Back to Europe. at the best time of the year

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The best thing about Italy

There are few things I like about Italy. My friends, the language, the food, the cheese, the landscape, the trips, the towns, the churches, the history, the feeling I live in a movie. But the best thing ever is the fact that it's the only country, but Israel, I can present myself and saying my name to whoever I meet and people would remember it. Merav is a short for Meraviglia, marvelous in Italian. Everywhere I go I have to find ways to make people remember my name: in East Africa I was called Mzuri, the best translation I could find. In Ethiopia I was Meraf, chapter. A very important word and a man's name (took me 7 weeks to find out that Merav exists in Amharic, meaning west...) The Americans in Arusha, Tanzania used to call me just Marvelous, they didn't bother with my name. Others would make the effort and would usually have interesting results and pronunciations I usually like. Others would just call me darling. Or honey. People find it very embracing that they can't pronounce my name, they usually can't accept the fact that I find it cute... That's part of the fun in meeting friends from all over... When they see my email address pops out the questions - why do you use numbers? Then they hear my name and understand. But in Italy, my name seems a bit weird at the beginning but when they understand it, they never forget.....

Cold Cold Cold!!

After 2 interesting but kind of energy draining and difficult months in Ethiopia I have decided to go to Europe and let myself spoiled by my friends in the land of cheese and good wine. After long discussions with myself (“long” = few days) I have decided to head to Europe for 2 months, starting a little bit before Christmas and spend the holidays in Europe. I know. I'm not a good Jew. I like Christmas :-)
I flew from Tel Aviv to Frankfurt, leaving Tel Aviv at comfy temperatures of about 18 Celsius to arrive in Frankfurt at evening, don't have to tell you how different I felt... but still I was very brave, and happy to feel some winter...
I've started my Eurovisit2009 at John's. John is an American friend living near Frankfurt I met few months ago. We share a hobby called “being an outsider” to our cultures - those we grew up in and those we live in and choose what to take from them and what to make fun of..
I've spent at his place few relaxing days (thank you, John) that have been mainly my rest from the last 3 weeks I had in Israel: moving out of my place (AGAIN) packing all my life in boxes (AGAIN) helping my friend with her new born twins (first and last, the little hours I sleep, I now cherish more then ever) and saying goodbye to some friends I might never see again (happens again and again and I always find it difficult).

The first thing I did as a tourist in cold Europe was... to go to church. There is something about churches I like, and I can't really say why synagogues always makes me nervous while churches makes me relaxed and curious. This time it was a Russian church. Unfortunately, they didn't speak any of the languages I do so I couldn't ask any questions but one woman came in to pray, she kissed every saints photo, made the cross sign and touched the flour. Twice. Now I know what to look up n order to find all the information I'm missing. The second thing I did was to Gluewine my self at the Xmas market. For those of you unfamiliar with this phenomenon, in Europe there are Xmas markets,(BEFORE Xmas, obviously). In Germany they sell on those markets warm wine, cooked with spices and served in e Xmas mug. And while you're walking around, enjoying the atmosphere and Xmas lights, freezing your ass, all covered head to toes, you enjoy this warming wine. It's so nice and keeps you so warm you just wanna have more and more of that.. and sure thing, I was there the day after at 11 am to get some more... while I was drinking, it started slowly snowing. I am still on this faze that I'm excited when ever I see snow falling. I know it's something you get used to. I know it's something you don't appreciate when it freezes your life, I know not everyone understands my excitement. I don't care!!! I still find it exiting..

Landing In Pisa and heading to Florence few days later, was a complete change, it was sunny, it was warm(er) and it felt more like home - I could have understood everything that was going on, what ever people were talking about. The plain flew above the alps. I was fascinated by the clean white mountains, annoyed with the fact I will never be able to be there, feel it, breath the fresh air, and enjoy this pure feeling. As much as I would like to, I'm still reasonable...

So, made it to Florence. The great warm weather didn't last that long, it lasted until sunset. 28 hours after my arrival, It had started snowing, for the first time in years it had also stayed on the ground until it was washed by the rain 3 days after . The surprising temperature of - 12 degrees at night, (one night) had popped up the question that would pop up again and again in the coming few weeks (I guess): WHAT WAS I THINKING????? 2 months of traveling in Europe, and that's the warmest place I'm planning on visiting... but it was beautiful. Firenze was all white, the snow had stayed for 3 days, I went to town and felt so lucky to see the Duomo all white...

had two short visits to Siena and Rome, both mainly to visit friends and a little little little bit of sightseeing, as I love them both... In Rome I had also left my voice and now I'm forced to whisper...

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Comments

[aya]

hi meravi- it is wonderful. i like to read your blogs cause it makes me want to travel (again).... you make the trip so special, every visit to a gift.... kisses keep telling your stories aya