Italy was amazing, probably the best trip of my life. Went to so many places – Rome, Venice, Florence, Siena, Capri, Anacapri, Sorrento, Positano, Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius, Naples – with a really great group of friends as well as my cousin Ben, who came to meet us from Israel, where he's doing some volunteering. Rome was off the chain. So much to see, great food, an easily navigable city, and overall a great vibe, independent of the more overt awe-inspiring aspects (see: Pantheon, Roman Forum, Coliseum, Vatican, etc.). Venice was gorgeous and my cousin and I (we separated from the group, taking an overnight train from Roma) had a fantastic time which we surely will never forget. Also had a great opportunity to go to a Sephardic Passover service and then eat at a terrific seder with people from all over the world. Florence was. Hm. My first inclination is to call it overrated, but I have to give credence to the fact that it was tarnished by a few factors. A lot of people really love Florence and say that it's so beautiful and nice and quaint. It was quaint, indeed, but the smallness only served to emphatically emphasize the exorbitant number of tourists/people studying abroad which made English by far the most common language heard (we were there for the busiest, most touristy week of the year). I was wowed by Michaelangelo's David, could have looked at it for hours, although I wouldn't say the renown Uffizi museum was worth the 3-hour wait. Botticelli was incredible, but I'd had more than enough of my fill of images of baby Jesus. It is a beautiful city, with a gorgeous Duomo (Italian cities are all about their Duomos) and the Ponte Vechio bridge, particularly with the enchanting view from the Plaza di Michaelangelo, but people had hyped it up to be like walking through a gorgeous museum; at parts this was moderately accurate, but on the whole it fell a bit short of what I was expecting. Siena was beautiful, and a great remedy to the tourist-crazed Florence. I'll never forget the advice a hat salesman named Gianni gave us: Happiness is harmony with the universe, and it is spontaneous; looking for happiness rarely takes you there. Then the final leg of the trip, an organized tour of the Amalfi coast, was phenomenal. Lemons the size of your head, literally. Positano, with its black sand surrounded by cliffs and mountains, was the best beach I've ever been to. Pompeii and Vesuvius were almost overwhelming in their portrayal of the passing of time and the power of nature, respectably. Naples reminded me of Detroit, although with a touch more gaiety (their Duomo: beautiful, beautiful building overlooking a delightfully charming plaza. Except there's trash
everywhere. And there are weeds growing out of every crevice, on the steps, the colonnade, the basilica. And those two impressive statues in the center?
Covered in bird shit. But the people don't care; soccer balls being passed around, kids riding bikes, men [perhaps mafia; it is, after all, the mafia capital of Italy] laughing together). Overall, Italy is...
-Kingdom of carbohydrates
-Wine
-Gelato!
-Shiny, poofy coats
-Hair gel
-Stoic Italian faces
-And I would venture a guess it's arguably the most beautiful country in the world, with its endless green, rolling fields of Tuscany amidst a brilliant mountainous background, jaw-dropping cliffside views on the Amalfi coast, and spectacular historical relics, just to name a few...
Spain! Spain's awesome. Since I've been back from Italy I've put in a conscious effort to get out during the day and see the city and all it offers, and I absolutely love it. Madrid has got to be one of the most livable cities in the world. It's so incredibly lively and animated, and there's practically anything one could want in a city. Almost every day I'll walk around the city, mostly toward/around my favorite tri-barrio region of Tribunal/Noviciado/Chueca and get such a terrific natural high from everyone just doing their thang Madrileño-style. I love sitting in coffee shops, and either people-watching or reading. You order a café con leche and you can sit there for hours; no one will come up to you and ask if you'd like the check; that table is yours as long as you want it. Spaniards have so many idiosyncrasies. Super friendly people, for the most part (compare: Italians). Never in a hurry. In fact, they go out of their way to not be in a hurry: on one side of the escalator you're meant to walk, and on the other you're meant to stand. The line for the latter is ALWAYS loads longer than the former, but people simply don't care to take the quicker option. Spaniards need a knife to peel their fruit. They never eat the peel of anything – apples, pears, etc. (yet they feast on pig's blood and squid ink – go figure). They prefer their bread to be without the crust (case in point: at the supermarket, a loaf of wheat bread with crust is 79 cents. A loaf of white bread without crust is 2.50). They're seemingly always drinking, but never drunk. Love their pigs. Well, dead, cured, pigs. Cannot fathom the notion of vegetarianism. Totally uninspired in their cooking. This is how we do it, no questions asked. We do not want to put lettuce on this or any sandwich. We do not carry hot sauce in our house; such nonsense is for Mexicans. An omelette should have one ingredient only. An omelette that has just eggs is French. If you leave without saying goodbye, you're practicing French culture. French tennis players are no good. I believe what I believe, even if it isn't true. But if you don't agree, meh, no pasa nada, tío.
