my blog
things to think about
I recently read somewhere that while traveling, it is not the things that go right on a trip that make it memorable, but the things that go wrong. I think that this is true for most of life. I mean if you read my friend Ben’s blog, only when things go wrong do I laugh. I was reminded of that when our train was supposed to leave for Florence this morning, but it didn’t. We were delayed two hours before we started heading south towards Napoli instead of north to Firenze where we are trying to go. Luckily, there is a loud American in the same train carriage as us so we knew something was wrong when she announced it to everyone, unintentionally. She knows a lot about history and now I know more about the Ottoman Empire than I ever cared to hear. Of course in the end, it all worked out, but it made me realize that I will remember things that don’t happen they way you want much longer than the things that do.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
For example, when visiting the Vatican City, if the guard salutes you, then puts his arm up to stop you from entering, don’t just think that he is being polite. I did. I tried to just walk by with a quick smile and a nod. Usually that will work with bouncers, but not with people guarding the Pope. They informed me that tourists are only allowed inside the museum and St. Peter’s Basilica. Nowhere else.
Also, if you are in Vietnam and your boat doesn’t slow down when getting close to the pier, there is probably something wrong. Our boat just went straight into the cement pier. There was a loud crash, the captain came tumbling onto the floor, and we grabbed our stuff and ran, happy to be alive. I think that everyone else was uninjured, but I didn’t look back very long.
In most of Asia the toilets are just holes in the floor. This is disgusting because it doesn’t empty in a sanitary way. But it makes sense that you don’t have to sit or touch anything. So you walk away feeling cleaner. It is the same on trains all over the world. I find it rather amusing to see the tracks rushing by between my legs. Italy is also a country of hoverers. They have actual toilets, but nothing to sit on. There is always a silver lining. My thighs are slowly turning to steel. And I spend less time in the bathroom.
We are sitting on the train to Firenze still. It is gorgeous on either side of us. The windows are like glimpses into history. Castles, churches, vineyards and farms appear out of nowhere and disappear only to be replaced by something older, bigger, or more tantalizing.
We have made it to Florence. It is raining, but not as cold as I thought that it would be. We are off to the supermarket, then going to make dinner in our hostel. That should be interesting because we have a toaster, microwave, and refrigerator. The stove/oven apparently doesn’t work. At least we can finally do some laundry!
Spices are sold all over Rome. Some of the names make sense, some are in Italian, and most of them are completely foreign to me.
Along with spices, fruits and flowers are always available in markets. It makes walking around in the rain a little more pleasant.