Well, I am alive, and I just got back from a week-long trip to Italy with my friend, Kate. I was thinking I should post about it, but it was tough to come up with an angle. I mean, what can I say that hasn't already been said? Probably nothing. So I guess I'll just go ahead and say about Italy what many before me have probably said: It's got to be one of the greatest places on Earth.
Granted, I have not even come close to visiting all the places on Earth, and I'm sure I never will, but Italy should be No. 1, or at least in your top 5, on your list of countries to visit.
First of all, there's just the oldness of everything. This, of course, is something you can find in most (if not all) European countries, and of course even North America has been here since long before it became the U.S. and Canada and so on. But my point is that when I visit places in the U.S., none of the buildings or writings or art or anything is older than 200 years. In Italy, you'll find buildings that are 2000 years old. I saw churches that are older than our country. Kate and I had coffee (or in my case, hot chocolate) in a cafe in Venice where Casonova and Charles Dickens and other famous people had their espresso. We walked where gladiators walked, where Michaelangelo painted, where Peter was crucified. In the midst of the bustling city of downtown Rome, standing beside metropolitan buildings, you'll find the Pantheon and the Colosseum and the ruins of an ancient civilization which once ran the world. It's downright weird. But awesome.
And then there's the beauty of everything. Venice has got to be one of the most beautiful cities on Earth. I mean, water is everywhere, curvy gondolas float down the rivers. You can't go ten feet without running into another bridge. Even when the realities of daily life make themselves known, like a boat full of trash ... their version of a garbage truck ... floats down the river, still the city is beautiful. The buildings are old and lovely. The roads are twisty and confusing, which somehow only adds to the charm. Kate and I got lost at least 3 times, if not more. We spent half of Thursday lost. But the whole place was so lovely, it didn't even matter. And that was just Venice. Then there's the buildings ... the churches! St. Marc's Basilica in Venice. The Duomo in Florence. St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The church really knew how to deck out its buildings back in the day. And make them last, too! The entire inside of St. Marc's Basilica is covered in gold murals. The entire inside.
And of course, that brings us to the art. You can't miss it, even if you try. (Although, why would you?) In the churches, in the squares, on the walls. Everywhere is art. Michaelangelo alone filled the country up. The Sistine Chapel is just as beautiful as you think it is. And his sculpture of David is much more beautiful than you expect. It's probably the most magnificent work of art that I have ever seen. You can't throw a rock in this country without hitting some Renaissance art. And then add on top of that the ancient murals and frescoes of the Romans and the paintings that local artists sell on the streets, and everything in between, and you've got a country spilling over with art. We barely scraped the surface.
And don't forget the culinary arts. The food is, of course, delicious. I had the best lasagna on the face of this planet at a restaurant in Venice. Italian food has always offered some of my favorite dishes, and I was not disappointed. Though I will admit that we didn't seem to find the amazing pizza that people rave about, I know that it's there. I'm determined to find it on my next trip.
And there will be a next trip. Because I have saved the best part for last. If all of the above was not enough, there's more: the gelato. I cannot explain the glory that is gelato. The locals sometimes call it ice cream. But it is not ice cream. It's so much more, so much better, than ice cream. So many flavors! From chocolate to raspberry to yogurt to hazelnut to pineapple to a million other things. My favorites were cinnamon and pear (not together!). This is a frozen treat that tastes exactly like the flavor it claims. It's absolutely. to. die. for.For the gelato alone, I know I have to go back. I can't live my life never having Italian gelato again. Luckily, there are so many things to see that we missed and so many things to see again!
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page." – St. Augustine
