Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Travel Journal #3

This past weekend the Meredith girls embarked on their first independent travel break; five girls went to Cinqua Terre, three girls went to Rome, one went to Venice and three, including myself, went to Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest! I spent the two weeks leading up to this travel break making sure everything was perfect. My hard worked paid off when we left shortly after lunch for the Sansepolcro bus station. We encountered some difficulties in Arezzo when we realized that I had unintentionally changed our train from five in the evening to noon. The attendant at the station humbly admitted that the Trainitalia site is terrible because Italians made it. After we paid for a new ticket, we were on our way to Florence. Once in Florence we got a quick bite to eat, “quick” aka: McDonald’s, and were on the next train to Venice.
The train to Venice was impressive to say the least. Everything was stylish and new.  The train was very clean and comfortable, although it was a bit crowded. I quickly realized that an American couple was sitting across the aisle from me. After a few stops, a Swiss woman sat down across from me and inquired of the American couple and myself about our feelings towards Obama. Naturally they, being an elderly, presumably uncommonly wealthy couple from Arizona, and myself, being a nineteen year old democrat, had different views. Nonetheless this question surprised me. Up until this point it had been my impression that it was somewhat of a taboo to speak of politics in Europe. However I soon realized that almost everyone’s first question to me as an American is how I feel about Obama.

Once we got to Veince we had no trouble getting to the airport and onto our plane. Landing in Frankfurt, Germany was so exciting, but I should have done more research on how far it was from our hostel; about two and a half hours. I don’t feel any regret though, because we met the nicest Italian man on the bus into town. His name was Leonardo and he insisted that our hotel was in a bad part of town and therefore offered to walk us. As unsafe as this seemed, I felt that having him there was less dangerous than walking through the red light district with two other girls. He was in a hurry, so he got us a cab, paid for it, and went as far to ring the doorbell of the hostel and make sure we got in alright. I never seem to get used to the random acts of kindness I see committed here on a daily basis.

The hostel was amazing. Although the location was a bit questionable, I never had to walk down the streets because we only stayed one night. The staff was friendly, the rooms were clean, the beds were comfortable and the breakfast was delicious. The best part was that it was right next to the train station.  We left the next morning and got to Munich around noon. I was even more impressed by the German train system than the Italian. Seeing festively dressed Germans on the train only got me more excited for the two days of Oktoberfest that lay ahead. Once in Munich we went straight to the hotel to freshen up then we were off to Oktoberfest!

My first impression was overwhelming. There were so many people and so many things to do. The best way to describe it is that it is like one giant state fair except with better food, better rides and a lot of beer. The beer tents were the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen, although it wasn’t until that night we finally got invited to sit at a table (apparently you must make reservations months in advance and it costs hundreds of dollars). No worries, though; there were smaller tents serving beer to people even without tables. There were many food stands selling bratwurst, schnitzel, pretzels, and corn. It was absolutely delicious! We met so many people from so many different places. Ironically the first people we met were a group of Italian men, I was excited and eager to work on my Italian and felt rather impressed with myself when I became the official translator between them and two Danish guys closer to our age. I shortly realized I had more in common with the Danish guys and left with them to go ride some rides. Niki, Liz and I left Oktoberfest that night to get dresses and dinner, but returned when we heard the Danish guys had gotten a table. There we met many Germans and had an amazing time chanting and singing. We met up with a Canadian guy leaving who helped us get to the metro and back to our hotel.

The next day armed with my new Oktoberfest dress, we were ready to go back. More rides, food and beer is what our day consisted of. We continued to meet people from all around the world and had an amazing time. Getting back to the hotel this night proved to be more challenging. We somehow ended up on the wrong train and were unable to get back to the hotel. After an hour long walk in the freezing cold, (I could see my breath!), we caught a cab and made it back. The next morning we had breakfast and left for the main train station. This train was as equally impressive as the one before. We were doing great, changing trains like pros until all of a sudden we were on the wrong train. (I’m still unsure how this happened. It was at the right time at the right bin, but was the wrong train?) Regardless, we got a cab and made it to the airport with two hours to spare. I slept during the whole flight. Landing in Rome was hectic, but most of that was due to stress. We had some discrepancy about which metro to get on and ended up walking in one giant circle around Rome Central, but in the end we made it on the right train back and found Gabrielle waiting with a sign which had the Meredith College Lux on it. He got us back to Sanselpocro safe and sound. I almost felt like crying. I was so glad to be back with my family here, I never thought I could miss them that much just over one weekend, but I did.

I had an amazing time in Germany and at Oktoberfest I would recommend it for anyone. At the same time I was grateful to get back to Sansepolcro where everything is familiar. It made me realize how just over the past month I have adopted this town as my home and these girls as my sisters. I can’t bear to think ahead to December when I will have to leave. The subject is one that isn’t allowed around the Palazzo Alberti.

Entry 2: 09/21/2011

The third weekend we spent in Sansepolcro was one of the best weekends of my life by far! We were invited to participate in a tradition in Sansepolcro called the Balestra. The Balestra is a crossbow competition between Sansepolcro and Gubbio, a town nearby. The competition is centuries old. In the two weeks leading up to the Balestra, the streets of Sansepolcro are filled with Italians dressed in traditional Renaissance wear parading down the streets four to five times a day. The night before the Balestra, Saturday, is when we were invited to participate. We had also participated the previous Saturday. The event was a Spandatory, which is a sport similar to flag twirling but consists mostly of males and is much more impressive than American flag twirling. We processed into the main Piazza with a fleet of people dressed as if they were from the Renaissance.

Once in the Piazza we sat and watched with amazement as the men threw their flags high in the air. It was my favorite Balestra event. After the show was over we were invited to a party that was being thrown for the Spandatory, their friends and family. Most of the participants we around our age, although some were much younger and some were much older, it was so nice to be around people who were doing something so neat. The party had free food, free drinks and great company. Even the mayor was there! The night started off with some casual meet’ and’ greet, and a lot of mingling. Towards the end of the night, the DJ cranked up the music and a dance party emerged. It was the most fun thing I’ve ever experienced. There were belly dancers and music from Grease! At one point a group of young men picked me up and flew me around the room in a circle. It would have seemed strange if they hadn’t just done it to the director of the Balestra. Everyone had a wonderful time and we met so many new people that we still talk with today!    

The next day at the actual Balestra we were amazed at the level of skill that went into the competition. It was a long, hot afternoon but I was intrigued the whole way through. Although we couldn’t understand what they were saying, by the end of the competition the reaction of the entire Piazza told us that Sansepolcro had won third, second, and first place! It was like being in Pittsburg when the Steelers won the Super Bowl. The hours directly following there were processions after processions. Bartenders would prepare tables of beer for the competitors to grab on their way by. It was a remarkable experience.

The next week went by filled with tests and homework. The whole Palazzo was getting stir-crazy waiting for the undoubtedly exciting weekend that lay ahead. We were getting ready to go on our first excursion, to Florence!

We left Friday after Italian class, armed with our packed lunches! I actually enjoyed the trip there much more than I thought I would. I wasn’t looking forward to a two hour bus followed by a two hour train ride, but it ended up being quite enjoyable. Once we arrived, we walked around the market and other notable parts of the city en route to our hotel. I’ll never forget literally having my breath taken away from me at the first sight of the Duomo, I realize that’s cheesy but its true! The heat was almost unbearable, we were getting quite cranky lugging our book bags and duffles around but after a quick rest at the hotel we were ready to explore!

I had big plans for the weekend. I wanted to do everything: the Pitti Palace, the Uffitzi, the Bargello, The Acadameia, and the Duomo! But, Friday I stuck to shopping around with the rest of the group. Friday night Allison and I had the nicest dinner right across the street from the Pitti Palace, can you imagine a better place? Just wait.

Saturday morning we had some complications getting up but we were out the door by nine. We spend a few hours at the Pitti Palace, which was absolutely amazing. The whole building was a work of art, not just what was on the walls. Afterwards we decided to tour the gardens which were a great decision because not only were the gardens beautiful but the views were even better. I also enjoyed lying in the grass thinking “a Medici could have laid here.” Seeing the vast space inside of a city that is so packed was really amazing. After lunch we climbed the Duomo! That is my favorite experience thus far. The sight was breathtaking but thinking about how much work went into it and who worked on it is even more impressive. We stayed up there for almost an hour. Once we got back down to reality I stopped by the Academia to make my reservation, then we went back to meet up with everyone else. We never even went inside the hotel because we decided to go to Piazza di Michelangelo to watch the sunset. It was one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen in my life. We ate dinner in the shadow of the Duomo then went off to experience the night life in Florence.

The next day didn’t go as planned, the Bargello was closed so I settled for the Ufitzi, a hard life I know. The artwork was amazing, the “Prima Vera” and the “Birth of Venus” have always been amongst my favorite paintings. I left the Ufitzi in time to grab some lunch before my one o’clock date with David, (yes, I mean Michelangelo’s David), when Dr. Bailey called asking me to come straight to the train station because there was a chance my later train would be canceled due to the train strike. Of course, I did as she asked and quickly grabbed a Big Mac and met everyone at the station.

I was sad to say goodbye to Florence with so much left unseen, but I know I’ll be back shortly!

Entry 1: September 19, 2011

Packing up my last minute things as my dad pulled up to Meredith to pick me up seemed surreal. I couldn’t believe that the Bojangles biscuit I was eating would be my last meal in America for a few months. I encountered a few problems once I got to the airport the worst of which was that my suitcase was not only over the required 50 pounds but over the legal weight which is 100pounds! I ended up having to take seven pounds of books out of my suitcase and put them in my carry on; but it all worked out in the end!

 The plane ride was long and very draining. Arriving in Rome was the light at the end of the tunnel. But once again, when we got there, there were complications. After about what seemed to be a few hours we found the bus driver and were on our way to Sansepolcro! The bus ride was longer than we thought it would be but I slept the whole way so I didn’t mind. When we finially got to Sansepolcro I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful the town was and how nice our palazzo was! I couldn’t wait to see the rest of the town, but not until we had our first gorgeously prepared lunch by Margherita! After lunch all I wanted to do was sleep but I pushed past that desire and went on a tour around the town. We saw a few churches and learned where all the stores and hotspots were inside the city walls. I was amazed that so much history could be held in a town so small. Little did I know that even more history surrounded it than I had originally thought.

That night, even though I had managed not to nap at all, I found sleeping quite difficult. We were eager to explore the night life so we went to get some drinks, and pizza, and of course to make friends! But even though we got back at a decent hour, I still couldn’t sleep. I finally got to bed around four.

The next few days were a blur of tours and information. I was tired throughout the days, but felt lively during the nights, because we are six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. Every day we met someone new, if not a whole group of new people. I could already tell I was going to love it here! I was starting to get to know not only the girls, but also the town a little better. I felt confident in my abilities to get to the grocery store, (either one), the train and bus station and anywhere else! We quickly discovered a lot of great restaurants! Not all of which were exactly Italian but hey, we are Americans. On Wednesday night we met a really nice group of young people and stayed out with them, (maybe a little too late), but we were just so excited to make friends with the locals.

Classes started on Thursday and naturally the work load was more than we had expected. I stayed in the palazzo all day! Our palazzo is located right in the center of the main intersection inside the walls of Sansepolcro. All the streets inside the city walls are mainly pedestrian, but a few cars do have permission to drive down them. That night we went out to see what all the commotion was about, and ran into the Italian youth fly fishing team, they had more teenage hormones than we had bargained for, that mixed with their alcohol consumption made for quite an interesting experience. We weren’t used to teenagers being able to legally drink but in Italy everyone drinks, young and old. We got away as quickly as possible with the help of some Irish “lads” we had met a few nights before. Turns out they too were fishermen and they were all here for the international fly fishing tournament.

The next day, Friday, we felt very appreciative of the fact that we only have one hour and a half of class all day and since the jetlag hadn’t fully worn off. Most of us took this opportunity to catch up on some sleep. That night we wanted to celebrate our newfound friend, Elizabeth’s birthday, so we took her first to the café across the street, whose owner is one of the nicest men you will ever meet! After he so kindly gave us free drinks, to toast Elizabeth, we scooted down to the Kappa café, whose owner’s son we had previously met. He introduced us to even more of his friends and then along came the Irish! We had an amazing night and met so many different people from so many different cultures: South Africans, Czechs, French and even some Americans! It was a long night, but seemed to go by way too fast.