And we're off...

Arrivederci, Venezia! What a wonderful city- I could have spent another week wandering through its alleys and neighborhoods, over canals and relaxing in the campos and piazzales. There is something magical about the complete absence of any transportation more modern than a bike, a quieter, more relaxed air than most urbanites can hardly recall. You really can't be impatient in Venice. Paths no wider than 1-2 people don't lend themselves to rush. Even the dogs seemed relaxed. Most were off leash, dutifully following at some distance behind their owners but not quite in tandem. It was as if they knew their way around just fine, thank you. Deliveries are made from dollies walked around and carefully hauled up and down Venice's many stairs, small boats carry cranes and other building supplies, garbage is left neatly in the alleys at very specific times for pick-up by hand. Aesthetically, Venice shines. To have built boldly along a maze of canals large and small is testament to a real conviction of vision and courage in creative spirit. Every turn yields a stunning new view, the combination of rigid stone, plaster and richly colored paints set against the undulating, languid waterways feels earthily sexy but devoid of any pretense. And the economy of space is charming and inspiring. Absent the touristic centers, you generally feel that privacy surrounds despite the near proximity of everything.

Presently, we're whizzing through the countryside towards Florence. European trains are so great- my $50 seat is infinitely more comfortable than the vastly more expensive one on the plane, you get fresh juice rather than cruddy soda, you can relax, stretch out, charge your phones, use your phones. I never tire of seeing the Italian cipressi, cypresses, that punctuate the hillsides like casual exclamation points, nor the golden soil, luminous ochres and oranges in which the homes are painted and vineyards here and there. I feel completely stripped of intensity and stress, both that which hails from external sources but, of course, myself too. Certainly this is what vacation is (should be) about, but there's also something about Italy, an ability to truly enjoy what's happening around you that enforces the relaxed nature vacation offers but does not demand.