Parma. Is. Gorgeous. The Browns: so admirable. I know that meeting them (and spur of the moment spending the night with them) was ordained by God. This couple is one of the most generous I have EVER come in contact with. More than that, they are contributing to the world and are so informed about global and at-home issues. These are the people I desire to become; they have moved in a solidified direction towards understanding the world and are giving back by bridging gaps between cultures as well as leading people around them to do the same.
They took in this little college student, let her stay in their daughter's home (not even at a convenient time for them!), took me every place in Parma that they adored in hopes that I would love it too, and spent quality time with me talking to me about the mindset of my generation as well as the future of our world. I have so many stories of the less-than-a-day that I spent with them that reveals their character, but I'll share the one that meant the most to me.
Before going to Parma, I was a tad hesitant because I had to be back in Florence for a quiz at 1:30 the next day. But, I made the right decision to come, and I planned to leave Parma around 11 to make sure I would have thirty minutes to get to class after a two-hour, connecting train ride. The morning of my departure, we headed to the station after a delightful breakfast and visits to two fascinating museums. They stayed with me until my train was to leave, which was delayed five minutes. Soon after we looked at the marquis, the train was delayed 30 MINUTES. This meant that I would miss my connection in Bologna and miss my class. I was already planning what to tell my teacher, Nada, who is the one who wears crazy clothes.
The Browns made a swift decision for me. They both hopped up and said, "Let's get in the car and drive you to Bologna." Keep in mind that it's 10:45, it's an hour drive to Bologna and an hour back to Parma, they have to pick up one of the grandchildren at 3 from school, and their daughter and her husband come in from the airport after being gone for almost two weeks directly after. So, after my protesting because I did not want to be an inconvenience, we got in the car and drove to Bologna. Can you believe this?! I had a hard time swallowing the fact that these people I had met ONCE would do this for me when it was so inconvenient for their schedule. The car ride there was full of meaningful conversation about our sweet visit, the beautiful country of Italy, our country's future. There is never a wasted moment to these people.
I can see why my grandparents adore them so much. It really makes me love the city of Thomasville to know that so many kind people live there!
This small window of time showed me the importance of "taking chances" in a way...this time was so rewarding to my life and I would never have been able to do it if I had not come to Italy or if I would have decided to stay home for the night because that was my comfort zone.
I'm sure you're dying to hear about Parma. It's so full of personality and culture! It's flat with beautiful cobble stones, much greenery and adorable parks, and so many museums that are full of fascinating artwork!
The artist Correggio painted the domes of many of the ornate churches there, and there is a huge collection of his works in one of the museums that we visited. If you haven't heard of Correggio, you most certainly will soon. Many critics believe that he has been overlooked and desire to elevate him to the ranks of Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Correggio paints with such connection to human emotion. The faces of his subjects have warmth and seem to capture you into the scene. Each Mary that he painted lovingly adored the Jesus she held, never raising her gaze anywhere beyond him. I like to think this is an accurate portrayal of Mary, whom I love. One of my absolute favorite parts of the trip was spending time with Aunt Treat and Uncle Joe while in the National Gallery where Correggio's works were. We looked at each of the paintings and contributed our observations, interpretations, and feelings from them. It's weird, but this was such a bonding point in our friendship.
Another thing about Parma that I love is that there are virtually no tourists. Little is written in English, so you know that you are always doing as the locals do! Of course, Parma is known for its food: parmesan cheese and special cuts of parma ham to name the most famous. Uncle Joe suggested the risotto with a certain cut of the ham that was a delicacy there. It was FABULOUS! Also, he later suggested to get the stracciatella gelato (cream gelato base with fine chocolate pieces) at Ben's, their grandson's, favorite gelatteria. It was the best gelato I have had yet!
The baptistry there is a gorgeous pink marble building filled with medieval artwork of Christianity inside. It's Aunt Treat's favorite building in Parma, and deservedly so. I'll put up some pictures on Facebook!
The children, Ben and Lilly, are sooooooo fun and adorable! Lilly and I bonded. I helped lay out her clothes and put her to bed. She asked me to scratch her back, like every child you ever babysit does, then if I knew any songs. Oh do I know songs. We sang four verses of "This Little Light of Mine," including the verse "Don't let Satan phoof it out! I'm gonna let it shine." I laughed when she said "phoof." That's a new one. She and Ben have such a beneficial upbringing. They are seeing and experiencing such rich history and culture, and hearing about their class assignments, they're learning things far beyond what our school systems require! We had such fun.
Anyway, I got back at about 1 p.m. yesterday, went to class, took my quiz, came home, and decided to go on a trip with ISA to Fiesole, a 20 minute bus ride to the top of a hill with incredible views of all of Florence. It was a steep yet small hike to the top to a monastery, but it's always cool to see your city from a new angle. I was so tired that I was barely making ANY sense...I feel bad for my friends that had to put up with me! We ate dinner (hamburgers!) at an Irish pub and then I came back home and crashed. I got to spend some quality time with Olivia, Meredith, Sabrina, Alva, and a friend Nicole that is really fun. She's chill and comfortable and loves adventure as well.
Tonight is Florence's wine festival, so Alva and Kyle and potentially Nicole and I are hoping to go to have small tastes of Tuscany's finest.
Other than that, today is filled with RESTING and studying at the library for midterms in two weeks so that when Mom and Dad come I can spend tons of time with them!
Sorry for writing so much, this is just my journal of my journeys as well as a way to share with friends and family, so I put a lot of detail into everything I am excited about.
Please pray for me to be committed to spending time with the Lord. It's been a bit up and down, and I am easily distracted. Thanks for reading and caring.
A few pictures:
No comments:
Post a Comment