Reflections
Sep. 15th, 2001 05:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lillibetWe're packing up, getting ready to leave our villa. Steve & Trish go on to
Rome today. They hope to fly home as scheduled on the 20th, but will just
have to see how that goes. Their first leg is to London, so we hope that
they will be able to get at least that far and go to our flat. We've had a
wonderful time here in Tuscany and now Jason and I go to Venice before
heading down to Rome as well. We will be back in London on the 23rd,
assuming that the air system is working smoothly by then.
Being overseas and out of touch during the current crisis has been tough.
It's been hard to tear ourselves away from CNN to continue touring the area,
but we have managed to do a lot and see many beautiful things and places.
It has been so good to get email from many of you, letting us know that all
of our family is safe and well and expressing support and love at this
difficult time for all of us.
We have been very lucky. A friend of a friend was on one of the flights.
My bridesmaid, Susan, works in lower Manhattan and came out of the subway in
the morning to find herself in the middle of the chaos, but both she and her
partner, Daniel, are fine, if a little shaky. Anne's close friend, Aditi,
had just walked into the WTC when the attack began; she is also safe. Many
other friends and family in the city have checked in to let us know that
they are alive and well.
People here have been very supportive. When we heard the news, coming out
of dinner on Tuesday night, we ran into an internet kiosk and a pair of
Aussie women let us look over their shoulders as they ran through the CNN
reports and the Yahoo! pictures. When Trish asked a man selling newspapers
how much one would cost, he said "You are American? Then it is free." When
we got back to our villa on Tuesday night, the Ukrainian man from London
came next door to help us figure out how to turn on the television for news.
On Friday, Jason and I were in the Bargello museum, surrounded by
Renaissance sculpture, when the churchbells of the city began to ring and
everyone stopped for three minutes of silence, as part of the EU's Day of
Mourning.
We are all very sad and tears come at unexpected moments. We are also
worried about the potential response of our government and the lust for Arab
and Muslim blood that so many people are expressing. We pray for
understanding, useful action, and peace for all of us.
Our internet access will become even more erratic for the next week, but I
hope to check it at least every couple of days. We are thinking of all of
you with love.
Rome today. They hope to fly home as scheduled on the 20th, but will just
have to see how that goes. Their first leg is to London, so we hope that
they will be able to get at least that far and go to our flat. We've had a
wonderful time here in Tuscany and now Jason and I go to Venice before
heading down to Rome as well. We will be back in London on the 23rd,
assuming that the air system is working smoothly by then.
Being overseas and out of touch during the current crisis has been tough.
It's been hard to tear ourselves away from CNN to continue touring the area,
but we have managed to do a lot and see many beautiful things and places.
It has been so good to get email from many of you, letting us know that all
of our family is safe and well and expressing support and love at this
difficult time for all of us.
We have been very lucky. A friend of a friend was on one of the flights.
My bridesmaid, Susan, works in lower Manhattan and came out of the subway in
the morning to find herself in the middle of the chaos, but both she and her
partner, Daniel, are fine, if a little shaky. Anne's close friend, Aditi,
had just walked into the WTC when the attack began; she is also safe. Many
other friends and family in the city have checked in to let us know that
they are alive and well.
People here have been very supportive. When we heard the news, coming out
of dinner on Tuesday night, we ran into an internet kiosk and a pair of
Aussie women let us look over their shoulders as they ran through the CNN
reports and the Yahoo! pictures. When Trish asked a man selling newspapers
how much one would cost, he said "You are American? Then it is free." When
we got back to our villa on Tuesday night, the Ukrainian man from London
came next door to help us figure out how to turn on the television for news.
On Friday, Jason and I were in the Bargello museum, surrounded by
Renaissance sculpture, when the churchbells of the city began to ring and
everyone stopped for three minutes of silence, as part of the EU's Day of
Mourning.
We are all very sad and tears come at unexpected moments. We are also
worried about the potential response of our government and the lust for Arab
and Muslim blood that so many people are expressing. We pray for
understanding, useful action, and peace for all of us.
Our internet access will become even more erratic for the next week, but I
hope to check it at least every couple of days. We are thinking of all of
you with love.
