Italy - Week 2

This week’s blog is sponsored by Molly Eickholt. Unfortunately, my own dear laptop has suffered from an untimely illness and is out of commission for the near future. Molly – thanks for being awesome!

While last week was characterized by learning a new city, this week Florence started to feel like an old familiar place. Walking the streets has become routine – maps and guides are no longer necessary.  Landmarks are attached to memories and have taken on new character and meaning. Florence has become a home away from home.

Much of this new perspective has been catalyzed by the variety of trips I have taken outside of Florence. On Friday a group of us took our first adventure by train to visit the towns of Pisa and Lucca. We quickly discovered that Pisa has very little to recommend itself outside of the famous leaning tower of Pisa. However, it was an excellent opportunity to take some standard tourist photographs as seen below. I quickly learned that while fun – these pictures are somewhat tedious to take. Especially when traveling with a group of 15 where each person needs to take their turn.

After getting in our stereotypical tourist photos, we ate a delightful lunch (pasta – of course) and hopped on the train to Lucca. I had not heard of Lucca before visiting Italy, but soon discovered that it was a delightful Italian village with many old world charms. Lucca was originally founded by the Romans in 180 BC, however, its most distinguishing trait is the ramparts (aka big wall) that surround the city which were built in the 16^th and 17^th century (yes, my guide book is coming in handy).  What I liked most about Lucca is that it felt relatively authentic and unencumbered in comparison to many of the tourist traps we have visited so far. While there, we witnessed a wedding progression of guests dressed in their finest – including jaunty hats!

The next day we woke early to make the 3 hour train ride (including 2 transfers) to Cinque Terre. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Cinque Terre, it is an area amidst the Italian Riviera that is home to 5 colorful fishing villages. The villages are connected by a coastal trail that can be (relatively) easily hiked in a day. The first leg of the hike (known as Via dell’Amore – Lover’s Lane) is relatively easy and well paved. I was comforted by the sight of people with strollers. The second section, however, has been closed since the mudslides of last fall. Therefore, we took the train and ended up in the fourth of the five towns (Vernazza – see photo below). While there we had a delightful lunch by the shore. It was beautific!

After lunch we set out to make the last leg of the hike (after skipping parts 2 and 3 by taking the train). The Via dell’Amore had not prepared us for the rigor of the hike from Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare. It was basically a straight half mile climb up the cliff via a roughly hewn stairway. However, by the time we reached the top we were privy to some of the most breathtaking views I have seen in Italy. It was definitely worth it. Two hours later we reached the shores of Monterosso al Mare, which is definitely the most luxurious of the five towns and clearly a tourist favorite. We relaxed by the shores of Mediterranean and reveled in our accomplishment.

Today, has been a day of rest and catching up on coursework. Sometimes I forget that I am actually in school amidst all the many adventures and scenery to be enjoyed. However, I have been learning a lot about how different people experience culture and the different ways people adapt. Some people in our group have embraced Italian culture with open arms and express sentiments including “I never want to leave.” However, others are more reluctant to acclimate and lament the lack of American luxuries including air conditioning and free, fast wi-fi. I find myself somewhat in the middle. While I am certainly enjoying all that Italy has to offer, since this is not my first time abroad, I have found that my experiences are not all shiny and new.  While some parts of Italy are fond and familiar, others are awkward and uncomfortable. In the end, I am glad that I can participate in this adventure, but am looking forward to returning to the normality of home.