Ciao Famiglia e Amici!!
Ok so I am the worst at staying updated on my blog entries, but hopefully this week I can get all caught up!
So, several weeks ago, November 8th to be exact, Caroline, my friend Allie and I took a day trip to Pisa and Lucca, Italian towns in Toscana. We wanted to do a small trip somewhere in Italy, and these two towns are a perfect distance from us in Rome. However, as fun and easy as a day trip sounds, we found ourselves with a few too many snafus, running for trains, getting stuck in the rain, and losing train tickets!! And unfortunately, that last one is my fault :(
Early, early Saturday morning, we took a train out of Termini (Rome's station) to Pisa, a four hour trip, which passed fairly quickly since we slept most of the way. As we sat in the cafe in Termini station having our usual cappuccino and cornetto, we were completely oblivious to the fact our platform was about a 8 minute walk/run from the main platforms. And so began the first of many sprints to trains, literally pulling away seconds after we boarded. It was a day of close-calls, but I guess there is some adventure in that!! We were surprised when the conductor never came by to collect our tickets, joking that we wasted our 40 euro on an unnecessary ticket. From the Pisa station, we had to run to our connecting train to Lucca, which, again, we barely made it to!
Once in Lucca, we couldn't have been happier for a lazy afternoon exploring the walled, Tuscan city. Lucca is like something out of a movie or book, the epitome of relaxed Italian culture, with a focus on food, wine, and rest! It is famous throughout the country for its perfectly maintained Renaissance city walls; today the city has expanded beyond the walls, but the center of the city (and the less modernized area) still remains within the walls. As the walls lost their military importance, they became a sort of pedestrian promenade for the town's inhabitants and travelers alike. Today, if you visit the city, you'll find groups of old Italian mammas strolling around the perimeter, their husbands sitting on park benches playing game after game of chess, a young child learning to ride her bike along side her papa, packs of runners lapping the gawking tourists slowly walking around, and finally, countless Luccans riding their bikes all around the city, carrying market-goods and flowers in their baskets. It truly is one of the most quintessential, picturesque scenes I've encountered in Italia, a refreshing change from the busy city life of Roma.
Meganne, our RA back in Rome, recommended the city for a casual day trip, and it was exactly what I needed - an escape from the chaos of home and a chance to clear my head and indulge in a day for myself. We started off our journey with a passeggiata around the city walls, taking in the beauty of fall that we seldom see in the big city. We stumbled upon a large outdoor market, selling everything from food, wine, underwear!, clothes, jewelry, shoes, books, etc. That's pretty much how most Italian markets are composed....an eclectic mix of anything and everything you could possibly want, all at ridiculously cheap prices . But with the good, you also deal with the pushy Italian ladies trying to get their apples before you, the pestering vendors, trying to sell the most pointless items, and you have to wander....at what cost to someone else are these prices so low. Anyway, I guess that is life, taking the good with the bad.
From the market, we began our walk down the main streets of the city, stopping in small shops and specialty food stores for tasters and little souveniers. Lucca is known throughout Italia and the world for its incredible production of some of the best olive oil in the world. So of course, I couldn't miss out on a chance to try and buy some of the best in the world!!! Its strange to think that just a few short years ago, I wouldn't go near the stuff. I felt like I had really come so far, as I sought out the delicious ingredient all day! We found a wonderful, unassuming shop, selling meats, cheeses, oils, vinegars, drinks, etc. and decided to indulge. The store owners, a husband and wife, were so welcoming, telling us about the notorious Italian product and inquiring about who we were and what brought us to Lucca. As I left the store, he said "Ciao, Ci Vediamo LA-Wisconsin lady!" I love Italia!
Making our way toward the center of the city, we visited the city's Duomo, San Martino Basilica, the clock tower, and then stopped for a long lunch beside the Duomo. Meganne had told us about her 3 hour lunch in Lucca with her friend - and we knew that was a must to complete our casual day out and about in Tuscany. We ate at a small cafe, and given it was a cool fall day, we enjoyed warm zuppa di fagioli e verdure, delicious crusty bread, and of course a crisp, cool glass of white wine! Perfetto!! Sitting outside, we watched townspeople ride by on their bikes or walk past with their puppies. It was the perfect way to spend a beautiful afternoon in Tuscany.
UNTIL.....I reached into my purse to check the time of our train home, and discovered the tickets were no where to be found!!! The travel agent had put all three tickets on one ticket, and I was supposed to be the responsible one! And I failed. We retraced our steps, but I assume that they fell out in the hustle after our first train in Pisa. My relaxed state soon gave way to a very stressed out one, worrying how we would get home without having to fork out more money I did not have. I tried to forget about it, enjoying my favorite nocciola gelato (hazelnut....its the absolute best!) and shopping for more chocolates and treats. But I was definitely worried.
Before we knew it, we had to run back to the Lucca train station to catch our train to Pisa, only a 30 minute trip. Again, we almost missed it! The train took a little longer than we expected, leaving us with only a half hour to spend in Pisa - just enough to take some funny pictures with the Leaning Tower and then leave. From what we've heard from most people, there isn't much to do in Pisa besides the Tower; its more of a passing-through town. But it was worth it to get to see the Leaning Tower....which is really amazing! We got there right at sunset, in time for some beautiful pictures and some inappropriate ones :) Its really quite a funny site, because you look around and everyone is trying to get the perfect picture of themselves holding up the tower! I have to admit, I got a few of my own too!
With only a few minutes to spare when we got to our train, we began our trip home to Roma...illegally!! Ahh I was hoping the conductor would 1) not check our tickets again, or 2) be kind enough to let us go easy. We sat with a young student from Portugal studying in the Erasmus program (Europe's foreign study program), who overheard us talking about our little problem. He understood and spoke Italian much more fluently than us, so when the conductor finally did come by, I batted my eyelashes and smiled a huge American smile and our new friend did all the talking! I felt pretty pathetic, but what do you know...It worked! He just shook his head at us and walked on by. Oh well, at least we really did buy a ticket....we just had no proof. The whole time I kept thinking about what my friend Kelly reminded me of before leaving - Always make copies of your tickets! Oops. I guess you have to make mistakes in order to really learn, or at least I do.
But we made it home safe, with a wonderful day of exploration and adventure behind us. I slept the best I have all semester that night!
