Italy, just a touch.

About 4 years ago, I recall being behind the wheel, going somewhere typical, and thinking about what I would like to "do". This usually happens after brushing up against an Oprah moment- one of those overwhelming dictates about "discovering your driving force", or "living your passion". Where I start feeling inadequately self actualized, and too old to not have figured out what I'm passionate about already. This typically will spiral into a determination that I will eventually die not having fulfilled my potential. I'm a terrible Oprah. But, this once, I had a notion. A strong urge that spoke right up and said "I would like to travel more." So, I set that goal in my head. 

Within a week, I had three trips arrive on my horizon like ships sailing into Oprah Harbor. 

Huz called from work that day and said he was invited to speak in Utrecht, Netherlands,  next, Middlest told me she wanted to go to France with her high school class, and thereafter, Huz was asked to represent the University at a conference in Grenada. I asked to join in all three, and I knew Oprah would be proud of me. 

Since then, we have also been to Wrøclaw Poland,  Berlin Germany, back to France, Paris and Toulouse, and now Verona and Venice, Italy.

We stumbled in last night from Venice, our luggage still in Canada. I had a wonderful night's rest in my bed, although I kept thinking there was water just outside my window (Venice Disorder), until I woke up in the morning, refreshed and back to thinking about cases at work. Zoey Myers, and Maggie Largent, and that's the end of vacation. Today, we have fired up the chainsaw and nippers, having come home to a wonderfully tidy house and barn. Thank you Kara!!

Part of me feels like I should share some of the thousand photos I took in Italy. Part of me feels like I should just pick one a day until the next trip! I want to share all I have learned, and give all an armchair globe-trot to Italy. But, not sure anyone wants that. 

So, I shall pick a photo and see where it takes us. 

There ya go. I didn't know this would be the photo I would choose to give you, but somehow, it seems like starting at the very beginning is a very good place to start. I think to me the two words that I would use to describe what I experienced in Italy are "History" and " Details." The photo above illustrates both. 

In the Piazza Brà, the largest square in Verona, in a corner is this brass rectangle. Most people just walked over it with out noticing. But it was fascinating to me. This is the layout of the original Roman City. The River Adige is the wide band that makes a "U" shape from the top to the right of the rectangle. the raised lines to the left are the wall. They had to wall in the area to the left of the river, as that is high ground- a spot to control if you want to keep your city safe. The biggest square in the center of the grid is the Piazza Erbe now. And what is now the Piazza Brà that holds the large first century Roman Arena was on the outside of the city walls on the far right. It is the oval closest to Huz' feet. The arena was out there because you don't want rowdy folks in the city. 

The Arena as it stands today. The outer wall on the left in the photo is mostly gone now, but used to surround the arena and added much more seating. I think they said 30,000 people! Today, the arena is still used. There has been an opera series happening for 100 years in the summers- the last opera night was the evening before we arrived. But you can still go to a rock concert where they once had gladiator contests. 

Many of these Roman layers are still quite part of this vibrant city today. I leaned my body against a huge Roman gate- the Porta Borsa- and touched a thousand years ago. 

At that time, just outside this ancient entrance to Roman Verona were tombstones. Bodies were not buried within the city walls, so the outside of the walls were packed with graves. 

Here, a lady sits in a cafe, with her cappucino and cigarettes, and her back right up to a 1000+year old dead person. Life here is interwoven with moments like this. 

Okay, now for a photo or two to illustrate word #2- "Details. "

In the 16th century, Verona was known as the "Painted City". Today, many of the buildings are painted in yellow ochre, deep red and sunny orange. They are brick, with stucco over the brick. But in the height of the Renaissance, the buildings were painted with vibrant colors in scenes and designs. Here and there in the city, you can still see faded reminders of this time.

It may not be Revalations "Streets of Gold", but there are streets of marble. There is marble everywhere, some in exotic patterns and colors. In one church there was a marble of mustard yellow and dark grey. Details are everywhere. 

One more detail. Food matters. The food was abundant and mostly amazing. But this was probably the best thing I tasted on the trip. It is an "aubergine cappucino" served at a restaurant called Flora in Verona. It was my Prima, or first dish, and they did something divine with eggplant that was well beyond my understanding of the capabilities of the fruit. It was topped with a foam and basil cream with pignoli. This mug of happiness is worth going to Italy. Also in the photo are soft, chewy curcumin and beet breads- both senza glutina, and succo, or juice that was watermelon and blood orange. You can also see a touch of wine, and the tip of Huz's prima piatto. But mine was the best. 

Okay. That was today's offering. Back to taming the farm.