meanderings, wonderment, and observations
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I Miei Amici Italiani
My Italian Friends. Walking around the familiar cobblestone streets of Rome for the first time upon my return, I felt like I was back among old friends. Ah, Roma. I ran into these little guys in one of my favorite piazzas in Rome. They were giggling and running together around the base of a circular…
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Blizzard of the Century
The huge downfall of snow was not a surprise. Weather folk had been forecasting it for a week. But — when it hit, the city was enthralled. Manhattan in the snow is timeless. It is so quiet. At first, it is difficult to drive, so the streets are virtually free of cars and taxis. Even…
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Bound for Rome
I’m heading to Rome in a few days. Some folks are begging me not to go — they claim everytime I go overseas, some calamity befalls my city. But most are happy for me. It is so hard to believe that it has been over a year since I was there. I guess I needed…
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Back in the USA
That first view of my city was awe inspiring. Most sunrises are. But, this was no ordinary sunrise. This was the moment when I first looked for that hole in the skyline. It felt strange, yes, but as distant as if it were on television. I am not yet in my apartment because my subletters…
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Last Week in Rome 2001 Edition
GRAZIE E ARRIVEDERCI Thank you and Goodbye. This is the phrase printed on the bottom of every receipt you get in Italy. It seemed somehow fitting as I bid farewell to my ancient city. Writing my final dispatch from Rome was almost impossible. What could I possibly say to wrap up this adventure? That last…
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Festa del Ringraziamento 2001
During the week of Thanksgiving, folks back home were having their Festa del Ringraziamento. Back here in Rome, we were having our own festival, an international party of foods from our home countries. The international festival at school was a party to which we are all asked to share typical dishes from our own countries.…
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Sempre Diritto Part Three 2001
During this week, sempre diritto reared its head once again. Literally, it means “always straight” or, straight ahead. Italians often say this when you ask for directions. It signifies to me that I am lost. I had a revelation: getting lost is una metafora per la vita. It is not so much that we have…
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Florence Trip with Friends 2001
OUR VISIT TO FLORENCE This week it was clearly time for me to visit this Tuscan city of Michelangelo, Dante, and leather jackets. And so, my friends and I hopped onto the Eurostar and headed to the sepia city of Firenze. We didn’t need our tour books for this visit, because one of my favorite…
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Due Ragazze from Marion Street
Two girls from Marion Street in Albany, Oregon, together in Rome. My best friend from childhood visited me with her family during my tenth week. It was, without doubt, my best week in Italy. I have known this woman since I was three years old. When Sandy found out I was coming to Rome, she decided, on…
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Venice through My Eyes (2001)
I am not the first person to write about this magical, mysterious, and dark city which I visited in my ninth week. And though I was bowed by my own audacity, I still gave it a try. You remember that scene in “Wizard of Oz” when Dorothy steps out of the house? That is exactly…
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