Europe Is For Dreamers

One day we will run breathless down the steps to the Metro, fleeing from this cold, blustery evening. As the train whizzes past and pulls up to the platform, the sudden gust of wind will push me into your arms. And you will hold me close.

One day we will walk hand in hand down the rocky coast of this quaint Italian fishing village of Camogli. Our fingers will intertwine against a backdrop of rainbow hued homes, crammed closely one after the other along the harbor. The sun will set over miles and miles of a blue-green endless haze. We will stop and stare into each other’s eyes without exchanging a word. We will be at peace. And our hearts will be full.

One day we will lie side-by-side on our backs and stare up into the clouds on a spry sunny afternoon in Madrid’s Parque Retiro. We will have escaped the strained faces of somber businessmen scurrying around the city on their daily commute. The sun will warm our faces as the allure of an afternoon siesta tugs at our eyelids. And we will surrender to the simplistic beauty of the now.

One day we will drink a deep red wine at a corner café in Paris and we will share a box of Ladurée macarons. Hints of vanilla, rose, pistachio, dulce de leche, and bold cocoa will fill the air. Later as daylight becomes darkness, we will climb to Montmartre and feel the charm of this romantic city in full panoramic splendor. And as the Eiffel Tower begins to twinkle in the distance, we will find ourselves lost in our very own Parisian paradise.

One day we will visit Notre Dame Cathedral at nightfall and there will be a woman standing over the lit altar, praying. She will look like an angel with her blond hair and light eyes illuminated against the shadows. We will wonder if she knows how effortlessly lovely and enchanting she is in this moment. And there will be no words, just a comforting eerie silence.

One day we will stroll down Rome’s Piazza Navona, passing from one art vendor to another, lingering on the brushstrokes and each flick of paint. We will toss coins in the Trevi fountain and share a gelato with two colorful little plastic spoons. And we will watch as countless dreams soar through the air, sparkling in the moonlight before they descend into the water.

One day we will be one of many in a crowd gazing at Barcelona’s Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, a dazzling spectacle of color in the stillness of night. The lights will flicker from dull yellows to vibrant blues and pinks. And we will lose ourselves in a misty purple fog.

One day we will walk across Charles Bridge, hands warmed by small cups of hot wine. After four sips, that sudden flood of warmth will leave our bodies. The cold, windy night will send shivers from our toes to the tips of our noses and we will find sanctuary in a grand cathedral in Prague’s Old Town. A chamber orchestra will begin to play and an organ will synchronize with violins and violas singing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in perfect harmony. My head will rest on your shoulder. My eyes will close. And we will dream of Spring.

One day we will walk by the Lennon graffiti wall and there will be a young man sitting on the ground, slumped over his guitar with his back up against a painted wooden door. We will drop a few coins in the open guitar case lying at his feet before he begins to play the opening chords. Imagine there’s no heaven / It’s easy if you try… And a tear will slowly slide down my cheek.