Mommy could not have come at a better time, because I am utterly homesick. I still love being abroad but I am rather over traveling (who would have thought that possible??) and am missing friends and family. Further the day I was supposed to pick her up was terribly rainy and busier than normal. In fact I was 35 minutes late to a one hour class because we had an impromptu fieldstudy far away…I actually managed to find my phoneless mom rather easily at the train station and after a hug we were off to catch up with her friend. (my parents really do have friends in every country, one benefit to ministry….) She was sweet and has the most amazing apartment, complete with dryer, microwave, oven with temperatures, and a dog! I might be visiting again….
The next day I dragged my mom across Rome. I thought we were taking it easy but I guess I have forgotten my own strength (in walking and stairs at least…) We went to a café for breakfast, walked to school, climbed Castel San Angelo for a great view of the city, and a look at the pomposity of some of the Popes of the medieval and Baroque eras. We then talked throughout my Living Museum class (oops…) and walked to something else for some presentation (which I had already heard in another class and probably should have skipped but I thought we were going into the museum, which had a Audrey Hepburn exhibit…) Then my plans were dashed with rain….on a day when weather.com predicted 0% chance of rain (0?!?). So we lunched at another café and I allowed us to take a bus to Palazzo Venezia to see the Caravaggio exhibit. (And don’t get me started about this exhibit, I am actually very mad at it because it took all of the Caravaggios out of the other nearby museums that I have been going to, and was not able to see the pieces in their traditional locations….so meh.) But it was lovely and I gave my mom and unasked for tour through all of the art of that time, she says others were trying to listen to me but I didn’t notice them…My biggest folly was in trying to make her climb giant stairs to get an overview of the city and forum, only to realize that they way to the Forum was closed off for some reason…she literally couldn’t walk the next day…sorry!
I will skim over the pitfalls of the hotel she stayed in to be near me, and of attempting to get back in through a jammed door, and skip ahead to Milan. I have not been in an american hotel in a very long time…there are just so many wonderful things that you expect in America that do not exist in Europe. (Or at least not in college student priced Europe). We walk in, and they speak English! Further we got upgraded! We walked into our room, and my eyes got really big. Sitting in our giant room were bathrobes and a giant bathtub, complete with blowdryer (and wifi…). Before going to sleep (since we got up at 5 something….) we got free snacks and drinks at the executive lounge, boy does my mommy take care of me! A few hours into the relaxing I started to really hungry and grumpy so we went off on an adventure to find food and round a few museums too (Cezanne was interesting, but really not my thing I realized). The food was quite expensive but afforded a great opportunity to people watch. We then failed at finding a good American movie but did watch some things on my laptop before sleeping. It was a wonderful day but definitely probably the oddest Thanksgiving that I will ever have…because of course it did not feel a thing like Thanksgiving.
Friday we got up early, had a wonderful breakfast, and set off to shop. Things were even more expensive that I had expected, and so after going to all the stores our guidebook suggested we sat down at a random creperie I saw, which turned out to be a popular local eating place…which explained the terrible (by American standard) service and yet excellent food. The choice then stood between coffee, or nap at the hotel. We gave in, went back, and only returned to the city center just in time to see the ‘Last Supper’ (after a free cappuccino at the hotel lounge). We then walked into a castle, wandered through a park, and actually found some stores we really liked….because as much as I try to branch out I keep coming back to the same stores: Zara and Mango…and as always they did not disappoint. I am now sitting wearing my fur vest that might be a Christmas present (my nod to Mil fashion, which is so much more evident than in Rome…though to be fair there are too many cobblestones in Rome for anyone to be too stylish…) We came back and once again got snacks, cappuccinos, and even wine at the lounge…new favorite place ever. And again watched TV on my computer, since my mom introduced me to the new series “Once Upon a Time” which I am enjoying so far.
Now today we slept in, ate a fabulous meal complete with real pancakes (!!!) and our favorite mocha cappuccinos. And without much fanfare we found our train and set off for Venice, which we are now 15 minutes from reaching! (I will continue this post when I have wifi…and something else to add).
so Venice….All of the travel guides made this city sound like one that people either love or hate, but really I felt rather in the middle about it. There was a lot to see and loots of fun shopping, and yet the exorbitant pricing of mediocre food and the never ending crowds were not my favorite. There probably were not even that many people, but because of the narrow nature of Venice you never feel like you have room to breathe. The hostel was fabulous, and made the perfect backdrop for Mommy and I’s photoshoot, but after our lounge access in Milan it seemed a bit lacking in comparison. So I guess as a city I liked it more that Milan, and yet as a vacation spot with my mom, Milan wins by far!
Now Mom and I are preparing to head back to Rome, and from there to the US/school. And it’s awful. I just want to sleep, but instead I have to say goodbye to my mother and write an art history paper…which is why traveling is getting a bit old, it is just exhausting! I am going to miss her dearly, but it was a lovely, if occasionally tension-filled precious week together…
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