I’m writing this final post about our Italy trip on the flight back to LAX. I’m filled with good memories and inspired by the people we met, the places and sites we visited; by our miles traveled by foot, train, bus, funicular and plane; by the gastronomy; by the history and the art and the natural beauty of the countryside we traversed. Travel is such a great way to engage with the world, to consider different perspectives, to learn about cultures foreign to our own.
Perhaps ironically, our Italy trip ended in France with two days spent with our friends Jean, Claire and Huges, and in many ways, these two days were a highlight of the entire trip. As I mentioned in the previous post, we toured Lyon, the capital of Auvergne, where they live. Lyon is a very creative town with a lot of pride in its food and its unique culture and history.
Although it rained on our first day there, we walked about 600 steps up Fourviere Hill to see views of the city.
Fall colors
Firefighters training on hose carries up the steps
Once at the top not only do you great views, but you can visit Basilica of Notre Dame, which rivals any of the other basilicas we visited in Italy (and it’s also a Jubiliee church).
The mosaics with gold tiles were particularly beautiful.
Below the Fourviere in the old town are secret passageways between streets that were originally built so silk workers could travel through town without getting wet. In WWII, resistance fighters used the tunnels to escape from German occupiers.
The passages hidden behind ordinary doors are called traboules.
Across the Rhine, Lyon showcases a moving statue and fountain by Bertholdi that blends realism with mythology.
It’s so beautiful and dynamic, definitely one of my personal favorites from the trip. By the way, Bartholdi also made the Statue of Liberty.
A more contemporary addition to the town are a series of murals by a company called CitiCreation. Here is just one of them.
After Lyon, Jean drove us to the medieval town of Perouges, which was idyllic. It feels completely authentic and not commercial at all despite its appeal to tourists like us.
Of course, we had to sample a local food specialty.
Man-powered wine press from the 1500s.
It’s impossible to share all the photos, and also impossible to show how grateful we are to have such good friends with whom to enjoy our travels.
This thought leaves me with a general reflection about the last 32 days away from home. What I miss most — and the reason I’m eager to return — are the relationships with people who feed my spirit, soul and imagination, people who serve as role models for living life fully and in integrity with who they are and who they want to become.
Our dear friend Patrick died while we were away. He and Randy were also great travel companions who joined us in Idaho, Arizona, Idyllwild and Colorado, as well as so many great times in and around San Diego. Patrick was one of these people who filled us up. He was a devoted husband and father. He was an extremely talented artist who used his creative energy to design and build stunning cabinets and wood furniture, to nurture a greenhouse of orchids and a garden with a koi pond, and to cook for friends and family. He spent his life studying and learning to be the best man he could be, to live in integrity and to care for the people he loved. It’s hard to return knowing he isn’t with us anymore.
We return with heavy hearts, full hearts and full bellies, with gratitude, with an eagerness to share the joie de vivre that we acquired in Italy and France. I return a year older, and we return now with 30 years of history together, a milestone we celebrated every day of this adventure. For all of these blessings, we count ourselves so fortunate.
