Simply put, I’m nearing the exhaustion point. My weekends are filled with non-stop travel, and my classes during the week (which I was promised would be fantastically easy) are actually real classes, requiring time and effort. All this adds up to a very tired me.
That’s not to say I regret any of this trip. I am starting to question the value of some of my classes in favor of European exploration, if only so I can get another hour of sleep in the morning. There is a certain advantage to having destroyed my laptop a few weeks ago. I no longer have easy internet access, and thus a loss of most distractions. It does, however, make it much more difficult for me to make travel plans because I’m leery of the security of the Villa computers. In addition, I need the time to explore lots of options and make the best choice to save money and have a good trip.
Where does this leave me? Essentially exploring lots of alternative options to the internet, and wondering why there are only 24 hours in a day. I have caught up with my reading, which is a huge bonus. Just finished off Artaud's Theeater and its Double, still working on Tristram Shandy, and about to sart James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake. In case you were interested. I would be reading Joyce's Dublin, but the Villa's copy is in German, and I'm quite happy with the Italian, thanks.
That said, I’m off, yet again. This time I’m on my way to Italy proper; Siena, Rome, and Orvieto are on the itinerary. No Florence, Venice or Milan, mostly because those are cities that lack the glories of Rome and Etruria, which is really why we’re going. It’s not often that I’m told “We’re going to Italy for a week! And the entire trip will be on the Midterm!” Ahhh, the glories of Study Abroad.
I’m excited to go, of course. It’s been ages since I’ve been to Rome, and I should have a greater appreciation of the Vatican this time around. I’ve done some personal readings on the papacy as our class discussions will be focused on the remnants of the Roman Empire, and not so much on the current authority. I doubt we’ll have much discussion beyond mentions of Constantine and the design of early churches, especially the Pantheon, a rather conveniently converted pagan monument.
And so, I shall have to leave you for a week, with the promise and expectation of lots of stories upon my return. One more thing before I go. I mentioned that I spent the past weekend in Nice. It seems I am not the first to pass that way; my grandfather visited the same area many years ago, and had some memories to share:
Reading about Kerry's trip to Nice brought back memories. Sometimeafter VE day, while I was stationed in Reims, I got a week'sfurlough and Nice was a R& R destination. I hitched a rideinto Paris where I got a plane ride (my first time in a plane)to Marseilles and then a bus to Nice . I don't remember a lot about the week there otherthan the beautiful beach and gorgeous blue water . I did take asightseeing bus ride toward Monaco, which was off limits . Thiswas a beautiful winding road up through the hills overlookingthe Mediterranean. On the road from Marseilles to Nice were theseflower gardens up in the hills which were grown to make into perfume.
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