My last few days in Italy were a mixed bag of emotions.
I was sick when I left Florence Saturday morning, but excited for seeing my old friends in Padua and our journey onto Venice.
Now that I am away from Florence I miss things, like my favorite gelato stand, or my daily walk by the Duomo to school. I will hold that city in a special place in my heart, much like Edinburgh. It is full of memories, dreams, and love. I hope to return to both one day, with my loved ones, and show them what inspires me.
The funny thing is I want to consider myself an "expert" on travel in a few places now. As if I KNOW the little ins and outs to things, like I could drag around 5 other people and show them Italy or at least Tuscany with little to no problems. Could being a tour guide be another viable option for a career? Something I could do. Private tours of Tuscany, or East Lothian or anywhere else. I could take people, show them around, tell them the history of a place, assist with food options and allergies, hotels, days trips. I think I would love this. I enjoyed helping my friends leave the city for a day trip on the train or bus, and three year ago I helped a friend find a ferry to England when the ash cloud was messing with everyone. I love sharing things with people, even full strangers. I was also inspired by Richard, my program director and how giving he was to us all as we travelled Italy. Maybe I COULD do this....the possibilities. Let me know what you think readers and friends, would I be a good guide around the world? w
I think I want to try on too many hats in my life for careers, can't I just decide and stick with one?
Anyway, I spent my last day in Florence at Santa Croce and before that I got pizza at my favorite place to get pizza and before that I went to the Da Vinci museum and saw all the replica machines. The Da Vinci Museum had me inspired by the man, then following it up with seeing Galileo and Michelangelo tombs at Santa Croce made it hard to want to say good bye to a city that gave birth to so many greats.
But....all good things must come to an end.
I had a wonderful three course meal with my program director and roommates....
Went to bed early.
Then on the morning of June 6th, I took out the trash, put away the dishes, got my luggage and said goodbye on the 10:15 train to Padua.
In Padua my friends, Fallon, McKenna and Carol retrieved me from the train station and took me to a famous and important Cappella Degli Scrovegni which is covered in the inspiring and pivotal masterpieces of Giotto. All things I knew nothing about until I got there, and I was happy to go, it was all very inspiring and though I was "sick" of looking at Jesus paintings, this was a new and welcome form, story and style that I had not expected. I was very happy we went.
Then it was the drive to the docks to take a ferry to Venice Lido. Where we dropped off the bags, the car, and had horrible service at a cafe along the main drag.
Up by 8 the next morning and properly moving by 11 Fallon and I took off to the city to see the Bienalle art show, which was well worth it for the pure fact that I got to talk to trees.
You are thinking....Rebecca's fever must really be up there, but NO I got to talk to trees!
The Bienalle is an international art exhibition and the pavillion of Finland and two other countries had a hand in the making of something I consider next to a miracle. Through science they Bia way to record the sound of photosynthesis. Not only that, but the sound that my voice and my carbon dioxide and the effect that it had on the trees. Therefore the sound that the trees made, was in reaction to me, and only me, and in ways it was as if the trees were talking to me in a dinstinct code. It was just amazing. Never have I had such a feeling of amazement and joy at anything, and never in my life did I think I could talk to a tree, let alone three of them! So, if you are going to Venice and you like art, check this out, the talking trees made the ticket worthwhile but everything else was icing on the cake, like having Russian coins rained on me.
After the Biennale we did the typical Venice thing and had a gondola ride for 40 minutes. At €20/person or €80 for the whole boat for 40 minutes it was a little steep, but everyone needs to a gondola ride at least once in Venice. We also had the luxury of having an older gentleman as our gondolier making the experience one filled with stories and pleasant talk, even a little singing. He was the typical Italian man I just adore conversing with, warm, funny, friendly, and with a love for life and making new friends.
Post-gondalo we walked around St. Mark's Square, rehydrated, and then did some shopping where Fallon tracked down an ITALIA hoodie and then we all enjoyed a late evening Sunday dinner of seafood. I had clams and Gluten Free spaghetti.
Then we took the boat back to Lido.
Monday morning we decided against the city and crowds and instead headed for a local island called Burano. Famous for its lace and ostentacious coloered houses. It was beautiful, and very fun to photograph, stroll through and go shopping.
Then we took McKenna back to Lido so she could go to the beach....but I got a nose bleed while everyone was getting ready and send Fallon and McKenna out on their own while I recovered. It was then that I realized how bad my cold was and that mybody was screaming for me to SLOW down.
The next day was the drive to Bavaria, where I felt worse and worse as the hours ticked by and I should have been ecstatic at seeing the alps, and ten to fifteen magnificent castles. But it all feels like a feverish fog.
Which carried on in Garmisch at our wonderful alpine hotel and traditional dinner with dancing, yodeling, and music.
And has found me here on Friday, where I have spent the last two days in bed, mostly sleeping.
Tonight I feel well enough to go get dinner somewhere....
and maybe tomorrow to go see a medieval town. I hope.
Nyquil and Dayquil are my best friends right now.
