a mid-day adventure

[kareina]

I didn't accomplish as much uni-work wise as I might have liked with Friday, but I did get to talk to my boss about the questions I've had with the settings for the program we use to calculate the #of cations in minerals based on the microprobe results. He finally decided that the zeros in the column for the charge deficiency in the old data is probably wrong, because it isn't possible to set the Fe3+ to Fe2+ ratio in muscovites = 0.5 and have the charge always work out perfectly every time. This means I can just run with the settings we've got.

Friday evening I finally got around to rearranging the non-fiction hardcover book shelves, grouping books by catagory, and adjusting shelf heights so as to be able to put taller books on bottom. I am *much* happier with the result. Not only does it look better, but I will be able to find things when I need them. Then clovis_t and I played a game till after midnight, which was quite a nice way to end the day.

This morning I had thought to return to uni first thing and do some work, to make up for only having put in 3 hours of actual work time on Friday. However, when I woke up it was possible to see the Alps from my apartment, so instead I decided to head out on a quest, to see if it is possible to see them from the ground level anywhere near by. Since my apartment is on the eastern side of the city, I thought that if I headed out eastwards, I might get to a place where the buildings aren't nearly so tall and densely packed as in my neighbourhood, which would make it possible to see further than simply across the street.

So I pulled on my rollerblades (in hopes of making more distance in the same amount of travel time), and I set out first to the northeast, since the train tracks which run north-south just a few blocks east of here only have a few places where cars and pedestrians can get through, usually via an underpass--the rest of their path is quite securely walled off, no doubt to keep kids from playing on the tracks. Once I'd crossed under the tracks I set out eastwards again, and soon came to a place where the road and sidewalk passed over a wide creek (or narrow river),and from that slight vantage point, I could, in fact, see the Alps! Yay, mission already accomplished, and in only 20 minutes of skating time, too. However, I wanted more exercise than that, and hoped for even better views, so I continued on my way. Alas, not too much further along I came to a place where construction of some sort has caused a fence to be erected across the sidewalk, and the heavily trafficked road passes through a narrow spot between concrete barriers. I wouldn't have considered going further on foot, and on skates it looked far too dangerous. So I turned around and doubled back under the last highway I'd crossed and found a place where I could cross the road and head north. Very soon I came to a place where the Alps were, once again visible! The side road I was on went along side the above mentioned creek, and soon I reached a large park. What a lovely reward for my day! Not only is the park full of lovely open green areas, the large creek, and lots of trees, but there is even a hill. I've seen pretty much no topography in Milan--the streets are all pretty much flat. It made me so happy to see a hill that I took of my skates, switched to my sandals and walked up it (there was a choice between a spiraling paved road, or stairs made out of some lovely sparkling schist stones--guess which path I took!). The hill isn't very big, I think it took longer to take off the skates and accessories than it did to walk to the top, but it is still the highest ground I've seen in the Milan area--certainlly taller than the 4 to 6 story apartment buildings which border the park. The view from the top was lovely--one can, indeed, see the Alps from there. Though, come summer, when the trees have leaves again, it might not be possible to see through them to the mountains, which are still a good 50 km away.

I decided that the hill was enough of a reward, and skated home via a different path. Total time out of the house, 1 hour 44 minutes, including the one dead-end & double back. Furthest point from home ~ 4km. The day is yet young, so I may well get some uni work done with it, but first I think I'll head back across the street and cook up more of that yummy homemade spinach pasta.

Comments

[corvideye.livejournal.com]

Sounds fun. When I went to Reed it was always a sign of spring when one could see Mt. Hood from college hill. It always amazes me how mountains can phase in and out of visibility like that.

[kareina.livejournal.com]

Oh, how I wish it were seasonal! Alas, it has only to do with the city air, I fear. When the air is bad, there are no mountains out there, when it is good, there are. I've lived in this apartment since September, and I've now seen them 8 times...