A Retrospective Perspective

Today is my last day in Perugia. It's not over yet: I still have to finish packing, clean, and I have dinner with some friends later tonight. But today has been a day of goodbyes. To friends, to class, and to the places I've come to cherish over the past month.

It's difficult, especially since this month has passed so quickly. I feel like I arrived in Perugia last week, and that there is so much more for me to do. I want another month, or at least another week. But I leave early tomorrow morning, and I'm trying not to think about it.

To use my last day to its fullest, I wandered around Perugia with Helen for a few hours. We went to the Etruscan Well, the remnants of the old fortress, the panoramic view of the city, and to lunch. Later, before dinner, we'll visit one of Perugia's churches. And I'll probably be up late, mopping and sweeping and dusting and throwing things away.

But I'm not ready to say goodbye.

A Jaunt in Orvieto

This past weekend, I made the executive decision to not go on a long trip. I love Italy and I love studying the language and I definitely love traveling, but it's all very exhausting. It's a kind of bone-deep weariness that doesn't leave easily. So I spent Saturday in my pajamas, eating Nutella-stuffed French toast and scrambled eggs with Helen and surfing the Internet.

But when Sunday came, it was time for a change of scenery. Despite the complaints of my body, I got myself up before noon for a short trip. We took a late train to Orvieto, a small Umbrian town about two hours away. It was raining, the trains kept getting delayed, and we spent more time traveling than we did in the city itself, but I have to say that Orvieto is one of my favorite places here in Italy. The Duomo of Orvieto is, according to my guidebook, "funky." The paintings in one of its small chapels inspired Salvador Dali, if you should need any evidence for that description. And yes, the chapel was beautiful, but I kept turning towards the entrance of the church, like a desperate little sunflower.

Despite being worth a thousand words, pictures cannot do it justice.

The proportions were perfect, the ceiling deceptively simple...I could probably rapture about it for much longer than you would care to listen. Helen felt the same way about this particular Duomo, which made me feel slightly less crazy for adoring it so much. It was a wrench to leave. To me, it achieved something beautiful: it made me look up and smile. And that made it feel like an actual house of God, rather than just a particularly magnificent building.

Delayed by the Duomo, we didn't have any time to tour underground Orvieto, so we spent our remaining hour wandering the streets before we took the funicolare (cable car) back down to the train station for the long ride back. It was too short a time, but even a small taste of Orvieto was a treat.

Perusing Perugia

Being at ends on Friday afternoon, Helen and I decided that it was high time that we explored the cultural sites Perugia has to offer. After all, we sort of live here. Now, Perugia isn't the number one tourist destination in Umbria, despite being the regional capitol and (I think) the biggest city. That title goes to Assisi, but that doesn't mean that Perugia entirely lacks culture (even if some of the students here do...)

Our first stop was Perugia's very own Duomo. It isn't the nicest cathedral; parts of the walls seemed to have been finished only because a church ought to have some structural integrity, but it's there and it's free. And right outside the Duomo is the heart of Perugia: the Fontana Maggiore, and the steps of the Palazzo dei Priori. There are always people here: tourists taking pictures, students eating gelato, locals drinking beer, children chasing pigeons, etc. etc. Nowadays, the steps serve more as seats than as a means of ascension into the Palazzo. As a matter of fact, I sat on them my first day in Perugia, gaping at my incomprehensible map while pigeons explored the edibility of my suitcase.

We bought a card that allows us into five of the various cultural sites in the city, complete with the fastest-moving audio guide I have heretofore experienced. While the Duomo isn't much to look at, Perugia does have other places to inspect, like the offices of the old guildhalls. Forget cubicles and fake plants: the guilds hired famous artists (like Perugino, Raphael's teacher) and talented artisans to turn their conference rooms into displays of opulence and wealth that would put Hollywood celebrities to shame.

Along with the old guild offices, the Palazzo dei Priori also houses the art museum. The collection mostly consists of variations on "Madonna and Child," but I can't complain about that without bordering on heresy... Actually, it was interesting to see how different artists chose to paint the Holy Family, and there were some truly beautiful pieces that merited a second look. (And considering how hungry I was at the time, they had to be truly compelling to get me to stop.)

This is where I live, at least for another week. Time flies when you're having fun and getting lost, and I've been doing a lot of both for the past month.

Frolicking in Florence

Helen and I boarded a train for Florence/Firenze last Saturday morning, off on another adventure. We found our hostel easily, both having copied down the directions off the website. And then we were off to meet classmate Chelsea at Ponte Vecchio. Of course, there were many stops for photos along the way.

Travel buddy...personal photographer...Helen has many talents.

After we met up with Chelsea, we went to the leather market. After being schmoozed by several desperate salesmen, Chelsea found a jacket, I found a bag, and Helen found lunch. We were all pretty happy with the results.

We went to the Duomo, of which I couldn't resist taking about 50 pictures, all from various angles and times of day.

This is  photo #45 out of the 53 I took of the Duomo. 

It was suitably impressive, and I was suitably impressed. Not enough to climb the Duomo for the view, but I ended up getting the exercise and the panorama anyway.

We made our obligatory stop at a gelateria (yes, it was obligatory), and then parted ways. Helen and Chelsea went to explore more of Florence, so they ended up in a cafe. I applaud their logic and their priorities. I, on the other hand, went to explore the Uffizi, home of Botticelli's The Birth of Venus. I rather enjoyed traversing an art museum on my own; I set my own pace, elbowing my way through tour groups crowding around the art like the Magi around baby Jesus.

Footsore and overheated, I met up with the now-solo Helen, Chelsea having returned to Perugia. We returned to our hostel to clean up and sit down. It took the promise of dinner to put me back up onto my feet and the streets of Florence.

Rough translation: "There is what there is." And what there was, was good.

Needless to say, we slept well that night. Which was a good thing, considering our adventure on Sunday. We got up, changed into comfortable clothes and sneakers, experimented with the coffee vending machine, and checked out of the hostel before most of the other guests hit the snooze button. Armed with more directions, we found the offices of Florence by Bike for our tour of the Chianti region just outside the city.

We had no idea what we were getting ourselves in to. Which was a good thing, since I'd have probably run away screaming had I known about the hills.

There are prices to pay for views, but the aching muscles were worth it. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we rode through miles of vineyards, olive groves, and quiet towns. There are worse ways to spend a day, and the sense of accomplishment after we braked for the last time, back in Florence after a 20 mile ride, was priceless.

Out of respect for those who would be sitting in our vicinity on the train ride back to Perugia, Helen and I returned to the hostel not only to pick up our bags, but also to clean up a bit and rehydrate. Feeling (and smelling) much better, we walked back to the train station and collapsed into seats in the closest compartment.

To be honest, it took a day or two before we fully recovered from our adventure, and I still cringe a little at the thought of a bike seat, but I'll say it again: it was worth it.

The Everyday, Every Day

Sometimes I forget that my life is strange. No matter where I go, once I fall into a certain routine, the unusual becomes my usual, and I forget to appreciate the little moments. So this is my dedication to those moments.

Over the past week, I've continued attending classes. I have "la lingua italiana" for 3 hours four times a week, "pronuncia e grafia" for 2 hours once a week, and "Gruppo A" for 2 hours three times a week. So far, cappuccinos and my experience with French have been keeping me afloat. With, I have to admit, more than a little help from my Italian-English dictionary.

"Essenziale" is no joke.

When I'm not in class, there's the stuff that makes life go: laundry, dishes, napping, general physical upkeep, etc. etc.

Make-your-own fruit at the bottom yogurt tastes great.

I also explore Perugia. Thus far, I've found 4 grocery stores, an amazing organic restaurant, a place to put money on my phone, a newsstand with English magazines, plenty of ATM's, and where to find a towel (not as easy as it sounds, believe me). And with the Umbria Jazz Festival ongoing, entertainment is never far away.

A small parade begins.

"Bacio" means "kiss," and it's Perugia's tastiest export.

And, really, how could I ever get bored in an ancient Italian city that hosts a chocolate festival?

A Roman Resort Holiday

Eleven years ago, I moved away from Naples. No more pizza margherita, dumpster hunting, or perilous trips through streets packed with vespas and battered vehicles. This past weekend, I made my grand return. The bus left at 6:00 AM, so I dozed off and on until our arrival in Naples. Helen, her friend Nikki, and I got off our buses and went on a whirlwind tour of Naples. We started off with (surprise, surprise) a church, Santa Chiara. That is, I started off. Skipping the church itself, Nikki and Helen chose to stay outside while I paid the entrance fee to get into the cloister.

Well worth the entrance fee.

And then it was pizza time! We went to Gino Sorbillo's and I had a fantastic pizza margherita. It was the best pizza I've had in eleven years.

Before.
I would show the after, but there wasn't anything left to show.

We went into Il Duomo of Naples, complete with the reliquary of San Gennaro. He's the patron saint of Naples, and every year people gather to witness a morbid miracle: his blood liquifying. The legend goes that if his blood doesn't liquify, Mount Vesuvius will erupt. This legend is mostly based on the fact that the last time his blood didn't liquify was in 1944, the last time Mount Vesuvius erupted. We'll have to wait and see, I suppose. 

I had to race back to the bus to go to Pompeii, the ancient vacation spot for Romans. We wandered through the dusty streets, taking photos and trying to decipher exactly what was what, as they had run out of English guides. But even in our ignorance, it was a lot of fun.

Pompeii may be ruined, but we found out that we still needed a map to get around.

As the sun was setting, we headed back to the hotel for a late dinner and bed. I shared a suite with my bus neighbor, Kristina from Macedonia, and a table with Helen (Hong Kong), Nikki (Taiwan), Betsy (Virginia), Helen (Estonia), and Rodrigo (Brazil), turning the evening into an international affair. 

The next morning we got on a ferry to Capri, where the emperors played. We took a boat tour around the island, visiting the famous Blue Grotto (which was beautiful), as well as the White and Green ones (Capri is a colorful place). After lunch, we hit the beach, enjoying the sun and the warm water. My skin enjoyed it a little too much, turning pink with excitement despite rigorous applications of sunscreen. But gelato and a little shade heals all, at least for a little while.

After a whirlwind weekend, we returned to the bus for a long ride back to Perugia. 

Alora, Alora

The adventure of living in my apartment in Perugia has become a little bit of a joke. So I thought that I'd share a poem, written by Alan Whykes. It can be found in "The Little Blue, What to Do: The Stranger's Guide to Perugia."

Apartment (Un)available

No students.

The price for the room doesn't include the gas.

Or the electricity.

Or the water. Or the rubbish.

Or the building services charge. Or the agent's fee.

Or stamp duty on the rental contract. Or...

The door's only a little broken.

Kitchen? We eat out.

This is the washing machine. It works great but we don't use it because it floods the apartment.

No males.

You have to go through the other bedroom to get to the toilet.

You get used to it after a while.

Room, well, yes, the advertisement did say room.

We meant a corner of the living room.

No foreigners.

I'm not sharing my house, I'm only renting a room. Understand?

There's no shower or bath but the toilet works fine.

Working people only.

How do you like my giant dog?

The room's a bit small, I know, but you can study in the hallway.

Sorry, it's been taken.

You have to pay a month's rent in advance.

And two month's rent as bond.

And another month's rent as bond for the service bills.

And we'll need to keep your passport...

Garage? Unfortunately it's a bit full of old furniture and faded newspapers. It's actually much more convenient to leave your motorbike outside. On the street. In the rain.

What language to you speak? Pardon?

What lang-uage speeaakk?

As you can see the house is very secure, because there aren't any windows.

This is the key to the room.

The lock's missing, but we had one a few years ago.

Can you call again tomorrow?

You'll only have to share the room with one German drug addict, one Romanian neo-faschist, and a Siberian hamster.

Those maggots don't come from our rubbish, they just fall down from the flat upstairs.

Short week only. What does that mean? It means you can't stay here on weekends because the other guy uses the room.

No visitors.

This is the coffee cup so try not to break it.

Of course we have a telephone. It's just not connected.

How much rent? We haven't decided yet.

How much can you afford to pay?

After a few months you don't even notice the traffic.

Or the fire engine sirens.

No no no. The room is taken. No.