Arches, spirals, columns, and imperial Romanesque design, reminiscing the French Revolution.
Sun beats against the limestone, kicking fine dust on my new Van’s as we journey through the old-fashioned villages.
Examining the chateaus, palaces, cathedrals, and grand arches.
Monotony sets in.
They photograph domes, pillars, and cobblestone paths, immersed in the ambiance of Medieval life.
Do you see this?
Take a picture.
A souvenir to take home to your parents.
But what of the kids gambling in the streets, cigarettes casual to the sides of their mouths.
A royal blue Peugeot screeches to a halt.
A Parisian girl with unshaven legs steps out.
But they cannot speak English,
and I cannot speak French.
I slink back into step on the 200-year sweat-inducing quest.
More spirals, stones, turrets above.
Where are the bakeries, the pastries, the free-flowing red wine?
Then finally, a monument worthy of a snap.
Bulging out of carved granite wall, a bright yellow vending machine.
“Préservatifs gratuits.”
I consult Google…free contraceptives.
Dumbfounded and humored to see me pocket a souvenir.
What is his interest in such a device?
For the remainder of my stay, they steer me clear of French architecture.
English 802 Spring 2020 
Wow, I love this piece! The specific observations you included make this such a good read. I went to Italy on a school trip sophomore and senior year of high school and your writing gave me a feeling of familiarity. I really love the small details about the dirt on your new vans, cigarettes casual in the locals’ mouths and the girl with unshaven legs. They make this piece flow and blend into a beautiful poem.
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Your writing is awesome! This really made me able to visualize what you were seeing! I have always wanted to travel and this really put into perspective what it would be like. Your details are truly amazing! Another thing I love about this is the picture you used to go along with it. I think it shows a little irony how there are vending machines near pieces of ancient architecture.
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I loved this! It was a funny memory and the way you wrote it was delightful to read. Seeing something tourist-y or modern juxtaposed to a medieval structure would be amusing. You used really colorful language to create the setting and sort of set up for the punchline about the vending machine. I like your style!!
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I really liked this! I to am sometimes fascinated by architecture. There is a certain way you can combine the old but less functional charm with the much more functional and necessary modern. It is hard to describe that way, but architecturally, you know it when you see it.
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This reminds so much of when I traveled to Europe. You tend to look at the little things and how it all wraps as one. I loved the details throughout the reading, it felt like as if I was there.
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