Tag Archives: dogs

Saturday at Carosello

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Man with dog in shopping cart in the mall

So what’s the number one thing you shouldn’t forget to pack when you travel? A charger for your phone. Guess what I forgot?

And what that meant was I had to jump into my little car and find the Apple Store on the outskirts of Milan (which happens to be closer to the town of Gorgonzola, so it’s a wonder I didn’t just keep driving there instead) as soon as possible. But there I was at a shopping mall—quelle horreur!—on a rainy Saturday morning with residual jet lag and a flat phone on my second day in Italy. The good thing about that: Italy follows the universal rule of shopping malls which dictates that all patrons walk around like zombies, so I didn’t stand out one bit. Once I’d made my purchase and breathed a huge sigh of relief (thank you, proliferation of Apple), I was free to explore Carosello in the suburbs with the rest of the regular folks hiding out from the rain.

Now before you start to feel too sorry for me, remember I’m still in Italy so even in an indoor shopping mall, things are generally better. Like the food. And the people watching. Or, dog watching as it were. As I sat there enjoying my lunch, I happened to see this guy with his beautiful golden retriever in a shopping cart, semi-tending to his daughter in the fire department jeep thing. I can tell you that the dog received much more attention from passersby than the child, which was entertaining to watch. In any case, I sat there sipping my cappuccino taking it all in and thinking: somewhere in this giant mall there’s a lucky lady getting to shop freely while her husband is not only not rushing her but he’s also looking after the kid and the dog.

Boh of San Gimignano

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Boh the dog lounging poolside

“Boh!” is what the owner of our agriturismo replied when I asked what was the name of their resident dog. I didn’t think she meant “Bo” or “Beau”, just because of the way she said it: hands on her hips, a shrug, raised eyebrows and “Boh!” like she was spitting something. So I asked her what it meant exactly and it’s one of those sound-words, for lack of a better term, that means “I don’t know.” She wasn’t saying she didn’t know, she was saying his name is “Boh” and what it means is “I don’t know.”

Okay, I got it. And as the week went on, it was apparent the name fit him pretty well. But then, maybe not. One day during breakfast he pushed his way into our room, jumped on our bed and rolled around for a while (on top of my white t-shirt). Another time he borrowed my husband’s Costa del Mar sunglasses for a while and we eventually found them near his doghouse. Luckily they were inside their bullet-proof case and now the teeth marks it bears serves as a hilarious reminder.

Once after a long day of walking around Volterra, we returned to find Boh lounging poolside on a chaise (so much work to do, finding mischief among the guests, hanging around the kitchen, etc.). After a few minutes the resident one-eyed orange cat showed up and Boh just wasn’t having it, giving him the cold shoulder in stages.

Boh notices the one-eyed cat has arrived

Boh gives the orange cat the cold shoulder part one

Boh curls up into a ball, cat persona non grata

If you’d like to visit Boh (or the one-eyed orange cat), I must warn you to bring pants with an elastic waistband. Dinners at the agriturismo are served at a long table family-style where the food doesn’t stop coming, and they don’t take no for an answer (I’m not kidding). The owners are nice, they make their own products there (no, you don’t have to help) like olive oil, saffron, cheese and wine. So if you’re looking for one of those friendly places where you end up meeting a lot of great people from all over the world (the three wild girls from Poland who live in Canada, the mother and daughter from Hawaii, the water polo player and his medical student girlfriend from Milan, the Australian couple with the woman who worked on Happy Feet, you get the idea), this is one of them.

And of course there’s Boh. But I’m convinced he’s a lot smarter than he’s letting on.

Agriturismo signage and grape truck

Agriturismo information: Il Vecchio Maneggio, Loc. Sant’Andrea 22 – 53037 San Gimignano Italy. Tel & Fax: +39 0577 950232. E-mail: info@ilvecchiomaneggio.com

Via della Spiga

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Dog walker with 4 dogs on Via della Spiga in Milan

Everyone knows that Milan is Italy’s fashion capital. And Via della Spiga is Milan’s fashion location. One day as I was making my way from one end to the other while looking for the new Virginia Preo cashmere shop, this guy came zipping past with four dogs. I assume he was a professional dog walker, but then who knows? After all, I’ve been asked the same question myself. In any case, I immediately became the walker stalker and followed them. What a variety!

I suppose not a lot of women (or anyone really) would have abandoned Via della Spiga in Milan to follow a pack of briskly walking dogs. But in doing so I probably saved myself a lot of money! Well, I’ll just have to go back…

Dog walker with 4 dogs in sequence

How Technology Saves Dogs in China

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Zhang Xiaoqiu and his rescued dogs

Having Sirius radio in my car is wonderful, so much to choose from. But 95% of the time my station of choice is the BBC World Service and I just can’t get enough of it. Not only do I get to hear great stories and perspectives I would otherwise miss, I also get to avoid U.S. election year mud-slinging, toddlers in pageants and the Kardashians for a while. This story was so fantastic that I almost spun out of control when I heard it. Oh happy day.

Basically, in China they have their own rapidly growing version of Twitter called Weibo and this story was about how this amazing technology is creating enormous change within the country. They give five examples of how this is impacting lives and social issues, the first one being the story of animal activist Zhang Xiaoqiu and how he has started a movement to save dogs. Below is the text about Zhang Xiaoqiu from the BBC’s site, but you can find the entire technology story by correspondent Duncan Hewitt here. If you prefer to listen to the BBC’s audio, click here.

Zhang Xiaoqiu still remembers the date – 15 April 2011. It was when Weibo changed his life, and saved those of several hundred dogs. The Beijing-based businessman, originally from southern China, had always been an animal lover, but the news he heard via Weibo that day led him to take action.

Fellow internet users had spotted a truck on the motorway heading out of Beijing, loaded with dogs in tiny cages. This could only mean one thing – they were destined for restaurants in China’s north-east, where dog-eating remains more common than in many other parts of the country.

Pictures of the caged animals, posted on Weibo, soon attracted the attention of hundreds of thousands of people across China, and at least 100 animal lovers quickly answered an appeal to jump in their cars and block the truck’s path on the road.

Zhang was one of them. He and his wife arrived to find police and local government officials at the scene, and animal lovers attempting to persuade the truck driver to sell them the dogs.

Finally, after Xiaoqiu and other campaigners raised about £1,000 ($1,556), the driver agreed to drive the animals to the compound of the China Small Animals Protection Association (CSAPA) – the country’s only officially recognised animal rights NGO.

Today, Zhang is a volunteer organiser for the CSAPA. He says there has been a dozen more dog rescues over the past year or so, all organised online via Weibo.

“Each time someone will send out a message on Weibo and volunteers from all over the country will find out about it.

“They start to phone the company transporting the dogs, phone the police, phone the animal protection society and the government. It puts enormous public pressure on these people, so they really have no choice but to take action.”

Story text and photo from the BBC’s website.

San Francisco Artist Mark Ulriksen

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Jack Russells by Mark Ulriksen

As a graphic designer, you’re pretty much constantly bombarded with self-promotions from illustrators and photographers. And your desk is always buried with 3-inch thick directories of the same (that really only get used for either flattening something that’s being glued down for a presentation or, in the case of one firm where I worked that shall remain nameless, as trivets for hot and steamy pizza boxes on the conference table). So when you come across someone’s work that’s really great AND memorable, it definitely makes an impression and you keep all manner of pizza toppings far away from it.

I remember the first time I saw something by San Francisco-based artist and illustrator Mark Ulriksen (and yes it’s because the subject matter was dogs, you got me there). I had picked up a copy of a newsletter titled The Berkeley Bark at the vet’s office, in Berkeley no less. At that time the newsletter was a black and white folded tabloid, with Mark’s work on the front cover. It wasn’t too many pages in length but it was good and so I would always eagerly await the next issue. It wasn’t long before The Berkeley Bark became the now-famous Bark Magazine and I’ve loved seeing Mark’s work there and other places, like The New Yorker where he’s a regular contributor, ever since. His work is also in the permanent collection of The Smithsonian and the Library of Congress. High fives.

Images of work from San Francisco artist Mark Ulriksen

Now I should probably mention that not all of Mark Ulriksen’s work is about dogs, but I like them (and I’m pretty sure he does, too) so I’ve gone to town here. In addition to his illustration assignments he also does private commission portrait work, so one day I plan to send him an enormous shoebox full of photographs of all my dogs and a giant sack of coffee for the long haul.

If you’d like to check out his site and more of his work, click here. If you’re interested, under “Show-and-Tell” click “Work in Progress” of the dalmatian painting featured above. Gosh, it almost makes you think you can do one yourself. But no.

 

 

Marta of Villa Antea in Florence

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Marta from Villa Antea, Florence, Italy

On a quick trip to Florence, Italy (I know…who makes a quick trip to Florence?) I stayed at a hotel called Villa Antea that I just happened to find by chance. When I checked in, hotel owner Diletta Lenzi’s little dog Marta was playing with some toys under the desk and of course immediately I felt right at home. Which is good because this hotel used to be the home of Ms. Lenzi’s family, going back to the late 1800’s when they built it. I’m thinking that hotels that have a dog on the premises should list it with their services as a benefit to travelers who miss their own dogs: “We offer laundry services, cable tv, wifi, room service and a dog.” Or something like that.

Villa Antea has a lot of other good things going for it. For one, it’s located in a regular neighborhood, not inside the crazy center of Florence but you can walk there in a few minutes. There’s also parking, which I was glad about since I had been driving all over the place in a little Fiat 500 and wanted to use my legs for a while. When staying there you can pretend that it’s your family’s home from the late 1800’s, the high ceilings and decor help that fantasy along. The rooms are spacious, the bathrooms are gigantic. They provide you with a helpful (and well designed, imagine!) little guidebook with local restaurants, bars, sights, bus info, etc. It’s not crazy expensive, which is a really good thing when it’s business travel and it’s your business. So I would highly recommend Villa Antea if you’re going to Florence and prefer a smaller well-appointed hotel. If you do make the trip, please tell Marta I said hello!

Villa Antea : Via Puccinotti 46, 50129 Firenze, Telephone +39 055.484106 http://www.villaantea.com/

Villa Antea, Florence, Italy

Alberto Garutti : ALL’APERTO

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Alberto Garutti : All'Aperto

“The dog portrayed here belongs to a Trivero family. This work is dedicated to them and the people who will talk about it as they sit here.”

In 2009 Italian artist Alberto Garutti created a permanent installation in the town of Trivero, Italy as his contribution to the Fondazione Zegna’s ALL’APERTO (OUTDOORS) project. The goal of the project is to make art accessible to the community, and Mr. Garutti chose to incorporate dogs (hooray!) of local families because, in his words: “Through dogs, you also speak about owners and families, whom they reflect. Dogs are also a great metaphor for art: they want to ‘socialize’ with everybody.” What a wonderful sentiment.

Alberto Garutti : Trivero

The photos above and this summary are taken from the project’s website:

“In order to map out the territory of Trivero, Alberto Garutti sought the collaboration of the teachers and local primary school fifth grade students. He asked the children to choose, describe and draw the town’s dogs: Eva, Pulce, Sbadiglio, Lampo, Ferro, Sissi and Otto, Luna…

This process enabled the artist to establish contact with the kids, their families, and the owners of the dogs, meeting, photographing and involving them in the realization of the project. The result is a public work that can be used (and ‘adopted’) by everyone.”

I especially love the last sentence, because it’s a perfect parallel to dogs in our lives. If you have a few minutes, watch Mr. Garutti in the video about the project. There are English subtitles: http://www.fondazionezegna.org/allaperto/en/garutti/video.html. And if you happen to find yourself way up in the north of Italy sometime, visit Trivero and experience the installation for yourself! It’s a beautiful part of Italy. But then, what part of Italy is not beautiful?

Porta Garibaldi to Sant’Agostino

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As Magnum P.I. used to say, “I know what you’re thinking and you’re right.”

This nice Italian gentleman and his dog do bear a striking resemblance to one another. But honestly, that wasn’t the first thought I had when they boarded this Milan Metro train one Saturday morning. I was more focused on how great it is that you can hop on the subway with your dog in Italy and everyone’s okay with it. Hmm. I offered my seat, but the man preferred to stand with his friend in his arms for the entire journey. So I sat there staring at this relaxed pup and reminiscing about the days when I used to commute into San Francisco from Oakland on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). The only dogs I ever saw on those trains were service-dogs-in-training, or dogs pretending to be service-dogs-in-training. And whether or not they really were service-dogs-in-training, they were wearing the service-dog-in-training cape. Everyone knows that cape means “Step off! Don’t give me any attention, don’t even think of petting me or saying silly stuff to me in baby voices.” Which is another thing Magnum P.I. used to say: “Don’t look at the dogs!”

I didn’t pet this dog or say silly stuff to him either, I was just glad he was out and about. He made a trip on a crowded subway train much more pleasant. Now that’s a service dog!

A Stylish Couple

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One Saturday afternoon in the piazza outside the Duomo di Milano, this particular pair struck me as the perfect picture of everything I envy about the quintessential Italian lifestyle. Relaxed, confident, stylish (how do they do it?). My jaw drops and I imagine this faithful dog rescuing stranded climbers in the Alps on a regular basis (of course she does!). This woman is probably a designer or maybe she has a vineyard somewhere or both (I’m sure that’s it). I stand there wondering if I could ever wear lavender All-Stars as well as she does (and why didn’t it occur to me to wear lavender All-Stars that day?).

As I slyly continue to observe, I see that the champion Alpine rescue dog has taken notice of something and her gaze is fixed upon it: an equally stylish significant other (the heir to a textile empire?) has emerged from a nearby museum (was he dropping off a statue they no longer had room for?) and she goes directly to him. He kneels to greet her and fluffs the fur around her neck, scratches her ears. She’s in heaven. The woman joins them and they stroll out of the piazza together (probably to return to the vineyard or a weekend house on Lake Como).

Imagination aside, the whole little vignette of this couple with their lovable dog was a beautiful sight to see that day. And all I really know for sure is that I was grateful to watch.

Lola at Yoga

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Here’s a great example of dogs making something better. When I joined my yoga group a few years back, I was so happy on my first day to see that the instructor brings her dog to every session. Most people already know that yoga is great for reducing stress and increasing relaxation & focused breathing, but add a lazy snoozy Lab and that benefit skyrockets! You can’t help but relax. The first dog that came to class was Yogi, an older black Lab that passed away last year from cancer. Oddly enough, as soon as that sad event happened Lola transitioned from Yogi’s goofy sidekick to Miss Namaste practically overnight. Now she yawns and naps and breathes, rising only at the end of our session for her own “down dog” (because what else would she do, right?). After that she makes a beeline for me because she knows I bring her a few biscuits and she munches away while I roll up my mat. We’ll always miss you Yogi, but we know you’re very proud of your understudy. Viva Lola!