My Journey to Italia

Adventuring in Italy with Andy Part 1

It's a good two weeks since Andy was here and I am just now finding the time to write about our journeys together. It's very strange to look back on that time right now, as I only have one week remaining in Siena, and to think that I anticipated it for so long and now it is over. I hope I can remember everything that happened while he was here…



The Friday night before he arrived I went to the Tea Room with a couple of friends and ended up staying out pretty late, which was ok because my bus to room didn't leave until late morning. Then, I couldn't sleep at all because I was so excited for Andy to arrive. I felt like I used to feel as a kid when I knew we were going to Disneyland or Christmas was the next day, so excited and unable to sleep because of the excitement. But the next day, I don't know if it was a side effect of the late not or not, I woke up with a stuffy nose. By the worst luck ever I ended up with a cold right when Andy arrived. I caught my bus to Rome all right and spent the next three and half hours in a half sleepy daze. I didn't feel well, it was cloudy out and I could hardly concentrate on anything but the fact that Andy would be there that night!



I arrived in Rome around one and marveled at the flashy train station, then wandered the streets for a while trying to find the B & B in vain. After half an hour of wandering I found it and checked in. Then I was so tired and felt so bad, I was going through Kleenex's like crazy, that I took a short nap. The whole time I was flashing for hot to cold so it was very uncomfortable. Around four I decided to go walk around a bit by myself and visited a Church near the train station, walked down one of the main streets of Rome and ended up meeting a couple of friends at the Trevi Fountain. They were exhausted from a long day of sightseeing and we hung around the Fountain for a long time. After parting from them I headed back to the train station to catch the train to the airport where I was to meet Andy. After a quick snack and forty minute train ride I was at Leonardo da Vinci airport. Andy's flight wasn't supposed to get there until close to 9 and it was only 8:30 so I decided to head into the airport and meet him at the gate instead of at the train stop like we had planned. The airport was deserted at this time of night and after short while I figured out what arrival gate he should be coming there. I stood behind the bar just outside the gate looking anxiously through the guarded door that led to baggage claim, trying to catch a glimpse of him getting his luggage. Then I suddenly received a text message from Andy, turns out his flight had gotten in early and he had started towards the train station already. He turned back towards the airport and I started back towards the train station and we met each other half way. It was so strange seeing him at first. It wasn't like he looked that different, his hair was short, he was thinner and had some nice, new clothes on, but besides that he was the same. It just couldn't get over the fact that it was just strange to have him in Italy. It was like he was out of place, like he belonged with me in California but not in Italy. It was just a very strange feeling all together. But of course I was glad to see him! I was really glad in fact (it was hard to see him leave in the end.)



We arrived back at the train station in Roma and made our way to the hostel, which I now knew exactly where it was. We settled into the room a little and then headed out into the Roman nightlife. By this time it already after 11 and I felt pretty awful health wise, but I really wanted Andy to see some of Italy that night. We ended up back at the Trevi Fountain and I was really happy to see how stunned Andy was by its beauty. He was very impressed with everything in Rome actually and I was really happy to see that. I held out as long as I could but eventually went to a Farmacia and bought some cold medicine. I wish I'd do so earlier because I think it helped a lot. Sometime after 1am we arrived home and settled into a deep sleep. I was surprised how upbeat Andy had been the whole night, no traces of jet lag or anything and was disappointed that I had to be sick and couldn't match his vigor.



The next day we awoke early, got our free breakfast of juice and toast, and check out of the hostel. We had to store our luggage at the train station for the day and I grossly under estimated the amount of people who would be doing the same so we were met with a huge line at the baggage center. That caused us to just miss seeing the Pope in Saint Peter's Square, although we did hear him utter "buona settimana" (have a good week) before he went away. We looked around Vatican Square for a bit but it was really hot in Rome and we soon where carrying our large wool jackets. I was still going through Kleenexes like crazy and when I look back on things now, don't think I was thinking very clearly. Head colds are the worst.



The rest of the day we walked about Roma. Saw the Spanish Steps (weren't very impressed) saw the Pantheon (were totally impressed! They had the tombs of old kings of Italy as well as Raphael's!) and then frantically made our way to the train station, jumped on the subway to the bus station and found our seats on a very crowded bus to Siena. Andy crashed at this point, slept the entire way, while I listened to music and slept as well.



Arriving in Siena the weather was definitely colder, being much farther north, and it was raining. It had rained a little on Saturday in Rome but Sunday it was beautiful and clear. We checked Andy in to his really cute mini residence (conveniently close to my home) and went to this pizzeria near the both of them for dinner. It was really good dinner, we got pizza was mozzarella and basil on top, along with wine and bread. The people there were really nice and took us in even thought it was crowded and late. The only thing they were offering by that time was pizza and that was fine with us. I've noticed in Italy that while restaurants aren't officially closed, once it gets late at night they will only offer pizza any more, probably because most of the cooks have gone home and pizza is the only easy things left to make. We made plans to meet the next day before my class for a quick breakfast.



Bright an early at 8:00 Monday morning we were eating at a café from the mini residence. Café latte and croissant, as was the usual breakfast menu. Then it was time for me to go to class. Andy came up to the room with me and met some of my classmates and teacher. Then I gave him a map of Siena with a walking trail on it and sent him out into the city. Class was hard to get through because I felt so sick, which made it hard to think straight and concentrate. I was also worried about my test later that day and my oral exam two days later. Andy and I met up again at noon and I took him to one of our favorite cafés for lunch. We had really good sandwiches and pasta while I studied for the test I had in an hour. After my second class I showed him the Campo and we sat there in the cold until it was time for my last class. Andy was super impressed with everything and was very calm and understanding even though I was being annoying and grumpy, worried about tests and being sick and all. That night we had a light dinner at another of my favorite pizza places and Andy tried the nutella pastry I had been telling him about. The one with nutella inside and on top, covered in powdered sugar. He totally loved it and I was very happy for this. I knew I would convert him to a nutella lover as well!



The next day Andy set out with the map again while I was in class and this time came back super excited about everything he had seen in Siena! It was just so in awe of the city and its small medieval streets and beautiful views. He said he was ready to move to Siena and live there. It was so cute to hear about all of his adventuring that morning (he had actually managed to see parts of Siena I hadn't seen) and to look at the pictures he had taken. That afternoon we wandered leisurely through Siena, had a great lunch at this restaurant I knew of, Osteria del Gatto, of cheese appetizers, wild boar and pasta. Even though it was cold and rainy we saw some great views of Siena and the countryside. It was really beautiful and peaceful. Around four we went over to the Duomo, which was almost completely uncovered at that point. (They had been doing restoration on it for entire time I had been here and it was only at that point that they started to take down the scaffolding.) I had my internship at Santa Maria della Scala that day and Andy was able to go with me. The docent I work with did a lot of speaking in English that day for Andy and also for the mom of the other girl I work with, whom was also visiting over Thanksgiving. We spent almost two hours in the archeological section of the museum and by the end I was exhausted and barely had the strength to show Andy the rest of the museum and explain the frescos to him, but I did. It was pretty cool that he was able to come with me though and get a free private tour of the museum.



That night I had Andy over for dinner with my host family. That was fun. I played translator all night and it always took we awhile to remember that even simple phrases like "how do you like Siena?" or "everything going well?" needed to be translated. My host parents even kissed Andy on both cheeks in true Italian tradition and called him Andrea, since Andrew is difficult and almost impossible for them to say. My host mom had made a huge and fancy dinner for us. We had three different types of appetizers, a huge oyster pasta, and then salad and pork prepared in three different ways. Although I felt bad about it, this was the only dinner I didn't finish all of. It was just too much food! Andy couldn't finish either. I felt almost sick taking the last few bites I was so full! It was good, but not like her usual cooking. It was a little fancier than usual and I think I like the plain stuff better. There was also the usual bread and cheese. And after the meal there was still dessert to come, a fruit salad with sugar and… I don't even remember what else! Mario was drinking a little of some hard liquor that night and offered Andy some. He tried a little shot of it, didn't like it, so they offered him some lemon cello, which he also took a little shot of and liked even less. Thinking back on it a few days later I realized it was like he was talking shots with my host family! (In a way.) Very funny!



The next day I had my horrible oral presentation (I was preoccupied, tired and sick) and Andy again set out with the map and explored Siena. He came back just as excited as the day before! During the break between classes we got lunch and checked out the market. (Andy helped me pick out a nice coat.) Then he came to class with me because my teacher saw him and invited him to class. We learned about the mafia that day and Andy said he found the lesson very interesting. After class we jetted over to the Duomo to actually go inside. I told Andy all the history of the Cathedral I could remember and showed him everything inside. He was again super impressed with the beauty of the Duomo, but I don't know how one couldn't be. I told him the story of the mysterious crypt underneath the Duomo and he wanted to go in but we didn't have enough time because we had to head over to the City Hall for my art history class. That day our teacher took us on a small tour of Siena's city hall and we were able to see beautiful old frescos and have her explain them to us. Andy was again able to go on this free tour.



After all that, we got some chestnuts in town, ate a Pizzaland one more time (had another nutella pastry) and headed back to my place to pack and catch the bus to Florence. We successfully waved down the buss on the street and it stopped for us, I was very proud of that, and listened to a radio recording on the hour-long ride to Florence. We got there around 9, had some trouble finding our hostel, but eventually made it there. It was on a nice enough street, super close to the city center, literally like five minutes away, with a view of a Church right outside the window. The stairwell was a little creepy though, and we think we saw some people smoking pot when we walked in. The B & B was super cute though. The woman who runs it was sitting waiting for us, showed us our room and then talked with us for awhile after. She was very talkative and nice if not a little strange. She was on the computer and kept asking us how to do things on it which was amusing. I was disappointed to learn that breakfast wasn't included in the reservation, since I had thought it was, but we decided to have a good breakfast the next day and pay the extra money (Andy said he couldn't take another café latte and croissant, he needed more.) The room was super cute, with white linens (which the woman told us not to sent anything on for fear of stains, which was kind of strange) and green accent pillows. We went to bed early that night since we were both so tired.



The next day I was awoken earlier than I wanted to be by the sounds of people talking loudly and metal clunking around outside the window. The noise was constant and seemed like it was never going to stop so I eventually got up and looked outside the window. Lo and behold there was the Florence market! I didn't know when I made the hostel reservations that we were staying on the street of the outdoor Florence market, which is set up and taken down every day. It's not a small market either; there are hundreds of vendors lining many side streets. It was kind of cool to have the market at our feet, but than also really annoying because it made it impossible to go to sleep before 11pm or to sleep past 6:30am because of the constant noise of taking down and setting up the booths. If course Andy thought it was very cool though and was thrilled when the Church across the street started ringing its bells that morning.



The breakfast was amazing. There were fresh rolls, homemade jams, yogurt (oh how I'd missed yogurt,) nutella spreads, cereal, juice and fresh cappuccinos and tea. And it was all so perfectly laid out. There was no expense spared. Every spoon for every different dish and cup hand its own tray, everything was so cute!


To be continued...

posted by Madeline Faye @ 3:48 PM