Lessons From Solo Travel - Part 4
46. Old things are fragile.
After what had already been a long day of exploring what remained of the Roman Empire, I needed to grab a Fanta and cool off under some shade. I stood next to an old high rocky wall in the shade of a building atop the hill. I figured that this shady spot, across the street from the Colosseum no less, would be a fine time to check in with my family. As I called my mom, what I assume was another tourist came up to me trying to ask me something in Italian. I was so disappointed to turn them away with my English but so somehow so proud to have been mistaken for a local. My mom answered the phone and put a hand against the old wall to stabilize myself as I began to fill her in on my arrival in Italy – the land where her own grandfather had immigrated from as a young boy. It was only shortly into this conversation that the piece of rock that I was supporting myself with, snapped off the wall completely and fell to the ground as I was sprayed with a handful of earth. I laughed and looked at the earthy wall. How long had it stood there just to be damaged by a Cretan like myself? I thought of the glass and steel and detritus-ridden sidewalks of New York City before realizing just how different of a place Rome was. The city was old, and it looked amazing and ornate. But at the end of the day, you should be a little more careful with things that are old. I sat in my humility for a moment at the loss of this rock fragment and vowed to be more careful. Elegance and magnificence does not mean invincibility, old things are fragile.
47. The best tour guides are locals.
After my sojourn in the shade of the defaced wall, I continued on my quest to see all the Empire still had to offer. I came across many absolutely beautiful Catholic churches at almost every turn. As I turned into yet another church, partially to escape the blazing 100-degree heat and sun and partially to see the holy space, I saw a middle-aged man and woman in the narthex area looking at an inscription in Italian that was unreadable to me. I asked the man what it said as I realized he was explaining it to his wife. He was a very friendly man and began to tell me what had happened at the church back in 1993, alternating between reading the inscription and recollecting his own memories of the event. The church had been bombed back in 1993 along with several other sites as a form of Mafia terrorism and was a pivotal moment for the country of Italy and led to a lot of change in society regarding the power of the Mafia. This was a tidbit I would not have even known to have looked and it was provided for free from a person with first hand experience. He recounted where he had been at his house in the suburbs that day. In addition to going above and beyond just answering my question, he then began to point out a decrepit arch beyond the church that was the Arch of Janus, the only arch of its kind left in Rome and inspiration for a whole school of architecture lay in ruins and alone between the buildings. How much knowledge was gained from a single interaction? From someone who had not only the knowledge to translate something for me, but to unlock a whole world to me based upon his own experience! Never be afraid to talk to strangers in a situation like this because you will often find that the best tour guides are the locals.
48. Nasoni are undefeated.
The Romans really got a lot of stuff right, and their aqueduct and tap water system was no exception. Walking around Rome in the peak of summer is a very unexpected blast of heat and sun, even for someone who hails from Florida like myself. A nice drink of water can not only be a factor in your enjoyment of the travel experience, but it will probably be necessary part of your pedestrian tour around the Eternal City. As I wandered the streets of Rome, baking in the heat with an empty bottle of Fanta, I was feeling desperate for some liquid. Like an oasis in the desert, I then saw a small decorative fountain off the side of building that was next to the Roman Forum, my next stop on the tour. I walked up to the cool flowing water and questioned what I should do. If I was in America, the choice would be clear: don’t risk it, it’s probably recycled water or something that is otherwise non-potable. But I was on vacation, my risk tolerance was increased and I had heard about the wonderful fountains, the Nasoni, all over Rome that provided perfectly safe drinking water. I looked again at the decorative fountain, where cool water poured from a decorative head into the basin and lush vines grew across the top of the spigot. I threw my head under the water and then began to lap up the water – it didn’t taste like poison so that was good enough, I drank my fill. As I continued across the forum for another hour or two in the Forum, the sun was once again showing it’s power. The Forum is a large uncovered alien plane of ruins from an empire that no longer exists. Lonely columns stand strong against the blue sky and provide a narrow slat of shade to hide in on the ground. The grave of Caesar provided a small roof to hide under as one explored the marvelous grounds where so much history had transpired. As one stood betwixt the columns and arches and everything, they could question if they even lived on the same planet as the progenitors that built these structures. As I marched along the Martian landscape, I was once again in need of hydration. Fortunately, not only was a nice American tourist giving out spritzes of rosewater to other weary travelers but there was another Nasone at the top of a hill. More water, I was saved. An interesting thing always seemed to happen at these fountains in all high-traffic areas: human nature. Some folks lined up neatly and tried to wait their turn, some jutted in line and cut and were nasty to try to get the water first. The experience of vying for access to water on this ancient landscape made me feel a strange kinship with the man who traversed the grounds millennia before, were we so different? That question is above my paygrade – but one thing that I do know is how needed that water was and how the Nasoni will always be undefeated in my book.
49. Read the panels.
As a man, and as someone who has a working knowledge of history but would like to believe they are a history expert, it is very easy for me to walk through these amazing locations and rest on the laurels of my historical knowledge. This perception often runs directly into reality when I see something that I have no way of classifying or when it becomes apparent to me that my surface knowledge doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of the legendary objects in front of me. One place that this was extremely apparent to me was the Colosseum – a place that I knew existed and was familiar with certain historical events that had happened within the walls. Immediately upon entering the behemoth structure, I knew that I was out of my depth as a tour guide. Just walking in the breezeways you could feel the weight of so much history and the many people, the millions, who had shuttled through the halls. From that point forward I was extremely attuned to every diorama, every historical marker, and every display case in the building. My historical knowledge of some of these things was great – but history was huge. I was aware of the amazing architecture and ingenuity and gladiator days, but I had no idea and didn’t even have a concept of the Colosseum extending into history such as Crusader times or the Renaissance. Also – the pure context that can be gathered through the sometimes random facts about the name of a man who walked this hall 2 millennia ago. It brings these things into being. They truly begin to embody the mythos that precedes them. Gathering all this information made my walk along the rim of the building so much more gratifying. Truly being able to envision this place in the past, in all of its greatness. As an ancestral memory of man. The ability to imagine in the Colosseum itself is so rich: Do you want to be a citizen, gladiator, emperor, or martyr? This example also begs the question, how do you take pictures in the Colosseum? Are you allowed to smile or should you have a stiff lip for the thousands who died or were killed here, many for a faith that I share in this day? To cover my own bases I took both kinds of photos. The Colosseum also provides one of the ultimate spots to include a practice mentioned earlier – sit and take it in. I was amazed at the way people hurried through this storied structure that they had probably heard about their whole lives and now were rushing to get out. Make the effort to be engrossed in your surroundings, especially when you are surrounded by such marvelous things, read the panels.
50. Europeans love American everything.
Across the world, there is a stigma for ugly American tourist behavior and a penchant for looking down upon the American as a rude and boorish individual. This perception made my constant observation of Europeans engaging in American culture that much sweeter. This finds its way into our narrative as I left the Colosseum and asked a man to take my photo. I selected him because he was wearing a Brooklyn Nets t-shirt. As he began to speak, it was revealed that he was no American but a Sicilian! He even insisted he could help me out and proceeded to try to converse with me in English, which would not get us very far. This is no knock against the man for not speaking English or even for trying and failing, this is about Europeans loving America and American culture so much that they don’t even realize it. How many street performers did I see playing American songs, or posters for American movies? Later in this same evening as I crept past the awe-inspiring Pantheon, I was serenaded by the “Sultans of Swing” on an electric guitar. That song is by a non-American band playing in a uniquely American jazz and blues style. So here I was in front of one of the greatest structures ever created, nearly 2000 years old, listening to an Italian man play a British song made in the style of an American blues band. Listen, I love America and I would never deny it, it’s my country! For so many who do decide to bash, talk down, or sneer at my country, however, it is a source of amusement to see all the ways that they pay homage to their favorite culture-making country, America. That is why, even without their knowledge, Europeans love American everything.
51. Don’t Discount the Belgians.
After a very eventful day of seeing some of the best architecture and engaging with some of the richest history on the planet, it was time for another delicious Italian meal. I had every meal in Europe outside by this point and was willing to eat inside like a normal human at this point if it meant some exceptional food. After a couple of Google searches, I found that a restaurant in a separate part of Rome, that would allow me to get some good walking exploration, had a great duck confit ravioli and was highly rated. I was sold. Tables were in short supply so I opted to sit at the bar and as custom, of course, I ordered a glass of wine. As I waited for the ravioli, I decided to say hey to the other solo man to my right. He ended up speaking English and pretty soon we were having a great conversation. He was a man from Belgian and was very interested to be talking to an American, this was at a time when the 2024 election cycle was really gearing up. He wanted to know what I thought about the election. I proceeded cautiously, as I am aware of the more liberal European stereotype that is often appalled by the American rightwing, of which I am aligned. After chatting around some issues about how crazy this whole world situation and election was, he asked me point blank who I wanted to win the election. This was a tense spot, I didn’t have an excellent read on this guy, but he was definitely friendly and willing to chat with someone who had different views than his own. In respect to my new friend, I replied in honesty that I was in fact a Republican, and one who lived in NYC nonetheless! His shock was palpable, but to my surprise he replied that he hoped America pushed more to right!
A whole new realm of our conversation was opened. It was so interesting to hear candidly from a man from Belgium about how Europe’s leftism was not as welcomed by its citizens as we might believe from the cultural zeitgeist and media. He spoke about the many ways that the perception of Europe’s political situation was different from the reality on the ground and the many citizens who felt a similar way. We even got to discuss the merits and pitfalls of a parliamentary system versus our federal government. Not only was it a very welcome surprise to be having a political conversation, that might not be welcomed in polite society, in a random restaurant in Rome but it was such a great way to learn about Europeans. Much like Americans, there was more than met the eye and more to them than whatever I had read in some book or heard on the news. I will always be thankful to my friend from Belgium for making that dinner a little more interesting, and for teaching me something that I couldn’t have learned without speaking to a real person. Never again will I make the mistake of discounting a Belgian.
52. Perfect Classical Architecture is the Best Art
This is a contention that I hold to this day: The Pantheon is a near-perfect structure. Never before have I stopped and stared in awe at a structure before the Pantheon in Rome. I happened across it by accident as I was walking to dinner, but I was immediately enraptured by the gargantuan structure as soon as I realized what I was looking at. Just the size of the monolithic columns that line the portico is enough to make you stop and stare, but as you continue to look it only becomes more grand. The ornate Corinthian columns, monolithic slabs of marble, rise incredibly high to support this temple roof. The brass doors follow suit as they extend to a great height at the port to the dome. The inscription born upon the facade hints at the structure’s age – the name Agrippa clues you in that the Pantheon is back from a time of emperors and empires. As this realization of the immense age of the structure washes across you, the state of the Pantheon becomes even more incredible. It is nearly 2000 years old, and it is still standing. Not only is it still standing, it looks great. Not only does it look great, it has an unreinforced dome that was the largest in the world was over 1000 years. Not only does it merit this accomplishment, but it also has the Oculus, the open circle at the top of the dome. Not only is the structure ornate and beautiful, it is an engineering marvel that took generations and generations to replicate its grandeur.
I took many laps just to walk the exterior of the Pantheon. Gazing upon the portico and the brick structure of the dome. Standing under the portico and looking up at the immense height of the joints between the marble machinery is unreal in and of itself. My first glance at the Pantheon was at night, and I stayed there just looking at all the details of the marvel for at least 20 minutes. I didn’t even know you could go inside at this point. When I came back the next day and found out that you could actually see the amazing interior as well, it took the experience to a whole new level. The inside is just as ornate as the façade, and the sun shining through the Oculus is another worldly experience. As a Catholic, I also had no idea that the Pantheon had been requisitioned and turned into a Catholic Church. It was even more amazing to me to see an altar and the trappings of a church within the structure that I had already deemed the best in the world. More time was spent engaging and solely focused with this one building than with any other singular piece of art throughout my whole trip. I implore everyone to visit the Pantheon, however even if you don’t make it to Rome but want to see some great art, seek out great classical architecture as well.
53. European Churches are Museums
If you are a Christian, you have every reason and I would even say a responsibility to be stopping in the many beautiful churches across Europe. The ones that are in Rome are particularly amazing. These are places that will truly bring your spirit closer to God. However, even if you are not a Christian, there is great reason to be stopping frequently at these ornate churches. It seems that every church in Europe, is not simply a church, but also a museum. There is the cultural heritage through Christianity, amazing architecture, and then most of the time there are amazing paintings that you would only see in the world’s best art galleries and museums. The best part, aside from salvation, is that these places are truly free to see. Even atheists shouldn’t discount visiting the many European churches, every one of them is a free museum.
54. Food can be bad anywhere
I have already stated how amazing Italian food is, so I do not fear bashing some as well. Sitting at a café near the Pantheon, I was served a charcuterie board that was much like the first meal I had ordered when I landed in the country. It was apparent from when it was brought out that it was not of the same caliber but it still looked alright. Upon eating the food, it was revealed that it truly was not even close to the other meals I had in Rome. This charcuterie board was perhaps from straight off the shelves of the Italian equivalent of Walmart, it was bad and I felt like I had wasted money. Alas, the only thing to do was laugh. I was eating food in Rome, how could I expect everything to be a home run? Don’t let one bad meal ruin your mood, food can be bad anywhere.
55. Are you depressed, or are you hungry?
This one extends well beyond the bounds of travel, but it is a crucial lesson to keep in mind as you spend long days in a new place. When you feel your spirits begin to dip, ask yourself, “when was the last time I ate?” This may sound stupid to you now, but I promise if you find yourself in a funk after walking 10 miles in a foreign land, sit down and eat a good meal before you go too crazy trying to figure out what’s wrong.
56. The Sopranos has impacted Americans’ view of Italians
After I had a meal at the café that I referred to in lesson 55, I planned to go to the Vatican. As I got up to leave, a large man with a cigarette called me over to his table and a server escorted me over. I figured (hoped) that this was the owner. The man began to talk to me and ask me if I was traveling and where I was from. When I told him I was from New York and was planning on walking over to the Vatican after this meal, he said I was a very good boy and in Italian, he asked his staff to get food for us. The server came back with a plate of watermelon and limoncello for me, from the owner. In the meantime, the owner, who I had basically started to view as Tony Soprano at this point, was telling me all about his apartment in New York and how he used to do so much business there. I am embarrassed to say that I was waiting to be inducted into La Famiglia or be asked to hand something off to a friend when I arrived back in NYC. Alas, none of this happened and at the end of the day, he was just a nice store owner extending some Roman hospitality to a traveler. He did give me a business card and told me to see his friend at the Vatican on my way out. Perhaps that was normal too, or maybe The Sopranos has impacted my view of Italians far too much.
57. Trying to speak the language makes the experience more real
On a trip like this, you're bound to pick up a couple of phrases or words in the language of the place you're in. Use them, consequences be damned. While at a café by the Vatican, I ordered an espresso in Italian and even asked my waiter to take a picture of me (with the help of Google Translate). If you spent enough effort and money to go to a foreign land by yourself, you can definitely risk being goofy and trying to use the local tongue. Don’t be afraid to throw an accent on there either, really live it up. Try to feel like a local by speaking the language, it will make your journey feel more real.
58. There is a McDonalds at the Vatican
Never be shocked by the great lengths that sheer consumerism has stretched its tentacles to. There is a McDonalds a stone’s throw from the Vatican. Wherever you go, expect to see something familiar and commercialized, and I don’t necessarily mean that in a good way. When you have crossed the threshold where you are no longer even seeing fast food joints, you’ll know that you are truly outside the light of modern civilization.
59. Long lines are not always avoidable
It is possible that the worst line that I have ever waited in was the one to get into the walls of the Vatican and the galleries therein. You are lined up down the street for what appears to be an impossibly long distance. There, you wait. In August, the heat was near 100 degrees. The sun shone brightly. I was melting, I was dying. I was surrounded by tourists of ever race and language. It was a kind of purgatory before entering the very holy place beyond the walls. Truly, how long did I wait in that line? 30 minutes, 45, and hour. 2, 3, 4 hours? 6 days? I don’t know, but I know it felt like an eternity. I say all of this because I really dislike waiting in lines for long periods of time, and I can emphatically say that what I was waiting for was absolutely worth the wait. Unless you’re heading to the most remote parts of the world, long lines are going to be on the agenda. Don’t dismiss them outright, choose the ones that you think are worth the payout and then grin and bear it because you will probably be right. You can do what you can to avoid them, but long lines are not always avoidable.
60. Bailing is allowed
Sunk cost fallacy applies in travel. During my tour of the Vatican, which is an exquisite and other worldly experience that can feel draining simply because it is exhausting to be endlessly bombarded with so much beauty for so long, I needed a break. Luckily there is a café in a plaza somewhere between the galleries. As I walked out into the sunlight, I was tired physically, mentally, and spiritually. I got a table at the small outdoor café and waited for service. Just small meal would suffice, perhaps a croissant and water or juice. However, I continued to wait. Then waited some more, and still no one was serving me. There were so many things that I wanted to see in the walls of the Vatican and I could feel the moments ticking away before they were closing for the day. It mattered more to me to get up and get going back on the trek to the Sistine Chapel than it did to eat a pastry, but I still sat there. I had waited in a short line to get seated, and I had waited close to 10 minutes for service, I was already here so I could just keep waiting, right? Wrong. I stood up, and left. There were more important things to be done than get some calories at that moment, and I’m very glad I didn’t spend another 10-20-30 minutes waiting for service, and food, and the check before getting back to the amazing and moving experience of the Vatican. The instinct to stay put can be strong, but know that bailing is definitely allowed.