Have you met David Wang?

Two nights later, I'm still haunted by one striking, iconic image of renaissance art. It's everywhere in Florence, from the original at the Accademia to reproductions around town to tourist stands to the side of buses.

Yes, you could say Italy has a rejuvenating effect: It has turned me into a 14 year-old boy again.

I Like Pisa. A lot.

Before I make my usual trip retrospective – which may take a while to compose – I'd like to say that Pisa is highly underrated as a destination, and that it merits more than just a day trip to see the Leaning Tower (Torre Pendente).  It really has a lot going for it, from excellent microbrew to cycle-friendly paths.

That said, here's my take on the the typical stupid tourist photo of the Leaning Tower:

What, you thought I'd actually stand there and pretend I was pushing the thing over?

Spirited Away for a Day

Or half a day...

I just checked into my luxurious little hotel in Akasaka, between the hardcore nightlife districts of Roppongi and Shinjuku. Don't worry - I found a killer deal online. I'm saving my money for buying stuff in Shibuya. My mom's off at her friend's place in the suburb, and I'm gearing up for what'll hopefully be a big night.

But not before going and checking out the Ghibli Museum, an almost theme park-ish museum dedicated to the art and animation of Hayao Miyazaki. My Neighbor Totoro. Spirited Away. Naüsicaa. Laputa. All animated masterpieces under Miyazaki's belt, all imbued with an amazing mastery of ingenious simplicity.

The museum reflects this. It's an extraordinary place on par with Antoni Gaudi's creations in Barcelona, making you feel as though you're inside one of his films. It's not huge, nor sprawling, nor terribly complex - again, it's all the simple little things so meticulously paid attention to that draw you in. It's hard to explain how something so fundamentally childlike can be so fascinating, how one little place set off in a park in a Tokyo suburb can make you feel like a kid again, so like many things in Japan, you'll just have to see it for yourself.

I bought my tickets well in advance for this attraction (you have to, actually), and thought it might be a bit lame of me, going to a shrine worshiping someone who's work I always admired but never fully appreciated. I walked away in love. I'll be purchasing some DVDs in the near future, I'm sure...