| Celebrating the Fourth of Luglio in Venezia |
\We arrived in Venice yesterday morning by night train, which sounds like a pretty good idea until the train drops you off at 5:26am in a town where nothing opens until around 8 or 9, including our hostel. The sun wasn't even up yet. We sat around on the steps in front of the train station overlooking the grand canal and watched Venice wake up, which was actually pretty cool. We ate croissants and drank coke for breakfast while we viewed all the action. The sky lit up, boats began to go by, many people arrived on trains, and lots of bells chimed. It was fun.
Venice is probably the city most unlike any we have visited thus far. It's a little like Amsterdam with all the canals, but completely different otherwise. There are no roads and therefore no cars and also no bicycles. Everyone gets around by walking or by boat. There are mail boats, ambulance boats, taxi boats, and of course the iconic gondolas paddled by singing men in striped shirts and funny hats.
Venice is easily the most confusing place to navigate I've ever seen. It makes Rome's streets look logical. If we want to get somewhere, I almost have to look at the map constantly, squinting at it and rotating it in my hands as we make turns. But there's so much character down every street and alleyway that getting turned around in Venice is one of the little pleasures of wandering the city. Other than a couple big piazzas and church squares, there really doesn't appear to be all that many sights to see here anyway. None of us are tremendous art or history buffs, so we try to limit ourselves to one big museum or art gallery a week, lest we throw up from too much culture. Since we just did two days at the Vatican in Rome, I think we're good in that department for a while.
Today is the fourth of July, which really means nothing to Italians. There will be no flags, no parades, no fireworks. But there's nothing like leaving home for a month to make a guy feel patriotic, so we're going to try to find some ways to have a little Independence Day celebration of our own. So far, all we've come up with is buying some imported Budweiser from a grocery store nearby (they really do ship it in). There isn't a meal much more American than a burger and fries with a Coke from McDonald's, so I think, despite Marc's objections, that we'll have to put that on the agenda as well.
It might be a mild case of homesickness or maybe just a desire for things familiar to me, but in the spirit of the fourth of July, I think I will air some if the things I've been missing about home. For one, I miss the food. I miss Wawa milkshakes and steak subs, I miss Five Guys and Panera, and I definitely definitely miss Chipotle! I miss driving and English, and miss Rochester and RIT. I miss Maryland and it's humidity and I miss the Chesapeake Bay! I miss my family and my friends, and I miss American TV. You can hate me for it, but I even miss Wal-Mart a little! If you're reading this, I probably miss you too!
I should reiterate that I love Europe, I have been having a fantastic time, and I will miss it when I have to leave, but being put into a different world really helps you to appreciate the things you have back home. I guess the Fourth of July is supposed to be a day to celebrate the anniversary of our country's independence from the British, which I obviously feel is great. But I think that in addition to that, at least for me today, it is a time to reflect on my own patriotism and love for America and it's culture in the context of being abroad. Either way, being overseas definitely gives the holiday a little more personal significance.
I hope you all have a ton of fun at your barbecues and see some amazing fireworks tonight! Light a sparkler for me! Happy 4th! |
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Great Blog Michael! We saw lots of fireworks this year...across the river at Golden Beach, at St Marys College after the River Series Concert on Friday night (literally right over our heads! Very loud!), and driving back from Lexi's & Casey's on the Fourth. I agree, there's noplace like home! Love, Dad
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Great Blog Michael! We saw lots of fireworks this year...across the river at Golden Beach, at St Marys College after the River Series Concert on Friday night (literally right over our heads! Very loud!), and driving back from Lexi's & Casey's on the Fourth. I agree, there's noplace like home! Love, Dad