This past March I spent 16 incredible days in Italy for my high school senior trip. I was joined by my parents and twin sister. We stayed in Rome, Cinque Terre, Florence, Venice and Sorrento. The landscape was breathtaking. The artwork was awe-inspiring. The culture was timeless. I cannot imagine a more rewarding vacation.
From the moment we landed, we discovered that Italian locals are not too fond of tourists. They push past you with a subtle eye roll and a quick pace. If you question where a certain restaurant or building is, they reply with vague and short directions. The general goal for people was to make it to their destination by avoiding annoying foreigners.
On the whole other hand, we experienced the locals who depended on tourism. They went above and beyond for tourists. There were waiters who practically pushed you into a restaurant, shop owners who insisted a bag was "one of a kind" and street venders who pushed the necessity for a selfie stick. I cannot stress enough how many times I was offered a selfie stick. These people depended on tourists' business and did not hold back.
The only word to describe driving in Italy is chaotic. Tiny fiats and Vespa's quickly swerve through cramped streets with almost no rules. Traffic only ceases when brave pedestrians step into the street trusting that drivers are alert. People park cluttered by the sidewalk and partially blocking roads. Somehow, in the midst of the chaos, there are hardly any signs of road rage or inattentive drivers. Driving in Italy is extremely nerve wracking to say the least.
Carbs, carbs and more carbs. Before my trip to Italy the only Italian food I was familiar with was pizza, spaghetti, lasagna and fettuccini -- the “American” forms of Italian food. To my surprise, I discovered so many new pastas, such as: calamarata, trenette, tagliatelle, ziti, fusilli, bucatini, capunti, conchiglie and gnocchi. The selection was overwhelming. Real Italian pizza is so thin that you could eat an entire pizza without realizing it. I had to stop myself on several occasions from doing so. Unlike America, Italy is not crawling with wide varieties of cuisine; they offer very little outside of seafood, pizza, chicken and pasta.
Every single street corner contained a gelato shop. For those of you who are not completely positive as to what gelato is, it is an Italian ice cream. It has a richer taste than ice cream but tends to be lower in calories. I tried as many flavors as I could: mango, limone, crema, stracciatella, bacio, caffè and many more. The only way I allowed myself to eat it every day -- sometimes twice a day -- was because I was walking miles and miles. It seemed to even out. Gelato is definitely a necessity in Italy.
The most breath-taking effigy was the David, created by Michelangelo. Nearly 20 feet high of pure marble, the David is the centerpiece of the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence. The piece is modeled after the Biblical hero David and is meant to depict the perfection of man. From the moment I first glanced at the masterpiece I was not able to take my eyes off of it. It captures the complete attention of anyone observing. Nothing has ever taken my breath away like that of the David.
The Italian culture overflows with extraordinary and priceless history. I could never imagine witnessing such a unique way of life. My vacation to Italy revealed how timeless the original cultures remain. Italy is unlike anywhere in the world and I cannot wait to visit again.
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