Serenity | Trani, Italy
Gazing at my feet with the church at my toes, I couldn't help but feel total bliss
How to describe Trani. I would say it's like a peaceful dream. As I walked through the streets it felt as if I was floating. Moving ever so lightly through the streets. Gazing at the hazy blue and white colors of the architecture and the sea. Perhaps the extreme heat was clouding my vision and I was a bit dehydrated.
When I've been traveling, sometimes I wonder how I arrive at my destination. It's as if my mind retreats and I'm moving through the unknown at a slow pace. Not knowing what to expect and not knowing where to go. It's the subtle decisions that lead you to the next. I think Trani is a good example of that.
I arrived and began my routine of walking. Walking everywhere. Familiarizing myself with the streets, the people, the views. Observing everything. The couple on the park bench holding eachother in their arms. The old man with the fishing pole, belly proud, concentrating on tying a knot. Or the overly alert waiter pacing back and forth from table to table. Passing a group of boys practicing basketball and observing which decides to retreat to the shade for a break. All of these moments making up the place. For Trani, all was peaceful. Life was moving at a slow pace.
The church later became the foundation of my trip. I found myself walking around and ending up at this church several of times. The first time, I caught the end of a wedding ceremony. The music filled the cathedral just as the rays of light poured through the windows. Standing in the back as a bystander, watching these strangers exchange their vows, I felt happy. I am watching these people who I do not know experience one of their most intimate moments.
When I later returned to the church, they were taking their photos out front. All calm, them happy. At his point my vision was becoming quite the blur. The heat was beating down on me to the point where my limbs were growing heavy. I walked out to the pier in front of the church and found many people floating in the sea. I needed to be one of them.
I found myself a nice rock to lay on and immediately jumped in the cool waters, laid back, and floated. Gazing at my feet with the church at my toes, I couldn't help but feel total bliss.
