Greetings, greetings, greetings! Here is the last of my successive posts. If you have read straight through, I truly commend you. If not, I am glad you have returned to check in again. If you have gotten to this one without reading Parts Eleven and Twelve, I hope that you will scroll on up and check them out! This whole blogging thing is still so fun! I guess I should confess the reason I have not updated. To be perfectly honest, it has to do with the availability of internet and the price. For some reason, Italy is not into the wireless thing. Some cities offered it in the piazzas but that was only in places where it was raining and blogging in the rain spells disaster. They do have a fair amount of computers where you can pay, but the price is insane! It would end up costing me about $5 for each of these posts and well that is too much. So, I decided to write them on the train (I'm on my way to Rome now!) and when I get into a wireless area I will post them all up for your reading pleasure!
Enough, enough. No more excuses or boring details. On to Cinque Terre! Now, it is going to be hard not to write a purely glowing, paradise type view of this absolutely incredible place. In fact, maybe that is just what I will do. If you are not familiar with this piece of Italian paradise, it is a group of five fishing villages along the Mediterranean coast south of Genoa. The area is comprised of vineyards, olive trees, and groves of lemon trees on the side of steep hills that slope straight down to the water. In the interest of preservation, it has been turned into a National Park and named a UNESCO world heritage site. For this reason, trails abound along the hills and every year, people flock to bask in the sun and swim in the Mediterranean. I have heard that in the summer it gets quite over run with people but since I was there just at the beginning of the season it didn't seem so bad.
I had become a little overwhelmed by the big cities, and on a tip from a friend and glowing reviews from guidebooks, I decided to head out for three days of hiking and a little different of an experience. So, Friday morning, I hopped a train from Parma and rolled into Riomaggiore, where I would be staying, around 10 am. I was so excited to burst out into endless sunshine and could not wait to get out into it after nearly 3 straight days of rain and gray skies.
So, for practical purposes, the towns are as follows: the southernmost is Riomaggiore, where I stayed, and then going north there is Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. When I got off the train I was literally sandwiched between the jutting rocks, steps from the ocean. The sea breeze was s refreshing and I welcomed the sun with a glowing smile and an amazing, renewed sense of energy. I had to go through a tunnel to the other half of the tiny town to find my hostel. The whole place has an atmosphere of relaxation which was proven by the fact that I arrived at the hostel office half an hour after their opening hour but they had not yet actually opened. Now big deal. I walked around and sat near the ocean a bit.
The landscape is amazing. I will do a little summary to help with the picture. Each town is comprised of apartment buildings, stacked up on top of each other along cliffs going straight down into the ocean. In each town, there is a little marina area and usually a rocky little beach. Steps go down to little fishing spots and docks and the beautiful turquoise Mediterranean crashes right into the jagged rock faces.
After I stood in awe of the landscape for a bit, I headed back just in time to meet the hostel receptionist strolling into the office. I checked in and had a lovely conversation with her about traveling and traveling alone and stuff. This place was different than the traditional hostel. Because the towns are so small and there are so many different little apartments, the "hostel" is really an office that has different flats and rents them out as separate dorm rooms. The one I stayed in was awesome. There was a big kitchen, two rooms on the ends with two beds each, a giant center room with about 6 beds, two bathrooms, and a terrace looking out over the town and a bit of the Sea. I could not ask for anything more for 15 euros a night. It was great.
As nice as it was, I had little time for lingering inside and headed out to see the park. As, I was starting around noonish, I decided on a shorter hike. I grabbed myself some focaccia to eat along the trail and headed out. A bit more orientation: There is one path that is all cobbled and goes along the ocean between all 5 towns. This path costs 5 euros a day to use. As sort of a blessing it was closed due to landslides from those earlier miserable rain. It is considered the easiest and while quite beautiful, the real hiking is on the hills above. I bought a pass to go on the first part, the only open part, because I wanted to see it. That portion happens to be the part known as the Via del Amore, street of love or something like that, and has the famous tunnel of love where lovers from years past have written their initials and dates and stuff. Though, one did say "Katie wishes she was here!" which didn't seem so loving but oh well.
The walk was quite nice and soon enough I was in Manarola. I explored the town a bit, saw the ocean and the little port. The buildings are so fun. I loved the pastel oranges and yellows and blues that they were painted. The I headed up to get on an actual trail. That day I decided to sort of go along the middle path, halfway up the hills, over to the next town, Corniglia. The path was absolutely amazing. It wound up through little clusters of houses and a few churches but mostly went through vineyards and bits of light forest. All along the way, I had an amazing view of the ocean and the groves and the towns. It is actually really hard to explain the beauty of the place. For me, it encompassed my favorite parts of natural landscape: the ocean, the forest, and mountains. To have them all in one was just fantastic.
After an hour and a half or so I sat down amongst the vines and hung my legs over a ledge to enjoy some delicious focaccia Pomodoro. I was just so glad to be around nature and to be in the sun, exerting myself physically. Let me tell you, these mountains aren't high, only about 2100 feet, but the trails are no joke. They can be quite steep and even after lots of walking around Europe my legs were feeling it.
My lunch was delicious and soon enough I was headed down through the woods, along little streams towards Corniglia. I got to the top of the town and walked down along the a seawall along the ocean. Not too much later, I turned around and headed along the same path back towards Riomaggiore. It is amazing how much there is to see even walking along the same path. On the way back, workers had emerged amongst the vines. Many of them were quite old, with gray hair shining in the sun. It seemed that the work was divided amongst the sexes. The old women were in charge of tying up vines. To do so, they used younger, bendable saplings. The men were in charge of the trimming and stringing of nets to catch fallen grapes. As I strolled by, a little exhausted, I was in awe of the ability of these people to scaled the sides of mountains. It was amazing to think of the history and the tradition in the processes.
I strolled back into Riomaggiore in time to walk along the cliffs and watch the sunset. It was really peaceful and nice to just relax, away from the bright lights and big cities. There were a fair amount of tourists milling about but they seemed to stay concentrated in certain areas. Most seemed to just take the train between towns. When I was on the trail I think I only passed about 5 people and I felt worlds away.
After the sun set, I headed to the hostel to take a break and shower and regroup. I did some sink-laundry, very necessary after a few days of soggy socks, showered, and headed out to find some dinner. I had myself a good calzone and then went down in the dark to sit on the rocky beach. I worked my way along a narrow rock path into a little secluded cove where I sat down on a boulder that somehow had an indent that I fit into perfectly. The waves crashed up on the rocks and made this really interesting sucking noise as it the tide pulled it back out through the spaces between the stones.
I sat for a while and looked up at the clear, starry sky. I realized then that I had been traveling for two months and hadn't once really looked up at the stars. I was the only person in that cove and the stars, sea breeze, and waves made for an absolutely idyllic, peaceful night. I sat for a while and then headed off to bed to rest my sore legs and prepare to get up early to see the trails.
The next day, I decided that I would take the ridge trail all along the tops of the hills. I had myself some breakfast of fruit, granola, and yogurt that I had bought in the store. Side note, the yogurt in Europe is SO good. With my energy supply renewed, I trekked up the hill to trail number 1, which runs the length of the peaks. The hike up to the ridge was pretty steep but it was so nice to be out in the sun. It was quite a warm day and there was not a cloud in the sky.
At one point, I encountered what I thought was a quite funny sign. Apparently, wild boar hunting is a thing in these hills. I had to go through a gate that said "Beware! Wild boar area! Always close this gate so boars cannot go into the towns!" except that the gate only had a little wire fence that sagged to the ground connected to it. I guess they weren't that concerned or maybe boars refuse to be accepted into a town without a grand, gate entrance. Oh well, I didn't get to see any boars but that is probably a good thing.
After about an hour or so I reached the ridge and headed out along it. The view from the top was amazing and all along I weaved back and forth between one side facing the ocean and the other looking inland towards a big range of snow covered peaks. The breeze was beautiful and the air was so fresh. A lot of the trail was in the woods which wasn't quite as interesting as the trails I would hike through vineyards but it was nice to be in the peaceful woods. I had another great lunch of focaccia, this time onion, and it was pure bliss up there on the ridge.
I hiked for about 4 hours before I reached a sanctuary and church above the final town, Monterosso. The view was amazing. The church itself was really cool with lots of painted frescoes inside. I sat for a bit rehydrating myself and admiring the view. I then took a steep path down through flower laden paths which had an amazing perfume and made me think of spring so much. I guess it basically was spring, with temperature in the high 50s and low 60s. The walk took me down through lots of lemon trees and down steep paths right into Monterosso. Like Riomaggiore, Monterosso is split in two by a ridge line come down into the town. It has the largest beach of any of the towns and it was really nice. I walked along in the water, managed to get the bottoms of my pants soaked, and then strolled through a tunnel to the other half of the town.
There, I walked on the beach some more an got some delicious gelato. There was no better way to enjoy the beach and the sun that with a little ice cream cone. In the center of the second part of town, there was a large dirt soccer field and two teams were playing quite a vigorous game that seemed to be bordering a little on the violent side. The field joins the list of most beautiful places to play soccer I have seen, in with the ranks of the field above the Alhambra in Granada. It was fun to watch for a bit and I was quite content with my beautiful day of hiking and view seeking.
A major benefit to the towns is the train connecting them. This allows for continuos hiking without having to worry about hiking back at the end of the day. It was getting late so I just hopped on the train, it only cost about 1.50 euro, and headed back to Riomaggiore. I was delighted to find some new people in my flat and made myself a dinner of salami (what is that junk we eat in the states? this stuff was amazing!) and fresh tomatoes and ciabatta bread. I had a fun night getting to know my hostel mates. There was one guy from Ireland and three girls from Canada. It is amazing how many people are traveling because of the economic downturn. These were all people who decided to live of saving for a bit and just go travel for a while. I've met so many people doing the same thing and I really admire it. Of course, it is a lot easier when you don't have kids or a lot of bills or spouses. But good for them!
We had a hilarious time watching this old TV that broadcast Walker Texas Ranger dubbed in Italian and a german version of American Idol called Deutchland Superstar. We had to hit the TV about every five minutes to get the picture back and eventually all we had was sound but we had a great time joking about it and laughing at the horrible, and I mean horrible, German singers.
I retired early again, as I was exhausted, even more sore, and wanted to be rested up for my final day of hiking. I slept well, physical exhaustion is good for that, and awoke early. I had breakfast on our little terrace which was so nice. You may recall my love for eating outside from Spain blog posts.
For my last day, I decided to take the train up to Corniglia and then hike the midway trails there. i hadn't really explored that town and was yet to see Vernazza, the next one up. Now, I will start by saying that these park people could really use a lesson in trail marking. They had a ton of blazes where the trail is obvious, and none where it is more confusing. I had a bit of trouble finding the trails I wanted that day. I started out by walking through the town and then headed along the water a bit. Even though the path along the water was said to be closed, you could walk on parts of it to get to other trails. I got a bit turned around and headed back out. I thought I found the trail but it was a dead end. I decided to walk along the road and catch it where it crossed.
The walk along the road was incredible. I had a perfect view down slides into the water and could see along the towns in both directions. The sun was shining and there were flowers everywhere and oh man I cannot even describe to you how great it was. I thought I caught the path but soon enough I was amongst Private Property signs. I thought I found it again but I ended up on a wide hill of rock slides. I heard a ringing and turned my head to see a flock of goats. They were working their way up this steep face to the church above. I figured I must have gotten it wrong again and walked along the road some more. Until I ended wound around and ended up at that church I just mentioned. There, I was greeted by the friendly goats who were crossing just by the sign for the trail. Apparently, the trail I was looking for was this one that the goats were on! I have no idea how I could have figured that out but oh well. I guess it was better that I didn't walk behind a line of 12 goats for a while.
There, I was able to pick up the rest of the trail which turned out to be amazing and quite arduous, and also, poorly marked. It sort of wound through all these gorges and past little waterfalls, mostly in a thick forest. Every once in a while I would burst out to see down into Vernazza and along the vineyards. At one point, I got a little lost and stumbled upon a family eating lunch on their beautiful terrace. I felt a little bad but they were really nice and pointed me back towards the trail.
I kept on hiking along. There were probably four areas with streams so the trail would wind in towards the stream, back out of the valley, back into the next stream and so on. For about the last hour of my hike I was out of the woods and walked along a cobbled path past a church and along little monuments down into beautiful Vernazza. I think Vernazza may have been my favorite town. It was sort of secluded and then the paths wound around the buildings out into the water. There were lots of people hanging out, catching the sun and enjoying the weather.
I lingered for the bit, got myself some more gelato (the stuff is addictive!) and then hiked back up to take what is supposed to be, and turned out to be, the most picaresque of the paths, between Vernazza and Monterosso. For the most part, the side of the hill was wide open covered with little shrubs and the view was incredible. The sun was shining in a more golden hue as it was closer to the end of the day and it was perfect. I was the only person on the trail and it was absolutely gorgeous. I was able to see nearly all the towns, save for Riomaggiore which is a little more secluded, and the hill sloped straight down into the water.
The trail emptied out near the previously mentioned sanctuary above Monterosso. I was tempted to hike out along the ridge above Monterosso but it was getting late and I stuck to that golden rule that I was told about skiing - "Whenever you tell yourself just one more run, go inside." I decided to take half the rule, and walked down along the road to catch a glimpse of the towns beyond the Cinque Terre, on the other side of the ridge. I was glad I did as the view was quite spectacular. I continued on down the road and walked along in a great end of the day situation: Above the hills, the moon was rising along the edges of the sunset that was happening along the ocean. I could not ask for more. The moon was beautiful, as was the wonderful pink hue of the sky. Paradise, indeed, I must say.
I caught a train, glad that I didn't take the ridge because it was then clear that I would have been stuck on the ridge in the dark. When I got back, I was ravenously hungry haven't not eaten since lunch and exerted myself quite a bit. I sat down at a restaurant to reflect on the past three days which had been nothing short of incredible. I enjoyed a pesto (the region is known for it) and mozzarella pizza with a bottle of the delightfully crisp Cinque Terre, local white wine. It was great to drink a wine from the vines I'd spent the weekend hiking amongst.
As I ate my pizza, I witnessed a quintessential American tourist family. Now, I am going to try my hardest not to sound like some sort of snob here. If I do, I really apologize as that is not how I want so sound. I was sitting very close to them and dining alone so it was nearly impossible not to listen to their conversation.
So now, I will set the scene. This family of four spent a while deliberating and arguing about what to order, what to split, whether or not they could get pizzas half one thing and half another. They finally decided and the mother tried to place the order only to be interrupted by the must-take-control father.
After they finally got their food order in, it was time for wine. The father decided this was his department as well. I was glad to hear that he was going to order a bottle of the local wine. Local is always a smart choice. The five towns are all so close together yet they each offer a wine bearing their name. The father asked what the difference was and the waiter replied, "For you, there is no difference." Of course, he did not mean to offend but the father was a little offended and asked, "Oh, well can you tell the difference?" The waiter was flustered and said that really there was no difference and it was the same variety of grape. The father inquired about the type of grape, trying to show some sort of expertise. Finally, he placed his order.
A few minutes later, the waiter came over and uncorked the bottle and poured the tasting glass to old wine expert dad. As the wine flowed into the glass, the father looked up in a state of confusion.
"Oh," he said timidly, "I thought I was getting a red wine." Ok, ok, I am sure that I am starting to sound like a jerk here but it was too funny! After all that debating and the slight offense that the waiter may have thought he didn't know what he was talking about, old dad didn't know the difference between red and white. Not to mention, Cinque Terre is known for its white wine. They are very proud of it and it is talked about in all the brochures and maps and everything. I had to hold back my laughter. Despite his mistake, Dad went on and turned his critical attitude to the reds list and had further debate over what he should get. It was unbelievable! He made him return the bottle and everything. I think the bus boy food runner person caught me smiling and gave me quite the grin.
Anyway, enough of that. I finished off my meal with a delicious Tiramisu and a small glass of the local Limoncello dessert liqueur. It was a great pairing and the perfect way to end my wonderful three days in the amazing Cinque Terre. It was the perfect break from the cities and though my legs are a bit sore and I am a little worried something has gone wrong with my hip, it was perfect. I met some really fun people in the hostel and trails, sights, food, and pretty much everything about the region was absolutely fantastic. I went to bed filled with food and happiness and so glad with my time there. Truly, one of the most beautiful places I've been and so relaxed. Loved it.
So now I am off to Rome! There I will meet my good friend from high school Eric who is there on vacation with his friends. He studied there two years ago and has all sorts of plans of what we will be seeing and eating and doing. Four nights and then its off to Buenos Aires! It has all gone so fast. Yesterday was the two month anniversary of my leaving and I cannot believe it. Everything has been amazing and I do not doubt that Rome and South America will continue my streak of seeing incredible places.
Thats all for now! Check back soon! Thanks for reading. Hope everyone is well.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Part Twelve: Parma, Bologna!
Successive update number two! This one is all about two delightful Italian cities, Bologna and Parma, which I spent a night each in. Now I know, I know, you may be saying but Steve how come you the words Florence or Venice haven't popped up here yet? The truth is, for some reason, the magnetic draw was just not there for me. What was guiding me was my stomach, and Parma and Bologna, in the gastronomically famous Emilia Romagna region, were calling me over. I just had to get myself some of those authentic, famous regional dishes.
After Trento, I had a relatively short ride into Bologna that was complicated by a late train and the fact that they don't read the stops aloud! Ugh, it was so annoying. Usually, I just go by the time and recognize when I need to stop and then start looking for my stop around 10 minutes before. This plan does not work when the train is not running on time and they do not say how far behind it is. Needless to say, it was a slightly stressful trip... and it would only grow more so.
I arrived and burst upon the Bologna streets straight into an absolutely pouring rain. I hate rain. I can now say that I truly do. Ok, not those little summer rain showers or squalls about the lake, but the relentless downpours are just unnecessary. Because there did not seem to be too many places to stay in Bologna, I ended up in a single room on the outskirts of the city. In order to get there, I had to catch a bus which seemed simple enough. I boarded and waited for my stop. Busses are even more stressful for me than trains. There are no signs on the street and the announcements can barely be heard amongst the loud voices of fellow passengers.
I rode for a while but something seemed wrong. Most people were off the bus and I went and I asked the bus driver. It was then that I found out that I had taken the bus in the wrong direction! Slightly defeated, I got off and crossed to the other side of the street and caught the next bus. I was wet and feeling a little miserable, starting to get frustrated. The next bus going my way finally arrived where I was greeted by a very drunk man who wanted to know my name and where I was from. I probably shouldn't have told him America, maybe I should have pulled the Canada trick, but he started shouting "USA!" which made me slightly embarrassed and then asked if I liked Obama. Yes, I replied. He then told me that Obama was "the big man America!" and that America was the "evolution, no the revolution!" then I think he started singing Bob Marley songs. Normally, I would have found it amusing but in my current state it was less than such.
He got off soon enough and I kept on riding along. I finally reached my hotel and checked in and flopped down on my bed. I don't know what had me so overwhelmed but I needed some time to unwind. It was a perfect coincidence that I had a single that day. I decided to take a shower and by the time I got out I was feeling good. I got a map and headed outside and it had mostly stopped raining! Woo. My mood was on the rise and I was feeling much better. I caught the bus back into town and set out to explore.
I was privy to another beautiful Italian city. I walked along the main road and then ducked out into the university area. Bologna's university is the oldest in Europe, founded in 1088! Wow. That is sort of astounding in itself. The grounds aren't the original, I believe they were relocated during the Napoleanic wars, but they are still quite old and the University vibe was great. For some reason, it was really nice to be on a campus. I don't know that I missed it but it was sort of comforting. All around were posters and flyers and banners about events or social change type things and there was something homey about it. Not to mention the buildings were really pretty.
My walk took me to the two towers, which were a cool site. One of the towers, the shorter one, is on a serious tilt and it seems impossible that it is still standing. What is it with these tilted Italian buildings? Is it the ground or what? Either way, it made for a cool site.
I turned up the street and got to the main piazza in time to see the sights there before the it was dark. There was a massive cathedral, though it wasn't really that attractive in my opinion, and lots of other historic churches and buildings. I really like the piazza/plaza concept. The squares are always so cool and it was nice to get back to the similar set up that I experienced in Spain. It just makes so much sense to me that there is a central square where most things lead to.
I toured around a bit and then went to find a place to get some food. Unfortunately, I would have to wait as the Italian schedule is quite late and restaurants rarely, if ever, open before 7. Not to fret though, I wandered some more and then employed one of my new favorite backpacking tricks. I often find that since I have a general European guide, there isn't a whole lot of information on specifics in the cities. So, what I have started to do if I have a free minute is go into a bookstore, find a specific guide, and pick out things. I write them down and copy the directions and everything and then I have a better sense on where to go if I haven't picked out places before hand.
The guides all listed one particular street with good, reasonably priced eateries and I headed there. I found a little place and had myself a big old plate of pasta bolognese. I was in Bologna after all so it only made sense that I eat the pasta that bears the city's name. It was so good. I've had many a bolognese and tried many as well but this was the real deal. Fresh pasta, nice fresh sauce, good seasonings. It was great and now I have a new reference point for the next time I make a batch myself.
Full of pasta and worn out from my rollercoaster of a day, I headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest.
I slept well and awoke the next day to head off to Parma. Prosciutto di Parma andcheese were on my mind and I couldn't wait. Unfortunately, the rain refused to give me a break. On the brighter side of things, I had a much easier trip there. I was able to catch a train right when I got to the station and it was a relatively easy ride. I exited the train into Parmagianno a harder pouring rain and set off for a long walk to the hostel. I arrived soaking wet, but not down at all this time! I was determined not to let the weather get me down.
I checked in to another really drab, boring Hostel International building which only furthered my conviction that there was no reason to have a membership and to stay in these places. It was cold and unfriendly but luckily I didn't hang around long. Despite the pouring rain, I went to see the sites. I figured I could at least duck into a museum if it got too wet. Well, I would find out that was not so as most of the museums closed around 2 and I was unaware of this during my sight seeing.
Parma itself was beautiful. I loved the old buildings and piazzas. Along the main road, there was an old building that housed a number of museums. Beyond that was a central Piazza with tons of restaurants and cafes. There was a building with the coolest sundial sort of thing on it with all different times on it. The buildings were just gorgeous. I lingered a bit and wandered around. After that, I headed over to the Piazza Duomo, where the truly historic sites are. There sat a giant cathedral and a tall octagonal baptistery. I attempted to go inside, but again I was in those dead hours when things are closed! I saw the exteriors and decided to return later on.
I headed over to a park which was really cool and really made me wish for some sun but instead the raid just kept on going. The park had a bunch of cool paths and ponds but I just couldn't take the rain anymore and I went back to shower off the cold and dry myself off. Before I returned to the hostel, I stopped at a grocery store to grab some things I needed. I have to admit, it was sort of depressing. The place was like a Wal Mart and here I was in a place known for its food yet people were buying up frozen pasta and packaged meats. I don't know that I can blame American trends for this but it is hard not to when everywhere there are signs for "to-go" and "take out" which are all written in English. The fact that they are not translate makes me feel like they are a firmly American concept. I know that its not just America that speaks English, don't get me wrong, but we are the country of fast food and to go orders so I can't help but think it comes from us. It made me a little sad but made me feel as though I had to go out and get myself some authentic food.
After I dried myself off, I went back to the Duomo and was able to see the cathedral and baptistery. Both were absolutely spectacular. The entire baptistery was painted, probably up about 4 stories with beautiful biblical scenes. It was amazing to just walk in circles and stare up at the scenes. Next, I headed to the cathedral where I was treated to even more amazing frescoes and paintings. It is incredible how much detail and work went into painting these holy places. In a way, for me, it is almost sort of eerie. I can't quite explain it, maybe it was just the rain and the darkness, but something about these places had a really interesting energy. Either way, I was glad that I got to see these spectacular sights.
My last stop was a restaurant housed in a 16th century building. I sat down and ordered myself a nice basic dinner. I truly believe that I won't be able to understand a cuisine without getting at the base flavors and simplest dishes. Simple is not to say that there is not a depth and complexity of flavor, but just that chefs are treating the ingredients of the area in a very basic way. I had a plate of Prosciutto di Parma and Parmiagano cheese. They sliced the Prosciutto to order on old, early 1900s slicers which shone with a glint that showed they had been taken care of throughout all those years.
The ham was divine and the cheese was so good. Way better than whatever is being imported to America right now. I must say though, the prosciutto was not quite what the serrano was in Spain. The prosciutto had a lighter flavor, while the serrano a more smoky, deeper flavor. Though, the comparison is not worth much because they are different things and both are fantastic in their own ways. I followed that up with a simple risotto with that same cheese I had just sampled. It was so creamy and deliciously salty. The risotto had a nice bite and it was so nice to have something so simple and delicious.
I was quite happy and very please to have sampled the dishes of the region. I paired it with a local red wine that held up well to both dishes and it was all quite heavenly. It put me to sleep a happy traveler again and I was loving Italy, which is quite something considering my shoes were soaked and my jacket soggy with rain. But it didn't matter, the food and wine had warmed me and the sights were incredible.
Parma and Bologna! What great cities. I am really glad I chose to see them. They were a perfect balance for my culinary appetite and my cultural curiosity. After a little while away from culinary pursuits, it was nice to be eating great dishes and getting a feel for hundreds of years of history. Italy is a pretty amazing place and there is so much to see that I know I will have to return again!
Hope everyone is doing just swell out there! Keep on scrolling down for the next update!
After Trento, I had a relatively short ride into Bologna that was complicated by a late train and the fact that they don't read the stops aloud! Ugh, it was so annoying. Usually, I just go by the time and recognize when I need to stop and then start looking for my stop around 10 minutes before. This plan does not work when the train is not running on time and they do not say how far behind it is. Needless to say, it was a slightly stressful trip... and it would only grow more so.
I arrived and burst upon the Bologna streets straight into an absolutely pouring rain. I hate rain. I can now say that I truly do. Ok, not those little summer rain showers or squalls about the lake, but the relentless downpours are just unnecessary. Because there did not seem to be too many places to stay in Bologna, I ended up in a single room on the outskirts of the city. In order to get there, I had to catch a bus which seemed simple enough. I boarded and waited for my stop. Busses are even more stressful for me than trains. There are no signs on the street and the announcements can barely be heard amongst the loud voices of fellow passengers.
I rode for a while but something seemed wrong. Most people were off the bus and I went and I asked the bus driver. It was then that I found out that I had taken the bus in the wrong direction! Slightly defeated, I got off and crossed to the other side of the street and caught the next bus. I was wet and feeling a little miserable, starting to get frustrated. The next bus going my way finally arrived where I was greeted by a very drunk man who wanted to know my name and where I was from. I probably shouldn't have told him America, maybe I should have pulled the Canada trick, but he started shouting "USA!" which made me slightly embarrassed and then asked if I liked Obama. Yes, I replied. He then told me that Obama was "the big man America!" and that America was the "evolution, no the revolution!" then I think he started singing Bob Marley songs. Normally, I would have found it amusing but in my current state it was less than such.
He got off soon enough and I kept on riding along. I finally reached my hotel and checked in and flopped down on my bed. I don't know what had me so overwhelmed but I needed some time to unwind. It was a perfect coincidence that I had a single that day. I decided to take a shower and by the time I got out I was feeling good. I got a map and headed outside and it had mostly stopped raining! Woo. My mood was on the rise and I was feeling much better. I caught the bus back into town and set out to explore.
I was privy to another beautiful Italian city. I walked along the main road and then ducked out into the university area. Bologna's university is the oldest in Europe, founded in 1088! Wow. That is sort of astounding in itself. The grounds aren't the original, I believe they were relocated during the Napoleanic wars, but they are still quite old and the University vibe was great. For some reason, it was really nice to be on a campus. I don't know that I missed it but it was sort of comforting. All around were posters and flyers and banners about events or social change type things and there was something homey about it. Not to mention the buildings were really pretty.
My walk took me to the two towers, which were a cool site. One of the towers, the shorter one, is on a serious tilt and it seems impossible that it is still standing. What is it with these tilted Italian buildings? Is it the ground or what? Either way, it made for a cool site.
I turned up the street and got to the main piazza in time to see the sights there before the it was dark. There was a massive cathedral, though it wasn't really that attractive in my opinion, and lots of other historic churches and buildings. I really like the piazza/plaza concept. The squares are always so cool and it was nice to get back to the similar set up that I experienced in Spain. It just makes so much sense to me that there is a central square where most things lead to.
I toured around a bit and then went to find a place to get some food. Unfortunately, I would have to wait as the Italian schedule is quite late and restaurants rarely, if ever, open before 7. Not to fret though, I wandered some more and then employed one of my new favorite backpacking tricks. I often find that since I have a general European guide, there isn't a whole lot of information on specifics in the cities. So, what I have started to do if I have a free minute is go into a bookstore, find a specific guide, and pick out things. I write them down and copy the directions and everything and then I have a better sense on where to go if I haven't picked out places before hand.
The guides all listed one particular street with good, reasonably priced eateries and I headed there. I found a little place and had myself a big old plate of pasta bolognese. I was in Bologna after all so it only made sense that I eat the pasta that bears the city's name. It was so good. I've had many a bolognese and tried many as well but this was the real deal. Fresh pasta, nice fresh sauce, good seasonings. It was great and now I have a new reference point for the next time I make a batch myself.
Full of pasta and worn out from my rollercoaster of a day, I headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest.
I slept well and awoke the next day to head off to Parma. Prosciutto di Parma andcheese were on my mind and I couldn't wait. Unfortunately, the rain refused to give me a break. On the brighter side of things, I had a much easier trip there. I was able to catch a train right when I got to the station and it was a relatively easy ride. I exited the train into Parmagianno a harder pouring rain and set off for a long walk to the hostel. I arrived soaking wet, but not down at all this time! I was determined not to let the weather get me down.
I checked in to another really drab, boring Hostel International building which only furthered my conviction that there was no reason to have a membership and to stay in these places. It was cold and unfriendly but luckily I didn't hang around long. Despite the pouring rain, I went to see the sites. I figured I could at least duck into a museum if it got too wet. Well, I would find out that was not so as most of the museums closed around 2 and I was unaware of this during my sight seeing.
Parma itself was beautiful. I loved the old buildings and piazzas. Along the main road, there was an old building that housed a number of museums. Beyond that was a central Piazza with tons of restaurants and cafes. There was a building with the coolest sundial sort of thing on it with all different times on it. The buildings were just gorgeous. I lingered a bit and wandered around. After that, I headed over to the Piazza Duomo, where the truly historic sites are. There sat a giant cathedral and a tall octagonal baptistery. I attempted to go inside, but again I was in those dead hours when things are closed! I saw the exteriors and decided to return later on.
I headed over to a park which was really cool and really made me wish for some sun but instead the raid just kept on going. The park had a bunch of cool paths and ponds but I just couldn't take the rain anymore and I went back to shower off the cold and dry myself off. Before I returned to the hostel, I stopped at a grocery store to grab some things I needed. I have to admit, it was sort of depressing. The place was like a Wal Mart and here I was in a place known for its food yet people were buying up frozen pasta and packaged meats. I don't know that I can blame American trends for this but it is hard not to when everywhere there are signs for "to-go" and "take out" which are all written in English. The fact that they are not translate makes me feel like they are a firmly American concept. I know that its not just America that speaks English, don't get me wrong, but we are the country of fast food and to go orders so I can't help but think it comes from us. It made me a little sad but made me feel as though I had to go out and get myself some authentic food.
After I dried myself off, I went back to the Duomo and was able to see the cathedral and baptistery. Both were absolutely spectacular. The entire baptistery was painted, probably up about 4 stories with beautiful biblical scenes. It was amazing to just walk in circles and stare up at the scenes. Next, I headed to the cathedral where I was treated to even more amazing frescoes and paintings. It is incredible how much detail and work went into painting these holy places. In a way, for me, it is almost sort of eerie. I can't quite explain it, maybe it was just the rain and the darkness, but something about these places had a really interesting energy. Either way, I was glad that I got to see these spectacular sights.
My last stop was a restaurant housed in a 16th century building. I sat down and ordered myself a nice basic dinner. I truly believe that I won't be able to understand a cuisine without getting at the base flavors and simplest dishes. Simple is not to say that there is not a depth and complexity of flavor, but just that chefs are treating the ingredients of the area in a very basic way. I had a plate of Prosciutto di Parma and Parmiagano cheese. They sliced the Prosciutto to order on old, early 1900s slicers which shone with a glint that showed they had been taken care of throughout all those years.
The ham was divine and the cheese was so good. Way better than whatever is being imported to America right now. I must say though, the prosciutto was not quite what the serrano was in Spain. The prosciutto had a lighter flavor, while the serrano a more smoky, deeper flavor. Though, the comparison is not worth much because they are different things and both are fantastic in their own ways. I followed that up with a simple risotto with that same cheese I had just sampled. It was so creamy and deliciously salty. The risotto had a nice bite and it was so nice to have something so simple and delicious.
I was quite happy and very please to have sampled the dishes of the region. I paired it with a local red wine that held up well to both dishes and it was all quite heavenly. It put me to sleep a happy traveler again and I was loving Italy, which is quite something considering my shoes were soaked and my jacket soggy with rain. But it didn't matter, the food and wine had warmed me and the sights were incredible.
Parma and Bologna! What great cities. I am really glad I chose to see them. They were a perfect balance for my culinary appetite and my cultural curiosity. After a little while away from culinary pursuits, it was nice to be eating great dishes and getting a feel for hundreds of years of history. Italy is a pretty amazing place and there is so much to see that I know I will have to return again!
Hope everyone is doing just swell out there! Keep on scrolling down for the next update!
Part Eleven: Vienna, Trento!
Hello all! It feels like a while since I have updated this ole thing so I figured that meant it was time to give it a go again. I am on the last leg of my European adventure now! It feels a little weird. I am spending until the 13th traveling Italy and then I will be heading to South America! Can't believe I'll be in a whole new continent soon. It feels strange to be sitting on a train and flipping through my guidebook to see where I'll be next and have it be limited to only one chapter! Since it has been so long, you will be receiving three, thats right three! blog posts at once, all for the price of one. So get your reading glasses on and prepare to be taken through 5 different locations. This first post will be Vienna and Trento, followed by Bologna and Parma, and finishing up with Cinque Terre. Don't forget to read them all!
But enough of that already, on to where I have been. I left you last in Innsbruck, where my two days were dominated by snow, carnival, and the beautiful Alps. Thursday morning, I caught the train into Vienna where I was headed to meet up with my good friends Oz (see the post on Prague) and Luke, both friends from Trinity. It'd been a while since I had spent significant time with friends so I was looking forward to it.
I boarded the train around 9:30 and found my seat in one of those little cabin like rooms with a young couple. For the most part, they were alright though they really enjoyed lounging around on each other and switching seats about every 15 minutes in order to find a new way to lay on each other. Those cabins aren't very big ya know, and it was a little bit weird. All was good until the last hour or so of the ride when my iPod battery ran out and I had to listen to them flirt, at least thats what I think they were doing, in German.
I arrived around 2:30 to the smiling faces of my two friends who escorted me onto the metro and in the direction of their dorm. Both are studying with the Trinity in Vienna program so I was lucky enough to have a nice shiny spot on Luke's floor upon which to rest my head. Their dorm was out in what appeared to me to be the Coney Island of Vienna, with a carnivally/circus/theme park sort of place right near the metro. But the rooms were super nice and I was glad to be out of a hostel for a few nights. I took care of my first order of business, laundry, right away as it had been far too long since the last time I had taken care of it.
After that, we headed out into the city where they showed me around the University they are studying at and pointed out some of the historical buildings and that sort of stuff with a bunch of little tour guide pieces of information. It was fun to be wandering at someone else's pace for a change and to have people point things out to me rather than be constantly searching them out on my own.
Soon enough, we found ourselves a place to have a drink and sat down to catch up on all sorts of things. I hadn't seen Luke in nearly a year and it was fun to hear what he'd been up to and to share stories about what had been going on in general. We were soon met by a guy they knew named Jean Baptisse from Nice (ok, so I only added his city for rhyming effect because i just now realized that his name rhymes with his hometown). He was quite a character and added a fun presence to our conversations. He was the first of many Erasmus students I would meet there, many of whom filled the dorm Oz and Luke are staying in. I dunno how this Erasmus thing works but the program seems absolutely massive.
After we finished our drinks and watched a little soccer, we headed back to the dorm to just hang out. It was there that I met Oz's roommate who would become a figure in my stay in Vienna. His name is (I am going to absolutely butcher this spelling) Dgregosh, and he was quite a jolly, funny guy from Poland. We talked for a while and then headed to bed, as the boys had class in the morning.
The next day I awoke alone in Luke's room, and took the time to update my blog and retrieve my now clean (thank god!) laundry. I relaxed a bit until they returned from class. Oz was off to meet his uncle so Luke and I went out to do some wandering. I apologize for forgetting all the names of these places, but we went over to a sort of central square type place (I guess?) where there was a giant cathedral that was quite impressive. I met a girl in Zurich who said she was sick of churches in Europe but somehow, after many many cathedrals, I am still not sick of them. We toured that a bit and then watched some break dancers.
These break dancers were quite good. Very acrobatic which was super entertaining if a little nerve racking. I really enjoyed this one little move that they did where to guys interlocked, one laying down and one kneeling, and the kneeling guy brought his shirt over the other guys knees. The one guy then moved his arms while the other moved his legs and it appeared like a little person dancing. It was quite clever.
We wandered some more, peaked into a bookstore, grabbed some small (very small!) "sandwiches." I put that in quotes because my guidebook listed a place that had cheap, open face sandwiches. We thought that was great so we went to get some. They were like the size of cracker. I guess sort of like an Austrian tapa. Oh well, the guidebook does fail me sometimes.
Our tiny bits left us still hungry so we met up with Oz to grab some food at a Pakistani restaurant. This joins the list, with the wine place in Berlin (see the post many times ago!), of places I appreciate for their trust in their customers. It was an all you can eat type place where you paid what you thought you should at the end. I enjoyed two plates of delicious food and was feeling quite stuffed and content. It was a pretty good deal considering Vienna can be sort of expensive. We played a few games of speed scrabble (my favorite!) and then headed home to prepare ourselves for the evening.
That was the evening of the infamous boat party. Club Shiff, I believe they called it. The Erasmus program was holding a party there and since many of the people Oz and Luke had met were Erasmus students, we went along. Before that we hung out at a party in some students' dorm room which was really fun and it was great to meet so many different people from all different places. Then we headed out. I don't have a whole lot to say about the boat party other than, well, it was sort of ridiculous. It was as if someone had just parked a dinner boat and decided to take the tables out and throw a party. It was a pretty weird place and I'm not sure if it was the drinking, or the boat, but everything sort of felt like it was on a tilt for the evening.
Many antics and blurred memories later, we returned home via the night bus and put ourselves to sleep. We awoke the next day and headed over the the nachtmarket (spelling?) which is a huge market with all sorts of food and produce and other products. It was SO cool. They had huge tubs of saurkraut, lots of pickles, a giant display of the most types of vinegar I have ever seen in my life. I really enjoyed noting the differences between there and other markets I have been too. Since Austria is a colder region, of course there was more dried, preserved typed products and root vegetables as opposed to fresher, warmer areas in Spain.
We gathered some stuff to make dinner one night and headed to meet Dgregosh at an art museum called the Kunsthalle. Now, I say art museum, but what was on display was pushing the limits of art for me. They billed it as a history of pornography which I felt had some art implications but it turned out to mostly be a giant room filled with TVs playing porn. Though it does bring up a funny distinction in the age old debate of what is art and porn. I can't define, but I know it when I see it, and it was porn. Thought it was pretty amusing to see all these people staring at TVs and scratching their chins to try and find something in what they were seeing. I enjoyed people's reactions most.
We wandered the city some more and then went to have the traditional Vienna coffee house experience. The place was so beautiful, though the waiter was not very nice and, to be honest, my hot chocolate was not spectacular. Though the pastries were fantastic. As an added bonus, there was a guy playing some really impressive piano tunes. Afterwards, we headed home to have dinner. Dgregosh cooked us up some delicious food and then we headed out to meet up with two students from their program for drinks. It was much more relaxed than the crazy, weird boat party and it was perfect for relaxing a bit. We went home after some good drinks and conversation and attempted to watch a movie, though I mostly just fell asleep.
Sunday was my last day and we took it easy again. Luke and I headed off to check out a movie, which was nice because I hadn't seen a movie in a theater in I don't know how long. The theater was sort of fun. They actually had the chairs slanting the opposite way you would expect. Down from the screen rather than sloping towards it. I thought it was weird at first but I trusted the Austrians and for good reason because it was much more comfortable. We watched The Reader which I really enjoyed even though I found it quite depressing. It was really nice to just be able to relax and see movie.
That night we had ourselves a last supper and made some potato and leek soup with our nachtmarket ingredients that was really good. We ate together and then headed out to meet up with Oz's cousin who was in town and we hung out with him a bit and then headed on home. It was great to see my friends and I enjoyed relaxing with them. Vienna is a really pretty city and I thought it was a pretty cool place.
I headed out the next day at an ungodly early time after very little sleep. I somehow dragged myself onto the train and got to my seat where I promptly fell asleep. I was headed for Trento, a city in Northern Italy set among the large Dolomite rock outcroppings. I am not quite sure what drew me there but I think I was looking for something a little different and did not quite feel like heading to another huge city. After a change in stations, I headed down into Italy (the last country on my tour of Europe!) and broke into the sun and beautiful mountains of northern Italy. Luckily, I managed to stay awake for that period of time and was rewarded with some great views.
I got into Trento and went to check into my hostel. After trying to sort out a problem with my debit card, I gave up and went to the ATM. It didn't work their either! I was getting nervous but figured I would try another ATM. Finally, it worked and I was able to check in. The place sort of felt like a barracks and didn't have a whole lot of personality. It was the first Hostel International place I stayed and it made me glad I hadn't bought a membership and had chosen to pick smaller, more personal hostels most of the time. But, it was the only hostel there so I hadn't much choice.
I set down my stuff and went to see the city a bit in the last hours of sunlight. The city itself was beautiful. In the center, it was mostly old buildings and it is sometimes referred to as the "painted city" because their are all sorts of painted friezes amongst the buildings. The center of the city is the Piazza Duomo which is surrounded by a huge cathedral and another building that has gone back and forth between royal housing and church purposes. Though, they claim now that it has been restored to its "rightful religious purposes." The cathedral is where the Council of Trent met in the 1500s and it was a pretty cool place to be. There was also, of course, a giant neptune fountain statue deal in the center of the square. Surround it, were all sorts of cafes and restaurants. After bit of walking I relaxed in a cafe and then went off to find myself some food. I enjoyed my first taste of Italian pizza and had some hand rolled pizza with thinly sliced eggplant on it, cooked in a brick oven. It was really delicious.
The town itself had a really cool, small town feel. There was a university there also which added a nice youthful element to the place. Not to mention, the surrounding hills were absolutely gorgeous. It felt pretty authentically Italian to me, though the northern part seemed a little detached from the other parts I have seen now. There is a lot of history up there having to do with independence from the Tyrolians/Austrians, a lot of which I didn't know about, and it was a really interesting place to be.
After my pizza, I headed to bed, eagerly awaiting my second day of exploration. I had a fantastic night of sleep despite the strange dorm situation, and awoke full of energy - to a cloudy, slightly rainy day. I decided not to let it get me down, and went out anyway. All I could do was hope that the light drizzle didn't turn into anything more significant. i had a few things I wanted to do that day so i went out to set about my list.
First, I tried to walk up to a monument type thing I had spotted, but it did not open until 9 a.m. Then I tried to visit a castle, but that didn't open until 9:30. Man, they start late in Italy! I walked around a bit and then headed back to the castle which turned out to be really really cool. Most of it was built in the 1500s, though parts of it dated from a couple hundred years before. Inside, the rooms were so cool and were painted with all sorts of impressive frescoes and amazing ceilings. There was a cool climb up a tower area that had a good view despite the clouds. The royal rooms were impressive and I particularly enjoyed the entertainment/receiving rooms.
In many rooms they had different exhibits, in particular a special exhibit on "the orient" because of some commitment to European cultural dialogue in 2009 or something like that. In and amongst the amazing painted rooms were all sorts of navigational tools and maps from throughout the history of exploring the seas. As I like old books, tools, and boats, it was a perfect exhibit. I toured around some more and stumbled upon my favorite room, the library. On the ceiling there were paintings of all different scholars from throughout the years and it was so fun to be looking up at a bunch of pictures of old white bearded dudes sitting at their desks, looking down back at me.
The last place I went within the castle walls was the courtyard area. The history there was pretty intense, I found out, as it was used by the Austrians in the fight for independence in the early 1900s. There, they imprisoned the rebels from Trent and held them in these tiny walled off archways, which they have kept as an exhibit, until their court dates. On the opposite side of the walls they hanged many rebels, including Cesare Battista who I came to find out was a really big deal (more on that in a moment!) though I still do not know much about him.
That completed my tour, and headed back through the Piazza Duomo where I was able to go inside the cathedral there which was quite massive. The columns themselves were probably five feet in diameter, if not more, and it was just an absolutely huge place.
All that walking had given me an appetite and it was time to taste some good Italian food. I found a little place off on a side street and sat down to have myself a meal. I started with a mushroom soup that was deliciously earthy and chock full of all sorts of wild mushrooms. It was really good. Then, I had my main course of fresh tagliatelle pasta paired with a pheasant ragu. Oh man. It was incredible. The pheasant was tender and the ragu was studded with little bits of chestnuts. The pasta itself was so fresh and tender and it was great to be tasting authentic Italian food. I had it all paired with a glass of slightly sweet, delicious red wine and it was a perfect meal.
Much to my delight, when I emerged from my culinary wonderland the clouds had lifted slightly, and it was no longer precipitating. I took advantage of the time to hike up to that monument I had tried to reach earlier but had been turned away by a gate. When I arrived this time the gate was open and I headed right in. The hike up was really cool. I went along some old cobbled paths, through little buildings, all the while looking out over a hill of vineyards on the neighboring rock outcropping. It was really beautiful.
I reached the top, and the monument which I soon found was dedicated to Cesare Battista. He remains a local hero in Trento and this monument proved it. It was a huge circular, coliseum like place that had an eerie enclosed part and then a deck up above amongst the columns. Surrounding it were old guns and I imagine it was a hill that the forces from Trento held during the war for independence. I was really intrigued and I am determined to learn more about it. Nearby was a museum and I hoped to get some info their but as I approached it an alarm went off so I quickly turned away.
I spent the rest of my day just wandering amongst the old town and down around the university which I really enjoyed. The town was just so cool and everywhere I went people were saying Ciao! to each other and everyone seemed to know one another. One funny point. I passed two old guys, one of whom said "Ciao! Mario!" and the other guy looked puzzled. He quickly corrected his friend letting him know that he was actually Luigi. I think, I may have heard wrong, but for now I'm sticking with it. HA! A confusion of Mario and Luigi. Oh Nintendo. I grabbed myself some more delicious pizza for dinner and headed off to bed.
My final point is a weird one. That night, the hostel dorm took a turn for the weird. I was kept awake by a mostly naked Italian guy who was blasting his iPod so loud that I could hear every word in his techno house beats music. Just as I had finally tuned it out, the guy in charge of the hostel came in and started to ask us all about our beds. He had sort of a confrontation with one guy who he seemed to be claiming was supposed to check out that day but hadn't. They exchanged papers and words and finally the guy gave up and brought in a cot for our newest guest. It was a really weird experience and the hostel had me feeling a bit strange. Not to worry though, it was my last night and I still got some good sleep in.
So, Trento was great. I really enjoyed it and was glad that I picked it so randomly. It was feeling great to be in Italy and the city was gorgeous. It is amazing to be walking amongst so much history. It always sort of astounds me when I walk over a stone stair that has been worn smooth and actually worn away a noticeable amount by hundreds of years of treading. The history was present there and the feeling of the city itself was relaxing and great.
But enough of that already, on to where I have been. I left you last in Innsbruck, where my two days were dominated by snow, carnival, and the beautiful Alps. Thursday morning, I caught the train into Vienna where I was headed to meet up with my good friends Oz (see the post on Prague) and Luke, both friends from Trinity. It'd been a while since I had spent significant time with friends so I was looking forward to it.
I boarded the train around 9:30 and found my seat in one of those little cabin like rooms with a young couple. For the most part, they were alright though they really enjoyed lounging around on each other and switching seats about every 15 minutes in order to find a new way to lay on each other. Those cabins aren't very big ya know, and it was a little bit weird. All was good until the last hour or so of the ride when my iPod battery ran out and I had to listen to them flirt, at least thats what I think they were doing, in German.
I arrived around 2:30 to the smiling faces of my two friends who escorted me onto the metro and in the direction of their dorm. Both are studying with the Trinity in Vienna program so I was lucky enough to have a nice shiny spot on Luke's floor upon which to rest my head. Their dorm was out in what appeared to me to be the Coney Island of Vienna, with a carnivally/circus/theme park sort of place right near the metro. But the rooms were super nice and I was glad to be out of a hostel for a few nights. I took care of my first order of business, laundry, right away as it had been far too long since the last time I had taken care of it.
After that, we headed out into the city where they showed me around the University they are studying at and pointed out some of the historical buildings and that sort of stuff with a bunch of little tour guide pieces of information. It was fun to be wandering at someone else's pace for a change and to have people point things out to me rather than be constantly searching them out on my own.
Soon enough, we found ourselves a place to have a drink and sat down to catch up on all sorts of things. I hadn't seen Luke in nearly a year and it was fun to hear what he'd been up to and to share stories about what had been going on in general. We were soon met by a guy they knew named Jean Baptisse from Nice (ok, so I only added his city for rhyming effect because i just now realized that his name rhymes with his hometown). He was quite a character and added a fun presence to our conversations. He was the first of many Erasmus students I would meet there, many of whom filled the dorm Oz and Luke are staying in. I dunno how this Erasmus thing works but the program seems absolutely massive.
After we finished our drinks and watched a little soccer, we headed back to the dorm to just hang out. It was there that I met Oz's roommate who would become a figure in my stay in Vienna. His name is (I am going to absolutely butcher this spelling) Dgregosh, and he was quite a jolly, funny guy from Poland. We talked for a while and then headed to bed, as the boys had class in the morning.
The next day I awoke alone in Luke's room, and took the time to update my blog and retrieve my now clean (thank god!) laundry. I relaxed a bit until they returned from class. Oz was off to meet his uncle so Luke and I went out to do some wandering. I apologize for forgetting all the names of these places, but we went over to a sort of central square type place (I guess?) where there was a giant cathedral that was quite impressive. I met a girl in Zurich who said she was sick of churches in Europe but somehow, after many many cathedrals, I am still not sick of them. We toured that a bit and then watched some break dancers.
These break dancers were quite good. Very acrobatic which was super entertaining if a little nerve racking. I really enjoyed this one little move that they did where to guys interlocked, one laying down and one kneeling, and the kneeling guy brought his shirt over the other guys knees. The one guy then moved his arms while the other moved his legs and it appeared like a little person dancing. It was quite clever.
We wandered some more, peaked into a bookstore, grabbed some small (very small!) "sandwiches." I put that in quotes because my guidebook listed a place that had cheap, open face sandwiches. We thought that was great so we went to get some. They were like the size of cracker. I guess sort of like an Austrian tapa. Oh well, the guidebook does fail me sometimes.
Our tiny bits left us still hungry so we met up with Oz to grab some food at a Pakistani restaurant. This joins the list, with the wine place in Berlin (see the post many times ago!), of places I appreciate for their trust in their customers. It was an all you can eat type place where you paid what you thought you should at the end. I enjoyed two plates of delicious food and was feeling quite stuffed and content. It was a pretty good deal considering Vienna can be sort of expensive. We played a few games of speed scrabble (my favorite!) and then headed home to prepare ourselves for the evening.
That was the evening of the infamous boat party. Club Shiff, I believe they called it. The Erasmus program was holding a party there and since many of the people Oz and Luke had met were Erasmus students, we went along. Before that we hung out at a party in some students' dorm room which was really fun and it was great to meet so many different people from all different places. Then we headed out. I don't have a whole lot to say about the boat party other than, well, it was sort of ridiculous. It was as if someone had just parked a dinner boat and decided to take the tables out and throw a party. It was a pretty weird place and I'm not sure if it was the drinking, or the boat, but everything sort of felt like it was on a tilt for the evening.
Many antics and blurred memories later, we returned home via the night bus and put ourselves to sleep. We awoke the next day and headed over the the nachtmarket (spelling?) which is a huge market with all sorts of food and produce and other products. It was SO cool. They had huge tubs of saurkraut, lots of pickles, a giant display of the most types of vinegar I have ever seen in my life. I really enjoyed noting the differences between there and other markets I have been too. Since Austria is a colder region, of course there was more dried, preserved typed products and root vegetables as opposed to fresher, warmer areas in Spain.
We gathered some stuff to make dinner one night and headed to meet Dgregosh at an art museum called the Kunsthalle. Now, I say art museum, but what was on display was pushing the limits of art for me. They billed it as a history of pornography which I felt had some art implications but it turned out to mostly be a giant room filled with TVs playing porn. Though it does bring up a funny distinction in the age old debate of what is art and porn. I can't define, but I know it when I see it, and it was porn. Thought it was pretty amusing to see all these people staring at TVs and scratching their chins to try and find something in what they were seeing. I enjoyed people's reactions most.
We wandered the city some more and then went to have the traditional Vienna coffee house experience. The place was so beautiful, though the waiter was not very nice and, to be honest, my hot chocolate was not spectacular. Though the pastries were fantastic. As an added bonus, there was a guy playing some really impressive piano tunes. Afterwards, we headed home to have dinner. Dgregosh cooked us up some delicious food and then we headed out to meet up with two students from their program for drinks. It was much more relaxed than the crazy, weird boat party and it was perfect for relaxing a bit. We went home after some good drinks and conversation and attempted to watch a movie, though I mostly just fell asleep.
Sunday was my last day and we took it easy again. Luke and I headed off to check out a movie, which was nice because I hadn't seen a movie in a theater in I don't know how long. The theater was sort of fun. They actually had the chairs slanting the opposite way you would expect. Down from the screen rather than sloping towards it. I thought it was weird at first but I trusted the Austrians and for good reason because it was much more comfortable. We watched The Reader which I really enjoyed even though I found it quite depressing. It was really nice to just be able to relax and see movie.
That night we had ourselves a last supper and made some potato and leek soup with our nachtmarket ingredients that was really good. We ate together and then headed out to meet up with Oz's cousin who was in town and we hung out with him a bit and then headed on home. It was great to see my friends and I enjoyed relaxing with them. Vienna is a really pretty city and I thought it was a pretty cool place.
I headed out the next day at an ungodly early time after very little sleep. I somehow dragged myself onto the train and got to my seat where I promptly fell asleep. I was headed for Trento, a city in Northern Italy set among the large Dolomite rock outcroppings. I am not quite sure what drew me there but I think I was looking for something a little different and did not quite feel like heading to another huge city. After a change in stations, I headed down into Italy (the last country on my tour of Europe!) and broke into the sun and beautiful mountains of northern Italy. Luckily, I managed to stay awake for that period of time and was rewarded with some great views.
I got into Trento and went to check into my hostel. After trying to sort out a problem with my debit card, I gave up and went to the ATM. It didn't work their either! I was getting nervous but figured I would try another ATM. Finally, it worked and I was able to check in. The place sort of felt like a barracks and didn't have a whole lot of personality. It was the first Hostel International place I stayed and it made me glad I hadn't bought a membership and had chosen to pick smaller, more personal hostels most of the time. But, it was the only hostel there so I hadn't much choice.
I set down my stuff and went to see the city a bit in the last hours of sunlight. The city itself was beautiful. In the center, it was mostly old buildings and it is sometimes referred to as the "painted city" because their are all sorts of painted friezes amongst the buildings. The center of the city is the Piazza Duomo which is surrounded by a huge cathedral and another building that has gone back and forth between royal housing and church purposes. Though, they claim now that it has been restored to its "rightful religious purposes." The cathedral is where the Council of Trent met in the 1500s and it was a pretty cool place to be. There was also, of course, a giant neptune fountain statue deal in the center of the square. Surround it, were all sorts of cafes and restaurants. After bit of walking I relaxed in a cafe and then went off to find myself some food. I enjoyed my first taste of Italian pizza and had some hand rolled pizza with thinly sliced eggplant on it, cooked in a brick oven. It was really delicious.
The town itself had a really cool, small town feel. There was a university there also which added a nice youthful element to the place. Not to mention, the surrounding hills were absolutely gorgeous. It felt pretty authentically Italian to me, though the northern part seemed a little detached from the other parts I have seen now. There is a lot of history up there having to do with independence from the Tyrolians/Austrians, a lot of which I didn't know about, and it was a really interesting place to be.
After my pizza, I headed to bed, eagerly awaiting my second day of exploration. I had a fantastic night of sleep despite the strange dorm situation, and awoke full of energy - to a cloudy, slightly rainy day. I decided not to let it get me down, and went out anyway. All I could do was hope that the light drizzle didn't turn into anything more significant. i had a few things I wanted to do that day so i went out to set about my list.
First, I tried to walk up to a monument type thing I had spotted, but it did not open until 9 a.m. Then I tried to visit a castle, but that didn't open until 9:30. Man, they start late in Italy! I walked around a bit and then headed back to the castle which turned out to be really really cool. Most of it was built in the 1500s, though parts of it dated from a couple hundred years before. Inside, the rooms were so cool and were painted with all sorts of impressive frescoes and amazing ceilings. There was a cool climb up a tower area that had a good view despite the clouds. The royal rooms were impressive and I particularly enjoyed the entertainment/receiving rooms.
In many rooms they had different exhibits, in particular a special exhibit on "the orient" because of some commitment to European cultural dialogue in 2009 or something like that. In and amongst the amazing painted rooms were all sorts of navigational tools and maps from throughout the history of exploring the seas. As I like old books, tools, and boats, it was a perfect exhibit. I toured around some more and stumbled upon my favorite room, the library. On the ceiling there were paintings of all different scholars from throughout the years and it was so fun to be looking up at a bunch of pictures of old white bearded dudes sitting at their desks, looking down back at me.
The last place I went within the castle walls was the courtyard area. The history there was pretty intense, I found out, as it was used by the Austrians in the fight for independence in the early 1900s. There, they imprisoned the rebels from Trent and held them in these tiny walled off archways, which they have kept as an exhibit, until their court dates. On the opposite side of the walls they hanged many rebels, including Cesare Battista who I came to find out was a really big deal (more on that in a moment!) though I still do not know much about him.
That completed my tour, and headed back through the Piazza Duomo where I was able to go inside the cathedral there which was quite massive. The columns themselves were probably five feet in diameter, if not more, and it was just an absolutely huge place.
All that walking had given me an appetite and it was time to taste some good Italian food. I found a little place off on a side street and sat down to have myself a meal. I started with a mushroom soup that was deliciously earthy and chock full of all sorts of wild mushrooms. It was really good. Then, I had my main course of fresh tagliatelle pasta paired with a pheasant ragu. Oh man. It was incredible. The pheasant was tender and the ragu was studded with little bits of chestnuts. The pasta itself was so fresh and tender and it was great to be tasting authentic Italian food. I had it all paired with a glass of slightly sweet, delicious red wine and it was a perfect meal.
Much to my delight, when I emerged from my culinary wonderland the clouds had lifted slightly, and it was no longer precipitating. I took advantage of the time to hike up to that monument I had tried to reach earlier but had been turned away by a gate. When I arrived this time the gate was open and I headed right in. The hike up was really cool. I went along some old cobbled paths, through little buildings, all the while looking out over a hill of vineyards on the neighboring rock outcropping. It was really beautiful.
I reached the top, and the monument which I soon found was dedicated to Cesare Battista. He remains a local hero in Trento and this monument proved it. It was a huge circular, coliseum like place that had an eerie enclosed part and then a deck up above amongst the columns. Surrounding it were old guns and I imagine it was a hill that the forces from Trento held during the war for independence. I was really intrigued and I am determined to learn more about it. Nearby was a museum and I hoped to get some info their but as I approached it an alarm went off so I quickly turned away.
I spent the rest of my day just wandering amongst the old town and down around the university which I really enjoyed. The town was just so cool and everywhere I went people were saying Ciao! to each other and everyone seemed to know one another. One funny point. I passed two old guys, one of whom said "Ciao! Mario!" and the other guy looked puzzled. He quickly corrected his friend letting him know that he was actually Luigi. I think, I may have heard wrong, but for now I'm sticking with it. HA! A confusion of Mario and Luigi. Oh Nintendo. I grabbed myself some more delicious pizza for dinner and headed off to bed.
My final point is a weird one. That night, the hostel dorm took a turn for the weird. I was kept awake by a mostly naked Italian guy who was blasting his iPod so loud that I could hear every word in his techno house beats music. Just as I had finally tuned it out, the guy in charge of the hostel came in and started to ask us all about our beds. He had sort of a confrontation with one guy who he seemed to be claiming was supposed to check out that day but hadn't. They exchanged papers and words and finally the guy gave up and brought in a cot for our newest guest. It was a really weird experience and the hostel had me feeling a bit strange. Not to worry though, it was my last night and I still got some good sleep in.
So, Trento was great. I really enjoyed it and was glad that I picked it so randomly. It was feeling great to be in Italy and the city was gorgeous. It is amazing to be walking amongst so much history. It always sort of astounds me when I walk over a stone stair that has been worn smooth and actually worn away a noticeable amount by hundreds of years of treading. The history was present there and the feeling of the city itself was relaxing and great.
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