I was kindly reminded today on Facebook by one of my cousins that I have not posted for 30 days. My apologies. Also, what the heck! I didn’t even give you a Ginormous Pt. 2! I suppose it’ll just add more mystery to that whole weekend and will give you an excuse to ask me all about it when you see me next. Something like that anyway… The real challenge for me now is summing up 30 days in one post. I’ll make it brief and add an anecdote here or there.
Pisa: Home of the Leaning Tower.
I didn’t expect to be impressed by Pisa and the infamous Leaning Tower. Is that ridiculous of me? Most likely, yes. It’s the truth, though. To me, the Tower was going to by one of those hyped up attractions that in the end does nothing for you other than being able to check that box on your bucket list (if, indeed, it is on your bucket list). As I pushed my way through the hordes of Middle Eastern men and women trying to sell me “very good RayBans, very good beaded necklaces, and very good art” the Torre came into view, and my low expectations were happily trumped. It wasn’t particularly flashy or awe inspiring, but it was… Bold- maybe even a little triumphant. I liked it for that reason. Here was this silly little tower, sticking out like a sore thumb, doing nothing but leaning, and yet it was fantastic! It was causing concourses people to disregard ‘DO NOT WALK ON THE GRASS’ signs, put their arms in the air, and try to take directions on how where exactly to place their hands for their desired effect. Way to go The Leaning Tower! You’ve successfully made fools out of thousands and thousands of people! If ever you’re bored and need a good laugh, go take a trip to Pisa, sit down on a nearby step or bench, and watch all of the tourists. Pisa tourists are, so far, my favorite breed of tourist. Oh, and if you’re wondering- no: I did not take a ‘Heh heh, look! I’m holding up the tower!’ picture. Kudos to whomever it was that first came up with the now cliché pose.
Livorno:
One of the reasons I went to Pisa was because it was on the way to Livorno, and ultimately, Roma. Myself, Ornella, Robby, Michael, and Giorgio (a family friend), decided to road trip to Rome- as opposed to taking the train so we could make a few stops on our way down. Pisa, obviously, was one of them and Livorno was the other. The Mongias have an aunt and uncle living there who were due for a visit, so we were obliged to stop by on our little journey. While we were there we ate a delicious traditional Toscanianionian meal, admired Zio Mongia’s pieces of art (he’s a fairly well known artist actually…), commandeered their couches for the night, and did not sleep well thanks to the city noises. That sufficiently sums up my experiences in Livorno. Well, not counting going to church there a few days after.
Rome:
Vini. Vidi. Vici. From Livorno we headed to Roma. As we took the train into the heart of the city, my attention was momentarily diverted from the various tags and graffiti decorating train station and tunnel walls to the great, green dome of St. Peters Basilica. It was one of the soon to be many times where part of me was amazed that I was looking at the real deal, and not just a picture of whatever famous landmark I was then gaping at. It’s a feeling I’ll never get tired of. At those times, I feel like there should be music swelling in the background… Sadly, I think that only happens in the movies.
Wondering around San Pietro’s square was great. I took pictures, gawked at all of the other tourists, and most importantly made Pope jokes. I kept telling Robby if he saw the Pope to make sure and let me know asap, because I “super want to give that guy a hug, or let him bestow a kiss on my head.” Dear ol’ Robby didn’t quite understand why I would even want to meet that man and tried and tried again to explain to me that he wouldn’t just wanderin’ around in the square and he DEFINITELY wouldn’t hug or kiss me. Thanks for crushing all of my hope and dreams, Roberto. Maybe someday we’ll understand each other…
Also, I’m pretty sure he now thinks I’m partial to the Catholic Church. No big deal.
After our little jaunt in the Pope’s domain, we hopped on a tour bus, and rode around the city in the most conspicuous way possible. Just what I had always hoped for… Psych. But no, paying the 18 euros for a two day tour bus pass around Rome ended up being one of the best decisions of the whole trip. It ensured that we saw all of the sights worth seeing, while also giving us transportation around the whole city. It’s amazing how many historic and beautiful things there are in one city. I could go on and on about each one… One thing I want to do differently next time I go is to go in a relatively non-touristy season. Aside from all of the history and grandiose architecture I was slapped in the face with, one of the biggest things I took away from Rome was the amount of tourists. Holy tamoles! I could never live in that city- not in the heart of it, anyway. We were constantly ensconced by other people, and as I sat atop the tour bus and looked down at the masses, with their straw hats on their heads, sandals strapped to their feet, and cameras slung around their neck, I couldn’t help but shake my head. Don’t get me wrong- I really do love that people are able to go out and see the manmade beauties of the earth (no, I’m not referring to the Italian men and women), but I happen to be expert at finding the ridiculous-ness in just about every situation and this particular one was literally outlined in neon thanks to the brightly dressed Asians.
Roma, I salute you. Your buildings awed me; your statues astounded me, and the thought of you in your hay-day is sublime.
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