Yesterday I simply took one beating after another... mentally of course! Although, almost getting arrested was no joke. It all started with the crook of a taxi driver in Siena taking the LONG way around the city to the train station. These Italian cities are tiny. There is no way it takes 15 minutes to go from my hotel to the train station -- it was 3 kms away! But I did not cause a stir. Maybe if I had stood up for myself and didn't feel rushed at the train station I would have noticed the sign that said "validate your tickets here". But I didn't.
Which led to the reason I was almost arrested. Apparently this is a big deal to have your ticket validated, although I still do not see the point. The Italians think so, as my 6.10 Euro train ticket to Florence quickly sky rocketed to +40 in order to pay the fine (seriously, the jackass wrote me a ticket... and wagged his finger at me... and threatened to turn me into the police when I told him I did not think I had 40 Euros on me... and then threatened to take my passport). I have never felt so violated in my life. I was scared. For one moment of irrational thought, I seriously thought I could be deported.
With all my cash in the pockets of that smarmy conductor, I got off the train and attempted to find my hotel. There were several stops to look at my map... one which involved the bouncer at some fancy boutique to come and yell at me in Italian for blocking his surveilance (sp?) camera. Did he really think I was trying to block his camera? Give the girl with a map a break! Then the witches at my hotel were the most unhospitable duo known to man. These Italians need to learn something from this Southerner. They simply are plain RUDE. They carried on a conversation with each other for 4 minutes while I stood there with my passport. Um, hello? Then they just looked at me. Argh. Then they let me know that 'no' they did not have availability on Saturday night, 'no' they did not have anything that faced the street, and 'no' they did not have anything on a higher floor.
With the last 'no' I tucked my head down, lowered my eyes to hide my tears, took my key, nodded my head and went to find my room. Within in twenty seconds of entering, I was face down in tears on the bed. Its silly, I know. As nothing besides almost being arrested happened yesterday. I just felt beaten up by the world, and this country that I am not totally in love with. I don't want to leave just yet as there is so much I want to see here. But honestly, much of what I have seen has been overrated. Although, in Florence the fascade of the Duomo, Michelangelo's David, Botticelli's Birth of Venus, and the Piazzi Palace have been well worth it. Fortunately, I have been able to skip the lines due to good fortune (some guy had an extra ticket, it rained just as I was heading to the Accademia and the line left, etc.), or else these marvels of man may not be so intriguing. I am getting through it. And sadly, I do feel like here you have to put up with a bunch of stuff you don't want (attitude, lines, frustration, rain) to see what you do want. Nothing about Italy has been easy -- the weather, the expense, the lines, etc. Beautiful and awe-inspiring, yes. Easy, no. But I am glad I am here, if only to remind me of the contrast in life. To have rainbows you have to have rain. To have lemonade, you have to have lemons. And to have a day that was plain awful, makes me more and more happy to return to the true sense of 'knowing' that comes when you do find a place or a face that truly makes you smile from the heart. One that makes you want to sing, "I know I'm gonna like it here!"
(A few photos from Florence)
No comments:
Post a Comment