Field trip to Southern Italy!

March 15-18 our school took a field trip to Napoli, Ercolano, Paestum, and Pompei. It was my first time getting to venture through Southern Italy, and it was definitely an experience! Ercolano and Pompei were two  cities that were greatly affected by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Pompei is obviously one that we have heard about numerous times in school, however I had no idea that Ercolano was the city that was the closest to the mountain itself. In that time, Ercolano was the rich city of the area, containing the fanciest of people and the finest of jewels. Pompei was the largest of the cities, as you can feel when you walk through it today. It was so surreal walking through both of them, with so many aspects of the towns so greatly preserved after thousands of years. I couldn't help but imagine what life was like back then, and what the city really looked like when it was new and beautiful, filled with life by it's inhabitants. What hit me the most was seeing some of the preserved corpses in Pompei that was literally like looking into the exact moment of death for these innocent people. Their bodies were preserved in the way that they had died; some were crouching, some with their hands up and screaming, some were just lying just as if they had fallen, etc. It felt so eerie to me, as I felt that I was glancing into their intimate last moment of life, looking upon as a stranger among these people in their eternally preserved state, unable to imagine the fear that must have inhabited their bodies in those very moments. Seeing these two places was most definitely an impacting and humbling experience that reminded me that we are slaves upon the force of mother nature. We really shouldn't be taking it for granted!

Paestum was quite a bit less tragic, being a small little town that was only famous for it's numerous beautifully preserved Greek temples. We got to walk through the whole ancient area of the town and see all of the Greek ruins, as well as getting to learn about the way that they lived life in their time. The temples were absolutely amazing- I couldn't believe that they were built in the BC era and are still standing so magestic and detailed to this day. 

We stayed in Napoli all three nights, but only got one full day there. Oh Napoli.....

I literally felt like I was in another country! It's so much different from the rest of Italy that I've seen. My first impression as we were driving in were that there are absolutely no rules at all. There was a roundabout with no stop signs or lines, and so many cars going in so many different directions, all about to run into each other and inching along, beeping and cussing the whole way through. It seemed like something completely normal however, as there were no police to stop them. Walking through the streets had a completely different feel to it; everybody was running around, doing as they pleased, dancing, singing, drinking...etc. The view from our hotel room was incredible. We got the view of the whole coast and the ocean, along with the city. I couldn't get enough of it! The pizza.....oh dear lord the pizza. If you don't already know, pizza was born in Napoli, most famously the Pizza Margherita (tomato, basil, mozzarella). It was THE most delicious pizza that I have put in my mouth. The crust was the most perfect consistency, thin in the middle and a soft, fluffy, and thick crust on the outside. They put just the right amount of sauce not to over do the flavor, accompanied with the lovely fresh mozzarella cheese. It was so simple, but I was in heaven. Our day in Napoli we just decided to walk around and see the city to get a feel of what life was like there. We came to one part of town which was clearly not the best part, but I feel like that's where you really get a feel of the culture. There were hundreds of mopeds just going through the streets, more so than cars actually, and seeing who was driving them was the most interesting part. There were families and grocery bags all on one scooter, people driving up next to each other and yelling and waving their hands in the air, having perfectly normal conversations while driving. Really...like nothing I've ever seen...anywhere. Walking through the little streets gave me an idea of the every day life...I saw clothing lines from apartment buildings to other apartment buildings across from each other, graffiti everywhere, venders along the streets, men playing Italian music as you walk up and down the little roads...just a completely different feeling. It was so interesting to get to experience, as I have always felt very comfortable with everything about northern and central Italy...this just gave me a whole new look on it all. There were such beautiful little parts to the town, especially the city center. There were even palm trees and beaches, which reminded me so much of home! This city is alive with culture and empty of rules...which gives it so much character! I hope to return someday so that I can explore it in greater depth, and indulge one some more wonderfully magical pizza.

My Parents Came to Italy!

My parents arrived in Florence on February 13, and I stood in the airport eagerly waiting for them to come out. Despite the fact that it was a day before two of my last final exams, I was ecstatic. I went shopping to make them their first Italian meal, and had it all prepared for when they got to my house that night. I made Spezzatino with Polenta, accompanied with some fresh meats and cheeses...and of course, wine :) Naturally, I wanted to show them everything from the moment they got here, and even though they were exhausted, we still took a walk around the city center. They got here in the evening, so after our walk we got them settled into their hotel and I brought them to my apartment to eat the dinner that I had made earlier that afternoon. It was definitely a relaxing night, but I knew the next ones ahead were going to be packed and eventful! I was more than ready to show them all around the country that I'd been living in for over six months.

The day after they arrived we took the train down to Massi’s house to celebrate Valentine’s Day and to stay there for the weekend. The dinner was amazing, and it was so great getting to spend it with Massi, since it was our first Valentine’s day we were actually together in person. Not to mention, it was such a great feeling getting to reunite our parents together, since it had been two years since they last saw each other. The only thing different was the fact that I now speak Italian, so I suppose that automatically gave me the role of “translator.” Since Massi was so deep into studying for one of his exams, I was left to accompany them and keep the language barrier at a minimum. We had a great time taking them around in the small towns that surround his; I think that they especially enjoyed when we drove through the hills where Prosecco is made, where we stopped and had an amazing lunch. I really enjoyed that weekend; having mine and Massi’s parents together is such a good feeling…and I’m always bummed that it doesn’t get to happen as often as it should. 

After we left their house, we headed back to Florence where we spent the night at my apartment before heading on our week trip around Italy. From there, we headed off to Pisa, Lucca and then Rome, which can be summed up in one word….food. Okay, of course the history and the towns were amazing in their own ways, but overall, I ate better than I ever can remember. We stayed at Bed and Breakfasts, so the owners always recommended the best places to go and get the local cuisine. And they never failed….ever. I was in heaven of course, due to the fact that since I arrived in Italy I haven’t been eating out as much so that I could save money. So getting to have the homemade pastas, fresh meats, and the most delightful desserts was all complete heaven. Sadly, I will never think of regular pasta the same way again. You just can’t go back when you’ve had the stuff that was prepared literally right as you ordered it, all by hand. And in order to truly emerge into the Italian lifestyle and enjoy what it has to offer…having their food is without a doubt on the top of the list. Aside from the food, we got to see some truly amazing things in each of these cities. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was just incredible, and absolutely not justified in any photo that I have ever seen. The feeling of coming around the corner and seeing it right there in front of my face gave me goose bumps. You just don’t realize how much it actually is leaning, and how peculiar it is until you’re standing right there in front of it. We got to climb up to the top, which was such an experience since you could literally feel the lean as your climbing up; it definitely messes with your equilibrium! But getting to see it and climb it was an experience that I’ll never forget. 

We decided next to go to Lucca, which is a medieval Tuscan town that was completely salvaged in World War II. We found out that 55% of Pisa was completely ruined, so it was rebuilt after the war. However, Lucca was not affected by the bombings at all, leaving it 100% intact. You definitely get the feelings of its age as you’re walking through the quiet streets, admiring the medieval towers. The city center is inside of this Roman wall that was built in order to protect the city, so walking around the wall itself was an experience getting to see all the ancient roman construction that’s still standing today. We also went into a medieval torture museum, which left us all sick to our stomachs. I’ve never read or seen such morbidly disgusting material in my life, and I couldn’t imagine living back in the time where they actually inflicted these acts upon other human beings. If you’re interested, do your research! But it’s definitely not for somebody who’s faint of heart. 

Next on our trip was Rome, where we spent three days exploring as much as we could. The Colosseum, as expected, did not disappoint. It was the most surreal experience getting to walk up to it and see it in real life, then getting to go inside and stand where the Romans did thousands of years ago when they slaughtered people and animals in front of large crowds. The fact that it’s still standing strong today is absolutely incredible, and the feeling that I got when I was inside looking down on it all was unforgettable. I still can’t believe that I made it there before my own boyfriend, who’s Italian himself! I’ll take him there someday though. J We then got to walk through the ancient ruins of Rome, which was a lot larger than I actually thought. Their old structures and houses helped depict to us how they lived their everyday life so long ago. It really made me feel like speck in time, thinking that these people were just like us thousands of years ago, who have no idea now that their stomping grounds is now a park for tourists to see and experience. The next day, we moved onto the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Square. It was a crazy and historic time to be there, since it was just shortly after the Pope resigned and a few weeks before the new Pope would be elected. I’ve heard about the Vatican my whole entire life, but being able to say that you’ve been there is another story. It was truly beautiful, everything from the museums to the basilica itself. Other than that, we walked around different parts of Rome in order to get a feel of the city. It’s a true statement that you can’t see Rome in a day- it’s humongous! That’s the only thing that I didn’t really like about it, the fact that it was a big city with lots of people and traffic that felt like I was in any other city minus the history. Certain parts of the city were beautiful though, like by the river or in the different piazzas in the center. I will say that Rome is definitely a special and unique place, and I plan on going back and taking Massi with me!

After Rome, we headed back to Florence so that my parents would have a week getting to experience my lifestyle in the city I call home. I was so excited to take them to all of my favorite places, eat at the best places, and to show them why I fell in love with this beautiful and special place. They stayed at a bed and breakfast just five minutes away from my apartment, and ate breakfast every morning at this delicious caffè with freshly made pastries every morning! We spent a lot of time just wandering around Florence, shopping and eating, with the occasional sight to see. During the week we also got to go out to dinner with our cousin Alessandra, who hosted me when I first got here. I was so excited for my parents to get to meet her, and they managed to communicate just fine! We also had a dinner with our cousin Francesco and his family, who own a winery near Sienna named after our family, Mazzei! It was so intriguing getting to meet him and make the connections with the family here in Italy. They were extremely hospitable and spoke such great English; it was an entertaining night full of amazing food and lots of laughs! I was so happy that my parents fell in love with Florence. They really seemed to enjoy their time here, which made me ecstatic. We had many great adventures, from food to sightseeing to the simple joys of Italy. I was so sad to see them go, but my Mom promises that she’ll be back in May…so I have something else to look forward too J

Ci vediamo quando torni, mamma e papà! :)