Arrivederci Italia! Ci vediamo a presto!

What a week! Sitting here at an "internet point" in Rome, being charged €3 an hour for the priveledge, doesn't really provide the ideal time (or environment) to post a summary of all the events that have taken place. The short story is that Aff and I have successfully managed to extract ourselves from our Genovese life, and are now in Rome with three days left in Italy before we head back to Melbourne. As expected, the days leading up to yesterday's departure were as hectic as ever.

We have sent a shipping container of crap (well, maybe not all crap ... my €5 leaning tower mug from Pisa is pretty precious) back to Oz, and packed the rest of our humble belongings into 5 of the most unsuitable bags for travelling (we ditched the suitcase because it weighs too much). No doubt we are still over the weight limit, but there is not much else we can do.

Certainly, the highlight of the last week in Genova has been the goodbye celebrations with friends we have made here. Saturday night was a pizza dinner, followed by drinks at our favourite bar in Genova, Le Lepre. It really felt a bit like an episode of "This is your life (in Genova)", with so many of the people we have met here in Genova, there to celebrate with us. Needless to say, I had a bit of a biggy (I don't know what was in that last cocktail you bought me Richard, but it was the killer punch!).

Sunday was an understandably quieter day, although Aff and I, along with some friends, did manage to finally get to the soccer to watch Genoa fight bravely against the much stronger Fiorentina (from Tuscany) in Italy's Series A. No goals were scored by either teams, but I am very glad we managed to get to a game before leaving. It truly is an Italian experience worth making time for (photos to come) .... and completely safe by the way !

Finally, on Tuesday night, after a somewhat exhausting day spent saying my goodbyes to people at work, and finalising the hand over of my work, we had one final goodbye drinks session at Le Lepre. I must admit, after rushing home from work to pack, and after Aff's exhasting day of organising the mailing of our belongings home, and the cleaning of our apartment (I think I had the better deal to be honest) , both of us were thinking we may have been a tad ambitious organising one last drinks session. After arriving at Le Lepre however, I instantly felt like it was a very good decision. There is nothing like a few beers (in my case, about 6 pints from memory), to get over the awkward goodbyes, and just let the emotions run free. There was hugging, and kissing (on bith cheaks of course), and at one point a rather unexpected grope (not even sure who from). It was the kind of goodbye that truly made me feel like we have connections in this town, and some friends that we will really want to keep in touch with.

This, in fact, has been a realisation I have had over the last two weeks leading up to our departure. As the day got closer, my keeness to get back to Australia seemed to diminish substantially. Of course, Aff and I are both very much looking forward to getting home and seeing everyone... but with unfinished PhD's, and house hunting awaiting us, it's not exactly an enticing prospect. Once the initial excitement of being home fades (probably sometime after our 2 week whirl wind tour of SE Australia, when we arrive back in Canberra), I expect a significant slump in our moods to occur. There is a lot to miss here (but equally, a lot to gain back in Australia). So yes, I expect we will miss this place a lot, but I equally expect (hope) that as we get settled back in Canberra, life will start to feel normal again. Who knows? ... it's all part of the adventure I guess, and if there is anything I have learnt from my time in Italy, it is to expect nothing, and be ready for anything!

Arrivederci Italia!! Ci vediamo a presto!!

l'ultima settimana a Genova

And so begins the last week in Genova. This time next week, we will most likely be on a train, heading south to Rome. Well, actually, it's equally likely that we will be standing on a platform, waiting for our train to Rome, which will undoubtedly be running an hour late .. but that's all part of the adventure. To be honest, with no pressing schedule in Rome, I wouldn't mind if the train were late. More time to soak up this place.

With 7 days left, so begins the week of "lasts". Today, for example, is my last "Mercoledi`" (Wednesday) here at work. Ahh Mercoledi`, I'll miss you! I'll miss the evening Italian lessons you gave me, and the volleyball.

Far more significant than last goodbyes to days of the week, however, is last goodbyes to friends I have made here. Last night was the first, where I said goodbye to Ryo, a Japanese researcher who has just embarked on a two week trip to Taiwan. Today I say goodbye to another good friend, Enrico, who is off to the States for a month or so.

I don't pretend to have made a whole lot of life long mates here in Genova. For a quiet guy like me, these sorts of friendships usually take at least 6 months to develop. Having said this, I have met a few people (like the above mentioned people), who I know I will keep up with, and most importantly, I will see again at some point. It makes me feel good to know I am going home with these genuine connections to Genova. It makes me feel like I actually did live here, if only briefly.

I can't say I am one for goodbyes. Quite frankly, I find them a little awkward and tiring. If it were socially acceptable to just leave a note, and jump on a train, I probably would. Not because I don't want to say goodbye, just because that would be easier, and less awkward. I never know what to say, and anything I do say makes me cringe when I think about it later. Of course, we won't just leave a note and leave! Aff and I will do something, probably smallish. Whatever we do, I am sure it will be a nice send off, and a great way to finish our time here in Genova.

Ridiculous!

Like most people, I have made some pretty ridiculous decisions in my life. Perhaps none more so than yesterday's decision to play soccer with a bunch of Italians. It was, in fact, my third time playing, although it had been some months since I last played. I am not quite sure what improvement I expected to magically appear in my game after three months, but whatever ability I thought I had, was instantly nullified in the first 2 minutes. There are few sweeping generalisations one can make about Italians (or any culture for that matter), but it would be fair to say that Italian men are generally pretty good at soccer ... and a fair percentage of them are really good. It would also be fair to say that 9 out of the 10 blokes from my workplace here in Genova, who played soccer last night .. were really good. The other bloke, me, filled the role of the awkward Aussie, introducing his own unique brand of football - randomness. After the first 10 minutes, I realised that my best tactic was simply to let the ball bounce off my legs, rather than to try and kick it.

There was noticeable frustration from my four team mates, who prior to my late arrival, were up, 6 : 3. We lost the game 7 : 9. And no, the 7th goal had nothing to do with me (unless you count the fact that I stayed well away from the ball when the goal was kicked).

It truly was a ridiculous idea .. but another "must" on my list of Italian experiences.

leaving and returning

It is always a bit of a strange feeling in the weeks before leaving a place you have spent a significant amount of time in. That is certainly how it feels at the moment. The "mixed feelings" cliche` seems to fit pretty well. I am as comfortable and familiar with my environment as I have been since arriving, which is not so surprising. On the other hand, my head is already half back in Australia, and ticking over the many tasks, challenges and choices that await Aff and I when we get back. I, of course, am trying to keep my mind in Italy as much as I can. I want to soak up as much of this fascinating place as possible. Since arriving, not a single day has gone by that I haven't looked around and just wondered how the hell my life managed to rock up here. Craziness! This daydreaming is usually interrupted abruptly by the sound of a scooter passing me within a couple of inches, forcing me to suddenly side step into three day old dog shit which, next to discovering 13th century gothic churches down dingy alleyways, is another common "experience" in Genova. Maybe not a particularly nice one, but all part of the experience nonetheless.

Of course, while trying to take these things in, the realities of going home are hard to ignore. Practical issues such as packing and sending things home, not to mention the million dollar/euro question of "where the hell are we gonna live ?", can quickly overwhelm. Inevitably Aff and I talk a lot about these issues in the evening, which always feels a bit strange and foreign after a day spent in such a different place as Genova. On the other hand, these same thoughts are a source of excitment as well. Aff and I are looking forward to coming home. Our existence in Italy has been an exciting one, but also a temporary one, and the desire to "get on with things" (whatever that means?) has grown over the course of our time here. In someways I see this as the most significant change in me over the course of my time here. I don't really know why. It could equally be attributed to being married. I suspect it's a little of both.

It's difficult to express these thoughts because there is always the risk of exagerating the importance, and significance of such experiences. In the end, we've spent 7 months in Italy, seen a lot of different things, met a lot of good people, eaten a lot of pizza, and drank a lot of vino ... not so different to home really! but it sure feels like it is.

from Verona to Venice

With three weeks left, Aff and I have become tourist machines. In the last month we have taken in Lucca ( a beautiful little Tuscan town, near Pisa), the Vale d'Aosta (Italian alpine country, up in the North West corner), and we have just returned from a 4 day trip that took in Verona and Venice. Trying to keep up with all this on the blog has been quite simply impossible. So, for the moment at least, I pick and choose.

Our trip to Venice was quite deliberately timed to be one of our last hoorahs in the North of Italy before we head south, and home. With Terry flying in from London, this was also the last chance to see my best mate before heading back home. The trip was an absolute highlight of my time here.

Verona was beautifully tranquil, although not without it's fair share of tourists. Verona's two biggest claims to fame are it's famous Roman ampitheatre (the Arena), which plays host to a much anticipated out door Opera season every year, and Shakespear's choice of Verona as the city in which Romeo and Juliet was set. I'm sure it has plenty of other claims to fame as well, but for the travel weary (which I must admit, I am a little), much of these details get missed.

And then Venice. Nothing I can say can do it justice. The photos are coming, I assure you. It is quite simply stunning. You pay for it of course, particularly if you stay on the Island as we did. Even so, to have had three uninterrupted days of playing in this maze of canals and lane ways felt like a luxury worth paying for. Don't believe anyone who suggests you can do Venice in a day. Two days at least!

Venice is like a medievil playground. You just wander around, get lost, eat, drink wine, and take a sh%@ load of photos while you're at it. Sure, you can do the whole Gondala thing, if you have 70 euro to burn, but just watching these boys do their stuff from the side lines is impressive, and satisfying enough (though I must admit, I was a little tempted).

And on top of all this, the company. Venice is best enjoyed with your partner, or good friends. I therefore had the best of both world's, with my wife, and my best mate to play with. It was a great trip, and a fanastic way to start the count down to our final three weeks here in Italy.

Parked in Prague

"Parked in Prague"
(Prague, Czeck Republic)

No, we didn't spend our entire weekend in Prague sleeping on the grass, but I must admit, lazy days like this were very much the theme. Terry, Taryn, Nadja (from Munich), Jen (Terry's flatmate), Travis (an Australian living in London), Aff and I spent a fantastic weekend exploring this beautiful city. It truly is a remarkable place, and nothing at all like I expected. My general impression of Prague before going, was of an Eastern European city slowly openning itself up to the world. What I found was a surprisingly modern, yet impressively well preserved city .... and yes, with beer at genuine 1972 prices!

I do think Prague suffers a little bit from exagerated descriptions of it's beauty, but then again, I don't think I ever laid eyes on anything I would regard as particularly ugly (except perhaps the regular spotting of drunk English blokes on stag weekends). What truly made this trip enjoyable though, was the great bunch of people we were with. Very laid back and relaxed - just the way I like it.

I will hopefully get time to fill in more detail later .. for now, just some photos:

A weekend with the windmills

Not a lot of time to write at the moment, so I am relying on pictures to tell most of the story.

Aff and I ventured to Holland last weekend (as you do), to see Claire and Alec's home in Dordrecht (just east of Rotterdam). There was some urgency for this trip, as Claire and Alec only have another week or so before they move to Bristol.We were very keen to see where they have been living for the last 10 months before they left, so wasted no time booking our flights (from Milan to Amsterdam). Claire's orchestra also had a concert on the Friday night, which we just managed to get to, arriving in Dordrecht no less than 20 minutes before kick off.

I can't say Holland was ever high on my list of places to visit, but I am very glad I got the chance to see it. It really is quite different to anything I have seen. The stories are true, the country really is as flat as a table top. They keep the place pretty tidy as well. Everything looked so sparklingly clean - an observation that was probably somewhat enhanced by its contrast with Italy, and in particular, Genova, which has more of an "order in the chaos" feel to it (kind of like Queanbeyan is to Canberra - both have their charm).

We spent Saturday riding bikes around Dordrecht, and some nearby windmills, and sampling some Dutch beer afterwards in town square. Sunday we spent in Amsterdam (only 1 hour train ride away), where we managed to fit in a visit to the Vincent Van Gogh museum (very good), and a 75 minute canal tour, and yes, more sampling of Dutch beer (and yes, we did take a sneaky peak at the infamous red light district - again, the stories are true).

Enough writing. Time for some pictures.

First, the obligatory picture of windmills (just north of Dordrecht):

... and, of course, the obligatory picture of us with our Dutch bikes:

and finally, the obligatory photo of beautiful women, with sun flowers, standing on a bridge over an Amsterdam canal:

A great weekend, with great company, in a very interesting country.

Thanks for having as guys!