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Music to the World: Part III

Let's begin in a city whose streets are made of water. Where little Italian guys in striped shirts and wide brimmed hats sing to their passengers as they float through town. Ah Venice, unlike any other city I have seen. Even as I rode the train from Florence (from Pisa...from Cinque Terra) I wondered if I had made the right decision. Leaving a little Mediterranean paradise to start jamming in a bunch of sights. But it's hard to second guess yourself when you're eating pizza watching the gondollas go by. Venice, cool. However, I still had a lot to see, so the day after I arrived I scheduled my train out at midnight for Northern Italy, where I would introduce myself to the Alps.

That gave me one full day to wander the city, which though you can always use more, was enough. When I say "enough", I mean enough time to have another one of those life moments. I call them "life moments" because they are experiences when everything is right. I had one the first time I went to Boston and stumbled upon a little jazz cafe with perfect music, atmosphere, and nice glass of red. I had one in Thailand as I watched the sunset from a kyak of the coast of Koh Phi Phi. And now I have had one in Venice.

My train didn't leave until midnight so I had a little bit of time to kill. Fortunately, it's easy to get lost in the zig-zaggin alleys. It's about 9:00 at night, and I was wandering the streets that few people are on. Then in one alley I turn the corner and hear something like an angel calling. I walk into a small deserted plaza where a little church had its windows open. The angels began. Male and female, singing opera's greatest hits. La Bhoem, Madam Butterfly, etc. And there I sat on a cement step, blinking slowly, trying take in everything. The smell, the air, the occational wandering Italian, the perfect accoustics. Knowing that no picture would capture it I stored as much as I could away to memory.

When my little personal concert finished I floated over to the train station to wait for my overnight train to Aosta, Italy, where I would catch a tele-cabin through the Alps to France. It was a beautiful moment and one I would soon need to comfort myself.

As you well know, I have been fulfilling my musical duty by sharing my ipod magic with as many people as possible. Well being the servant I am I went ahead and did the ultimate service. I boarded an overnight train in Italy and by morning had donated my entire ipod, headphones, and accessories to some needy Italian. I know what you're thinking, "Are you serious? Giving your entire ipod away? What a servant?!?!" Well, my friends it's much easier to donate to someone when you are asleep and don't have to think about it. Yes. It was stolen. From the bag that sat under my feet on the oposing seat I slept on.

I try to stay positive. At least my little baby served me well. At least I got to share with some cool kids all over the world. Maybe the person needed it. Maybe he will now share with his many friends. I just hope the little scum bag got to listen to every one of those nearly 4,000 songs before he contracted that terminal infection and those dirty little ears of his fell off. Just gotta stay positive.

Really, though slightly pissed when I dwell on the subject, it truly could have been worse. It wasn't my passport. I still have my camera though I don't have a computer to post any for you at the moment. It was just an ipod... only an ipod that the greasy maggot took. And now you understand why that "life moment" was so vital which happened only hours before. For now the only music to calm my spirit was that in my head.

Once I finally arrived my destination, I found there were too many clouds and rain to do any telecabins and the weather wasn't supposed to change for a few days. So rather than waiting around twiddling my thumbs I hopped on a bus, then train, then train, then bus and found myself in Gryon, Switzerland at a little chateau in the Alps. I found a place called L'Abri which was founded by one of my favorite authors, Francis Schaeffer, for students to come to study, debate and work out all of life's difficult questions.

And in this place, still a bit pissed and tired, I once again changed my travel mode, deciding it was best to relax. For the past few days I have sipped tea and coffee, read books and settled the worlds problems with other students doing the same. The Alps are gorgeous, soft hills with jagged tops. Each quaint town has a church that echoes its bell through the valley every quarter, half and hour, and the sound of cow bells twinkle in the distance. Soooo... I'm felling better. Still need to see Amsterdam, Paris, and Oxford, and I have now less than a week to do it. We're in the last inning folks. I'm rounding the bases and coming home... soon, but not just yet.

posted by Travelin' D @ 12:48 PM