All the rest

Travel (and how it’s not about places)

sofiagk

Recently I have been lucky enough (or “blessed” as my American friends tend to say) to travel a lot.

I was going through my photos from a recent trip to Italy tonight, trying to select the ones I’d like to print in a photo-book (yes, I do that, I know I’m old school).

It’s funny. We all take photos of interesting places and most of us, my self included, never manage to capture the essence of a place. I’m excluding professional photographers from this thought – obviously. My photos of the Colosseum, Trastevere and the Towers of Bologna are good reminders of the places but nothing special.

My special photos (and some of them I never took, I just collect them as mental images) are the ones of people I was with and what we did together.

My mother throwing a coin in Fontana di Trevi and laughing.

My sister listening patiently while I was going on about some tidbit of information on the Colosseum I picked up online somewhere.

The s.o. talking with his brother.

Our friends opening a gift.

Our friends sharing their favourite restaurant with us.

The lovely young lady who makes bags in a tiny workshop in the centro storico in Rome.

The patient teacher who explained the importance of food in Italy.

The aristocratic lady with the soft hands in the chocolate shop.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the history, the architecture, the art.

I held my breath standing under the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I marvelled at the Pantheon. I cursed all the way up the almost 500 steps of the Asinelli Tower.

And yet, somehow, all of those moments were still about the people.

Those severely saying “Silenzio” to us noisy tourists in the Sistine Chapel. Those sitting quietly to pray in the Pantheon. Those (ahem) who asked me to show my commitment in climbing the tower.

Was it important that we had all of those interactions in Italy? Sure. Would the trip have been the same without the people? Assolutamente no – as the Italians would say.

Even when I travel alone (and that happens A LOT), the most fascinating thing about a new place is the history and culture of its people. How they shaped a place, how they make it work today, how they allow strangers into their environment. I only really understood that as humans we really shape the world around us (from the environment right down to the feel of a place) through travelling.

And then when I travel with others – or when I meet friends in a place – I am awestruck by how a spot, a building, a tradition, comes alive only when the people show an interest or share a story  about it.

After all, even the Archiginnasio of Bologna is just a collection of stones piled up interestingly, until you watch the students study, until you trace the names of past alumni, until the s.o. shows you his favourite seat in the Stabat Mater lecture hall.

 

 

P.S. At the top, one of my favourite photos. My sister and I sharing an umbrella while waiting for a bus in Rome. 

Related Posts

64 thoughts on “Travel (and how it’s not about places)”

  1. hi!,I like your writing so much! percentage we communicate extra approximately your post on AOL? I require an expert in this house to unravel my problem. Maybe that is you! Having a look ahead to look you.

  2. Enjoyed examining this, very good stuff, thanks. “We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip little by little at a truth we find bitter.” by Denis Diderot.

  3. Thank you, I have just been looking for information about this topic for ages and yours is the best I’ve discovered so far. But, what about the conclusion? Are you sure about the source?

  4. I carry on listening to the news talk about receiving free online grant applications so I have been looking around for the finest site to get one. Could you advise me please, where could i get some?

  6. You really make it seem so easy together with your presentation but I in finding this matter to be really one thing that I feel I would never understand. It kind of feels too complicated and very huge for me. I am looking ahead in your next submit, I¦ll attempt to get the grasp of it!

  16. Open-world games are the best! Nothing beats the feeling of total freedom, exploring vast landscapes, and creating your own adventure.

  19. AI is evolving so fast! I can’t wait to see how it transforms our daily lives in the next decade. The possibilities are endless, from automation to medical advancements.

  21. Wonderful site you have here but I was wondering if you knew of any user discussion forums that cover the same topics talked about in this article? I’d really like to be a part of online community where I can get feedback from other knowledgeable people that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Appreciate it!

  25. The potential within all things is a mystery that fascinates me endlessly. A tiny seed already contains within it the entire blueprint of a towering tree, waiting for the right moment to emerge. Does the seed know what it will become? Do we? Or are we all simply waiting for the right conditions to awaken into what we have always been destined to be?

  26. The essence of existence is like smoke, always shifting, always changing, yet somehow always present. It moves with the wind of thought, expanding and contracting, never quite settling but never truly disappearing. Perhaps to exist is simply to flow, to let oneself be carried by the great current of being without resistance.

  27. The cosmos is said to be an ordered place, ruled by laws and principles, yet within that order exists chaos, unpredictability, and the unexpected. Perhaps true balance is not about eliminating chaos but embracing it, learning to see the beauty in disorder, the harmony within the unpredictable. Maybe to truly understand the universe, we must stop trying to control it and simply become one with its rhythm.

  28. The potential within all things is a mystery that fascinates me endlessly. A tiny seed already contains within it the entire blueprint of a towering tree, waiting for the right moment to emerge. Does the seed know what it will become? Do we? Or are we all simply waiting for the right conditions to awaken into what we have always been destined to be?

  29. Man is said to seek happiness above all else, but what if true happiness comes only when we stop searching for it? It is like trying to catch the wind with our hands—the harder we try, the more it slips through our fingers. Perhaps happiness is not a destination but a state of allowing, of surrendering to the present and realizing that we already have everything we need.

  30. Even the gods, if they exist, must laugh from time to time. Perhaps what we call tragedy is merely comedy from a higher perspective, a joke we are too caught up in to understand. Maybe the wisest among us are not the ones who take life the most seriously, but those who can laugh at its absurdity and find joy even in the darkest moments.

  31. Hi! This post could not be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my good old room mate! He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this post to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!

  32. I want to show my appreciation for your generosity in support of people who should have help on the topic. Your personal commitment to passing the message all-around had become pretty practical and have truly encouraged regular people just like me to realize their objectives. Your interesting suggestions can mean a whole lot to me and substantially more to my office workers. Thanks a ton; from everyone of us.

  33. Thanks for the marvelous posting! I truly enjoyed reading it, you could be a great author.I will remember to bookmark your blog and definitely will come back at some point. I want to encourage continue your great job, have a nice morning!

  34. I just couldn’t depart your site before suggesting that I actually loved the usual information a person provide in your visitors? Is going to be again incessantly to check up on new posts.

  35. The next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read, but I actually thought youd have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you could fix if you werent too busy looking for attention.

  36. Great article and straight to the point. I don’t know if this is truly the best place to ask but do you folks have any thoughts on where to hire some professional writers? Thanks 🙂

  37. I was curious if you ever thought of changing the page layout of your website? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or two pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?

  39. I think other website proprietors should take this site as an model, very clean and fantastic user genial style and design, as well as the content. You are an expert in this topic!

  40. I am so happy to read this. This is the kind of manual that needs to be given and not the random misinformation that is at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this greatest doc.

  42. Nice post. I study one thing tougher on different blogs everyday. It will at all times be stimulating to learn content material from different writers and follow somewhat one thing from their store. I’d prefer to make use of some with the content on my blog whether you don’t mind. Natually I’ll provide you with a hyperlink in your internet blog. Thanks for sharing.

  44. Even the gods, if they exist, must laugh from time to time. Perhaps what we call tragedy is merely comedy from a higher perspective, a joke we are too caught up in to understand. Maybe the wisest among us are not the ones who take life the most seriously, but those who can laugh at its absurdity and find joy even in the darkest moments.

  45. If everything in this universe has a cause, then surely the cause of my hunger must be the divine order of things aligning to guide me toward the ultimate pleasure of a well-timed meal. Could it be that desire itself is a cosmic signal, a way for nature to communicate with us, pushing us toward the fulfillment of our potential? Perhaps the true philosopher is not the one who ignores his desires, but the one who understands their deeper meaning.

  46. Hi would you mind letting me know which hosting company you’re working with? I’ve loaded your blog in 3 different web browsers and I must say this blog loads a lot quicker then most. Can you recommend a good web hosting provider at a fair price? Thank you, I appreciate it!

  47. Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this information. Today bloggers publish only about gossips and net and this is actually irritating. A good site with interesting content, that’s what I need. Thank you for keeping this site, I’ll be visiting it. Do you do newsletters? Can’t find it.

  51. I got what you intend, thankyou for posting.Woh I am thankful to find this website through google. “I would rather be a coward than brave because people hurt you when you are brave.” by E. M. Forster.

  55. me encantei com este site. Pra saber mais detalhes acesse o site e descubra mais. Todas as informações contidas são conteúdos relevantes e diferentes. Tudo que você precisa saber está ta lá.

  57. My spouse and i got really contented when Louis managed to round up his web research because of the ideas he received from your own blog. It is now and again perplexing to simply choose to be offering information and facts the others may have been selling. And we also discover we now have the blog owner to thank because of that. The main illustrations you made, the easy site menu, the friendships you can make it possible to promote – it’s everything terrific, and it’s making our son in addition to us believe that the issue is pleasurable, which is certainly incredibly essential. Many thanks for all!

  58. fantástico este conteúdo. Gostei bastante. Aproveitem e vejam este site. informações, novidades e muito mais. Não deixem de acessar para aprender mais. Obrigado a todos e até a próxima. 🙂

  59. Great beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your site, how could i subscribe for a blog site? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered bright clear concept

  64. of course like your web site however you need to take a look at the spelling on several of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling issues and I in finding it very bothersome to inform the reality on the other hand I’ll definitely come back again.

Comments are closed.