"WHEN IN ROME...."
(visited 10/99; written circa 6/00)

Before I joined the ship, I flew over to Italy three days early, and I was really glad that I did. My friends Riccardo Manenti and his wife Francesca graciously let me stay with them in their apartment. I had a blast! Riccardo is a talented composer, singer, and pianist - his writing style reminds me of an Italian version of Stevie Wonder. We spent some time together playing and discussing music.

I also got to spend time with a delightful friend of mine named Daniella, who works for the Italian state broadcasting company, RAI. She showed me some great places like Piazza di Spagna, with its beautiful grand staircase, and Fontana di Trevi, a famous fountain where it is suggested that you throw coins over your shoulder into the pool to ensure a return visit to Roma.

Rome is without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Like Venice, there are architectural wonders around almost every corner. Italian people are generally very stylish in their dress and attitude, and tourists (like me) tend to stick out like a sore thumb. By the way, there are tons of tourists in Rome, even in October when I was there. Also, be forewarned: the underground subway has a very limited itinerary (only 2 lines), and can get disgustingly hot.

I was able to get around on my own fairly easily (after receiving instructions from Riccardo), and I found most people to be friendly and willing to help, even though it is obvious there is a sense of tourist fatigue amongst the native Romans. If you can speak a little Italian you will be much better off (I didn't)!

One of the highlights of my visit was a "pilgrimage" to San Pietro, or St. Peters Square, Vatican City. I read somewhere that the site was a sacred area even before it was the Vatican. It's definitely what I would call a "power spot". By that I mean it goes beyond just incredible architecture, there is an inherent holy quality or feeling there. When I was standing in the pavilion, I imagined all of the times that Popes throughout the years have held masses there, and the devotion to God that has been generated. It was quite an incredible feeling.

The dome inside the basilica is unbelievably high and large. It's hard to even imagine how it was built. It truly is one of the most wondrous structures I have ever seen, and must be experienced to be believed.

Of course, Michelangelo's painting in the Sistine chapel is equally awe inspiring. Just finding the chapel in the maze of hallways in the Vatican museum can be a trip. It seems they only want the most determined people to find it! By the time I found it, my excitement had peaked from all of my expectations of hearing about the Sistine Chapel since I was a kid - combined with the adventure of finding the way to the chapel!

Incidentally, there are thousands of pieces of fine art lining the hallways and galleries of the Vatican museum. These are treasures of history worth millions of dollars, which raises some serious questions about the morality of the church. How can they claim to be the champions of the poor when they hold on to priceless works of art like misers?

The answer is complicated, I think, and the part of me that questions and distrusts authority finds it especially hard to fathom! The only conclusion I can come to, originating from the more tolerant part of my being, is that the Catholic church, in spite of its history of corruption and power-mongering, has still done a great amount of good in the world, and that's what everyone should try to remember.

In addition, these works of art were all commissioned by the church (I believe) and presumably created with devotion to God, hopefully with the intention to encourage more devotion. Maybe the church is where the objects truly belong, for the benefit of people who have supported the church and go there for solace, not in a private collection.

This is not to deny the evil chapters or bad deeds propagated in the past (or present) by the church, but to focus on the positive upliftment they have provided to humanity. I think this is true of any religious organization - there is bound to be some scandal, because that's human nature! However, the supreme essence of all religions is love, and that can't be bad.

Back to Michelangelo: how he painted with such magnificence and fine detail while lying on scaffolding, paint dripping on his face, is just beyond comprehension. It is really beautiful. Ironically, you can see finer detail of his works in books and photos than you can in person, because the ceiling is so high. But just to witness the immensity of the job he did - it's really something special.

Back inside the Basilica, I couldn't believe how disrespectful some of the tourists were behaving. In particular, there was a group in line to receive the communion, or blessings, of the statue of a saint. I saw that pilgrims were touching the feet of this particular saint with great reverance, and then they would usually offer some money. When these disrespectful tourists got to the front, however, they started cracking jokes loudly, posing for photos, and generally mocking, insulting, and disrupting the peaceful atmosphere. I started to get angry inside, but then I remembered that saints bestow blessings on all people equally, and the lesson I needed to learn at that moment was to be tolerant and patient!

In the evenings we went out for pizza, pizza and more pizza. They definitely have good pizza in Italy! I had a really nice time hanging out with Daniela and her friends, and with Riccardo and Francesca. It seemed to me that Italian people really know how to live. The atmosphere at cafes and restaraunts is very relaxed and fun.

Most cities in Europe have pedestrian-only areas which I really enjoy. I think US cities could learn a great lesson about quality of life from the Europeans. Big cars are not the meaning of life! Also, people relate to food differently than we do here in the US. Going out to eat is more about sharing friendship, and less about the drive-thru "let's eat and get out of here as quickly as possible" syndrome that Americans are famous for.

Maybe I had such a great time because I was on vacation and therefore had a more relaxed attitude, or that I was sharing my time with such nice people. Whatever the case was, I had a wonderful 3 days and would love to go back sometime soon.

SORRENTO, ITALY (visited 8/98 and 10/99; written circa 6/00)

The next stops on the tour were Sorrento and Capri in Italy. Yeah, more pizza! These were places that I had already visited on a previous ship contract, so I basically knew what to expect. Still, they are wonderful locations to visit, attracting thousands of people every year.

Sorrento is a picturesque seaside town with luxury hotels perched atop an enormous cliff which spans virtually the entire length of the town's shoreline. The scenic vistas of the sea from the top of the cliff are breathtaking. Some of the hotels are actually built right into the side of the cliff! The town looks like it is right out of an Italian movie.

There are plenty of expensive gift shops and restaraunts geared for vacationers and tourists, but I'm not into that kind of stuff generally. And even though there are motorbikes whizzing around loudly and dangerously in every direction, the place has a special charm to it.

I decided to take a local bus to the next town to the north called Piano di Sorrento. I thought I would surprise a friend of mine whom I had met in the Caribbean the previous year who is from Piano di Sorrento, and worked for another cruise line. However, the plan backfired, as she was apparently not at home. No one at her apartment complex spoke English, and they all seemed quite puzzled by my presence, actually a little suspicious! So I decided to have a relaxing lunch at a local restaraunt on the square (what else, pizza), and then boogied on back to the ship.

CAPRI, ITALY (visited 8/98 and 10/99; written circa 6/00)

Capri is actually an island just off of the coast of Sorrento. Both of the times I have been there it has been absolutely mobbed with tourists. If solitude is your thing, I would not recommend it. I think this is the place, if I am remembering correctly, that is famous for some caves with religious significance (the blue grottos?) that are only accessible by boat. From what I heard (I didn't go to the caves), it's not very enjoyable. Apparently there are dozens of boats all trying to get into the caves at the same time, which creates terrible diesel fumes and loud engine noise. Not exactly a great setting for a spiritual ephiphany. Having said that, however, I also know that Grace is not dependent on circumstances.

The other thing the island is famous for is its funicula, or cable car. It's one of those trains that goes slowly up a very steep hill, and everyone inside is praying that the cable doesn't break. At the top of the hill is a nice little touristy village crammed with people buying t-shirts and other souvenir type things. There are also some good views up there. Back down at the bottom of the hill, there is a popular beach. It's a typical European beach, very rocky, and not really my favorite kind of beach. Some people actually enjoy having sharp edges of rocks jut into their back when they lie down. I guess in that area they will take what they can get. .

TAORMINA, SICILY (visited 8/98 and 10/99; written circa 6/00)

I believe that Sicily is technically part of Italy (governmentally anyway - I could be wrong), but I am quite sure that most of the Sicilian people do not want to be referred to as Italians. We docked next to the beach town of Naxos, where you can see the beautiful town of Taormina off in the distance nestled high atop a mountain. Further off in the distance is Mount Etna, a volcano which is still active.

(sidebar reminder: when you read certain facts in my descriptions, please take them with a grain of salt - I can't remember all of the details with precise accuracy!)

In Naxos, I walked along the street near the beach, and I saw a statue that I remembered from my 98 visit - it's a beautiful blue goddess sitting atop a fountain. I have no idea who she is or what she represents, but I got a really nice feeling from seeing her again. Also, there are hundreds of umbrellas, arranged by color, filling entire segments of the beach. The whole scene is a spectacle of color, almost like a surrealistic painting.

I then took a shuttle bus up the winding treacherous mountain passes to Taormina. It's another lovely little tourist town filled with, what else, expensive gift shops and restaraunts. Again, the pedestrian-only areas really make this place special. I had a nice ravioli lunch at an eatery with an unbelievable vantage of the ocean.

I met up with some other crew members, and on our way back down the hill to the shuttle bus stop, we saw that an elderly British gentleman had collapsed on the sidewalk, and a few people were making feeble attempts to revive him. All crew members receive CPR training, but in that moment we all kind of froze, and let the other people try to help him. His wife was hysterical. Finally I worked up a little courage, broke through the crowd, and tried to help, but I think it was too late. I encouraged the wife to check his airway and do mouth to mouth (I didn't think it was prudent of me to do so), but there was no response. He was already blue. He had probably had a heart attack a few minutes before we arrived - the steep hill and hot sun was probably too much for him.

Finally the ambulance arrived, and I don't know if he made it or not. I was really shaken, mainly by my own lack of bravery to act more decisively. I remembered everything that I was taught in CPR class too late to help. I forgot to check for a pulse, and I never attempted chest compressions.

I have heard that it is better to try anything rather than just let somebody die; however I have also heard from a professional nurse that you can open yourself up to legal liability, not to mention communicable diseases, if you attempt to help. It's really hard to know what to do in a situation like that.

This event forced me to contemplate "what does it really mean to die"? In the last few years, I have spent time contemplating death, specifically my own death. I think we all have an intrinsic fear of death, unfounded as it may be - how do we know that death is the end? Maybe it is just the beginning of another phase/sphere/plane of life. Seeing this man laying in the street was a blatant reminder for me that all of us will die one day, that's for sure. The question is, how much do we let that fear of death subconsciously control our daily actions? Maybe if we kept the knowledge that we could die at any moment in the forefront of our minds, we would live in a brighter awareness of the beauty of everyday life.

By the way, I highly recommend a book called "Graceful Exits", which is a collection of the death stories of many Hindu, Zen, and Buddhist masters. The woman who compiled this book, Sushila Blackman, was an amazing woman who I had the incredible good fortune of hearing give a talk at Shree Muktananada Ashram. The talk was given shortly before she herself passed away. Listening to her speak, knowing that her own death was soon approaching, was one of the most touching events I have ever experienced. The stories contained in the book are truly amazing, and if you have any interest in this topic, it will have you riveted.