Two weekends ago I went back to Florence to see Caroline and to go to Orvietto. She found Castello Santa Cristina, an old castle on top of a hill in Orvietto, where we went horseback riding with another friend. The trail took us to the largest volcanic lake in Italy, Lake Bolsena. We rode all day, through woods, past Etruscan ruins, through vineyards and fields. The views the entire time were spectacular, and what made it even better was that the guide let us really ride our horses, cantering and galloping. We stopped for lunch along the water, where we had a leisurely meal with some other people from the castle, and took a nap along the dock. It was absolutely amazing to get back in the saddle and ride again. Riding is such a big part of me, and I was on cloud nine the entire day. It made me realize just how much I miss it. I'm more determined than ever to make it more of a routine in my life.
Our guide on the ride was one of the most interesting people I've met. Vicki has traveled all over the world, working her way from country to country. She ranched in New Zealand and Australia, has worked in Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Germany, and has been to South America. Being that free and experiencing such unique aspects of a country sounded amazing. She had so many stories!
The next day we went to the top of Giotto's Bell Tower in Florence since the Duomo was closed.
While I was in Florence, Caroline and I decided to go to Pisa for a day trip. It's not very far out from Florence, and it's so famous that we couldn't miss it. We got there, and it was disappointing. The only things to see there were the Leaning Tower, the church, and the Baptistery. They are all beautiful buildings, but you have to pay to get in all of them (I have a hard time justifying paying to go into a place of worship-it seems so exploitative) Along with that, it was Disneyland- so touristic, to the point where none of it felt authentic. We didn't spend much time there. The highlight for us were the horses pulling carriages around town.
It was worth going to see though, because our train ride home was so interesting. All of the train cars were full, so we went all the way to the last car, which is the storage compartment for large bags. There was a woman not much older than us who was sitting there with her beautiful dog. In Italy, they make her sit in the back with her dog, who also requires a ticket to travel. A few stops later, another guy our age came on with a bike and three or four bags. We started talking to him, and he was from Munich and he was biking down Italy, heading to Naples, boating to Spain, biking to Barcelona, and then going home to Munich. He was staying with people that he has met along his travels, which is such an exciting way to see Europe. We exchanged emails and facebook information, so maybe if he comes to the U.S., Caroline and I can give him a place to stay.
I'm so fortunate to have a childhood friend studying just 2 hours away from me in Florence. Caroline came to visit me in Perugia last weekend, so I went to visit her in Florence this past weekend. I absolutely loved Florence. It has been a source of inspiration and intense interest in my Art History classes. I am fascinated by its history, and especially captivated with how intertwined the powerful Medici family is with the buildings and essentially most of the art in Florence. I've studied and written fairly extensively on the Medici, in particular, the Pitti Palace, and it was amazing to see the buildings they commissioned, moved into, and manipulated for their own political gains. Caroline is lucky enough to live right by the Uffizi and the Piazza della Signoria. She showed me around Florence, which is much larger than Perugia-it was nice to feel the energy of a larger city. Florence is so chic, considered a mini Milan, a name that was not given in vain. Shopping was out of control- designers everywhere, fantastic leather markets, and unique boutiques with clothes I would die for.
Palazzo Vecchio at night.
We also went to the Piazza Michelangelo, which is across the Arno and overlooks most of Florence. This is the view at night.
I know I will be spending more time in Florence as the semester progresses. I really enjoy the atmosphere and the beauty around every corner.
Italy has taken over all of my time. There is so much to catch up on from recent travels.
Where I left off was before my weekend in Venice. My roommates and I took the overnight train there, which was well worth it because we were able to see Venice wake up without the stress of tourist groups and cruise ship populations invading the city. Arriving in the dark was also interesting. Venice is ghostly early in the morning. A light mist hovers over the canals that meander through the old neighborhoods. We stumbled upon a cafe that opened around 6 a.m. where we stopped to get breakfast. We watched the pastries we ordered come out of the oven, which were absolutely delicious. We managed to find our way to Piazza San Marco when the sun was just starting to rise over the water. Being able to see the Piazza at such a beautiful time of day, especially with hardly anyone there, was the best way to see Venice.
Sometimes little signs like this were the only markers along the way to San Marco.
The next day I saw San Marco, which was magnificent. The cathedral ceiling is entirely covered in gilded mosaic, and was one of the most beautiful churches I've seen so far in Italy.
The next day we wandered around Venice a bit more. I saw some of the installations for the Venice Biennial which were interesting and all vastly different. We took a tour of the three islands around Venice in the early afternoon. It was a nice way to get out to the islands, but listening to the tour guide, and only having twenty minutes on each island wasn't the experience or adventure we were looking for, so we hopped off on Burano to explore at our own pace. This was probably one of the best decisions we made, because we got to see most of the island. It's absolutely beautiful- all of the houses on the island are painted in bright colors, a tradition that goes back to when the island consisted primarily of fisherman. The bright hues allowed them to see the shoreline on stormy days.
My whole reason for going to Burano though was not the houses. Anthony Bourdain traveled there in an episode of No Reservations and ate at Da Romano, a restaurant on the island. I told everyone I traveled with that they didn't have to eat there for dinner, but I was regardless. I was so happy that everyone joined me for that food experience. Da Romano is famous for its seafood risotto, but I asked the waiter which one he suggested anyway (I have had the best meals because of waiters suggestions) We shared a few plates of the seafood risotto, but he also suggested we try the cuttlefish ink risotto also. Both were unbelievable. The fish risotto wasn't overpoweringly fishy, but tasted more like brine and sea water. It was deliciously creamy, and you can tell that it is made with passion and respect for the ingredients. Nothing was there that didn't need to be: it was the perfect combination and ratio of simple, but fresh, ingredients. The cuttlefish risotto was completely black, and turned our teeth the rich ink color. Also delicious, with a richer fish flavor than the former. I mentioned to the waiter that I was there because of No Reservations, and how much I enjoyed that episode in particular, and he took me back to the kitchen to meet the chef! It was one of the most amazing experiences I've had.
Photos courtesy of Caroline Landau. My camera died just before we sat down for dinner.
I could not take the smile off of my face for the rest of the evening. It was a dream come true for the budding foodie in me.
This is a clip from Anthony Bourdain's time in Burano. I can't wait to go back over my Fall break.
