Like a hamster

• Manja Maksimovič

Today’s post is the result of several wings and thoughts fluttering at once, but mostly it’s the expanded comment I left under Véro’s post asking us What would you do if you could do anything?

What would you do if you could do anything?

I’d be a detective – alas, not enough unexplained dead in Slovenia when I was growing up to build a career.

I’d be a writer if it came with a guarantee that I’m not writing in vain and somebody will actually read. I’d write about dark because dark I do well. I scare myself how well I do it.

I’d have an art gallery and sell mediocre pieces at extravagant prices because I’d talk the talk and people would buy it. Not lie. Just talk.

I’d manage people in order to make them, their loves ones, this world a happier place.

I’d stage bloggers’ meet-ups at hand-picked locations.

While the reality is that I do what I wish daily as it is, and today it boils down to fighting caterpillars and writing this post.

And I must be careful not to make it too long, because nobody reads long posts any more.

People do things in short bursts. More and more find it hard to watch a feature film through in its entirety. Not to mention a book. A rare hero follows through on promises made. A rare few commit.

It started by having to press the remote faster and faster: Boring! Next! Boring! Next! Hm… Boring! Next! Then I did away with the television and started choosing my own content.

Now sometimes it feels this is all I do all day: choose content that might make me content one day, not immediately. It may be films for my films-to-see list, places to visit for my Destinations Anywhere list, books for my books folder, music for my playlists, or blog posts saved to one of my million to-read folders.

I bookmark links like a hamster who would need to live to be 200 in order to go through it all.

Instead of watching a film, reading a book, going to a new place, or even listening to new music, I collect.

I used to say that I was gathering books for when the internet dies, but now it’s a question what will go first.

My guess is food, but then instead of learning how to grow it, I eat.

Before it starts sounding like a complaint, it’s not really. It’s more like an apt description and I thank Véro for making me think.

I do go around occasionally and search out some of the places from my list or completely different ones. Lately I do it with fellow blogger Flavia. Here is her post on our last trip with some more info than I can provide because she reads (and photographs) the tourist boards.

And now a compilation of twenty images from our four get-togethers since last Christmas, and chances are this weekend will be the fifth.

Where will we go? This is Italy. It doesn’t matter.

  • The first time we met was in Ostiense, Rome, just after Christmas in good light.
  • Plane trees and old buildings and blue sky.
  • Funky architecture and street art.
  • The next time we met in Viterbo. This is the Sanctuary Basilica Santa Maria della Quercia.
  • And this is the resident cat.
  • Villa Lante is in Bagnaia near Viterbo. It was on my list. I’m really happy we went there.
  • I was even happier to see Flavia take photos of this moss. It’s exactly how I’d do it.
  • As I promised, I’ll post more fountains from Villa Lante one day.
  • A restaurant in Vitorchiano nearby where we had lunch. I don’t know its name but it was amazing. We will return.
  • A stroll through the town of Vitorchiano yielded numerous door photos and this window.
  • Two weeks later I invited Flavia on a sleepover and we had a grand weekend of road trips and fun. The first stop: The Giardino dei Tarocchi by Niki de Saint Phalle who created as if she could do anything. And she did.
  • One of her Nana statues in front of the entrance to Capalbio in the south of Tuscany, the town closest to where I live.
  • The view from Capalbio. Maremma mia. We may move in a year or so though, closer to Rome. Which means no more Tuscany.
  • The structure at the end of our beach in Ansedonia.
  • The Orbetello lagoon with flamingos.
  • Porto Santo Stefano on the Saturday night.
  • The second day of our weekend the weather was even nicer. I revisited the Talamone cemetery with this magnificent structure.
  • Through the ruins of the San Bruzio monastery.
  • And finally, two weeks ago we discovered the ruins of ancient Monterano, including this lion by Bernini.
  • The surprising view towards the Cloister of San Bonaventura with the Bernini fountain. Flavia knows that it’s a copy. The original is in the town Canale Monterano and I posted it here (second photo) without realising it was the real deal. That’s what friends are for.

32 thoughts on “Like a hamster”

  2. We must fight this boredom feeling. It is the source of much badness in the world. You are right about long post. Folks get bored. What is the implications of this for education? Noone thinks in depth anymore and problem solving might be compromised.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  4. Your photos are like the richest cheesecake. You have to take small bites and savour each morsel because it’s so rich and delicious. Can’t wait for the blogger meetup! Please invite me!!!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  7. I would like to live at Villa Lante 😊 Your words ”might make me content one day, not immediately” make me think. I do that too. At some point I had to erase all old lists because they were making me feel the time flowing in a much too concrete way. We will all leave undone items in our lists since none of us are living til 200. Do we make the right choices when prioritizing? Sometimes life makes them for us.
    Ps. I never read tourist boards either

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you, SMSW. I remember one of your old lists, and how you moved right through it down to your children. But you’re right, lists mark the passage of time that more clearly. I feel that I could be doing more living instead of listing but it’s stronger than me. So good to have you here.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  9. Who’d have thought that Viterbo and its surroundings could be this nice?!
    Love your idea of peddling mediocre stuff to people. I think that’s what most art galleries do anyway?

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Oh, I’m glad I can open your eyes a little for your own country, Fabrizio. Thanks. There are so many nice places around here that remain to be seen.

      Well, the key is that the stuff I’d be selling I’d really love. I’d be selling what I believe in. Sort of like here on my blog, for free.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. My dear, here I am again, with a certain late since you posted tgis article. First of all let me thank you for your nice words towards me,you are always so kind. Second, let me tell you that you can be anything you want to be, an art seller, a farmer, a blogger meet-up organizer… You have an uncountable series of possibilities in front of you, don’t limit yourself! And last but not least, how I have liked to see our friendship detailed picture after picture, according to the chronological order we have visited all these places together. It has been just like a movie but with words and photos, that is even better because it sounds so new to me.
    In the technological era where we all rush and go faster and faster you took the time to decline our friendship by photos. It is amazing, and for someone who lived it – like me – is even more, it is impressive! Thank you my dear Manja❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Picture after picture, just like a movie but with words and photos and good food and laughs and chats and good times! I’m so glad that you loved this post. Plenty more to come, dear Flavia. See you on Saturday! ❤

      Like

      Reply
  14. Pingback: Friendly Friday serenity search – An Embarrassment of Riches

Happy to learn the first thing on your mind.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.