Italia!

Ciao!.. My adventures in Italy ensue! Our ship reached Civitavecchia, Italy this past Tuesday on a clear sunny, meaning HOT, day. After the ship was cleared, I joined many fellow SASers on a journey to ROME! Having been to Rome once before, I knew what to expect, but was excited to experience it college student style: no set plans, except to see EVERYTHING, eat as much pasta and gelato as possible, and make many connections with the native Italians. We saw all of the sites, stayed in a quaint bed and breakfast, (where we shared a bathroom with several other foreigners), and soaked up each other’s company during gatherings on the Spanish steps and big family style Italian dinners.

After one night in Rome, we took a train to Florence. Can I just say I LOVE FLORENCE! The moment we got off the train in Florence, we checked into our hostel on Borgo di Greci, which only pictures can describe haha!..It was one huge white room with brick floors, one huge bed (which was really two twins pushed together) and two other twins sized beds with stark white sheets that reminded me of old timey hospital beds that I’ve only seen in the movies. We did have a shower…that we did NOT have to share, and one large fan..SORRY.. no A/C included.. :-/. I complain more out of humor than anything. It actually ended up being pretty fun! Besides staying in a hostel, we did many other wonderful things. The first, I’m sort of embarrassed to admit, but here it goes… ECLIPSE.. Twilight saga.. J Very good! Yes, yes..I know, what were we thinking watching a movie in ITALY??! But, the movie was good and the theatre was absolutely stunning, being that it was formerly an old opera house. The next, day the real adventures continued. We walked miles looking at leather jackets, purses, and all other leather products Florence is so famous for. We also hit Ponte di Vecchio (sp) or the golden bridge, where you will find the most intriguing gold jewelry. FUN FACT! This bridge was actually at one time the meeting place for Hitler and Mussolini and was the only bridge in Florence not bombed during the war. Apart from shopping we took a bike tour of Florence. At first I was a little skeptical, but we ended up having a blast and learned a lot about the city, not to mention how to use bike breaks in oncoming traffic….Last night was our third and final night in Florence so we decided to go out with a bang and get a large SAS group together for a big Italian dinner!

If you haven’t experienced a family style Italian dinner, let me just say that it is quite an event and highly recommended! My favorite experience was at “Il Latini”. Il Latini is very well known in Florence, not to mention very hard to find..(It’s okay though, you’ll be glad you got the exercise after you’re done with your meal.) Okay, so to illustrate this epic event…..The group of twelve other SASers and I walk through the front door and are immediately given a big Italian greeting by a short and burley Italian man—who was the owner. It should come as no surprise that our dinner plans did not include a reservation, but NO PROBLEMA! Right away, tables and chairs are being shuffled around into a perfect setting for my group..We sit down and anxiously await dinner to be served. About two minutes after sitting down, our table is bombarded with plate after basket of bread, Italian ham and melon, Mozzarella cheese balls with tomatoes, sautéed tabouleh, white wine, red wine.. SHEESH! Family size portions are passed around until everyone gets their fill. Oh, but this is just the beginning, as soon as the eating begins to wind down, out comes roasted potatoes, ravioli, pasta, more wine. The eating picks back up and dwindles back down.. We’re all full, but can’t quit eating. The waiters notice our plates are getting emptier and immediately start bringing platters full of beef, veal, and chicken! OH MY! If only my stomach were as big as my eyes at this point!.. The same pattern incurs..the eating begins again, until the platters are empty and finally, dessert. Dessert consisted of custard and strawberries as well as mini biscotti, dessert wine..(not to be confused with desert wine, which is another story for another time) and limoncello!!! 35 Euros later, we had eaten to our hearts content, told crazy stories, and laughed till we cried. What a fun and UNFORGETTABLE night!

Well, I’m in Naples now, but not for long! Tomorrow I head off to the Island of Capri..