Quand on est à Rome... (When in Rome...)

When I came to France, my primary goal was not to travel as much as possible, strange as that may sound coming from a student abroad.  I truly wanted to relish the unique and precious occasion to BE a Grenoblois, as they’re called, to settle into a French-sort-of life in order to see what it’s all about.  That being said, I began this semester with only two goals relating to travel: to make it to Italy and to Paris.  Well, one down.

When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money.  Then take half the clothes and twice the money.         
–Susan Heller

Though I laughed when I read this piece of advice for the first time, I truly did have it in mind as I prepared for my university’s weeklong fall break.  With 7 full days on my hands, I decided to make a whirlwind tour of Italy and southern France: Grenoble—Venice—Florence—Rome—Cinque Terre—Nice—Aix-en-Provence—Grenoble.  It was GREAT.

Italy allowed me to carry back souvenirs that engage all senses (souvenirs means ‘memories’ in French… I think it’s a very fitting translation).  The trip was full of leisurely moments watching the world go by, and yet it moved at such a pace that I can only describe the mere aura of each city as I came to experience it.  Just as I was settling into one place (and finally figuring out how to navigate it with my consulted-so-much-it’s-falling-apart-after-one-day map), we were catching that truly magical vehicle that transforms your surroundings in but three hours: the train! 

Venice doesn’t fail in all it’s hyped up to be.  I’m already planning on a return trip with my significant someone someday, because you just can’t help but feel the romance lingering in the narrow streets and certainly on the Grand Canal!  When I first arrived, I was alone (Elisabeth was coming to meet me from Budapest) and to be honest, I was completely paralyzed by my fear of getting lost, at night, on my way to my hostel.  Venice is infamous for being dreadfully confusing to navigate, and after spending a day and a half there, it really is true: Venice is like a PEOPLE MAZE.  Dead-ends included. ; D  But the Lord magnificently guided my steps and I arrived just fine.  In Venice, Elisabeth and I took full advantage of our steeply priced Valparetto water taxi pass and traveled to four out of five islands surrounding the lagoon the next day.  We also enjoyed "family dinners" at our hostel every night!

I arrived in Florence with high expectations because of what other good friends had told me about it.  In this city, I saw a lot of art.  Old art. Renaissance art!  It was all really good (I certainly admitted many times that I could never even paint the SKY as well as they did) but needless to say, I’m not much of an art history buff.  Some sections took a little while for me to really “get into,” but it was culturally enriching to walk the halls of the Uffizi and the Academia, and to witness first-hand the splendor of Michelangelo's David.  Great little anecdote: in the Uffizi, the best-known museum in Florence, you could not bring water bottles inside, and unfortunately, I had my Nalgene with me (which never leaves my side if you know me well).  I suffered greatly from anticipated separation anxiety until I had a bright idea: I hid the Nalgene in a potted bush next to some bike racks in a courtyard nearby.  The highlight came later, when I went to retrieve it and two Italian men gave me the oddest and most amused looks as a water bottle magically appeared from underneath the bush.  :)

Florence was also where I enjoyed my best and most memorable dining experience, which included getting in without a reservation, sitting with strangers on either side of me, making very good friends with the Italian businessmen to my left (to the point where they were offering us bites of their steak and giving us their dessert), and being poured sparkling white wine after dinner for free, THREE TIMES (because the waiter said we weren’t drunk yet).

Switching scenes and time periods, we scampered off to Rome and saw the Colosseum first thing as the sun was setting: simply an experience like no other.  I kept thinking of the schoolbooks I had read about the Colosseum, and felt immensely privileged for the chance to see it in person!  Rome was definitely one of my favorite stops.  I enjoyed the large-city atmosphere and was constantly enamored by the juxtaposition I witnessed everywhere between Roman ruins and Roman metropolitan on the same street corner.  We saw a lot in Rome, walking the city five times over.  We ate a lot of pizza and even more gelato.  I experienced the Vatican’s immense St. Peter’s Cathedral (where this time, I left my Dad’s pocket knife outside the gates disguised in a cookie wrapper in a trash can--ha).  My varied thoughts on the biggest cathedral in the world and the center of the Roman Catholic Church will have to wait for another day….

Changing paces dramatically, Elisabeth and I caught a train at midnight, which left two sleepy-eyed and slightly disoriented college students in La Spezia’s train station at 4:14am.  After sleeping a bit in the train station and a 15-minute train trip to Riomaggiore, we found a scenic overlook and journaled until the sun came up over the Mediterranean.  Then, we began a 9k daylong hike through five small Italian villages directly on the coastline, known collectively as Cinque Terre.  One word: GORGEOUS.  It was exactly the kind of ending I wanted to have in Italy, and I embraced the cheerful-looking building facades, the fresh air aroma, the staggering views, and the gently hushing waterfront with much pleasure.  This was one stop I had greatly looked forward to, and as I swam in the Med at the end of the day and let the setting sun dry my face, well, I couldn’t think of anything much better.  As I wrote in my journal that morning:

The Mediterranean Sea rustles just beyond the edge of the stone pathway, and the sun’s purples and pinks and oranges are making their way around the cliff’s edge to my left.  It is early here--as still as if no one lived here.  I’m receiving a gift right now--  I’m glimpsing a period of the day most people aren’t around for, and I open it with wonder, with humility.  Oh God, You are Holy.  Who am I, and why, after all my unfaithfulness, all my self-centeredness, would you choose to bestow on me a moment like this?  You are wonderfully beautiful, more than any god or gold or grandeur.  God, You are incredibly Incomprehensible and yet you make yourself known to those who You have created… us with such finite understanding.  That doesn’t seem to matter to You.  You love to be known, however imperfectly, by your children.  Father, may my comprehension of you become sweeter every moment.  Make me holy in the knowledge of your holiness, and shed light and complete joy on this heart today.  Thank you.  Thank you.

Southern France the next day was toured rapidly as we snaked back into France, the homeland.  It felt really nice to be back in a country where you could understand and be understood!  A friend from Truman studying in Nice walked us through the city when we arrived late afternoon and we continued to enjoy the Mediterranean for as long as we could.  Aix-en-Provence was given all of five hours of our time, but we managed to find some treasures at one of their infamous markets and linger in the coolest cathedral ever, which mixed architectural styles ranging over 800 years.  Literally, there was a spot in the church where you advanced whole historical ages as your glance moved upwards.  Crazy cool.

Though the last train we took was dreadfully overbooked and I stood two hours in the middle aisle all the way, it was great arrive back at ‘home.’  I can't help but feel like Benjamin Disraeli when he says: Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.  It’s true, and I thank the Father for the incredible memories I hold with me now (not to mention, the pictures….it was hard to pick, but here are my favorites from each city....enjoy!).

~venice~

~florence~

~rome~

 

~cinque terre~