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Tomorrow is my last day on shift, which is not a bad thing. Working ten days straight is hardly unprecedented or unrivaled -- I think the most I ever worked sans break was fifty-five days in a row, back in 1993 when I held two lifeguarding jobs -- but I don't generally enjoy going long stretches without a day off.
As mentioned before, once my shift is over, I will be spending a three day weekend in Rome before going back to Oxford. Not counting a quick evening in Rome three weeks ago, I have not been to Rome since 2001. Thus, I have been doing my homework, digesting sufficient reading to make the most of my stay. Last night, I read a brief history of Italy from the pre-Etruscan times to the present. Learned a lot, actually -- pretty interesting stuff.
Although I have been Nomadic for most of a decade now, it is only in recent years that I have become more sophisticated in my attitude toward travel, educating myself about a place where I am going to spend time. Although I lived in Japan for two years -- and did a fair bit of sightseeing while I was there (particularly with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
resourceress in Nov. 2001) -- I did not teach myself nearly as much history as I would were I to go back now. Similarly, during my Summer 2001 tour of Europe (hitting not only Rome, but also Barcelona, Nice, Monaco, Napoli, Pompeii, Venice, Athens, Ephasus, and Istanbul), I made virtually no effort beforehand to learn about the wealth of places that I would be going. Certainly it is possible to be enriched by travel without stocking up on background knowledge, but I have learned that the experience is deepened by that knowledge. Non satis non scire, or "Not to know is not enough."[*]
Before my vacation in Buenos Aires withcheshcat last November, I spent weeks reading up on both the sights and the history of Argentina. The effort proved well worth it. At the time, cassiopia made fun of me for preparing so thoroughly for the trip... but then she did more than a fair share of research herself before coming to visit me in England last May, and I think her work paid off, too. Certainly, living in England, I have made a special effort to learn about the history and culture -- e.g., I can recite the monarchs from 959 to present -- and I think I now know more history than most of the Brits that I know. Such knowledge has proven more than just trivia; when sightseeing, it gives a historical context for what one is seeing.
So, yes, now my attentions turn to Rome. I'll admit that I am tempted to sack Rome, just for the sake of tradition... but I suppose I shall resist the impulse. Nonetheless, I am getting psyched up for this little excursion, and expect to understand far more of what I see than when I was last there, five years ago.
[*] Ten points to the first person who can correctly tell me where this phrase comes from -- no cheating by looking it up on-line!
As mentioned before, once my shift is over, I will be spending a three day weekend in Rome before going back to Oxford. Not counting a quick evening in Rome three weeks ago, I have not been to Rome since 2001. Thus, I have been doing my homework, digesting sufficient reading to make the most of my stay. Last night, I read a brief history of Italy from the pre-Etruscan times to the present. Learned a lot, actually -- pretty interesting stuff.
Although I have been Nomadic for most of a decade now, it is only in recent years that I have become more sophisticated in my attitude toward travel, educating myself about a place where I am going to spend time. Although I lived in Japan for two years -- and did a fair bit of sightseeing while I was there (particularly with
resourceress in Nov. 2001) -- I did not teach myself nearly as much history as I would were I to go back now. Similarly, during my Summer 2001 tour of Europe (hitting not only Rome, but also Barcelona, Nice, Monaco, Napoli, Pompeii, Venice, Athens, Ephasus, and Istanbul), I made virtually no effort beforehand to learn about the wealth of places that I would be going. Certainly it is possible to be enriched by travel without stocking up on background knowledge, but I have learned that the experience is deepened by that knowledge. Non satis non scire, or "Not to know is not enough."[*]Before my vacation in Buenos Aires with
cheshcat last November, I spent weeks reading up on both the sights and the history of Argentina. The effort proved well worth it. At the time, cassiopia made fun of me for preparing so thoroughly for the trip... but then she did more than a fair share of research herself before coming to visit me in England last May, and I think her work paid off, too. Certainly, living in England, I have made a special effort to learn about the history and culture -- e.g., I can recite the monarchs from 959 to present -- and I think I now know more history than most of the Brits that I know. Such knowledge has proven more than just trivia; when sightseeing, it gives a historical context for what one is seeing.So, yes, now my attentions turn to Rome. I'll admit that I am tempted to sack Rome, just for the sake of tradition... but I suppose I shall resist the impulse. Nonetheless, I am getting psyched up for this little excursion, and expect to understand far more of what I see than when I was last there, five years ago.
[*] Ten points to the first person who can correctly tell me where this phrase comes from -- no cheating by looking it up on-line!
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