sign near sister's place (I took the train)

Fluff and Fake David

Fluff and David

Ponte Vecchio, Firenze

Ponte Vecchio

Fluff at Uffize

The Uffizi

ugly fountain, Firenze

Ugly Fountain of Neptune


Fluff and Donatello



Fluff and Duomo in Firenze

View of the Campanile (bell tower)
from the top of Brunelleschi's Dome
Climbed a lot of steps to get here


From dome in Firenze

Another view from the top of Brunelleschi's Dome

San Miniato

View of Florence from San Miniato

Top photo: Fluff and the Duomo in Orvieto. Someone from Flickr said it was brilliant.

Fluff Quiz the Fourth!
Put your books away, it’s time for the Fluff Quiz. Remember, if you cheat, you only cheat yourself. It’s better to know something about Italy than it is to know something about Fluff. E-mail me the answers if you would like, but you can also post them in the comments. As I will be gone for a few days, e-mails will be answered when I return. Answers to this quiz will be posted in the dispatch from Washington, DC. May the Fluff force be with you.

1. In one of the above photos, Fluff is pictured with an Ape (pronounced ah-pay). What does Ape mean, and why is the name clever?
2. The David in the photograph is a replica. Where is the original?
3. To what did the title of E.M. Forester’s A Room with a View refer?
4. My sister and I stopped in a caffĂ© in Florence in the afternoon. A man walked in (not American) and ordered a cappuccino. The bartender wouldn’t give it to him. Why?
5. Italian boxed wine. Discuss.


Answers to Fluff Quiz the Third!
Robyn wins this round, but Dive did admirably well. His poetic answers gladdened my heart.

1. What is the shelf life of Fluff?
Fluff is eternal, in that it does not go bad.
2. Dusty Springfield is best known for “Son of a Preacher Man,” recorded with the Memphis Sound. The song, however, was originally written for someone else. Who turned “Preacher Man” down? Huge-ass hint: She later recorded it.
Aretha Franklin.
3. Name two people who recorded at Sun Studio. I don’t want anyone telling me that my quizzes are too hard.
Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis…
4. Fluffy fell in love with Aqua Net in Memphis and has been heartbroken ever since. Have you ever felt this way? Discuss.
My recent sadness is well known to some of you, but I thought that I would share my first experience of ill-timed love (well, not love, but some serious crushing going on). When I was eleven, my parents took us to an amusement park in northern New Hampshire. While there, I met a boy my age, and he and I spent the entire day not looking at each other everywhere we went—that is, until near the end of the day when we both wound up in line for the bumper cars. He bashed my car, I bashed his car, we both got whiplash. It was puppy love. Afterwards we exchanged a few awkward words, and he gave me the bent-nail ring he got at one of the attractions at the park. We both blushed like crazy when it was time to leave, but since both of our parents were standing there, we only said goodbye. I spent the rest of the summer dreaming about him, and I never knew where he was from. I never saw him again.


Coming soon! Fluff goes to Washington!

Previous Posts
Introduction
London and the Opal Coast of France (for one day, to get some wine
Dispatch from the What the Fluff? Festival in Union Square, Somerville
New York City
Fluffy in Memphis

23 comments:

dive said...

Yaaaay, Fluff!
I'm now off to Japanese class, but I'll do the quiz when I get back.
Have a great Schmooze in Washington.

Scout said...

I have e-mailed my answers, but I have no idea what I'm talking about.

I'm so happy for winning the previous quiz!! Prizes?

Neponset River Bridge Dig said...

I had an old friend who used to do some kinky stuff with fluff

Sassy Sundry said...

Have fun, Dive! Hope you learn some cool new words.

Robyn's answers were priceless. I think I'll still give out points if people make me laugh.

Regarding a prize, I've been thinking about it. I could give out a print of the overall winner's favorite Fluff photo, but the winner would have to give me their address. Or I could do some kind of bow down and worship post about how great the winner is. I'm open to ideas.

Rich, that is some sticky business you are talking about. Rather disturbing.

I have a few more hours here at the office, and then it's off to therapy (need it pre-schmooze) and packing.

Carissa B said...

You use the word "Washington" so liberally....I thought you were going to my Washington. I read it and got excited....my heart skipped a beat....and then I remembered you're going to the wrong Washington (which nobody in Washington ever calls "Washington" and we still don't understand why the rest of the country does) *sigh*

Sassy Sundry said...

You didn't get the reference, young Carissa Marie. It was to the Jimmy Stewart classic, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. It's OK, though. You are young.

Carissa B said...

I know Mr. Smith Goes to Washington....I was just temporarily blinded by my love for The Promise Land and therefore got excited that Fluff, too, might be able to experience the wonder of so great a land. I suppose DC will have to do as a poor substitue for now...

Sassy Sundry said...

Deepest apologies, and thanks for the laughs.

Old Knudsen said...

1)Ape means to copy and is clever cos they can use tools like computers, see my comments for proof.

2) the original photograph is on your camera, haha trick question but Old knudsen is smart like a fox.

3) they could see the fat German tourists taking up all the space around the pool from their hotel room.

4) because the lazy eyeties only want to serve young weemen.

5) its wine in a box, the box is leaking (old age I suspect) it still smells of the feet of the peasants that crushed the grapes.

maybe not the answers you wanted but I do believe them to be correct, well all except 1 thru 5.

Sassy Sundry said...

Like I said, points for laughter.

Kav said...

I think 4) is something to do with cappucino being or morning drink or some such...

As for the others, I feel thick as a small plank now.

Class idea though. What is that Fluff stuff?

Sassy Sundry said...

So far, Fat Sparrow's the one to beat.

Sassy Sundry said...

Oh, and Kav, Fluff is some seriously scary stuff. It is a marshmallow sauce (for ingredients see the quiz answers included in the NYC post) that is mind-bendingly sweet, and rather sticky. It hails from Somerville, Massachusetts (though it is made in another city now), and it is consumed primarily on the East Coast by school children. The most popular Fluff food item is the Fluffernutter, a sandwich made with peanut butter and Fluff.

For the story of how I started using it as a prop for vacation photos, see the post on London.

Bet that was more than you wanted to know, wasn't it?

Taihae said...

The only time I ate fluff I happened to get sick, so I can't even look at the stuff without retching now.

tony said...

can the Fluff return to The States apres journey?
I seem to remember getting into a right stew when i tries to take a jar of vindaloo paste into Chicago airport..................

Steven said...

Who knew that Fluff was so much bigger than Davids willy? Not I. ;)

Steve~

The Hangar Queen said...

I'm shuddering still from "Fluffernutter"
Answers(ish)
1.I know that Apes are those little scooter/car yokes but I've no idea why it's clever.
2.I believe ol'Davey boy is right behind you in the Ufizzi.
3.No clue.Men's room in the train station with a peephole into the Ladies'maybe.
4.Kav's right.It's a breakfast drink and anyone who orders one in the afternoon is a git.
5.It's ingenious to hide wine in boxes.Eat,drink and be merry.

Unknown said...

I'm loving it and will have to go and by some fluff, pronto!
I think Rich has given me a few good ideas on this fluff thing. In pron, is that why they're called the Fluffer, oooooooooh, I'm killing myself!

Taihae said...

whither the sassy? I miss her.

Scout said...

Adding my note here, Sassy. Hurry back. We miss you, and bring the Fluff goes to Washington quiz.

Kav said...

Having read thine comments, I consider myself thoroughly educated.

Sassy Sundry said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sassy Sundry said...

Well, Little Sassy Schmoozer has had her fun. I'm back. I'm beyond tired. Too much schmoozing. Too much drinking.

I missed all of you, and I will be catching up on lots of reading tomorrow. New Fluff post coming soon.

Well done, Hangar Queen. You are in second. Dive has given Fat Sparrow a run for her money, and I do believe we have a tie for first with the quiz. You are all so smart!

Taihae, I'm sorry that the stuff makes you sick. I think it makes most adults sick.

Tony, I was able to get Fluff back into the country. It got a bit of a going over in Heathrow when I left London, but they let it pass. Going through Italian customs was pretty funny. For some reason, no one searched me when I came back to the States on either of those trips (I am usually that lucky person hauled aside for luggage ransacking).

Steven, Fluff is big stuff.

Babs, see comment for Steven. Are you sure you want your "pron" that messy?

Kav, I'm delighted that you feel educated in the ways of Fluff. I love useless knowledge.