I woke up this morning, checked out of my hotel and went to American express and booked a ticket for Rome. Last night I was feeling like o.k. I've seen enough, I need to go to Rome and start school again. after all what am I doing here? seeing sights, writing songs, reading, whatever. so that is what I decided, get back to school. After I had everything set, I headed for the academia, which is their version of the Louvre etc. a very large art gallery and museum, a must see. On the way there I saw this amazing looking girl with these glasses that were so beautiful. I second looked because she was so beautiful and then I realized that she was the same girl I had seen yesterday at the beach on that little island. I actually chased her yesterday but lost her. So today I started following her. I'm not joking even though I am laughing while I type this. I was so overtaken by her I didn't want her to get away again. I had spent over a month in Florence and didn't find one woman who captivated me enough to even warrant a second look. But here there have been many. An elegance unmatched. So I followed her from a distance. Talking to her like I was in some movie. Watching how beautifully she carried herself. So pretty and carefree. And then I stopped and looked in a window at some amazing glasswork and when I turned around she was gone. Just like that. I walked up and down the alleys looking for her. How could it be that I could see her again like this—surely it must be fate---and then lose her again? What a cruel joke indeed. 

Eventually I found my way to the Academia and of course it was closed. After all it was 2 and on Mondays the academia closes at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Why? No reason. Except that we’re in Italy. So I rushed off to the Guggenheim museum, because tomorrow the Guggenheim will be closed. Why? Because it is Tuesday of course. You see? There is no logic here.

Well I have to say the Guggenheim really besides the statue of David has been the thing that has impressed me the most in Italy. I know. this is crazy. but whatever. I just found that I could relate to the 20^th century art much more than all the renaissance stuff. how many paintings of Jesus and the virgin Mary can you see? Well I didn't count but I have reached my limit. This museum is the actual palace where New York heiress and art collector Peggy Guggenheim lived and died from 1949 till 1979. She had an amazing modern art collection in her home. And now they have turned it into a museum. 

In the museum you get to see works from Picasso of course, Chagall who is truly elementary, they have a great little Jackson Pollock collection there spanning from the first one she purchased from him to the last, so you really get to understand his transformation from vertical easel painting to his later on the floor method. There is also a few works by Dali, Miro’, Rosai, her daughter Pegeen Vail who had a really interesting style, Leger, Duchamp. On and on. All modern 20^th century works. A real primer on 20^th century painting. A lot of weak work there granted, as in all modern art, where you kind of stand there and wonder, “and where exactly is the technique in this?” and of course that was the point of it; but some works are truly stunning. I found myself very inspired artistically. And of course many of the women who work at this museum are very beautiful. so I found myself in endless conversation with them about the various paintings. I ended up purchasing the autography of Ms. Guggenheim. I enjoy reading about her and all the artists and intellectuals of those early years of modern art. I wish we had more of that in the music biz right now. More focus on ground breaking and less on getting a hit. It would be cooler. That is what is so inspiring about the visual arts. Painting and film etc. breaking ground, iconoclasm, is welcomed and encouraged. Whereas in the world of music it is frowned upon by many because of the basic mechanisms that control the business and instead fitting in and sounding like what is happening NOW is highly encouraged. Which of course is very boring indeed. And not very artistic. It’s a tricky little business. One that desperately needs some ground breaking. 

One can easily see why Ms. Guggenheim, and so many others, decided to move to Venice and make it their permanent residence. it is a spectacular little city. I have not felt as at home in six weeks as I have here in Venice. I feel as though I have finally found Italy. Here in Venice. I came by a church and saw that tonight there will be a concert of Vivaldi and Mozart. So that was that. I will go to this concert tonight. I have checked back into my hotel here and changed my ticket. Perhaps I will leave tomorrow. I don't know. I just love it so much here.

So now I am at a café in the beautiful piazza San Marco. The orchestra is playing ‘I could have danced all night’ and I am drinking a large glass of praline ice cream it looks like drowned in 2 shots of espresso. And a beer. And a capucino. The breakfast of champions.

I am sitting in the shade typing. The piazza is filled with smiling people overjoyed with Venice. There is something about the tens of thousands of pigeons flying around and dancing to the music being played by the orchestra that adds a touch of magic to the square. I will keep writing and later commence to drinking beer until I catch a good buzz before the concert tonight. The school in Rome just called and wondered why I didn't show up today. But Rome can wait. 

Current read: out of this century---confessions of an art addict by Peggy Guggenheim. Fascinating tale about everyone in the art and intellectual world of the early 20^th century. Anais Anin, Gore Vidal, Samuel Becket, all the artists of course. On and on. Wonderful.

Italy has more opera houses than the rest of the world combined together. There are over 20 in the city of Venice alone. Concert was brilliant tonight. Vivaldi by an eight piece group made up of violins, violas, cello, bass cello, and harpsichord, in an 11^th century gothic cathedral. Then dinner on the Grand Canal overlooking the Rialto Bridge.