There has been a lot of hype surrounding the new Dan Brown novel about to hit bookstores, and Masonic sites in DC are bracing themselves for a tourist explosion (read
IT Blog). But I hit the district's Scottish Rite Temple before Dan Brown made it cool.
Read about it on my blog
Ready, Set, Go DC! here
Check out my latest post on
National Geographic Traveler's Intelligent Travel Blog:
"A Taste of BelgiumHere at
Traveler we often say the hardest part about our job is being stuck in an office while we tirelessly research exotic and exciting destinations. Instead of overdrawing on vacation days, we have to find alternative remedies to cure our wanderlust. Last week, I quelled my travel bug, and a hungry stomach, without having to purchase a plane ticket..."
(
read the rest on IT)
Check out my first blog post for Aielli & Benevento, a luxury tour company focusing exclusively on private Italian tours.
As Venice sinks, one neighborhood might outlast the rest. Dorsoduro translated roughly as “hard ridge” was built on higher and firmer ground then the other six sestieri (districts) in the city. Before the flooding begins, here are three not-to-be-missed restaurants serving up classic Venetian dishes along Dorsoduro’s modest streets.
read the rest at: http://blog.aielli-benevento.it/?p=159
World Hum (www.worldhum.com) contributor Frank Bures recently posted an article about the eight kinds of books every traveler should pack in his suitcase (Read: “Eight Books You Shouldn’t Travel Without” http://tiny.cc/XwPTY). This got me thinking about which eight books I’d take along with me if I were traveling to my favorite destination: Siena, Italy.
Book One – Escape
Angels and Demons
By Dan Brown
Not a very creative choice but country appropriate, and with the movie coming out I try to adhere to the adage “read before seeing”. I’m told it’s leaps and bounds better than The Da Vinci Code; plus, racing around a foreign city with a mission just sounds so exciting.
Book Two – History
Beyond the Palio: Urbanism and Ritual in Renaissance Siena
By Philippa Jackson (Editor), Fabrizio Nevola (Editor)
When I lived in Siena, my apartment was right on the edge of Contrada Onda (the wave) so I’d love to go back and cheer them on. From the Amazon book review: "it presents a refreshingly theorized approach to how the Sienese used public performances and the collective memories of space and history to structure the urban polity”. In terms of the work I do as an American Studies scholar, this book seems right up my alley.
Book Three – Guidebook
The Rough Guide to Florence & Siena
Rough Guides has been a trusted travel companion ever since its guide to Florence led me to the live music club “BeBop” where I witnessed an Italian Rolling Stones cover band. Fantastic.
Book Four – Local Literature
The Divine Comedy
By Dante Alighieri
Hailing from Florence, Dante placed all the Sienese in Hell, but still I can’t say no to this beautiful piece of literature. “You were not born to live like mindless brutes but to follow paths of excellence and knowledge” (Inferno, canto XXVI, l. 118-20). Bellissimo. I would love to read it in the original Italian one day.
Book Five – Anthology/Short Story
The Best Women's Travel Writing 2009: True Stories from Around the World
by Faith Adiele (Author), Lucy McCauley (Editor)
Being a female traveler certainly presents a challenge as well as unique advantages. As an aspiring travel writer, what a better way to learn and be inspired than by reading the works of fellow explorers.
Book Six – Phrasebook/Dictionary
No suggestions in particular, but a phrasebook is a must have when traveling abroad. Helps to correct the time when you asked for a stampa and got a newspaper instead of a postage stamp. Who knew the word I was looking for was francobolli?
Book Seven – Nostalgia
The Power of One
By Bryce Courtenay
Not Italian, but familiar, The Power of One is one of my favorite novels. Synopsis: English boy growing up in South Africa during WWII works to become the welterweight boxing champion of the world so he can crush apartheid. The book has a simple but empowering message: it only takes one person to make a difference.
Book Eight – Travel Writing
The Stones of Florence
By Mary McCarthy
This is not your typical Frances Mayes Tuscany love-fest. McCarthy is witty, insightful, and at times brutal when writing about the history, art, and soul of Florence.
Thanks for visiting my new website! Happy reading :)
Chi non risica, non rosica -- Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I have been home in New Jersey for about three weeks now, and it has taken me to this point— on the eve of my return to GW—to finally write a conclusion to my blog. The delay in posting is due to many reasons: the Christmas holiday, catching up on sleep, and spending time with family. However, I think the main reason I refused to finish the blog is that I’m afraid that when those final words hit the page, reality will painfully set in. My Italian journey is over.
At first, part of me felt rushed. Quick! Finish the blog before you forget! But how could I possibly forget the best four months of my life? Being away from something really magnifies how much you truly miss it. As I leave for Washington tomorrow I feel a deep pain in my heart. As much as I’m thrilled to go back to life at GW at the same time I wish I were going back to Siena. I don’t want to admit to myself that the last four months are now a part of the past.
But let’s not be so dark and depressing. As I look back at my semester abroad, I could not have asked for a more wonderful experience. The places I saw, the people I met, and the things I learned are all part of a great adventure that I will never forget.
I went to the center the morning of my departure to say goodbye to all of the great people I met from IES. It was a quiet, solemn morning. No classes. No professors. No students and friends chatting in the lounge. I went up to the office to wait for John, spending time talking with Veronica in Italian. Who knew four months later I would be able to casually carry on a conversation in a different language?
John arrived and we sat down in his office. I told him that after four months I was finally going home, but in many ways I was also leaving it. Siena had become my home—my friends, professors and IES staff, had become my family. I was not ready to say goodbye. These people, this city, this country in all of its beauty and chaos, had become a big part of my identity. I wasn’t ready to let it go. How odd it would be to wake up and not walk down Banchi di Sopra to get to school? To not greet people with a “Ciao! Buon Giorno!”? I had lived in a completely new place and in a completely new way. I had immersed myself in the culture and had absolutely fallen in love with it.
John had asked me what I was going to miss most about Siena. I think the things that initially captivated me about the city were the things that, by the end of my semester, still intrigued me the most. In my first blog about the city I wrote how much I loved the quiet, intimate atmosphere of Siena—the winding roads that spontaneously opened up to gorgeous countryside views. Hiking up to the Tolomei Gardens and watching the sunset over the city and surrounding Tuscan hills is my most treasured memory and something I will truly miss. The garden is wonderfully tranquil and I spent many hours up there, reading and studying, while taking in the beautiful views. How I will miss Italy’s beauty! From Milan in the north, to my southern destination, Rome, each city I explored had something unique and fascinating to offer.
In that first blog I wrote that I hoped to have a rich, cultural experience. I wanted to “meet more Italians, improve my language skills, study the history, explore the surrounding countryside, and come to truly assimilate into daily life”. I am proud to say I think I accomplished all of those goals. However I could not have succeeded without the encouragement from my passionate professors, the dedicated IES staff and the wonderful friends I met along the way. They have all taught me so much and I feel blessed to have shared this journey with them.
I could certainly write more about how much I adore beautiful Italy. In some ways I feel that my final blog should be some sort of “grand finale” filled with deep insight and profound discoveries. However, just like when I arrived in September, I have returned home still unable to aptly find the right words to describe all that I have seen. Wonderful. Amazing. Incredible. Astounding. These words just do not carry enough weight to describe my four months abroad. My previous posts are such a small taste of what it is truly like to experience the rich and diverse flavors of this country. I hope you enjoyed reading my blog with as much pleasure as I found in writing it.
Grazie mille. Arrivederci.
Gio
