Juliet's breast...

Greetings from Florence!
Before I begin, I will share a few photos from breathtaking Venice...


Wading at Piazza San Marco



Venice from the top of the clock tower

I was thinking I could create a "Gondoliers of Venice" calendar or something...



Beautiful.

 Before I left home, a dear mentor of mine (the same lady who introduced me to Frida Kahlo) suggested that I write letters to myself, that I would receive while weekly while I was travelling. She remarked that it would be fun to literally mail them, except that I wouldn't know in advance where I was going to be. I came up with the idea of sending them via "e-card"; that way, I could specify exactly what date they would appear in my inbox. And so, every Tuesday, I receive a little note, written from past-Liz to present day-Liz, a very deliberate way of taking care of myself, reminding myself of my vision for this trip, and tuning into a very core part of me.


After the excitement, intensity, and beauty of Venice, Verona felt nice, but somehow didn't reach out and grab me in the same way. Perhaps a bit of exhaustion has set in, as well as my inevitable tendency for intense introspection (which yes, is always on the surface, but at times even more so than others).  Some loneliness as well I suppose.  I found myself becoming frustrated and anxious about little things, for example, a slow internet connection at an expensive cafe. I have been away for over 4 weeks now, which officially means I have been travelling for longer than ever before.  And so, what's a woman to do, travelling for 4 weeks (with 8 more to go), feeling introspective and tired, in Italy...?

Gelato.  Journal.  Call a friend.  Repeat.

And, as I wrote in one of my letters to myself, allow and leave room for the unpleasant emotions alongside the fabulous ones.  No need to judge them.  Experience them. Learn from them.  Know that they will pass.  And, along with allowing the unpleasant emotions, allow the trip to evolve into whatever it will be.  I find myself still feeling guilty on days when I need to spend extra time on the computer (like today), as though I "should" be out seeing every beautiful thing there is to see in Florence. Travelling for 3 months is different than travelling for 3 weeks though. It helps me to remind myself that I'm not on a "European getaway vacation", but rather, I am living my life, and it just so happens that I'm in Europe.  I can't, therefore, be a tourist everyday.  And so, today, yes it is noon, and I still haven't ventured outside.  This too is okay.

I arrived in Verona on Monday, after a lovely train journey beside a most friendly man from Sicily.  The hostel was in a gorgeous old building (16th century perhaps), and after being surprised that there were no locks on the dorm doors (suprise!), and that my bunk-bed mate was perhaps the least friendly person I have met yet (when I introduced myself, smiling and warm, she replied with, "You don't snore, do you?" in all seriousness...she never did tell me her name), I settled in. I found the famous "Casa di Giulietta" (Juliet's House) without needing to consult a map or ask for directions - the HUGE crowd, even on this rainy day, spoke for itself.  People flock to this spot in order to touch Juliet's right breast; then, legend has it, the world will send one a new lover.  So, this statue of Juliet stands there, right breast gleaming and smooth, and men and women line up to touch and to have their photo taken.  Of course, I partook.  Proclamations of love are written all over the walls, and, even more interesting, is the tradition of writing letters to Juliet, seeking advice with anything pertaining to romantic love.  Juliet receives thousands upon thousands of letters, so many that the city of Verona actually employs people to translate, read, and respond to each and every letter (this was portrayed in a recent Hollywood chick flick, "Letters to Juliet", which I saw with my 13 year old friend Brianna).  And yes, of course I also wrote her a letter.  Actually, two.  One from me, and one from Brianna. :)

My favourite sights in Verona were the churches, I do believe. A feature of old Roman Catholic churches in Italy is that they also house some of the most important sacred art from the last, oh, 800 years or so. So, one can find beautiful art not only in galleries, but also in churches.  These were the oldest I had been in so far, and I marvelled at the art and architecture from as early as the 11th century.  Also fascinating was the Roman Arena, built in AD 30, and now used for concerts throughout the year (including a summer opera season which I am sorry to have missed!)

Nothing like sacred art from the 11th century, I went to a  photography exhibit yesterday morning before I left Verona that was incredibly moving: http://www.lucianoperbellini.com/13coins.php?lang=eng. Moving in a "What am I doing with my life?" kind of way. Not guilt inducing, just a reminder to keep seeking out the most meaningful ways to be of service to others while also finding work that is a full expression of who I am. The photos, by Luciano Perbellni, told the story of 13 "ordinary" people who are doing incredible work in service to humanity all over the world.  I went to a public lecture in Waterloo a couple of years ago, where the co-presenters were a young woman who had experienced significant trauma growing up in Sierra Leone (Mariatu Kamara), and a Canadian journalist who had supported her in telling her story and publishing an English novel (Susan McClelland). During the question and answer period, Susan remarked that she often heard people comment that hearing Mariatu's story "put their own troubles into perspective".  She remarked that her concern with this response was that it often silences people, as they feel then that their struggles are not worthy of being voiced. Her hope was that instead, through Mariatu sharing her story, other people would in fact feel invited to share their own stories.  This stuck with me, and I thought of it again today as I looked at these photos.  Rather than feeling silenced by the immense suffering I saw, I was reminded of the invitation to share my story...

A few photos from Verona...

My problems in love are henceforth solved!

Inside the Church of St. Anastasia

Verona & the Adige River

Roman Arena

I journeyed to Florence yesterday, and checked into my hostel in the evening. Up until this point, I have stayed in only female dorms, though I have known that the time would come when, in making a reservation at last minute, I wouldn't have this option. In looking at options in Florence, I did have the option; however, a hostel that appealed to me, both for its price (including free internet access!) and also its location, only had mixed dorms available. I decided to go for it – better to try it out when making a deliberate choice to do so, rather than waiting until I am "stuck". Feeling a bit blah yesterday, there was no one around when I arrived at the room, and I regretted the decision: “I just want to feel comfortable, I want to be able to get dressed without having to hide, etc etc...” Upon returning to my room later in the evening, I was greeted by the most enthusiastic and warm young woman from Spain, her boyfriend (also very genuine and welcoming), and a friendly man from Toronto, currently teaching English in South Korea. Compared with my dorm experience in Verona, this was heaven. All is well.

Interestingly, I was saying to a friend on the phone on Tuesday night that I was feeling more and more that the pace of my travelling was still needing to slow down, and that I needed to stay in one place for a longer time. Clearly, this was Heard, as yesterday (Wednesday) morning, I went to book a hostel for my time on the coast in Cinque Terre, to learn that I had to book at least 8 days in advance. Going to Cinque Terre and staying at this particular spot feels essential, and so suddenly, I have 8 nights to spend in the Florence area, rather than the predicted 4 or 5. I asked for this, and now, laughably, I am not quite sure what to with myself. 

And so, I am off to the streets of Florence, to find out...