Photo Op (SOLSC 24/31)

 

We are constantly stopping for pictures, on the hunt for that next great shot.  I think my favorites are the ones along stairs and in alleys that we come across — they look straight out of a professional shoot.

Yesterday, was one such stop.  We were making our way slowly towards the St. Francis basilica at the top of a hill.  The slow pace was a combination of pictures, shopping and of course gelato.

Groups merged and parted as they passed and eventually my walk with my mom grew into a sizable group of others from our traveling party.  When we stopped for one to take a picture, I suggested that we add a new person into the picture with each taking.  And with each new picture we tried a new pose — these little moments are what make trips like this so fun.

Good Food Day (SOLSC 23/31)

 

I had the best meal of my life yesterday.  

We were wandering down one of the many small side streets of Venice.  Our group had a destination in mind: Librairie Acqua Alta, a book store famous for being below the water line, a set of stairs made of books, and a gondola inside the store also filled with books.  However we were also hungry and on the look out for somewhere to eat on our way.

We turned a corner and as if by magic there was a man dressed in a pressed white shirt and slacks holding a menu.  He stood in front of a passageway lit by fairy lights that led to a court way with set tables.

This was Ristorante da Toto.

We were quickly seated and looking at the menu I knew immediately I wanted sea food while in Venice.  My mom and I each ordered a different dish: risotto and linguine each with a variation of sea food.  Of course, being in Venice, we also got a bottle of wine to share (a local variety of Pinot Grigio).

The risotto was creamy and had large pieces of prawn in the dish — including a large prawn positioned on top as if guarding the plate.

The linguine had strings of zucchini mixed with the pasta, a sprig of mint, and of course the sea food.  All of it coated in a light oily sauce that dripped from each noodle.

Each bite had the perfect balance of pasta and fresh sea food. And while I was worried I would not be able to eat the whole plate at first, it quickly became clear that I would devour every bite.  Mom and I passed the plates back and forth, though I eventually ended up with the risotto more as it was my favorite.

I was completely stuffed by the time we left.

It’s the Climb (SOLSC 22/31)

 

I sent a message to my CrossFit coach from the top of the Verona arena:

“Box step ups coming in clutch yo.”

I climbed each one of them.  It was made my easier by my work with CrossFit for two years.  My efforts were rewarded at the top by a beautiful view of the Verona streets below and a grand view of this ancient structure. It was not graceful like the stairs I had climbed just an hour earlier in the Palazzo della Ragione, but I was certainly much more proud of myself.  

 I snapped a photo and sent it to my coach.  She replied shortly before I began my descent:

Left: beauty stairs, Right: beast stairs

 

Power (SOLSC 21/31)

“Do you know what I love about these artists?”

My voice is a whisper.  We are standing in a cathedral that is considered new by Italian standards, but to me feels ancient.  A reminder of grander times where power wasn’t in how big you could build towards the heavens, but in how much you could paint in rich colors in textures on ceilings to  depict the heavens.

“What’s that,” my fellow tourist whispers back.

“Notice how the lines of the art and even the half column draw your attention up and up and up.  It’s making you look to heaven.  The artists of that time knew what they were doing.  The church wanted you to draw your eyes towards heaven and so everything in this painting and placement of sculptures forces your gaze upwards.”

They nod and both of our eyes once again scan upwards.

 

Several Hours Later: A Travel Log from LR to Rome (SOLSC 20/31)

I thought this was the perfect format to track my trip from LR to Rome on March 18 & 19.  I think most of my slices for this trip will be “delayed” between time differences and just finding time to write!

The “And before that” format/ story structure I originally saw on Fran’s blog.

The plane descends from the clouds and it dawns on me that I am touching down in a part of the world with such ancient history that it borders on the mythical. Even though there is a strong smell of cigarettes as I step outside, I am grateful to be off of planes for a week.

And before that I am weaving through an airport line to go through security (again).  I have not slept much or at least to call it sleep would be generous.  I am nervous because I don’t technically have an official boarding pass.  Travel with a big group is stressful!

And before that I happen to pull up the map and see we are flying over St. John’s and I think about how I am still so close to Karen and yet so far.  I go to sleep, dreaming of the places I am going and have yet to seen.

And several hours before that I am writing this from the seat of a plane that will take me to Paris!  We made our connection!  I will not be staying in Paris, but it’s neat that I get to pass through.  I am seated alone — without my group.  We are scattered about the plane, but I have a pretty good seat above the wing and only have to share with one person instead of center aisle.

And before that I am breathing through my nausea as the plane takes off from Atlanta.  I don’t know what changed in the past few years that flying causes me to feel ill.  Luckily, I am able to sit next to my mom and we play a quick game as we pass the quick time in the air.  We’ll have to take off running to make our connection.

And before that I am standing at the kiosk.  I am trying not to panic as I stare at a ticket to only Atlanta.  A mistake?  They assure me it is not.  I will just lean in and trust the process.

And before that I am sliding out of the car and gathering my luggage.  “Check your purse,” mom says.  A helpful reminder because sure enough I spy my passport holder on the seat!  I grab it and off we go.

A Packing Party (SOLSC 19/31)

 

If you read this, know that I am currently in Italy.

However, because I am not sure when I will be sitting down to write, I decided to type this early and write about the packing I am currently doing with my mom.

Did I mention I am taking this trip with my mom?

We have traveled together before and I am excited to have this experience with her again.  We have already had some laughs as we packed together the night before.  Mostly she was teasing me for all the stuff I packed: mainly my extra underwear and swimsuit.  I told her the swimsuit was in case of hot tubs, but she wasn’t impressed.

She still let me pack it, though she made me leave the underwear.  My friend suggested I buy some Italian underwear with Roman columns though — so we’ll see!

At My Mother's Feet (SOLSC 18/31)

My childhood was spent at my mother's feet, fidgeting as she put another braid in my hair.  

I never had the patience for hair like she did.  Whenever she visited the salon it always felt like it took hours to be done.  I can still remember kicking my feet against the hair dryer chairs (they looked like the kind of Sci-Fi contraption that would suck out your brain) waiting for my mother to have her regular color, cut, and style.  

Even now, she expects me to one day grow my hair out like her and give it the attention she does.  I don't have the heart to tell her that will never happen.

This is another post I wrote for a past Teach Write challenge that I felt was very fitting for SOLSC.