Thursday, August 16, 2018

Ciao Italia! Ci Vediamo! On the Way to New York and a Few Reflections





Scenes from an incredible summer, to and from Rome, and back, while Matteo and Fatima made their way through Mexico.
It began and ended in airports, trips to and from Rome, bringing us to ruins and splendid waters, friends everywhere, quiet moments, relics, majestic art, and ruins with reminders. After a two-hour layover turned into many more after five hours on the tarmac in Rome, because of a work stoppage the brits were more than happy to blame on the French, a trip to Holiday Inn and a pint in a hundred year old pub where they sold delightful Thai food, we were on our way back home!
On the tarmac in Rome, we made friends with a lovely family from Naples on their way to the USA.  They were flying to Palm Springs and loved the US. Their favorite city in the US is Chicago, they said.
But we wanna go back Naples we told them.
Next time, go to 50 Kalo, Piazza Sannazaro, 201/c, 80121 Napoli NA, Italy, they advised. …
And Cappella Sansevero located on Via Francesco de Sanctis 19, just northwest of the church of San Domenico Maggiore.
In Sardinia, go to Arbatax beach on  West Coast or Miniera in the Piscinas Dunes ….
On the flight back, all I thought about was the trip and our summer, the waters in Sardinia, my enduring friendship with Matteo and Fatima, who by then were in Mexico, and our adventures, romping around the East Coast before going, up and down to Vermont, visiting, taking it all in.
Who knows where we will be next summer – Mexico, Thailand, Hong Kong, Nantucket?
Back in New York, we had to contend with the crazy feelings about the USA, and the KKK, alt right rally being planned for Washington on Sunday. But it was good to face them and push back on the alt right who are finding that people really do not appreciate the rhetoric or symbol of fascism on our streets.
The summer was bright, the city pulsing.  Still the way back to the USA was long, jet lag hard.
Our greatest fear in Italy was driving over some of the death-defying overpasses, curves and turns throughout the country. Less than a week after we got back, we heard about an overpass, one of the terrifying long overpasses we traversed, had crumbled in Genoa, killing 26, not unlike two years before when an earthquake gripped Italy just days after we left.
We are all living on borrowed time here, dodging bullets, hoping our luck doesn’t run out.
Caroline took pictures of our summer, posting a few on Instagram.  The following are a few of my snapshots of the crazy trip back to then Caroline's images and scenes from the summer away from her feed. Its great to be back in NYC, making plans, laying low, writing, going to the beach and taking it all in, as the last days of summer offer us a little respite.



















 And away from Italy we flew. Ciao Matteo! Ciao Italia! Ci Cediamo! 



And a few reflections on a summer!
June
















July / August off to Italy































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