vacation

Have you ever visited a place so steeped in history that you could almost hear the voices of the past calling to you as you walked along the street?  I have that same overwhelming sense of the weight of history as I visited the ancient cities of Athens, Rome, and Kotor.  

For me to stop and think that the streets that I walked on were the same streets walked on by philosophers, artists, religious leaders, and scientists of old!   To see the house where a great composer stayed while composing famous symphonies….to see the galleries where Michaelango toiled on his sculptures and to see the frescos painted high on ceilings of the Sistine Chapel with my own eyes!!  To wonder how the man could hang suspended from the ceiling – flat on his back and create such masterful paintings is beyond my imagination!  But I have seen it!  

On this trip, I saw things that I have read about in books and learned about in history, literature, art, and science since I first started school.  I stood in the Piazzas where Galileo and Michangelo stood (and in the church where they were both buried!)  I stood and gazed across the Arno River at the very bridges they would have used to cross the water.   At the Vatican, I stood in front of what is considered to be the burial place of St. Peter and I basked in the peacefulness of the quiet chapel and I even touched the feet of the statue of St. Peter – the bronze worn smooth after centuries of the touch and kisses of worshipers from all walks of life.   The stained glass windows and the altars, the mosaics, the hushed expectation in each of the basilicas and chapels…..it was a feeling like none other I can share! 

I loved walking the narrow streets of the old towns.  I loved looking up into the windows – shutters thrown open to catch the warm afternoon breezes – no screens at all – the lacy white curtains billowing easily in the wind – the epitome of  my romantic dreams of how Italy should be!  The sounds of the women in the kitchens, the clank of dishes being washed in the sink, the gurgles and coos of babies playing just inside…the jazzy sounds of Italian music from radios and TV sets – all drifting down to the squares below.  The smells of various kitchens – mingling in the air with the scent of waffle  cones being made to hold gelato, the dark and fragrant coffee shops with their pastries and strong espresso, and the rich, buttery smell of the leather shops with their array of colorful bags and jackets on display. 

There is a faint musty smell – of humid warm air and of the river nearby…and of old books and old plaster and it just adds to the character of the city.   Busy housewives stopping at the vegetable and fruit stands to get fresh grapes and vegetables for their evening meal, bargaining for the best price.   Along a few of the narrow alley-ways, an accordion player or a fiddler would set up a chair or stool and serenade passers-by with songs.  There are sounds of laughter from children playing, sounds of all the tour-groups listening to their lecturers through their head-sets, and the sounds of the gypsies as they mingle through the crowds – pick-pocketing and begging for alms.   There were vendors everywhere as well – selling postcards, trinkets, toys, and the ever-present selfie-sticks.  The polica rode through on horseback from time to time, adding the clippity-clop song of the hooves on the cobblestones and the earthy-barn smell of the horses.   It all added up to the jovial cacophony of a busy city afternoon.  And it was marvelous!  And it took my breath away! 

Seeing the big monuments, the Cathedrals and Basicillicas and statues, and works of art was amazing and the stuff of my dreams. …..but what I think I enjoyed more was the glimpse into the every day lives of the local peoples.   I loved seeing their grocery stores. Their cafes.  Their cars and bicycles.  I loved seeing the farms along the roads in Tuscany – the fields of sunflowers drying in the sun, the grove after grove of silvery-sage olive trees, the neat, straight rows of the vineyards and the topsy-turvy  curvy roads up the mountainsides.  I loved seeing the plowed, brown fields filled with rich brown dirt, just ready for replanting and I loved seeing the green fields filled with white and black sheep that dotted the rolling hills. The farm houses – all square and mostly yellow or cream colored stucco with red tiled roofs.  Can you just imagine the picturesque courtyards of these houses – al fresco tables in the back garden set with fresh tomato and pasta dishes and flowing with the delicious red wines of Italy? What I wouldn’t give to spend a few weeks sitting around a family dinner table there…..drinking strong café and sipping table wine and sampling the worlds most delightful fresh foods! 

In Greece, there were fewer houses and far, far more urban apartment buildings – in a unique flat-white style with balconies  on almost every street we passed.  Our tour guide called them “Plaka” apartments.   The balconies were burgeoning with fruit trees, herbs, and flowering shrubs of every kind….like tiny apartment gardens!   I enjoyed riding around the city and seeing the old men sitting at outdoor coffee shops, sipping cups of strong coffee and reading newspapers or discussing the latest elections.  Again, I had a very strong sense of the past in Athens…..we climbed up the mountain to see the Acropolis and the Parthenon and from that great height, we were able to see the city, sprawling around the hillsides out to the sea on one side and up onto the mountainsides on the other sides.  It was really something to see.  I remembered a few passages from the Old Testament that talked about the idols being worshiped “In the High places”  and that certainly described the temple designed to worship Athena!!  But it was nothing but a shell – mostly crumbled marble and travertine ruins now….it was in the process of renovation and preservation – scaffolding and building implements everywhere…..but even so, you could tell what an impressive display it would have been back in the hey-day of ancient times.  Right below the mountain – in the shadow of the temples  is the giant rock where Paul is said to have stood to preach the Gospel to the people of Athens.  Closing my eyes – I can almost imagine hearing his strong voice – full of conviction and power, speaking the words of the New Testament that I memorized as a young girl!  How marvelous it must have been to sit and hear his messages!   

We saw the ruins of amphitheaters and coliseums and the maximus circus – all designed for the entertainment of the people.  We saw sporting areas – the site of the first modern Olympics and the very modern sports stadiums built for today’s soccer.  We saw the very spot that is exactly 26.2 miles from Marathon, Greece – marking the very first (You guessed it! Marathon races!) 

We saw government buildings, parliaments, city halls, and the tombs of the unknown soldiers – in both Roma and Athens.  We saw the honor-guards for each – much like we have in our own country in our Arlington National Cemetery. 

I will always remember the color of the sea, the sparkle of the sunshine on the water, the feel of the cooling breezes on my face, the myriads of green as we drove through the countryside and the specific charms of each town and city.  I have always heard that travel is one of the few things that we spend money on that actually makes us richer in the long-run.  I may have spent many Euros during this trip – but I am  oh, so much richer for the experiences!!!  I will bottle up all of my memories and remember them by the pictures I took and I will cherish each one in my heart.   Until next time – and I do hope there is a next time!!! Ciao!