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Dear Friends and Family, please forgive the short e-mails, as I always seem to be rushing around. I believe that last time I wrote I was right here in Messina, where I happen to be again. Where did I leave off.... It seems ages ago that I left Firenze. It was tough to go after so long there. I had become quite comfortable. But I knew it was time to go. Its almost impossible to hitchhike out of a city and even more difficult if its a city in Italy, so I took the train to a small town recommended in my guidebook for its hostel, Cortona. Cortona was nice. Very quiet, although busses of tourists did pass through. The hostel is clean and roomy, although snoring and rude roommates made for a difficult start to my dreaming. In the evening I met a couple girls from the east coast of the States who are studying in Firenze and we went up to the highest point of Cortonas hill to watch the sunset. I did manage to hitchhike out of Cortona with a couple Italians and an Australian dancer, but only as far as the university-town of Perugia. I didnt want to stay in any city, and took the first train south, to the former home of Saint Francis and the present home of innumberable monk memorabilia, Asissi. A German family took me from the station to the city and bought me a drink. Somehow I wasnt too sure it was a fitting entry, but it was nice anyway. The bassilica of St Frank was beautiful, and yes, I got to see his relics, but the real treats of Assisi were the pink stone which everything is built out of, and the winding passageways they build. Assisi was recently damaged by an earthquake, and everything is under construction. The hostel was excellent, but to Rome I had to go, as I was now racing time to meet my friends from Labri in Sicily. I hitchhiked to Rome which, believe me, is no mean feat! I got a ride with a friendly Italian for a little way, but getting on the autostrada took two hours, and it was eventually with a woman from Amsterdam!! After a short and odd but not dangerous ride with a gay Italian in a Mercedes I was mercifully picked up by another German who was moving to Rome with his Italian wife and their small son. He and his wife do architectural restoration. (plenty to be done in this country!) Rome... the Eternal City. It really is fantastic. I spent two full days and three nights there. The first day I toured the worlds oldest museum, designed by Michaelangelo (as are many things there). I saw so many things from the days of the Empire I could hardly fathom them. The famous "dying Gaul" and the Etruscan statue of the she-wolf used since time immemorial as the symbol of Rome (the she-wolf which fed Romulus and Remus) were most impressive, along with a gilded equestrian statue of Ceasar Augustus (i think). I met a group of about 10 Argentines, an Italian bartender, and a Chilean that night around the dinner table at the hostel and had a great time sharing their culture right there. I am running out of time. I have to be on a train to Trapani in 20 minutes. Anyway, Rome... How can i describe the massive Colosseum or the Roman Fora? The Vittorioso stands shining at night like nothing Ive ever seen before. The Pantheon... the Circus Maximus... the columns and arches and bricks and marble... you may just have to buy the book. By the way, Kenny, I got you a piece of marble from the Forum. There was no time to mess about, so from Rome I went rocketing south to Napoli and Messina on the train. Rocketing may not be a good way to describe travel on Italian railways, but it was much faster than hitching. I will have to briefly describe the rest of my adventures here, hoping to have more time later to fill in the details... from Messina I went to the Island of Lipari in the beautiful Aeoloan chain to meet Anne and two other friends from Labri. They had a nice apartment for 4 which cost the equivalent of $35/ night total and we stayed 3 days, renting scooters, swimming in the Med., and hiking up the active volcano of Stromboli. We had to part there, and they went north while I went to the last island in the chain, Alicudi. It is beautiful and tranquil. I spent three days camping on a ledge overlooking the water, watching the sunset, hiking the mountain, swimming, and making towers out of stones. Now I am headed for Tunisia. AFRICA!! Im excited. I dont know why, but I feel strangely driven there. I hope I will be able to write to you from there, but until you hear from me again, I hope to be in your thoughts... in Africa!! In His grip, -Dustin |