Today is my last day in Italy before I travel to Toulouse, France. I have enjoyed 4 sunny days exploring Roman ruins, admiring detailed Italian alley ways, and sampling an endless spectrum of cheeses.
My first stop here was a water taxi to Venice; one of the more well-known Italian cities which was apparent due to the flocks of travelers and the whirlwind of different languages floating through the streets. Every building I walked by in this aged city had intricate detail incomparable to our cities in the US— delicate railings around balconies lined with petunias and daffodils over looking canals with gondolas decorated in velvet, gold fringes, and swirly carvings. Most buildings reached three or four stories high, each one with worn edges, faded paint, or other signs of hundreds of years of life. I can’t help but imagine how wonderful it must be to live in a city with only canals for transportation; no dangerous highways or loud engines.
The next day I went to Lake Garda— a lake so expansive it felt like I was looking at the ocean. This lake is home to Roman ruins built in 100 BCE…how does one even comprehend a date like that? I was dumbfounded as we walked by pillars that had been standing for centuries, thinking about how our modern architecture barely lasts 100 years.
I savored my time spent with cousins and my aunt and uncle who reside in a town near Venice. They helped me order all of the best pastas and pizzas, which exceeded my expectations. The next couple days they helped continue my tour of their beautiful country by bringing me to a handful of the best historic sights: a Roman amphitheater that has been used since 30 AD and is still hosting faces like Justin Bieber, the “Casa di Giulietta”, or Juliet’s House from William Shakespears famous writing. The street around her house was overflowing with love notes and locks from love birds that had come to visit.
Today I was able to go to the theater in the town of Vicenza where the original Shakespeare plays were performed. The theater displayed impressive architecture that almost overwhelmed my eyes; the optical illusion of the background looking like a mile long city street although it was only 3 feet long and statues of gods and emperors lining the room. This town is also hosting a Van Gogh exhibit where I saw 100 original Van Gogh pieces.
The history and art in every corner of these Italian cities has felt so surreal. I feel like I have been living in a perfect painting these last few days. Thank you Italy for giving me a greater appreciation for the incredibly talented people that walked this earth before me!
Sounds like you are literally soaking all up!
Enjoyable posts. Thanks for a look at Italy. Bill