Week two classes are over, I can't believe it! This weekend I am heading to Tuscany to visit Florence and Siena. We have Friday off of school for extended travel, so it will be nice to not have to rush around the entire time.
This past Monday I went to Padova (Padua) for the afternoon. It was extremely hot, especially in the city. Padova is a university city, with many scholars and historical sites. We saw what is thought to be Galileo's house and walked around to many of the Piazzas, or town squares. There were a lot of other university students, so it felt like how a college town would in the states. I've come to the conclusion that Italian women are the luckiest in the world, because all the men here could be models...
My favorite part of Padova was visiting the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padova. Some of my friends were not allowed inside because of their shorts and sleeveless shirts. Maria and I went in together and I had no idea that the church would be so beautiful. The inside of the church reminded me so much of my Byzantine church in Irving, Texas. The layout of the church is hard to explain, but basically there is the main altar in the middle with smaller altars facing away from the main surrounding the rest of the perimiter. One of the altars was dedicated to St. Anthony, with his tomb located in the middle and flowers, pictures of the sick, and icons surrounding it. I was unaware how big of a pilgrimage location this is for Christians. IT was beautiful and very spiritual. We were not supposed to take pictures inside, but I snapped a few. You can see them at my picture site, in the Padova Album. There were nuns, monks, and priests walking around everywhere, and I was so overwhelmed by the holiness of the church that I sat down and said some prayers.
The rest of our time in Padova was spent walking around and just enjoying the atmosphere. We stopped at a pizzeria and ate dinner. One thing I don't think I've mentioned before is the concept of a cover charge in Italian restaurants. If you go anywhere and sit down, whether it be inside or outside, there is usually a cover charge of about 2 euro. It took me awhile to come to terms with this, but when I considered the fact that we do not pay taxes on food, it worked out to be about the same as in the states.
It rained yesterday morning and cooled everything off. I was afraid it would get humid but it stayed cool and was absolutely wonderful. I had to wear a jacket, but I didn't mind because of the extreme heat from the past week. After the storm clouds left, it was a beautiful, clear blue sky.
Yesterday afternoon I went to Marostica with some people. I'm really glad I didn't stay on campus to study (as bad as that sounds). Marostica is a cute little town with a square and surrounding shops. There is a giant chess board painted on the square where they hold human chess games at specific times of the year. Danielle and I found a grappa shop, and as much as I hated trying the plain grappa in Monterosso, here they had flavored grappa. A woman spoke English well enough that we could communicate, and she let us try cherry, lemon, green apple, and chocolate flavored grappa. They were all FANTASTIC! I bought a bottle of the green apple, and the woman told me about an appetizer drink made with four parts wine, one part green apple grappa. I can't wait to try it.
While at the shop I also asked the woman about Italian cherries. Last weekend on the way home from La Spezia, the bus driver pulled over very suddenly and said he was going to get cherries. There are cherry stands set up all over the place on Sundays, and the woman was telling me that it is the beginning of cherry season in Italy. She explained that Marostica was having a huge cherry festival this Sunday, where everyone brings their cherries and fills the streets and square. I hope I will be able to find some fresh ones this weekend. I'm sure they are delicious!
Marostica also has a very steep, tall hill with cobblestone pathways to the top for amazing views. A group of us went and it was definitely a great work out after the Cinque Terre hike. After only two weeks I have much stronger leg muscles. The views from the hill were wonderful. It was a clear day because of the earlier rain - perfect for taking pictures.
A big group of us went to the pizzeria last night for dinner. Courtney, Danielle and I split a liter of white wine with our pizza... so studying was easier when I got back to my room. The three of us took a study break around 11 and got some gelato, cappuccino, and a "coke light" as they call it, at the hotel bar. I had my first finance assignment due today along with a quiz, and I have my second law test. They weren't too bad considering the amount of studying I didn't do...
I am all packed and ready for Tuscany! The bus leaves in 15 minutes, so I will end my post now. Watch my picture site for Marostica and Tuscany pictures on Sunday!
Ciao!
