Genetics and Other Mysteries
I’ve lived in Italy for almost three years and a half years. During that time I’ve had dozens of guests, but none of my own family have visited. That all changed recently when my identical twin sisters came for two weeks.
Betty and Sue have been to Italy before, so this wasn’t a virgin voyage for either of them. It was, however, the first time in many years that we had been together, just the three of us. No husbands, no brothers, no children, no in-laws – just us girls. It was nice.
Venice in the Winter
One of the things that they wanted to do was to visit Venice. We’ve taken several people to Venice over the years with varying success rates. Once we went in October with our friend Myra and it was wonderful. We took the Romans there and encountered a monsoon. We went with Steve’s oldest son’s family in May and it was a broiling hot mob scene. But this time, in early December, it was magical. It was cool and sometimes windy, but we bundled up and made our way through the narrow alleys, crossing arching bridges and getting lost in the tangle of lanes that make up this floating city. We took a ride on a gondola and took water buses like pros. We ate fabulous seafood and had a 22 euro bellini at Harry’s Bar (don’t do this!). We went to Murano and saw how they make the famed glass and strolled around that lovely mini-Venice of an island. We had the best hot chocolate in the world. Until you experience Venice, you just can’t imagine how truly unique it is. And I can tell you that having been there many different times, December is the time to really experience it. The weather may be iffy, but there are very few crowds and walking through the city at night with the Christmas lights glowing is simply enchanting.
Florence
They have both been to Florence, but the one who inherited the shopping gene wanted to go back for a little gold buying excursion. So we went for the day. From my house, Florence is an easy day trip on the train. Florence was a little more crowded than Venice and we had to jostle for position in the main tourist areas.
To break up the shopping trip, I planned a visit to the Medici chapel. This is something that’s not on a lot of tourist’s radar, and we were welcomed into a virtually empty chamber. The Medici chapel in on the back side of the Basilica of San Lorenzo and is the Medici family mausoleum. But the real star of the show is the New Sacristy where Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Giuliano are buried. The sarcophagi feature sculptures by Michelangelo of Day, Night, Dawn, and Dusk. My favorite was Night, the tired female form with typical Michelangelo strong masculine influences. Amazing. To be so close to such great masterpieces is a privilege. One we savored.
Orvieto
Another relatively easy day trip from here is to hop on a train and go south to the great city of Orvieto. Orvieto is beautiful on its own, but the cathedral there is one of the most magnificent in Italy. A tour of the cathedral, a stroll around town, and a lovely lunch and we were back on the train home.
We got back to the train station in Arezzo just after the sun had set so we decided to walk through town to see their fabulous light display. Several hundred other people had that same notion and we elbowed through the streets and the piazza amid a sea of humanity. We saw the lights and quickly made it back to the car. Funny that we went to Venice, one of the great tourist destinations of the world and didn’t encounter huge crowds, but in Arezzo (not frequently visited by tourists) it was mobbed.
Rome
Their flight was out of Rome, so we spent the last couple of days there. They had seen all of the big sites on previous trips, but wanted to do an underground tour of the Colosseum floor. So we did a guided tour of that and a guided tour of the Roman Forum. I’ve been to the Forum many times and can remember when it was free and open all the time. You could stroll in there at midnight if you wanted. But now it’s very regulated and guarded and you must pay to get in. This was the first time I’ve ever had a guided tour. It was great and confirmed a lot of what I already knew and taught me some new things as well. And the underground of the Colosseum is something I’ve never done. It was fascinating to see the cells where the animals were kept and the labyrinth that the gladiators walked through to meet their fate. Chilling what passed for entertainment in those days.
I did a little quick research and found several churches around Rome (there are over 900) that have great works of art that you get up close and personal with without having to stand in line and pay a fee. So I came up with a list and after our Colosseum tour we hiked around Rome in search of free art. We saw some Bernini sculptures, a few Michelangelos, and some Raphael frescos. Not bad for one afternoon.
Family
This time spent with my sisters was special for many reasons. We had long talks about all the things that make up life. We agreed and disagreed. We laughed and cried. We talked about genetics, about nature versus nurture, we blamed and praised our parents, and we found out things about each other that we hadn’t known before. The number of people who have known me my entire life is dwindling, so I find comfort in the fact that they remember when I was born and when I took my first steps.
Thanks for the visit, Betty and Sue. It was long overdue but it was worth the wait. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did and I hope you come back often. Family is a multi-faceted, living, dynamic thing. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, it changes. And change is what makes us move forward and teaches us tolerance and patience. As we change in this family of ours, I cherish the things that we once shared and celebrate the things that we’ve learned along the way. And I’m so grateful that my foundation includes the two of you.
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