Suzy Guese

Arriving to a destination, there are unfamiliar sounds that quickly transition into the familiar. In Italy, the noises that wake me up in the morning are those of street sweepers that resonate more like that of a tsunami blowing through town. At around 5AM the garbage trucks arrive. If you live near a dumpster, you hear what sounds like a million bottles crashing to the ground just in time for sunrise. No need for roasters or alarm clocks. Italy has garbage men and women and diligent street sweepers.

These sounds become familiar after a time. You don’t notice the garbage trucks at 5AM. The old woman that comes to sweep the terrace every single day muffles with dream-like states. I won’t miss those sounds. I won’t miss waking up to the shuffling of feet followed by sweeping. I won’t miss the screaming baby at an apartment nearby that seemed to have arrived into the world in the middle of my three months in Florence. Daily life goes on in Florence with those sounds I am no longer apart.

As I lugged my luggage to the train station, over some of the most beautiful sites of the city, I remember nothing of that walk. All I can recall is my determination to get to the station early, with plenty of time to catch my train to Rome. My goodbye with Florence never really came for I never stopped to smell the roses or appreciate the sounds no longer filling my life.

Somehow I doubt they sell "very Italian pizza". Time to go home. I'm being too cynical.

Travel is a way of change. You are introduced to these places and then you must part with them, if you so choose. A routine establishes and before you know it, travel is over and you are headed home. Yes, I know some never head home, but I contend a visit home in between travel is a necessary part of the travel process. The sweet sounds you may find annoying throughout travel might actually be appreciated after a stint at home.

I am headed home to Colorado, with no plane ticket after today’s flight. I have no travel plans after spending three months traveling almost every week. I saw parts of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Liechtenstein, Portugal, Spain and Italy from the top of its boot right down to the heel. I’m exhausted. While some may keep traveling and scoff at my measly three months of travel, squeezing in a trip home just might make your next travels all the better.

Instilling The Want To Travel Again

As I sit on this never-ending flight to Chicago, being on a plane in the near future does not appeal to me. However, once I go home, I know I will want to travel. That want to travel may take a backseat after European town after European town. You forget about the thrill. Then, home hits you. Life is back to a set routine and you want to travel again. For me, that want usually only comes  after a stint at home.

Appreciating Comfort

For some reason, Italians don’t believe in drug stores, selling all manner of beauty products, hair care, contact cleaner, etc. I can’t tell you how thrilling it was to walk into a beauty supply store that had everything I needed without astronomical price tags. Being at home makes you appreciate the comforts you don’t have when you travel. Those comforts not found in travel are what make the process interesting. We have to distinguish home from travel. Roughing it on the road is key toward building an appreciative person.

Sleep, Sleep and More Sleep

Travel had worn me thin. In between the fast paced lifestyle of waking up in a new place every few days, fatigue presents and travel is not always welcome. To be rested and ready for my next travels away from home, a little time spent lounging around and sleeping is more than necessary.

Time For Reflection

Being home allows me to reflect on my travels in the clearest sense. As I look through photos from Portugal to Norway, I am reminded of my experience. Not to say you can’t reflect as you travel, but being in the backdrop of home, surrounded by all that is familiar, lends a sense of reflection on the experiences I have had and the people I have met while traveling this summer that is unlike any other. Perhaps it is the sentiment of being away from the unknown amidst the known that allows for mediation and rumination on travel itself.

Time to reflect on travel and think of new cheesy photo opportunities

Do you like to go home in between travels? Do you think it is important or not vital to the travel process?

Somewhat delayed after battling a cold and jet-lag, I bring the five favorites in travel submitted last week. You may have noticed the title of this week’s “Suzy Stumbles” to be different. While I have enjoyed helping writers receive more love and attention for their travel posts along with reading other traveler’s adventures and ways of thinking about travel, Suzy Stumbles takes a great deal of time on my part. Coupled with my love of procrastination, this will be the last week of “Suzy Stumbles Over Travel”.  I hope to delve into a similar segment on my site in the near future, or even start up “Suzy Stumbles” in time, but for now, this will be the last week to submit your travel posts. I would love to read loads this week for the last week of the segment so feel free to keep me busy one last week. Also, just because I am ending this segment on my site does not mean I don’t love stumbling. If you ever need a stumble or reader, send me an email or direct message me on Twitter and I would be happy to lend a helping click.

In case you are new here, since April, I have asked readers and writers to submit their favorite travel posts of the week. I read, comment, stumble (using Stumbleupon) and tweet every submission. The following Monday, I select my five favorites of last week to be featured here. Just some things to keep in mind, you have until the end of the day on Saturday (US Mountain Time) to submit your post. Please only submit one link per person. Leave a link to the post in the comment box below. This can be a post of your own or one you enjoyed reading from another writer.

The 5 Favorites Of Last Week

“A Simple Man is Not Always What He Seems” From Lost In Cheeseland

Submitted by Lindsey

Lindsey had me with her clever title and even more compelling writing on this little snippet. She observes a man in Calvi on the island of Corsica, drawing up a story on his life and being. I could relate to this piece as I feel as travelers, our imaginations are always at work, creating stories of people we see. Lindsey leaves you with a twist in her observations that is certainly worth a read.

“Is America A Real Country?” From Thom and Sean

Submitted by Thom and Sean

Also a little snippet, Thom and Sean bring up an intriguing point on American travel. Thought provoking, I wasn’t sure I agreed with their opinions on Americans not traveling to their own country, but the duo brings an outsider’s viewpoint. As I contemplate where my next travels will be, Thom and Sean may have convinced me it is time to explore more of the USA.

“The Wall” From The World Is Calling

Submitted by Lisa

Lisa explains her experience of crossing from Palestine into Israel, complete with a daring van ride I’m not sure I could handle. I enjoyed her story and the energy it creates as you read along with the intensity Lisa experiences.

“Hakas, rucks and scrums, oh my! Attending a NZ rugby match” From A Dangerous Business

Submitted by Amanda

Amanda takes us to a New Zealand rugby match, packed with the perspective of a traveler and novice to the world of rugby. I was intrigued by the customs and traditions that go along with a rugby match in New Zealand. Amanda also highlights how cultural differences often transcend to the world of sports. It is interesting to ponder how closely tied these two realms can be.

“What I Don’t Like About Travel” From The Mobile Lawyer

Submitted by Michael

After just returning from three months in Europe, I was a little upset to be back home and not traveling. However, for an instance, Michael’s qualms with travel reminded me of some of those aspects to life on the road that are not so pleasant. I often find people think travel is one long vacation. This piece will convince anyone of that opinion that just as there are dozens of things to loath at home, so too are their aspects to travel that are not one big long vacation.

Don’t forget to submit your travel posts to the LAST week of “Suzy Stumbles Over Travel”.

Museums tend to hold the majority of cherished and prized Italian art. However, outside a number of Florentine residents add to the outdoor museum of the city. Part of what I love about Florence is its cohesive architecture, the city’s ability to stick to one style even throughout newer, more modern buildings. Part of that appeal lies in nearly every piazza and around every corner. There is some sort of statue to be seen, admired, and yes, even feared. The more famous, the lesser known, the symbolic and the evil eyed are among my favorites in Florence.

Rape of the Sabine Woman by Giambologna in Loggia dei Lanzi

Autumn by Giovanni Caccini on Ponte Santa Trinita

Dietrofronte in Porta Romana

Dante Alighieri in Piazza Santa Croce

As I soak up my last few days in Europe before heading home to Colorado, I bring you this week’s Suzy Stumbles Over Travel. In case you are new here, each week I ask readers and writers to submit their favorite travel posts of the week. I read, comment, stumble (using Stumbleupon) and tweet every submission. The following Monday I profile my five favorites submitted last week.

Just a few things to keep in mind, please only submit one link per person. You have until the end of the day on Saturday (US Mountain Time) to submit your post. Leave a link to the post in the comment box below.

The 5 Favorites Of Last Week

“When Travel Takes A Friend” From Brave New Traveler

Submitted by Caz

Caz of yTravel Blog shares a story I’m not sure many would. Her piece deals with travel and death and the realities one must face when the two collide. I appreciated her honesty on the topic. Sometimes we need to be reminded travel is not free of the stresses of home, especially when it comes to losing friends on the road.

“7 Ways To Meet Other Travelers On The Road” From Jasmine Wanders

Submitted by Jasmine

Jasmine dives into solo travel willingly, but she knows how to socialize. Introvert or extrovert, if you are planning on traveling alone, this a good post to read. No one has to be lonely when they travel if they just know how to increase those chances of meeting other travelers on the road.

“How Not To Travel in Egypt” From World Curious Traveler

Submitted by Mary

Mary takes a somewhat humorous look at traveling through Egypt or rather how not to travel as she did. A place deemed “intense” by Mary and those I know who have visited warrants some experienced advice before visiting. If you are headed to Egypt or just a first time traveler, Mary’s experiences showcase travel in its most heightened sense where things go wrong and circumstances are not always in your favor.

“On Language Burnout After A Few Too Many Countries” From A Totally Impractical Guide To Living in Shanghai

Submitted by Mary Anne

Mary Anne looks at travel and learning languages in the process. She expresses her fatigue in learning yet another language after picking up several. I enjoyed Mary’s take on the matter. Some may judge a traveler for not knowing the language of the country they are in, but burnout is bound to occur when two many different ways of saying “hello” are swirling about the mind.

“Weekly Glimpse: Yangshuo’s Puyi Town” From On Ur Way

Submitted by Sasha

Sasha takes us beautifully and spookily through Puyi Town on Yangshuo’s Li River. Her photos capture a sleepy and seemingly ghostly town. I found the images behind this post to be powerful and unique, enough to make me feel that isolation of an isolated town in the Far East.

In the Alto Alentejo region of Portugal, Évora is not an undiscovered place of beauty. The preserved medieval town has its fair share of tourists passing through daily, but in the evening, the city oddly brightens, revealing its protective, historical, gruesome, spooky and friendly side all wrapped up into the confines of its Roman walls.

Évora’s Sé looks more like it is ready for battle than attune to prayers of sinners and saints. Massive, monstrous and topped with varying domes in size, shape and color, the Cathedral holds much of the city’s richest history. Construction began on the Sé in 1186. Explorer Vasco da Gama had his ship’s flags blessed here, perhaps preparing not in a heavenly sense for a long and hopeful journey, but rather ready to battle the unknown with the help of a fortress cathedral back home.

Strangely, a lone Roman temple lies just before Évora’s Cathedral. Templo Romano stands in 2nd century origins, well preserved as it was walled up in the Middle Ages. The Corinthian columns take in the heat of Évora’s sun, eager for early evening when bouts of shade parasol Portugal’s intense summer heat.

The center of the city lies in Praca do Giraldo. Pleasant cafes and their tourist menus dress in locals and visitors sipping on a cool drink before dinner. The scene is all too idyllic until research tells you Praca do Giraldo was not always so pleasant. Victims of the Spanish Inquisition were burned publicly in the 16th century in Praca do Giraldo. Agrarian reform squabbled in debate from throughout the space in the 1970s. Today, it is hard to imagine with all of Évora meeting up here to share stories from the day.

Perhaps Évora’s most chilling site resides in Capela Dos Ossos, literally the Chapel of Bones. Skulls and bones from 5,000 people make for a spine tingling wall treatment. Faces can be differentiated from one skull to the next, noting one personality from another. Built in the 17th century as a reminder of death and a meditation on the human condition, entering the Capela Dos Ossos, visitors must stop and read an even more disturbing sign stating, “Our bones await yours.”

Wandering through Évora’s streets, white homes outline their windows and doors in mustard yellow. Street lamps guide to cozy cafes. Sitting down to an evening meal lends dinner guests you might not expect. Even the stray dogs of Évora are pleasant in the evening. One black beauty lays down next to me as I munch on tortilla chips and lackluster salsa. He doesn’t want food. He just wants company, going from table to table and eavesdropping on nightly conversations.

Despite the crowds of tourists and joggers gearing up for a race through town and despite the freeway looming not so far in the distance, Óbidos, Portugal is undeniable. The walled city allows visitors to scale its shoulders, no railing and all. Looking down warrants a few stomach jumps, but in the end all that can be seen is the ultimate wedding gift. Dom Dinis gave Obidos to his wife Dona Isabel. After centuries of blood from the Visigoths, Romans and Moors, sweat today from the marathon runners and tears from a few crying Portuguese baby tourists, Óbidos is difficult to grasp. After all, it would be in poor taste to steal the bride’s  gift.

Would you like to have your photo featured here? Email me at suzy [at] suzyguese [dot] com.

Straight from Barcelona, I bring you this week’s Suzy Stumbles Over Travel. In case you are new here, each week I ask readers and writers to submit their favorite travel posts of the week. I read, comment, stumble (using Stumbleupon), and tweet every submission. The following Monday, I profile my five favorites submitted last week.

If you would like to submit for this week, leave a comment in the comment box with a link to your post. Please keep this to one link per person each week. Also, you have until the end of the day on Saturday to submit your post (US Mountain Time). I can’t accept posts on Sunday. Be sure to follow me on Twitter and subscribe to my stumbles on Stumbleupon to make sure I get to your post.

The 5 Favorites Of Last Week

“Hiking in the Rain at Sunset Crater Volcano” From Kaleidoscopic Wandering

Submitted by JoAnna

JoAnna explores Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in Arizona, completely drenched in the rain. I enjoyed her descriptions of being isolated with her husband in the pouring rain. Instead of running for the hills when bad weather presents, JoAnna takes the higher road, seeing the positives of being completely isolated on a crater.

“Use Travel To Make You Happy” From Todd’s Wanderings

Submitted by Todd

It sounds simple enough, “use travel to make you happy”. However, in the travel community, the traveler vs. tourist, long term vs. short-term traveler debate gets in the way. Todd presents another option. Love what you do and do what you love. If travel factors in to the picture, by all means embrace it. If not, no one is judging. I appreciated Todd’s positive attitude to differing travel styles.

“How To Couchsurf Without Couchsurfing” From Adventurous Kate

Submitted by Kate

Staying on a stranger’s couch, to be honest, does not and will not appeal to me. However, Kate presents a different option to couchsurfing. You can socialize with couchsurfers and not even couchsurf. I enjoyed her take on couchsurfing from someone that didn’t want to sleep with strangers, so to speak, but just used the medium as a way to meet people from all around the world.

“What I wish I knew BEFORE my RTW Trip” From Mobile Lawyer

Submitted by Michael

Nothing is more useful to a traveler than reading what an experienced traveler wish they knew before traveling around the world. For new travelers or veterans, we all can learn something for another’s travels, mistakes or misgivings.

“Travel Snapshots: Dancing Dragons” From To China…and Beyond!

Submitted by Jessica

If you need a blast of color, Jessica’s moments at the Dragon Boat Festival in Shibing, Guizhou will brighten your computer screen. I enjoyed the subtle moments she captured through the camera’s lens. Festivals are undoubtedly the best way to experience a place.

Don’t forget to submit your travel posts to this week’s Suzy Stumbles Over Travel.