Friday Fishwrap - Scarves for Lions and Other Christmas Oddities

Ok, it's for charity, but still...The stitch and bitch bunch from London are knitting a scarf for a Trafalgar Square lion. The big ol' lion, I've heard, isn't complaining--maybe it's a bit like your reaction to those odd Christmas gifts from your weird uncle Herman you have hiding under the bed in the spare room. In any case, they'll auction off the scarf for charity after the holidays. So, if you have a bulging wallet and a huge lion statue freezing its brass off...

Damian Corrigan has found some Barcelona Christmas traditions you might find almost as odd--or at least as out of place as sexual carvings in Europe's Romanesque Churches. Here's a clue: Don't let your Caganer hog the spotlight on your nativity scene (He's been banned by the government, of course). Damian is off to get some pictures. Oh boy.

In less odd news...I've always wanted someone talented to come and paint a fresco on the walls of my Italian place. Yeah, it's not like you can just crack open a phone book and look up "Michelangelo" or anything, even in Italy. But now I've discovered that for a mere 31 US dollars I can learn how to paint frescos in Florence--at the Palazzo Vecchio no less. How cool is that?

And finally, the good folks at the arrogantly titled knowital (a good place to find vacation houses and apartments in Italy's more remote areas) have started up a hotel service as well, called ahotelinitaly.com. Seems some pretty nice prices are popping up for this time of year. Do some research on an Italian region you don't know much about, like the Trentino Alto Adige, and check out the places to stay.

^{Picture of lion knocker in Fivizzano, Italy © by James Martin}