A Cottage by the Sea
  • Home
  • On My Mind
  • Quotes
  • Secrets of an Old Woman
  • A Solitary Traveler
  • Compassionate Reading
  • Comfort food
  • Books
  • Suggested reading
  • Poems
  • About me
  • About me and my blog

Signs of a Solitary Traveler

11/24/2018

2 Comments

 
Picture
     ‘Don’t miss that bus stop! Don’t forget to punch your train ticket! Don’t be late for your reservation to climb the Duomo! Follow the signs to the Sistine Chapel!’ There is much to look out for when traveling alone.
     Being a solitary traveler keeps my eyes open; there is no one with me to share the travel guide responsibility. I am it and I love the responsibility. It keeps me sharp. For the past twenty years I’ve been swinging on my backpack and dragging my suitcase to Italy.
    Traveling solo isn’t better than traveling with a companion; it’s just different. I must admit, however that it is better for me. I love to step out of my busy life and be by myself for a couple of weeks. I’m not getting away from anything; I’m just doing something different, and getting renewed to return to my busy life at home. My husband loves to stay home, and loves that I go.
    Traveling solo doesn’t lend itself to the give and take discussion with a companion, but it does open my eyes to more than just making the right train or bus connection, booking an important reservation, or following the signs to a famous spot. It keeps me looking in vivid ways because I am not distracted by someone else’s noticing. Consequently my own sense of observation is heightened.
     On my trip two trips to Italy this year I became aware of interesting signs as I wandered the streets of Rome, Assisi, Cortona, and Florence. Hilarious, serious and note-worthy, all worthy of a smile, a noticing, and a photograph. I’m not certain they would have caught my eye had I not been alone.  Here they are; some need a translation or explanation, some speak for themselves. 


​1. I came across this while searching for a restaurant in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood. I usually don’t go for a tourist menu, but I’m not against them. I am, however, against war; I may even be a pacifist. But regardless of any well-thought out opinion on the topic, walking these quaint streets on a spring evening would make anyone hate war and enjoy wine by the glass. 
Picture
Picture

2. This sign was across from the restaurant that I settled upon. How welcoming; just come on in and we’ll fix you up. I can state unequivocally that I will never get a tattoo, but if I change my mind, maybe I’ll return to that place in Trastevere and ask the artist to choose just the right tattoo for me and create it on the perfect spot on my body.



Picture

​ 
3. When the books explaining Trump were first coming out, it was April and I was Rome. Here was Sound and Fury prominently displayed in front of the Largo di Torre Argentina bus stop. It caught my attention. 

Picture

4. While wandering somewhere off the beaten tourist trail in Rome I came across a billboard advertising a free concert featuring Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. What could be better than a Sunday evening concert at 6 PM at the Santa Maria in Aracoeli on the Capitoline Hill just a few block from where I was staying? The church will packed to hear the full orchestra and chorus. 


Picture

5. This understated sign in Assisi needs no comment. 

Picture

6. A different kind of sign that also needs no comment. 


Picture
Picture

​7. The carousel in the piazza in front of the church of St. Clare in Assisi invites the young and old. “Antique merry-go-round for children and adults.”


Picture

​I must add this loving, welcoming photo message. 
Picture

​8. Peace and silence upon entering the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi.

Picture

​9. In the pouring rain I hiked to the Basilica of Santa Margherita, the highest point of the hill town of Cortona, to be delighted by an area for children right in the sanctuary.  The translation made me smile, and I noted that the children were not asked to help put away the toys.  



Picture
Picture

10. This sign greeted me at the entrance to the Orti di Pinti, a communal organic garden in Florence. As an elderly, solitary traveler, I went there to get away from the crowds to read, write, and BE.
     How unfortunate that people need a sign to reminds them to be kind to me. I shake my head at the implication that the elderly are ill, that elderly equals infirm. Or, does the sign mean that people have to watch out for the elderly if they are ill? Or, are we being asked to give free passage to the elderly or infirm? No one knows how to categorize us elderly/old folks. No one knows what to do with us. I’d say, watch out, give us a wide birth. 


Picture

11. Yes, see you soon Firenze. I can’t wait. 

Picture

​12. Signs in my neighbor and front yard welcoming me home.

2 Comments

Anticipating Florence in December~

11/20/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Two weeks from today I will be settled into my beloved Florence for two weeks as a solitary traveler. I will have arrived on Saturday Dec. 1st; on Sunday I will have visited the Bardini Museum. “Why the Bardini?” you ask. Because, unlike all the famous museums in Florence,  it won’t have a long entrance line on this first Sunday of the month when throughout Italy all museums offer free admission. The Bardini, a secret gem of a museum housing the eclectic collection of antiquarian collector Stefano Bardini ((1854-1922), will not be crowded.
     This will be the third December in a row that I’ve visited Florence, so I know what to expect. The city is festive, active, full of positive energy. Craft, antique, and food fairs fill every church piazza. On December 8th, the Day of the Immaculate Conception, the tree in front of the Duomo is lit.
    As a solitary traveler I never feel lonely during this Christmas season in Florence. I smile as I pass families and friends on the streets. I have left mine at home and will be returning to them. But for now, I cherish being my own companion.  

Picture
0 Comments

    Author

         I love to travel alone, and so I do. My husband of 54 years loves to stay home and garden, and so he does. But he knows I love to go off by myself for extended periods of time. For five years (2009-2014) I rented a cottage by the sea, an hour and a half from our home, and spent the weekdays there alone. For the past twenty years I’ve been traveling by myself, primarily to Scotland (Iona, the Highlands, and Edinburgh) and Italy. When I say Italy I really mean Florence, with occasional short stops and excursions around Tuscany and Umbria and to Rome.
        A Cottage by the Sea is about my longing for silence, solitude and simplicity. When I travel I post my thoughts and experiences “On My Mind”. This section, “A Solitary Traveler” is where I post articles about my travels.
         You may be thinking, “If she’s been married 54 years, how old is she?” I’m 77. Maybe my next article will be about how to keep traveling alone as one gets older.

    Archives

    November 2021
    March 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    September 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    October 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017

    Categories

    All
    Churches
    Day Trips
    Edinburgh
    Florence
    Museums
    Rome
    Solitude
    Writing

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.