Ciao a tutti ! It’s Mathilde ! I am about to write one of my very last posts because yes, it has already been 6 months since I started this amazing adventure, and my trip will end in 2 weeks. I can hardly believe that all this time has passed, sometimes it seemed like endless, while other times I felt like I was taking a TGV train without stops with a completely crazy driver at the controls. But today is the time to take stock of the last few months spent in Italy, and we can say that these last few months have been very rich in travel ! 🚎 As we Kerem and I were finishing our main activity, which was to raise awareness of gender equality among high school students, I was afraid of getting bored, of not knowing what to do with my time. Even though I'm more of a homebody type, the arrival of spring made me want to move to new places, so I put on my trusty Dr. Martens (10 years of loyal service) and my precious backpack , and then I started my journey to Roma ! The city is in itself a jewel that can be seen from every angle. I was able to discover it with my lovely roomate for the first time before Christmas, and on my return from Italy with other friends (hello to Katya and Sacha if you pass by !). Obviously, I will not present the Colosseum, the Roman amphitheater and the Pantheon, which are architectural treasures that in no way eclipse the rest of the city 🏛. It's simple, it's impossible to go from point A to point B without marveling at the beauty of the churches and monuments, so listen to your instincts and let yourself be carried away. But still, if you can stop at Mr 100 Tiramisù to recharge your batteries, I can only recommend this wonderful address (yes, they make 100 different kinds of Tiramisu ! You're sure to find what you're looking for there 😋). The following trip is without doubt one of my favorites. On a whim, one weekend, I decided to go to Napoli. I was very surprised by this city because it looks like a giant anthill, life never stops. . People talk loudly, scooters echo throughout the city, smells intermingle and a string of shops overflowing with bazaar follow one another in the narrow streets 🛵. It can therefore be abrupt at first glance, but it is also there that I ate one of the best pizzas of my life and slept for the first time in a youth hostel, it was an unforgettable experience 🍕🥰! The next day I left for Pompei, a city famous for having been the victim of the eruption of Vesuvius in the year 79 BC. It was amazing to be able to witness the life that was going on in those days, the remains of the city overlooked by the volcano in the distance 🌋. I also met a fellow traveler there with whom I spent the rest of the day. We enjoyed Napoli by night, singing the Neapolitan chants, our Spritz in hand, while trying to find the statue of Punchinello and one of Banksy's hidden street art 🎵🍸. Which goes to show that going on a trip alone does not mean staying alone ! While I wanted to set up an art project with one of the local associations of Lecce, I was offered at the same time to carry out a video editing project in an ecovillage not far from Ventimiglia, in Torri Superiore. Without the slightest hesitation I accepted, and here I am, going again for miles of travel discussing movies and music with a seatmate on the train. The ecovillage was lost in the mountains, nature and calm as absolute masters 🌄. I got to know a group of Italians, as well as young Polish and French people all gathered for this project. One of the most beautiful memories I will keep from this trip are the games evenings trying to learn Italian words with the taboo, to understand the rules of the Scopa, but also to sing and dance to Polish sounds (And believe me they are not kidding 💃🥵!). We also did an activity that made a deep impression on me. We had to exchange our cell phones, writing what we thought of each other, after looking into each other's eyes for a few seconds. Reading all the messages I felt filled with a beautiful energy, and I regretted not having more time to get to know all these beautiful people better. But if there is one thing I have learned in these few months it is that time is not an enemy. It gives us the opportunity to live intense moments, and it is because they are not eternal that we must cherish them more. What is lacking is not time, but appreciating every little pretty things around you. Torri superioreTo finish the narration of my wanderings, I cannot fail to mention my stay in Verona and Venezia that I spent with my partner. What more romantic choice than the city of Romeo and Juliet and the city of lovers 👀❤️ ? It was a sweet week walking in the center of Verona, flirting not far from the Castelvecchio, skimming stones along the water's edge and commenting on very conceptual works in the modern art museum (A drop of water that falls on cymbals, how would you call it?) We also turned into Mac Gyver by cooking pasta and risotto in the kettle (even if it saves your life, I wouldn't recommend, if only for the cleaning part haha 🍝). And what about Venezia. An aquatic labyrinth that only gondoliers have the secret to, dead-end streets that nevertheless lead to splendid views of the surrounding islands, masks each more sophisticated than the next in the illuminated windows. And finally the Basilica di San Marco, huge and majestic and which almost makes you dizzy after having been used to crisscrossing the small streets of the floating city. It's always difficult to transcribe into words such vivid impressions, so if you too have a few free days, well I invite you to let yourself be tempted by the charm of these cities, each more unique than the next. I write these last lines with a small ounce of bitterness, because even having traveled Italy from North to South I still have the feeling that it remains a mystery to me. But in the end, isn't it better this way ? Always have the opportunity to see the world like the first time through the eyes of a child ? Italy is now for me a warm and loving mother who must let her child go, but who will always have a part of my heart with her ❤️
Ci vediamo presto Italia (And stay tuned for the final post in 2 weeks !)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
November 2021
|