Last of Italy

Hi folks. We are sitting on the train between Rome and Paris. Riding the train was probably not the most efficient use of our time, but it has been a fun day of scenery, reading, looking at pictures, blogging, etc. We were organizing pictures from the trip a little while ago, and South Africa seems like the distant past. It is hard to believe we have less than a week left in this adventure. I think we are both sad to see it end, but we are ready to return to the friends and family we love; the place we call home; and the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the familiar.

We just crossed the border into France a few minutes ago. I can’t even remember what all we’ve blogged about from Italy. Basically, we have seen more incredibly beautiful and historic sights together in Italy than we will even begin to remember. Every city and village we visited felt scenic and age-old, but each had its own personality. The Cinque Terre was quaint and colorful and had a local pace. Florence was busy, narrow-streeted, fashionable, and filled with art, architecture, and history. It was also the place of a few new leather goods. Orvieto – a traditional, hill-top, castle town – surprised us with its class and charm, but also with its history. We enjoyed the artisans and the basilica there. One of the “artisans” – a barbieri – even gave me a haircut. Finally, Rome was really busy, obviously incredibly historic, but also more modern. While we had beautiful, crisp weather everywhere else, in Rome, we had to brave the cold and the rainy in order to see the sights, but we were rewarded with short lines.

It has felt a little hollow to go from being hosted by locals to being on our own as tourists. We have appreciated all the sights, and certainly our time together, but we are finding that we prefer to travel to places where we have local friends to help us experience and process the place they call home. This, in turn, has stoked the hospitality fire in us…consider this your invitation to come visit us in Portland (even if you live there).

On that note, on our last day in Rome, a mutual friend of our friends John and David in the U.S., Mario Capello, was kind enough to meet us for a few hours and give us a tour of St. Peter’s Basilica. Mario is a member of the Papal Household, and his job – as far as I can tell – is sort of a special projects coordinator for the Papacy. The Pope. The tour was great, but it was more of a background to our questions about the Pope, Mario’s job, and the Catholic Church. We have seen and will continue to see spectacular churches, the majority of them funded, built, and maintained by the Catholic Church. It has been hard for us to reconcile the expense and opulence of some of these places with the teachings of Jesus. But, our conversation with Mario about his job and about John Paul II (it was really fun to hear personal stories about John Paul II) was really focused more on people and their needs – both the rich and powerful and the poorest of the poor – than on places or buildings. It was a good way to wrap up our time in Italy.

I think Sharon was surprised how excited I have been to ride on trains – one of the things I have in common with my nephew, Grant. Trains remind me of my early childhood in London, and I’m excited to see if London triggers any memories for me in the few days we’ll have there. I’m looking forward to meeting up with a friend of mine from elementary school. I haven’t seen or spoken with Tim in about 23 years, so that should be really fun. Sharon and I are going to go see our old house, school, and neighborhood. Also, we’re going to hang out with our friend, Jack, who lived with Jason and me in Portland for a bit. He now works on the staff of a Parliamentarian, so we’re going to get a tour from Jack of Parliament.

But, Paris is first…