Barefoot summer links

Heya buddies!

Summer is traveling time for most of of us, but there are some people staying home due to work. Like me, to give you the idea. But it's not a big deal, I have the whole winter to travel the world. ;)
Anyway. It seems that the word about barefooters is spreading out these days! Finally! I've come across a few links I would like to share with you.

So, first of all there was an article in Italian newspapers (!) about barefooting. Let's say that it was "a little bit" emotionally coloured - talking about barefooting as about something really weird. How surprising! Check the pics - many of them have too far to a real barefooting. :) The discussion below is funny too.

That brought me to a web page of one Italian barefooter - adding with pleasure to the list on the right side.

Then I got to know about a nice interview with an English lady who has done one year barefooting feat (can we call it full immersion?;) I like her motto:  

Bare feet are happy feet!  

Indeed, we know something about that - 2011 is my third "barefooting year" and I love it more and more. As a passionate runner she also attended an evening with Barefoot Ted (a barefoot runner) in London in May. Check it out.

My neighbour (around 60) keeps on asking me about my missing shoes every time she sees me which is at least three times a week! She always claps her hands and starts wondering HOW COME... with a real dramatic expression in her face. Funny moments.

I hope you are enjoying yourselves wherever you are (possibly barefooting;))!
Cheers!

Yours Barefooting Girl

Venice Trip - Bella Veneeeziaaa!

All right, my dear followers and readers, here I go again!

My life runs so fast and I have almost no time to share my little barefoot experiences, what a shame!
so let me catch up, because I have something to say... :)

Yes, indeed I still do travel, though in this time a bit less.
Anyway, I went to Venice for a few days and I had a great time there!
The funniest highlights?

There's a bridge called The Bridge of Barefooters (Ponte dei Scalzi), just a few meters from the train station Venice Santa Maria Lucia.
Well, I wonder how many barefooters this bridge have seen in it's whole existence. IMHO not many. This time I was the only one - why do people wonder that there's a barefooting girl crossing The Barefooters' Bridge with no shoes on?!? ;)

The pavements in the city are pretty nice, clean. Though I do not recommend going to the fish market - a lot of small pieces of broken glass (and smelly slippery flor, especially if you happen to be there when the market is over).

I saw three more barefooters!

I can only guess where were they from.... any my guess is: Germany! But who knows.

I've received many agitated comments along the way. I'm just having fun listening to them. The range was from "Look at her, she's barefoot!" through "How dirty!" and "She's gonna get many diseases!" (mother explaining to a kid) to "That's incredibly insane!" and "Disgusting!"...

Well, the funny thing is that the most disgusted people were the once dressed up according to the latest fashion and businessmen with ties and shiny shoes... No comment, they don't know what they miss! :D

Something to recommend:
Go with no shoes on in the middle of the San Marco's Square, get surounded by pigeons and throw around you some crumbs... Even better is to leave some crumbs on your toes and let them be pecked by pigeons... Unforgettable feeling! ;)
 

Well, in general: thumbs up, very barefooting friendly city (with barefoting unfriendly citizens).

And as a final pic-gift here comes the only official venetian barefooter (he was actually accompagnied by a personal security guide!) overlooking the city from the opposite bank:

Well, not only barefooter, but also naturist - well, you can do both in Venice.. as long as you are a piece of marble! ;)

Stay tuned, more stories are coming. And...
Enjoy the life barefooting!

An Italian barefooter? Incredible!

Being turist in Italy brings some surprises too!
I met a real, true Italian barefooter on the streets in Pisa. I got so shocked! ;)
Not because I saw him (that cannot shock me, right), but because in Italy it's such a rare thing! Not talking about the fact that we are in late October and people there were mostly wrapped in jackets, long trousers, some of them also winter boots!!

Well, he actually didn't look like "a real" Italian man. I mean no Dolce & Gabana clothes and glasses, he didn't even wear a bag or backpack. His long hair and simple sweatshirt showed pretty alternative way of life. That's why I think he was living there - a real Pisan guy!

To have them or not to have them? That's a question! :)

Well, it's easier to get out of your house, have a little walk around, maybe buy something, relax your feet on the grass in front of The Leaning Tower and then get back home.
Easier than travelling from far away in cold early morning, wandering around the whole day and going back home by train in late evening. To be sincere, I start getting used to some shoes already. :( I am not happy about that, but my recent illness has weakened me and I'm trying not to get too cold.

I hit the city of Florence barefoot though, on the sunny surfaces it was fun, but in the shadowed paving was freaking cold. Unbelievable differences.
But I made a huge discovery! Taking off my shoes helped me from tooth pain! :) Really! How incredible!

So, stay on the wave, when you are in trouble (physical discomfort I mean), consider getting rid of your shoes and enjoy the life barefooting!

Being back soon!

A gift for a barefooter

I sent out an information about this project and I'm really into it, I just like it, I feel it's the right thing to do at the moment. I feel the creative energy flowing!

But I have also "normal" life, not only in front of my computer, so I got off this afternoon to go downtown with some friends of ours. Pretty big event is happening these days - a kind of medieval festival with street artists, handcrafts and performances.. Well, it has become more commercial during past years, but you can still see many alternative people around.

Me and friend of mine headed to the market.
Do I have to mention I had no shoes on? ;)

We stopped by a stand with a guy juggling with devil sticks. I got interested and so I gave it a try - it wasn't particulary hard, but it would take some time to learn. When I was giving him devilsticks back after a while, he asked me: "Don't you want to learn it?"
I said uncertainly: "Well, I already have poi and diabolo, I think it's enough.."
He repeated his question.
"No, it's ok, I would have to buy it..."
He passed me a pair of devilstick and he said: "Take them. It's a present for you." 
I got surprised. "Really?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because you are barefoot."

I would never expected anything like that. A gift just for being barefoot. I thanked him and accepted his present.
Talking to him later during one and half hour of "workshop" I've discovered he was barefooter too, but he had to keep his crocs on for business reasons (selling devilstics and other stuff).
Here in Italy people care much about those things. :(

So enjoy the life barefooting... you never know what might occur!