(image copyright: www.voneurope.com)I fly to the second city off my bucket list, the Eternal City, Rome, later this afternoon. As always, I manage to come up with a distraction. An eight-hour layover at Amsterdam to have lunch with my Israeli friend, Itamar. He promised to tour me around and have a beer (!) with me before bringing me back to the airport by three in the afternoon. For the next twelve days, I shall blog on my European adventures, hence the title change.
It is not without sadness that I leave Cambridge for a bit. But this vacation will be over before I realize it. At the moment, I have this Oscar Wilde poem, 'Rome Unvisited' to depict my anxiety and anticipation of setting foot in this historic place.
The corn has turned from grey to red,
Since first my spirit wandered forth
From the drear cities of the north,
And to Italia's mountains fled.
And here I set my face towards home,
For all my pilgrimage is done,
Although, methinks, yon blood-red sun
Marshals the way to Holy Rome.
O Blessed Lady, who dost hold
Upon the seven hills thy reign!
O Mother without blot or stain,
Crowned with bright crowns of triple gold!
O Roma, Roma, at thy feet
I lay this barren gift of song!
For, ah! the way is steep and long
That leads unto thy sacred street.
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