For those who don't know, Kagan is bicycling through Italy right now. But didn't he go to Italy before? And isn't he taking class this quarter? Well, that is just how he rolls, in the hills of Italy, like a pimp on his new 23" racing rims.
Here is an email he sent back just the other day:
But you might ask how did I get here? To the island of palandromic fame. Not banishment I assure you. I came as so many young men do, by bicycle! My father and I rode from Florance to Elba guided by the stars in the firmament, a triple A map, and the Osteria de Italia guide to all the Slow Food recomended resturaunts in Italy.
The food has been delicious, the rides spectacular, the taints chafed. Of course I saw the required sights in Florence with the exception of climbing the dome because it was Easter weekend and the lines were super long. but I did see David, and even though I am artistically and culturally ignorant I can say without a trace of doubt he is well lit. I also saw Bottecellis "Birth of Venus" Although there is some apparent confusion about the name, apparently she is in fact not being born rather taking her clamshell for a ride, personally, I thought she was a first class dish.
Architecturally the most interesting things I have seen are the display systems created by the unlicensed vendors in Florence, which due to there ingeniousness might give the city reason to claim to be the birthplace of the black market renaissance as well as the more traditional one. Like in Rome these vendors hawk all sorts of goods purses, sunglasses, prints, etc. at the first sign of the carabineri they sweep it up and move on. their display systems must be almost instantly collapsable and set back up again almost as fast. they build them out of cardboard, tape, twine, fabric,
umbrellas, all manner of found objects, and there are really pretty impressive. I think a display system for an unlicensed vender would be a great project for an industrial design studio. anyways I have some sketches and pictures I show you when I get home.
I will be in rome again this weekend if anyone wants anything. Johnny already asked me to bring him dirty pictures of the pope and other high ranking catholics, so dont be shy.
On a side note to Dylan and Jenna. the backpack and jacket are awsome, and I have been wearing the hell out of the arch terrex pants I roll them up to ride, and down to mack on the honeys, if the company is feeling daring and wants to alienate all sorts of potential customers they should hire me as a spokesperson.
Elba is beautiful Napoleons big mistake was obviously leaving. but maybe like me, he was shy in bathing trunks and tended to burn, we might never know.
