Okay, I'll work on finishing up on my London adventures with Wade...but first: In response to several complaints re: this here blog. Hmph. Thank you, kind readers, for all of your concerns, but I frankly am doing the best I can as far as updates, font sizes, etc. Pictures have yet to appear, this I realize, but when one is terribly busy gallivanting around the world, it gets damn hard to post nearly a thousand pictures up here for your viewing pleasure (which, of course, won't be happening, because no one has the time nor, well, the motivation, to sift through some of the drivel I've shot over here).
Also, incidentally, I've noticed that time (i.e. individual days) seem to pass both more quickly and much more slowly over here. Maybe it's the time change, which I, of course, weeks later, have completely mastered (God, I'm awesome). But, to follow-up on such an elusive thought, it seems like, without a set schedule or any sort of forced habits, mornings can easily be spent a-snooze, while days can still be packed with, say, a stroll or two around a major world metropolis, including spotting a world-famous fountain, sampling some of the local vendors' products, stopping by a fruit market, poking into a couple of small, "modest" Baroque churches and exploring a two thousand-year old temple. Sorry, that was just last Thursday, and yes, that day started at about noon.
It's an odd concept: to be surrounded by so much human history, and artistic beauty, when it feels like our country has so little of it. As we were heading from the main train station in Rome, Roma Termini, and to the Rome's airport, via the cornily-dubbed "Leonardo Express" this past Saturday (2 days ago now, and I'm attempting to keep things chronological, but I just don't think it's going to happen), the tracks were just lined with old ruins. There's no marble or anything around there, mind you, but there were crumbling walls of the thin, deep red Ancient Roman bricks. Wade and I began discussing (which forced us to put on pause our heated talk about the glory that was hit pop singles of the mid to late '90s. Prominently discussed were diddies from really talented artists like Britney Spears, *NSYNC, BSB, etc. Somehow, this made the discussion, how do you say?, a bit shallow. Still, later on, as we picked up the topic again, we both felt the need to provide our own musical renditions of these tunes, a capella no less, in order to to fully reminisce, so the chat became a little bit more dynamic at that point. --I'm sure we drove the thirtysomething Italian guy sitting behind us, eating potato chips, just nuts for that half-hour train ride. Moving on...) how odd it would be if the US treated its ruins in the same way. As Wade put it, rather correctly, I think (My God, he's so brilliant, isn't he? (That one was for you, Joe)), if there were ruins like that in the US, there'd be a national park around them--in Rome, there are train tracks, a few patches of graffiti and a Fanta can or two strewn about. I'm not saying the Italian government treats its history disrespectfully; on the whole, it's far from that, but God, there's just so much of it.
What's more, it's really damn exhausting to try to go see all--or hell, any--of it. After about 2 days of sight-seeing, all I really wanted to do was take 'er easy (and, as a Ritchie, I've quickly come to realize and appreciate how inherently lazy I really am. Sigh...doing nothing: it sure feels good). Both Wade and I have realized the value of downtime so much more, when you really don't have the time or space to have it--this is among many revelations we've had in Italy, which I'll detail later. A few other lessons learned are, as a preview: the Collesium is a nasty place in which to weather a thunderstorm and, from our friends, the ever-cautious Italian drivers, if the car looks too big for a parking space/alley/main thoroughfare, chances are, it'll still fit.
End thoughts, back to the regularly scheduled programming...
Actually.
Okay, I lied. I'm going to try to post pictures up, and I can explain some of what I've seen from those, because, well, I think I've already typed about a thousand words...and that whole picture=1k words equation just popped into my head. I'll post the above blog entry, and then see what I can manage in a moment. Patience, please.
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2 comments:
Hey Megan,
Long-time-no-see, I know. By sheer chance I saw an update on (I'm afraid to admit..facebook) and caught on to your Carmen Sandiego act. To cut to the chase, where are you in Europe, and is there a base for your tomfooleries?
Dear Meg-
I love the crazy computers. Wrote a posting , then the thing threw me out.
I think the layers of Rome's history, art and culture have knocked many 'o traveler on their knees. You turn a corner and see a sight that you've seen in movies/ books your whole life--and its real! It is a bit humbling/ exhausting and exciting all at once.
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