The Great Florida Road Trip (and Other Roadside Attractions)

Summertime and the livin's easy.  The end of the school year came, as it always seems to, quickly.  I had a great summer planned with two trips and time to get work done as well.  I want to create my own text book for Journalism, and gather resources and plan for the American Cultural Literacy class I'm teaching next year.  So far, things haven't quite worked out as I planned.  The mission trip to Nicaragua was cancelled, and I chose NOT to go back to Italy, where my soul lives, to go on it.  So that's pretty dissapointing, especially since it seems like everything in my life is currently pointing me towards the choice I now think I should have made.  But... it's too late now.

I have had plenty of time to get work done, though, and am still going to a journalism workshop put on by ASNE (American Society of News Editors) in Missouri.  Not the most exciting location, I suppose, but a place I haven't been, free travel there, and an opportunity to learn how to do what I do better.  I can't really complain.  Plus, I'll get to spend some time in Chicago and Michigan afterwards, so that's even more of a plus.

I needed to take off, so to speak, for at least a little bit, so I decided on a little road trip.  The Room mate and I took off together for a long weekend, beginning in Orlando and ending in Sarasota.  I wanted to visit friends, as well as see Eatonville and the mermaids in Weeki Wachee, so we set off with those goals in mind.

We left Friday night and headed to Orlando.  We got in late and attempted to sleep in, but the excitement or the new bed or our 30s prevented us from accomplishing goal one.  So, we got up earlier than we wanted to and made the short trip to Eatonville.  Before stopping there, since we had so much time, we decided to do a little geochache stop... and jump shots.  Y'know, for the kids.

I wanted to go to Eatonville for two reasons.  One, it's historically significant.  It's the first all African-American incorporated town to exist in America.  Two, it has literary significance--a writer I teach, Zora Neale Hurston--spent her childhood there, and many of her stories take place there.  If you don't know her stuff, read Their Eyes Were Watching God and let your life begin to change.

Here's proof I was there, a marker in the median indicating the year the town was officially established, 1887.  There wasn't much to see there, but we found the woman in the library extremely helpful.  There was, theoretically, a path to walk (not well marked and extremely confusing) and an art museum we had to wait to see (the woman who ran it stepped out), but it seems there is some sort of movement, although slow, to make the town more of a destination.  I think it should be.

After a morning in Eatonville, we headed to Old Town Disney to walk around and each lunch in the car.  The joy, the nostalgia, of peanut butter and jelly never gets old.  I think the find of the afternoon were some glass rings that cost $1.00, which is exactly how much a giant glass ring should cost, in my opinion.  I bought three.

From Old Town Disney, we headed to meet a friend at Epcot.  I haven't been to Epcot in probably 14 years, since the band trip when I was in high school.  All I know about it is that the countries are there (except South America, or even Central America, does NOT represent.  At all.  Lame Disney.  Lame.  Little did I know that the most magical thing that has ever happened to me at Disney, a place of magic, was about to happen.

Eric, T, and I got on "Spaceship Earth" narrated by Dame Judy Dench.  Once we got through the caveman days, and through ancient Egypt and the invention of papyrus, and into ancient Rome when it happened.  The ride stopped.  The usual announcement came on, something about staying seated and resuming soon, but after about three minutes of this Eric said, "Y'know, I've had to evacuate people from Toy Story a bunch of times."

"What?  What do you mean 'evacuate'?"  I reply, a dream forming in my mind.

"Well sometimes the rides just don't get going again, and we have to evacuate."

"That's POSSIBLE?!  I want to get evacuated  from a ride.  That's AWESOME!"

And then... about five minutes later... it happend.  We got up out of our "spaceships," onto the path along the side of the ride, and walked out into a light drizzle, Fast Pass for Mælstrom in hand.  It was so awesome that I cannot truly and effectively express how awesome it was.

Although it was hard to top the evacuation, there was still plenty of Epcot to see.  One of the rides I remembered from my youth was the one that goes through the gardens, where "scientists" (Eric says they're legit) work on growing plants in all kinds of cool ways.  Here are some Disney sunflowers, because they're pretty.

After a few rides, we headed to meet some other friends in the countries, where Eric, T, and I stopped for a picture.  In Morocco.  Like ya do.

We ate in China (nothing amazing) and then headed to Norway so T could ride the ride.  Good thing we got those Fast Passes, 'cause in Norway we encountered the longest wait of the day--25 minutes!  We skipped the line and got right on... then found this guy at the end.

No, I did not realize that my viking had only had one horn.  Don't judge.

We then headed back to Spaceship Earth, and completed the ride before the way out, and even traveled to the future, where we sent ourselves a postcard.  Pretty fun.

The next day of our road trip was packed: tubing in the morning and mermaids in the afternoon.  I don't have any photos to share from tubing, mostly because we were, y'know, on inner tubes.  In water.  And water and cameras don't really mix.

We went down the Rainbow River, about a two-hour course down a lovely river in northern-central Florida.  It took us a little less time, mostly because I'm really not good at just floating, so I paddled a little bit...or a lot bit.  Still, we saw turtles and lots of birds, and some summer houses and boats I lusted after, and some great trees.  It was a little too relaxing for me, but enjoyable.

Then we ate some quick lunch in the car and headed to Weeki Wachee State Park, where there are women who do a mermaid show three times a day.  They swim all under water, in tales, and take hits of oxygen from these tubes located all around the tank.  It's pretty outstanding, actually.  It's a little girl's dream come true.

Here I am, wishing I could be as awesome as the mermaids.

And here's a shot from the show.  We saw "The Little Mermaid" and these are two of her sisters.  The black tube between them is the oxygen hose.

I'm just saying that seeing the mermaids was on my Florida Bucket List, or even my Life Bucket List, let's be real, and now I can proudly say it's checked off.  And it was awesome.

Our final stop on The Great Florida Road Trip was Sarasota, where I have a friend, T and I have a mutual friend, and T has family.  We picked up a pizza and brought it to her grandma's and ate it with some tomato and mozzarella that we picked up at the side of the road from an Amish stand.  Sweet.

The next day, we took T's cousins, who are nine and six, I think, to the Ringling Museum, which is free on Mondays.  Only the art museum was free, and the grounds, but it was something new to do, at least.  There were quite a few paintings of Italy and from Italian masters, which just put a little salt in the still-open wound of not going to Italy.  I saw some of the artists I'd seen at the Louvre, as well, like the guy who paints vegetables into portraits of people, which I enjoy.

The girls weren't really into the art (can't blame them) but I think they liked walking around the grounds, which were lovely.  They were made to look like they're straight from Italy, and I feel like they succeeded.  Do you?  

This is a picture of the house, which we didn't go into but walked around the outside of.  I'd like to head  back someday and check out the rest of the property.

John Ringling's wife, Mable, had a rose garden on the property, which was also lovely.  We didn't spend too much time there; it was small, plus it was hot outside so we were all sort of ready to leave.  Some of the flowers even smelled nice, and they looked lovely too.

That night, before we headed home, we met two friends at a Vietnamese place for dinner.  It was delicious food, and great to see the guys and catch up.  I feel like all of my friends are moving away, and this road trip was a great way for me to be proactive about seeing the few that have only moved cities, not states.

This trip was a great way for me to cross several things off my Florida Bucket List, which is probably pretty close to being completed now.  It wasn't Italy, but it was a nice little break, and a way to celebrate not having to work until August.

Much love.

Wills and Wars

And now, the tale of the Three Trips Up North in One Week...

The first trip was to a restaurant in Fort Lauderdale for a small gathering of GVSU alum. The Athletic Director and his wife were in town for a conference/vacation, and a few alum were invited to have dinner with them. There were only four of us, but it was a lovely evening and it was great to hear about all the great stuff happening back in Allendale. I had scallops and mashed potatoes, and they were so good. I mean, I LOVE a damn scallop. And I love a damn Laker. :)

Toward the end of January and the beginning of February, a theater company called Shakespeare Miami does a production, for free, in local parks and venues. This year's show was A Midsummer Night's Dream and my good friend The Aussie was in it, as Robin Goodfellow, everyone's favorite mischief-making fairy, also called Puck. I actually saw the show twice, once in Pinecrest Gardens, former home of Parrot Jungle, and once up north in Hollywood with coworkers and Team Weaver. This was trip #2 for the week.

We had a little picnic, a little wine, and watched a little fairy mayhem ensue. The show was well done, an adequate amount of glitter without being over the top, and there were even some "special effects" that were fun. It made me realize just how crap our version of the play was in high school. Ahh well, you know better you do better, I guess. Free and well-done Shakespeare is still free and well-done Shakespeare, so yay.

Trip number three marked a day I'd been waiting for for a long time: The Civil Wars concert! When I found out they were coming to FLL, I was so excited! Plus, tickets were only $25, which is awesome.

The band sounds just as good live, if not better, than they do on Barton Hollow. The duo, made up of Joy Williams and John Paul White, haven't been around that long, but they sound like they've been singing together forever. Here's what we saw while we were waiting.

The two aren't married (to each other, anyway) but their voices marry perfectly. They have great musical chemistry as evidenced by this picture. Here they are, huddled around one mic and one guitar. :)

Just after the show, the group was nominated for several Grammy's AND we found out that Joy was actually pregnant with her first baby! How awesome! She is so darn cute when she sings I can't even take it. And JPW isn't bad on the eyes, either. He's like if Jonny Depp and Jack White from The White Strips had a baby. A hot, guitar-playing baby.

The duo sang every song I wanted to hear, including my favorites, BRILLIANT covers of "I Want you Back" by the Jackson 5 and "Disarm" by The Smashing Pumpkins.

Here's a little video of them singing one of their own songs, "I've Got This Friend."

This band is my newest obsession. Their music is just so... pretty. It's soothing and kinda sad, but just so beautiful. A while back I made my journalism class watch this music video, for their song "Poison and Wine" and write a review of it. I don't think they loved it as much as I do.

Teenagers. Bless.

Much love!

Hello, 2012

Going and being home for Christmas break is always strange and wonderful.

I don't feel like my life is in Holt Michigan, anymore. I mean, it's NOT in Holt, Michigan any more. Few friends still live there, and when I go I'm transported back to my high school days staying at my parents house and sleeping in a twin bed. Only now, they have cable. In both scenarios I don't have a car so mobility is a problem. Not that I'd drive much, anyway because I've sort of forgotten how to drive in anything but sunshine and rain.

But I love being in Michigan. A big part of my heart is still there and most of the better parts of who I am are there, too. Plus, with a little creative scheduling and very nice parents, I managed to see quite a few people.

It wasn't nearly as snowy as I wanted--I think it was near 50 when I first showed up. I felt like I brought the Miami weather with me--and brought the Michigan weather back to Miami, unfortunately--which no one in Michigan was mad about. A little snow fell here and there, and I certainly spent a good deal of time being cold, so I guess it felt a little bit like Christmas. Downtown Lansing even looked a little festive.

Hello Capital City!

And here's the snow on our bush in the front yard, from later in the break. I thought it was pretty.

Winter wonderland, indeed.

I spent a good deal of Christmas break, as I said previously, watching rented movies and Netflix. I saw several "classics": The Deer Hunter (intense but amazing and Christopher Walken is the terrifyingly captivating), A Clockwork Orange (Di. Stur. Bing.), Amadeus (long but fascinating, despite the guy from Animal House playing the title character). I saw Young Adult in the theater which... wasn't what I expected but I connected with it anyway. There were some moments the resonated with me, but overall it wasn't as funny or witty as I had imagined it would be.

Christmas festivities were fairly traditional. Cuban side for Christmas Eve, ate some Cuban food, took the traditional cousin's picture (we look better every year, I swear), and loved on some family. Here are the Garcia girls.

Christmas Day with the Palos was also some good lovin' on family time. Both uncles were there, and two dogs (Bubba and Cody, Mema's dog) and a tiny tree, too. We had brunch and the traditional cheesey/bready casserole of joyous life, which is only edible once a year 'cause of how terrible it is for you. But it's so worth it.

Another aspect of Christmas I really love is the tradition: food, family, our own little twists and turns on the days that make my family mine. They're beautiful and probably strange to some, but they're mine. Ours. And they're comforting.

I also got to spend some quality time with my good friend Coot in A2, Ann Arbor. We went to a U of M basketball game against Penn State (I think). Here we are, pea and pod-like as ever. :)

The halftime show at the game was, like, Mr. Fantastic or something, a "magic" act of sorts. It was pretty cool--the guy and his assistant did some traditional tricks--making flowers appear, an endless hankerchief chain, but she also wore about seven outfits and changed into them in seconds (or second, really). That part of it was pretty awesome. Here they are after she has just shed her dark wig and long dress.

Christmas in our family isn't just about the birth of Jesus (although it is) but the birth of my father (Christmas Eve) and my Tia (Boxing Day). My Tia Maki was actually in from California this year, so that was exciting, and we took her out for lunch on her birthday, along with our traditional cousin's lunch. We went to Olive Garden, where I haven't been in ages, and I remembered the glory of those bread sticks. Hallelujah! Molto benne!

The other major festivity was my friend Timmy's wedding. It was on New Year's Eve. Normally, I head back to Miami for NYE, but this year I stayed for the wedding and it was a good life choice. Timmy's a college friend and VanCooter, so the wedding and ensuing reception was peopled with creatures I hadn't seen in ages, since I left Grand Valley in 2004. A NYE wedding is a GREAT idea, by the way--everyone needs something to do, and is looking for a good time. Blam, reception. Good times.

Here's a photo of our table (well, the most important people at it anyway).

Missed these VanCooters like crazy. I was so happy to bring in 2012 with them. :)

Upon returning to Miami, I returned back to school--both kinds. Teaching and taking. I'm excited about my sememster at FIU; I'm actually taking a sociolinguistics class, which is the aspect of linguistics I'm most interested in. Sure, structure is great and necessary, but it just doesn't turn my gears the way looking at actual usage does. So yeah... excited.

I've also had a bit of theater so far in 2012. I got tickets to see the musical Next to Normal from school on opening night. The musical won Tony's and two Pulitzers, so I was excited to see it, but when I looked up the synopsis I was struck--it's a musical about mental illness. Yep. A rip-roarin' rollick in the human psyche.

The music was great, though, and the story was good, but intense. I expect musicals to be a bit light--y'know, love story, some tap dancing, stuff like that. But this wasn't. It's extremely clear why it won two Pulitzers--the writing and subject matter are pretty great. The performances were great as well, and it's a small cast (only six actors, I think) so everyone was really cohesive and acted (and sang) their hearts out. I'm glad I read the synopsis before I went, though, because I was prepared for the intensity. Everyone around T and I was bawling (like, BAWLING) and we were fine. It was kinda funny... but not at the same time.

So far, 2012 has been treating me right! For all of my holiday photos, click here.

Much love.

Artsy Fartsy November and December

Well, here it is, Christmas break, and I haven't updated since before Halloween. I need to get better about this thing... especially since I can't really remember what happened to me if I don't write it down.

October held one more surprise for me. Halloween morning, the weather seemed befitting of the day--it rained heavily the night before, and there was some serious flooding on the day. I heard it all over the news and had the fleeting thought that, I should turn on my phone, but didn't do it at that that exact moment and therefore forgot. I drove through a small lake on South Miami Avenue, fearing I would stall out, and got to work only to discover that not a single other car was in the parking lot. I feared the zombie apocalypse had finally come, and walked to my room to discover that there was a puddle in the middle of the room and the power flickering on and off. My neighbor was there and let me use his printer, but by this time I figured I'd better turn on my phone and find out what the heck was going on.

There were three texts on my phone and one voice mail, all trying to relay the message that school was, indeed, cancelled. Greeeeaaaat. So, lucky me, I had a very special Halloween day off like a Halloween miracle.

Sometime in the past few months (I can't remember where, exactly, this fit in) some of my other female coworkers and I went to a place called Painting with a Twist. This is an art studio where you get a personal paining class and you can bring wine and food while you paint. You walk away with a painting that you did yourself.

It sounds a little intimidating, sure. I have very little artistic talent, at least in the visual arts, and I really did not think I could paint a picture that would look like anything not painted by Jackson Pollack. But I did! Here's the before...

And, after some wine, some snackies, and only a little bit of stress, here's the after! (Note the bottle of wine in the pic, lol!)

Not only was painting fun, but it was a beautiful metaphor for life. Every time I got freaked out that I'd messed it up irrevocably, a teacher would come over and tell me just to let it dry a little and paint over it. You can't make a mistake because it's art, and if it's "wrong" or you don't like it, after a little bit of time you can just fix it. That's deep. I can't wait to go back and paint something else!

Even though it's a terrible picture, here we are together, my paining and I. I even wore my "art teacher" smock/shirt-thingy so I could get into the spirit.

The painting is currently hanging in my bathroom.

November brought the birthdays of two very special people. My Mema, who turned 86, and Sister Fanny, who turned 80. Sister Fanny is just one of those people that makes me happy. She has been a Salesian Sister longer than I've been alive and she still is so happy every day. She makes copies at school and runs a little after-school store, but more than that she tells jokes and just makes everyone happy.

There was a "surprise" party for her at the convent in Naples, and some of us went over to help her celebrate. There were even mixed CDs to rock out to on the drive. We ate (and ate...) and toured Sister Pat's new school, which is lovely, and played F-A-N-N-Y, which is similar to Bingo (okay... it IS Bingo but with different letters). Here's the birthday girl, who made out like a bandit!

November and December were artsy months for me. It was Art Basel time again, and a girl from work got us into an Absolute Vodka party for an Art Basel event. It was sort of a fun girls' night out and I felt super classy and artsy. The evening ended in some falafel from a food truck, which is a win on several levels.

The next weekend was an Art Walk, a free event I've written about here before. It's a night when the art galleries in the Wynwood district downtown open their doors for people to wander through. Some, I'm sure, actually buy art, while poor teachers like me and my friends simply walk around, take pictures, observe humanity, and feel classy. There are food trucks too, which is sort of a budding culture here in Miami; a budding culture I fully support.

The exhibitions are always interesting, at the very least. This was sort of a camouflage deer event happening and I found this little guy and this little corner to be very appealing.

This was a wall near the deer that I just thought was amazing to look at. I couldn't stop staring.

There's all kinds of art at Art Walk including plants. This one trapped The Aussie!

Art Walks are one of the free, great, cultural events in Miami. It's always a good time, especially when you go with the right people.

The official beginning of the holiday season for me was an early viewing of Love Actually and The Polar Express. I somehow seemed to get a little Christmas spirit early this year--normally I don't get it until I'm back in Michigan, if then. Also, the Weavers had an ugly sweater party in early December, which helped to foster some Christmas joy.

My sweater was borrowed and HIDEOUS. It had about 15 tiny bells on the front, which rang every time I moved, creating this high-pitched whine that nearly drove me crazy. Some of the other sweaters were equally terrible, including the winning one which was a lovely depiction of a tiger.

The part inspired me to take some awkward family photos, with the hosts. I'm thinking Christmas card next year?

Last year at work we began a tradition of having a Christmas party at the convent. It was a great way for the faculty and staff to come together outside of school and just relax and be. Last year, I really enjoyed myself and this year I did too. First of all, I discovered that the convent has a nice little backyard area, which they used to barbecue. I had no idea that existed last year! I didn't make it past the craft room. lol

I had lovely conversations while I ate with several people that I don't really talk to much at work--not for any reason in particular, just because we're not really in the same cirlces. It was nice to get to know them a little better, which is one of the reason why this party is so nice. It helped me get into the holiday spirit, even though it was pretty warm outside.

So now I'm back in Michigan for both Christmas AND New Years. This will be my first NYE in Michigan in a while, and I'm going to a friend's wedding so it should be a good time. So far, my time here has been spent relaxing and knitting (and knitting and knitting...) and watching movies with my mom. It was even sort of warm when I got off the plane, so maybe I brought a little of Miami with me. You're welcome, Mitten. :)

Much love.

All Roads Lead to Rome... and Home Again

I arrived in Rome at 10:15, the same time as my traveling buddies Emily and Cait, with whom I'd parted ways back in Milan. They were kind enough to let me tag along on their plans, and I didn't really want to go to Rome alone, so everything worked out. :)

Rome is a wonder. If I ever forget driving through the city and seeing the Coliseum for the first time, I will have lost one of the most poignant moments in my life. I can't describe what it's like to see that ancient structure for the first time, plopped right down in the middle of a modern, bustling city. People drive by and around it every day, as if it were not steeped in wonder and magic. But it is. It was huge--the definition of epic--and I didn't even get that close to it; we were still in the taxi heading to our hotel.

We were staying outside the city center, on a street that, at night, is populated by women practicing the oldest profession (you get me?). Still, armed with a map and our feet, we went for a wander after we got settled in. Our destination was a pyramid--not sure what its significance was or why it was even there, but it was a pyramid, our first "sight" in Rome. We stopped and had lunch nearby, at a French-named restaurant with a Macedonian waiter who served us Italian food. Like so many things we discovered in Rome, it was quite an interesting combination. He became enamored of us, and, figuring there were three of us and only one of him, we agreed to meet up with him later that night. It could have been extremely stupid of us, but it wasn't. Turns out, we drank a beer, and wandered around Rome at night, which is beautiful. So it all worked out.

After lunch, we headed over to the Coliseum because, well, that's what you do. I didn't have my good camera with me and neither did Cait, so we opted NOT to go in and save that for another day. Instead, we walked around it in awe, marveling at age and history of what we were seeing. Cait, who loves the National Geographic and History channels, told us all about what we were seeing, which was both funny and interesting.

Like The David, I could not wrap my brain around the sheer size of the Coliseum--it's so much bigger than any photos lead someone to believe. Just as an example, here's a bit of a perspective shot. Keep in mind I'm almost six feet tall--although I look minuscule next to the epic-ness of this structure. Nothing like a giant Roman ruin to make you feel your place in the world!

We also commemorated the moment with a group shot, with the epic in the back.

That evening, we ate dinner in view of the Coliseum, with a lobster staring at us, waiting to be eaten (not by us). It was lovely.

The next day, we really set out to see the sights, but there was a minor setback--no public transportation. The trains, busses, and subway were all on strike. Neat. So we had to take a taxi to Vatican City, where we had reservations for The Vatican Museum and Sisteen Chapel and planned to also see St. Peter's Basilica. I was a little frenzied, and the walk from where the taxi dropped us off was pretty epic (there HAS to be an easier way around!), but we got there and headed into the museum.

The Vatican Museum has art and artifacts from, like, the beginning of time, basically. I'm not sure how or why they were amassed, but there is everything from Roman and Greek days, to Egyptian sarcophagus, to an entire hallway of maps (which, I think, was my favorite part). All of these hallways and rooms are simply a prelude to the main show, the reason everyone goes to The Vatican Museum, the Sisteen Chapel, which, I found out, is actually the Pope's private chapel and where the new Pope (when one is needed) will be elected. I never knew that, I guess. So anyway, we finally get to the chapel and I don't know what to expect. I've seen amazing art on this trip so far, and each piece affected me differently. I didn't know if I'd cry or be moved or what, and, in truth, I walked into the room and looked up and felt... nonplussed. I thought I would have this spiritual experience--angels singing and all of that--and I didn't. It was beautiful, yes, a masterpiece certainly, but there wasn't enough space or even the ambiance to be contemplative. It felt more touristy than anything. I wanted to be moved and I just... wasn't. However, I can imagine Pope Benny clearing the place out and being in there alone; then I could see how spiritual it could be. Still, looking up at the ceiling, and looking around at the walls, was an amazing experience; one that made me realize just HOW blessed I have been. I have seen the ceiling of the Sisteen Chapel with my own eyes.

After the chapel, we headed toward St. Peter's. The courtyard there is beautiful--I didn't mind the short wait in line because there was so much to look at and be awed by. I mean, look at this...

And these statues on the top of the building...

Saints would be my guess. I wish I knew more about each piece of art, each statue, but without a guided tour, and about six hours, I don't know that I would have picked it all up.

We got into the basilica, having dressed modestly for the occasion, after a short wait. The first important thing to see is Michelangelo's pieta, which is in the basilica behind glass. A pieta, one of his favorite subjects I learned, is a depiction of Mary holding her dead son in her arms. It was heartbreaking and beautiful, stunning along the same lines as David. The folds on Mary's robes look like fabric, not stone. I was waiting for a real tear to drip from her eyes and I almost felt like a trespasser, having dropped in unexpectedly on what was without doubt the most private and sad moment of Mary's life. Stunning.

The other piece de resistance in St. Peter's is the copper alter-piece, which is massive and beautiful. It stands in front of the altar over the tomb of St. Peter, who is buried there. Again, I was struck by the true purpose of such a building--to honor the God of the Universe who created all things. This place, this altar, the way the light fell from these windows above us, everything about it was only a reflection of the wonder that God created for us to use and enjoy. It was a reflection of the genius He allows some people to have, and what that genius can look like when used to honor Him. Fantastic.

St. Peter's was a sensory overload--it was almost good they began to kick us out because a mass was starting. I would have liked to stay a bit longer, walk a bit slower, but we played with what we were dealt and left as we were asked to do.

My quest for the entire time I was in Vatican City was to get a stamp in my passport, but, despite extensive searches, asking several randoms, and flirting with a security guard, I found out this does not exist. Sad. Day. So sad, in fact, that we stopped at a cart and got a beer. It was super awesome to walk around Vatican City sippin' a beer, like ya do. :)

After The Vatican, we went to Castel St. Angelo, a place where the Popes used to live, I guess. There was even a secret passageway from the castle to the Vatican, I guess to protect the Pope and bishops in case of attack/emergency. The view was pretty spectacular, I must admit, as most castle views are. Y'know, strategic positioning and all of that...

We walked around after the castle and into the evening, finding a random little outdoor market near a bridge where there was everything from records to dried fruit for sale. That sort of thing generally makes me quite happy, so wandering around there was fine by me. We eventually go tired and headed back to the hotel, again via taxi, for a good night's sleep before hitting more of Rome the next day.

The site everyone imagines and pictures when they think of Roma is the aforementioned Coliseum.

We went to it first thing, and got to skip the long line because we had bought the Roma Pass (if you ever go, GET IT) and headed in. It's even more fascinating inside than out. You can see the seats where people sat to watch gladiators fight animals and each other to the death. You can see the rooms and halls under where the floor would have been where these animals and gladiators were kept. And if you think it seems big from the outside, it's even bigger inside! It's absolutely fascinating. We must have spent, like, two hours inside, walking around in awe, taking jump shots, and pretending to be gladiators ourselves... Well, maybe that was just me. :)

Incredible.

From there, we saw some of the other biggies, like the Trevi fountain, where each of us tossed in a coin and made a wish. My dreams were only worth 0.02 Euro but Cait and Emily's were both worth more. lol.

Here's a bit of the fountain detail. It is really beautifully carved, and a very pictaresque, although touristy, spot. We wanted to see it at night, when it's supposed to be twice as beautiful, so we went back after dark. It was pretty much the same... but dark. lol. The gelato around there was delicious, though!

We also passed by this giant monument, the Victor Emmanuel Monument--a huge white building with copper statues all around it. I thought, the first time I saw it, that it must be some important government building or something, not a random building with no purpose but to memorialize a soldier. It was, however, a great place to play with my zoom. The locals seem to have mixed feelings about it; on the one had it's lovely, but on the other it's not functional. Still, the statues were cool to photograph.

We also saw the Panthenon, the oldest building in Rome that has been consistantly used since its construction. It's used as a church to this day. The dome, which I was pretty much obsessed with, was the one that Brunelleschi based his dome in Florence on--the one no one could figure out how to build. This was it...

Stunning. The dome is smack in the middle of the building, and opens to the sky--in fact, rain had fallen before we arrived, and there was still some water on the floor from it. I could have lay down on my back under that dome for hours just contemplating life.

As we wandered, we came upon this fountain in a piazza. Because I'm a sucker for fountains, I took a picture.

Lovely, huh? And we also saw Constantine's Arch, which comemorates Constantine who brought Christianity to Rome in, like, 300 something.

We saw all the major sights in Rome, and it was great to be there with two pretty cool Canadian chicks. We spent our last night in Rome enjoying each other and remembering all we'd seen. We were all towards the end of our journeys. They were headed to Milan and I back to Nice. Speaking for myself, I was not going back to Nice as the same person who left it six weeks before.

After the wonders and awe of Rome, I spent a day on a train, heading back to Nice. It took about ten or so hours to get there, three different trains, only one of which I actually had a booked seat on, but I'm glad I made it at all. I thought I had missed my last train to Nice (the ONE that was on time all day, of course!) but there was one more I caught. I spent that ride chatting with a lovely British lady who made sure I got to where I was going and provided stimulating conversation along the way. A thirty minute friend that won't soon be forgotten.

I got to my hostel planning to turn in and sleep, but found I had some pretty cool room mates so we all headed out for a drink. One guy was American and played piano, another was a girl from New York who was traveling after a breakup, and the third was a Finnish guy. We walked around Nice at night, enjoyed some gelato (beer flavored, weird!) and had a lovely glass of wine. I was glad to have some company, in the end. Except that the two guys snored like it was thier job so sleeping was sort of difficult...

The next day I had planned to go to this medieval village with the Finnish guy, but we missed the bus due to confusion, and I didn't feel like waiting an hour for the next one so I wandered off to explore on my own. I climbed up the chateau, which has a lovely view of the city. This was a wall on my way up, which I thought was kind of cool.

And this was the view at the top. RIDICULOUSLY blue water! I thought Miami had beautiful water!

After that, I wandered through the Fruit and Vegetable market, which was actually selling antiques at the time, and had escargot and wine for lunch. Amazing. I wanted to marry that meal it was so delicious! Then I headed to the beach, which was kind of strange. Living in Miami, I am spoiled by beautiful beaches. This beach had very little sand--the shore was made of grey rocks. It wasn't comfortable to lay on, or even sit on really, but the sound of the waves coming in, grabbing the rocks, and sweeping them out to sea over other rocks was loud and unique. I sort of fell in love with it.

I did some more wandering, some shopping at H & M and a wine store, had a crepe for dinner, and then headed back to the hostel to sleep, since I had to get up early to get to the airport on a 5:30 am bus. Fuuuunnn. But my trip home was uneventful, except that I realized I need to go to Spain soon because the three hours I spent in Madrid were filled with eye candy. Hellloooo Spanish boys! :)

For the full album of photos from my traveling days, click here.

This trip was probably one of the most life-changing experiences I've ever had. I was really working to be more "go with the flow" on this trip, and I tried to appreciate every moment and just take things as they came, which is often hard for me. I really worked on it and, while I'm not there, I'm better. I'm better not just in that area, though, I'm just better. I am in love with Italy and it makes me sad that I'm not there right now. Maybe I'm really Italian!

Although Italians may not believe in elevators, air conditioning, or screened windows, they believe in loving life, and eating great food, and being present in every moment, rather than just being there. They believe in family and making family. They don't believe in strangers, but rather people who are not their friends yet. They are beautiful.

Ciao.

Much love.

Traveling Lessons

After a nearly tearful farewell at the train station, and only half-kidding about putting Alessandro and Monica in my bag, I left on a train for Milan with two of the other tutors from my second camp, sweet Canadian girls named Ashley--who was heading off for her own Asian adventures the following day--and Emily, "Em," who I'd later meet up with in Rome.

We got to Milan without much incident, and then tried to find our hostel... which was epic. We walked by it three or four times and eventually had to call and have the guy come outside to rescue us from wandering. The thing about hostels is, though, that the staff are willing to do that kind of thing. They're just so helpful--the guy in Nice who let me raid the lost and found when I had no luggage, for example. Just awesome people. I also discovered that the street names in Milan, unlike in other cities, are named after people, and the signs tell you what the person did (Poeta, for example) and what years they lived. We had a cool little history lesson as we were lost, so that was great. Anyway... so we found our accommodations and headed out to just wander. Ashley wanted to see the duomo, which, from what I can figure, is pretty much a must-see in every decent-sized Italian town.

The cathedral in Milan is beautiful, maybe my favorite of the ones I saw. It was just... spikey and awesome. I think it's a different style than the others I saw, gothic or something. Anyway, it was white and huge and spikey and beautiful. I only wished I could magic away all the random people in the moment and in the photo.

People were just walking by this beautiful structure like it wasn't there. I'm sure many see it every day, but it's hard for me to imagine a life where I could see that every day and not just stop and look each time. I was hearing angles singing and contemplating the awesome powers of God, and others were just heading out for a drink or heading back from work or wondering what was for dinner. It was amazing.

That night, as a farewell and as a cheap way to eat dinner, we went to have an apperativo at this place the guy at the hostel suggested. Now, let me explain one of my favorite things about Italy, the apperativo. This is, basically, a before dinner drink that may be a bit more expensive, but comes with a buffet. Like, a legit, all-you-can-eat buffet of Italian meats, cheeses, and goodies. It's. Amazing. It was pretty much how I ate dinner for the rest of my trip (not EVERY day, but pretty close to it!).

Ashley left for the airport the next morning, and Em and I headed to the train station to meet her friend who would be traveling with her. It was quite a long wait, but we passed the time by people watching and thinking of the inaugural gelato we'd have once she arrived. It was worth the wait. :)

The only real item on my agenda in Milan was seeing DaVinci's The Last Supper, which I managed to find a reservation for only two days in advance (holler!). I wasn't really sure how I'd react to the painting, I never know. I'm always open to the possibility that I may be moved to tears (more on this later) or that I may just be in awe, or I could even feel disappointed (again, more on this later). When we walked into the room and saw it, I have to admit it was pretty astounding. I was in awe of how big it was, which I guess you never expect when you see the tiny paining in your Catholic grandmother's house. I was also remembering role in the novel The DaVinci Code (don't judge, it's not like I liked it), and I could understand the mystery and enigma involved in it. It's pretty fascinating, which, I think, is the best way I can describe seeing it. Absolutely fascinating.

You can't take photos inside (the fresco is already pretty badly deteriorated as it is) so I took pictures of the church and piazza where it is housed, Santa Maria della Grazie.

After Milan, I parted ways with Em and Cait, whom I'd see again in Rome, and headed to Venice, the next stop on my tour if Italy. I didn't actually stay in Venice proper, but rather an hour or so out of town, in Rosa del Piave at this little bed and breakfast. Truth be told, I stayed there for two reasons. 1) It's expensive to stay IN Venice and 2) the website said it was close to the oratory of St. John Bosco (the saint of the school where I teach, ILS), which I figured had to be, like, a sign. It was a cute little place, a B & B at which I think I was the only guest. And there was wi-fi (so beautiful!) and the couple who owned it even fished one of my rings out of the bidet (don't ask...). I was quite well taken care of, even if I had to take a bus an hour and a half into Venice.

Venice was exactly as I pictured it. I had no idea what to expect--I'd heard some say they loved it, and others complain it was boring and smelly. I fell into the first category. I promised myself I woudn't stress and I'd just get lost--literally and figuratively--in Venice. Street maps of Venice are pretty much pointless, so you just sort of have to wander, which is beautiful in a way. I walked down streets I felt like walking down; I discovered little nooks and crannys; I don't think I walked down the same street twice. I loved every minute I was there, including this, my first one, eating a cup of fruit bought from a cart.

Venice, as most know, is a city made of canals and bridges. Even the ambulances and police cars are boats. The first day, I just wandered and got my bearings, and enjoyed the scenery. This, for example, is from one of the many bridges, looking down the river.

An iconic image of Venice is the gondolier. No, I did not ride in a gondola (too expensive) but I did see many gondoliers, including this guy, taking a break from his tough job...

My second day, I took a vaporetto (water taxi) ride from the train station to the Piazza San Marco, as guided by Rick Steves. I really felt like Venice was meant to be seen from the water, and this was a cheap way to do that. I took some video of the ride, and, of course, tons of photos. The video is below; I was picturing myself three hundred years ago when Venice was a booming metropolis.

Can you imagine if this was your front yard?

Day two in Venice I devoted to seeing sights, so I began at the Piazza San Marco where the vaporetto dropped me off, and started with the church. The art above the doors is what really struck me. It was spectacular. This is just one example, there were several there. There were no photos allowed inside.

Again, I was struck by the fact that a church is meant to be the House of the Lord, and I really understood that in Italy. Each cathedral, each dome, each bell tower, looked like it was built for an omniscient, omnipresent God. The church and square were beautiful, and the gorgeous blue sky that day didn't detract from it, certainly. The Piazza San Marco is such a contrast to the rest of Venice, which seemed, to me, tiny and closed-in. The Piazza is open and breezy, and you can see for ages and ages. It's beautiful.

Also in Venice every odd-numbered year is something called the Biennale Art Festival where artists from literally all over the world are chosen to represent their countries. Each country, then, has an installation in a building all over the city. Some are free (the ones in my price range) and others are part of a bigger exhibition in the gardens of the city. I wandered into a few of the free ones--Ireland, Zimbabwe, Mexico--and enjoyed what I saw. In the Zimbabwe exhibit, there was one photographer whose focus was photos of German families who had adopted African children. It was really moving.

The last stop on my list was the Frari Church, which Rick Steves reccommended and was totally worth the 3 Euro entrance fee. There was beautiful art inside--paintings and carvings--and information about each in my guidebook.

I had pizza for lunch, and managed to find a guy who was sitting by himself and was also American who let me share a table with him. One of my favorite things about traveling is just that--sharing a meal with a stranger who becomes your friend for that hour or so. You eat, or you wander together and then you part ways, both thankful for having had someone to talk to and eat with, thankful for one less stranger in the world.

My next stop on the whirlwind tour of Italia was Florence, where I now wish I would have spent more time. I got to my hotel, run by a woman from Boston and her Italian husband, and settled my stuff and then headed out to explore. I wandered around and discovered two markets--an out door market that sells mostly leather goods, the San Lorenzo Market, and the Mercato Centrale, a covered market selling fruits, vegetables, meat, and cheeses. I had lunch at the most popular stand there, a delicious pasta con ragu and a glass of red wine, and snapped some photos. YUM!

From there, I wandered toward the Duomo, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. This church is special because the dome on it was the first built since antiquity during the Renaissance. The technology was somehow lost and no one could figure out how the dome on the Panthenon (more on that later) was built, until this dude named Brunelleschi figured it out and did the damn thing. Pretty bad ass, I have to say.

There was a free tour in English, so I took it and learned all kinds of nerdy stuff. Also, the marble that the church is made from is Carrara marble--awesome; it's pink, green, and white. It's really spectacular.

Here's a bit of the outside of the cathedral. You can see the different colored marble.

This is inside, looking up at the famous dome. The art is extremely intricate and beautiful--I wanted to lay down and stare at it for at least an hour.

This is another piece of art inside the cathedral. The guy in red is my boy Dante, and this is a depiction of his Divine Comedy. The tower in the back in Pergatory, the left side represents the Inferno, or hell, and the right is heaven. I only point this out because heaven isn't at the top, like most would expect. And notice the dome of the church on the right--it's the dome in Florence. The painter made Florence heaven.

The city itself is a wonder. Everywhere you look you can see signs of the former ruling family the Medicis, and tiny little bits of beauty all around. This fountain, for example, was just waiting for me on a street corner.

My one must-see was, of course, the statue of Michelangelo's David, which is housed in the Galleria dell'Accademia. I sprung for a tour, rather than just entrance to the museum, and I'm SO glad I did. Seeing The David the way I saw it changed my life.

Here's the story: There was a giant piece of marble in the backyard of a church that had been there for 40 years or so. Great masters had tried to carve it and failed, claiming it was "uncarvable" and afraid to ruin their reputations. Until Michelangelo came along. He knew, from the moment he first touched a piece of marble, that his purpose and destiny was to carve it. That, alone, is astounding and I wonder what it must have been like to be so sure of your purpose, when most people struggle to find it... if they ever do. So he decides he's gonna take a whack (literally) at this uncarvable piece of marble because, at 26 and the beginning of his career, he has nothing to lose. And he uncovered The David, who, he would claim, was there all along and just needed to be revealed. That's a metaphor; one that, as a teacher, I need to keep in mind. There are no "uncarvable" chunks of marble--sometimes it just takes a young kid to get things done properly.

The statue, meant to be on top of the Duomo in Florence, is now housed in the museum in a space designed to perfectly display him. I couldn't help but gasp when I first saw him. The David is huge--so much bigger than I anticipated or expected. He stands alone under this beautiful, soft, lighting at the end of a huge room full of other, partially-finished works by Michelangelo. I saw him from every angle and he looked different each time I took a step. I was astounded that he has veins--and they look like they're connected to a beating heart. This giant hunk of beautiful marble looks like it's alive. I understand what a masterpiece is now and did not know that I had not understood before.

I spent the rest of my time in Florence awed and moved by The David, but I did manage to see a bit more. I walked around the Academia for a little while after the tour ended, and saw a very neat display on musical instruments, including a full set of Stradivarius stringed instruments made for the Medicis (beautiful), and learned the difference between a harpsichord and a piano (harpsichord plucks, piano hits).

I went to find an apperativo for dinner, and then wandered around killing time, reading in the Piazza della Rebubblica and people watching, until 10:20ish, when I would FINALLY get to see the final Harry Potter! I had been dying to see it since it came out, but couldn't find a theater that had it subtitled and not dubbed. Low and behold, there was an Odeon in Florence and my dreams came true. I got to see HP:7.2 in a cool old theater (a legit theater with curtains and beautiful decorations) in Florence, and, although I was alone, I loved every second of it. I'm still not at peace with HP being over, and I think I will miss him, but bidding him farewell in Florence was okay.

I wish I'd spent more than a day in Florence, but now I know for next time. I'll cut this entry short and save Rome and Nice for another. Too much epic for one entry.

Much love.