I’m sitting in my seat on the airplane and I see it. I see IT.
It’s Italy. It’s Italy.
My Italy. Just beyond the green and red Alitalia logo on the wing of the airplane is a country called Italy.
Wait—applause! Everyone is so glad we landed safely that they give the pilot a hand. Benvenuti! The Italian guy next to me has already donned his sunglasses. You can never be too cautious.
Am I ready?
To be honest, I’m a bit nervous. Will Italy and I still be in love?
Well, before we can even figure out whether we want to resume our love affair, there’s a slight delay in disembarking. You see, you can’t take the plane all the way up to the airport. You just can’t. You have to take a shuttle bus. Which isn’t here yet. Obviously.
Once inside the airport, it’s the usual major airport hysteria combined with a particular brand of Italian caos. But my suitcase arrives, the hotel pickup shuttle is there waiting for me, and we’re off.
And within a few minutes, gazing out at the city from the back of the taxi, I have that feeling again. I get it every time I see Rome. I don’t know how else to express it other than, “Oh right, Rome is so beautiful, so masterful, so all-encompassingly majestic that swooning is inevitable.”
It’s almost as though I forget or the human brain, my human brain, simply cannot spend all of its time computing how fantastic a place like Rome is. Each time I visit, I remember why it’s the Eternal City. Eternally enchanting. Eternally beguiling. Eternally mine (and yours) – if only I can find the time to catch a plane and get here.
Because when I do, I see vistas like the one in the photo above. Small, little splashes of Italy to brighten not just your day, but your life.
"The Italian guy next to me has already donned his sunglasses. You can never be too cautious."
ReplyDeleteBest line in the blog entry!
Wait ... shuttlebus? In Italy? Is there a delay getting on it? Is it taking you to the right place? What is this italian shuttlebus thing of which you speak?