Fur Is In

Compleanno felice a mio mama!

I last left you with my adventure to Venice, and since then have had another wonderful week in the heart of Tuscany. Only Monday morning proved to be restful while we recuperated from our long day in Venice, as the rest of the week followed with classes, night ventures out to coffee bars, lots and lots of snow, and a romantic weekend in Arezzo. We learned even more useful Italian words and phrases thanks to professoressa Francesca, ate even more delicious Italian food thanks to chefs Margherita and Alessandra, and consumed even more cappuccinos and croissants than are likely to be healthy…Friday was the day scheduled for an afternoon to Anghiari, about fifteen minutes by bus from Sansepolcro. What awaited us when we woke that morning, however, were the thickest snowflakes falling onto terracotta roofs and creating mushy puddles in the street. As the day went on, the snow got heavier and began to settle, and a mutual decision was made to postpone Anghiari until the weather was drier and warmer. Fortunately, that left us with an open afternoon to finish homework in order to enjoy a stress-free trip to bigger Arezzo on Saturday!

That morning, we regazze Americane left with Bekah for our first experience with the Italian bus system and first time in Arezzo. The drive from Sansepolcro to Arezzo is astonishing. With all of the snow on Friday, the ground had accumulated at least three inches, which left the bare branches, hills, and roof tops with a significant layer as well-turning mountainous Tuscany into a literal winter wonderland. Déjà vu occurred on the bus as camera clicks were constantly going off during the drive due to photographs of the breathtaking view outside being taken. The bus leaves Sansepolcro right outside the porta Romana (remember the wall around the heart of the city? there are four gates to leave the walled area: the porta Romana is the Gate to Rome; every walled city in Italy has a porta Romana because all roads lead to Rome!) and ventures around the outskirts of Sansepolcro stopping a few times before finally heading out of town in the direction of Anghiari. While we were unable to make it to Anghiari Friday, we were fortunate enough to catch a glimpse from the bus windows. As you start into the town, you’re on a hill that climbs farther and farther up into the city giving you the most spectacular almost birds’ eye view of the town with its rooftops, tall buildings, cobblestone walls, and tree tops-which on this particular day were all covered with a glistening, uninterrupted layer of snow. A quaint town a bit smaller than Sansepolcro, the little taste that we received of Anghiari definitely made some of us want to visit as soon as possible. The drive continued along windy mountain roads with more beautiful landscape to cast our eyes upon and eventually we did arrive in bigger, bustling Arezzo.




First order of business-learn the Italian train system. Once again, experienced Bekah enlightened us with her abundance of Italian knowledge and taught us all how to navigate the platforms, buy tickets, and look for the ever-so-important board that informs you of what time your train leaves. Next stop: the visitors’ center. We each grabbed a map of Arezzo, asked if there were any special events taking place that day (nope), and set out to explore. Maybe because I had become so accustomed to quiet, small Sansepolcro the huge number of people roaming the main streets of Arezzo was alarming. At 11:00 on a Saturday morning, there was more foot traffic than car traffic, and more people waiting at crosswalks than there were cars stopped at red lights. The best part of all: everyone seemed to be a pre-teen, teenager, or young adult. They were out en masse just gathered on the streets as the ten of us dug our way through the crowds, rarely not bumping into another body. Simply observing the interactions happening on the street, admiring the incredibly stylish dress, and staring at the beautiful faces was enough to keep me entertained that morning. As the day went on, the crowds only got thicker as more and more of Arezzo’s younger population came out to enjoy their weekend. Kids who seemed to be middle school aged were rough housing and playing tag, older individuals were standing in small pods smoking and chatting, high school aged couples were out in crowds, walking up and down streets holding hands without a care in the world (if they weren’t down on the main street, then they were on the other side of town in the park building snowmen and having a snowball fight). It was so much fun! And it was obvious that the residents of Arezzo have a laid back and joyful attitude towards life.
* Attention all fashionistas: fur is in. At one point while walking around, I witnessed four different elderly women all wearing the same long brown fur coat within the same 50 feet of each other. Not to worry, if you can’t afford a coat made entirely of fur, coats with fur collars are just as much in abundance.




Our group of ten did once again inevitably get split up, and Lilly, Kayley, Kelsey, Bekah and I made our way from one side of Arezzo to the other so that we could see the beautiful Cathedral, large park, old fortress, and narrow meandering cobblestone streets. Arezzo is also a walled city, so the view from the park located at the top of town overlooks the rest of the city outside of the wall. Row after row of rooftops were sprawled through the countryside, the majestic mountains as their backdrop. We were lucky enough to have the sun shining on us that day, and the temperature warmer so that our feet didn’t freeze while walking through the melting ice and snow. While a bit bigger, the look of Arezzo is the same as Sansepolcro with its light yellow and beige colored houses and shops with matching terracotta roofs and green shutters. The five of us found an authentic (if they speak very little or no English, then it’s a safe bet you’ve found a non-touristy, authentic place to eat) Italian restaurant where, despite having ordered only one course each, we spent the better part of two hours enjoying our delicious pastas while chit chatting.






Arezzo was a day trip for the group; everyone was to leave on their own to make sure they knew how to operate the bus system without assistance. I was fortunate enough, though, to spend my entire weekend in Arezzo as my Valentine was traveling down from France to visit. By the time we finished lunch he had arrived by train and I was able to have him meet the friends I was with. Now it was my turn to show him around Arezzo, a small taste of my beloved Italy, and show off the little Italian I know. I took him back to the Cathedral and the park (because everyone just has to witness that view) and walked him around the tiny streets of Arezzo where we discovered some fun antique shops and wonderful restaurants. He fortunately had spent all day Friday and Saturday morning in Florence, and I’m glad he was now able to see smaller Arezzo as well, especially since its look is very similar to Sansepolcro. This weekend made me feel very good about myself and my being abroad because of how much I was able to use my limited Italian skills and how much I was able to explain about the culture while my Valentine and I were out and about. Since I have been missing a few things back home like the brand of shampoo I use, washcloths (I am convinced that Italians do not believe in washcloths--I’ve resorted to using a loofa to get the job done), and BBQ sandwiches, so spending a weekend in a fairly small Italian town where English is not very prevalent and being able to handle it well helped me regain assurance and confidence that traveling and being in a foreign country is worth not having your own shampoo for, and that I could survive and enjoy doing so!
*On the note of missing small things from the states, there is no need to miss American music while you are in Italy; they have it playing everywhere-coffee shops, buses, stores--songs ranging from “Uptown Girl” to the latest hit by Jay-Z.






A memorable experience from my weekend in Arezzo that I am sure will become one of my top most memorable experiences from my entire time here, was the gorgeous looking restaurant we quite literally stumbled upon for dinner Saturday night. Even better, the food was exceptionally tasty. Were it not for the word “ristorante” posted above the stained glass and wood door that was set back into a wall at the bottom of three steps leading down from the street, I would not have known it was a restaurant. The two men (I assume one was the owner) who took care of all the diners that night spoke close to no English, leaving me to discover that, in the heat of the moment, you know more than you think. I was able to get us the white house wine, natural water, and explain a few of the items I recognized on the dinner menu to Kyle. The language barrier only proved to add to what I can only imagine to be one of the most authentic Italian dining experiences anyone may have ever had. The restaurant itself was beautifully decorated; every wall was painted with a mural, every table held a ceramic water jug, every table cloth was of a different pattern. Before we even had both feet in the door, we were being ushered to a table in the back of the far room where the older of the two men immediately brought us a small vase of tulips for the table. He was soon followed by the younger man bringing us water and two small bowls of an incredible tasting dip/spread. We wanted to do this Italian meal the right way by ordering at least two or more courses, the house wine to drink, and sit for as many hours eating as we needed, and wanted. Ironically enough, considering Italians allot themselves several hours in the afternoon for large family lunches, I have found that in restaurants they are rather quick to move you through courses. Almost as soon as we had started eating the delicioso dip/spread they brought us, they were ready to take it! We managed to hold onto it for a little while longer as we distracted the waiter with an order of crostini for our antipasti (appetizer). When it was time for the first main course, we decided to ask our waiter what he recommended, since I could only decipher a few items on the menu. All I could catch of his description was long noodles and some kind of sauce. We’re in Italy, so how bad could it be? We told him we would take due (two) and enjoyed our crostini while we waited. Our main course came out looking about as plain as pasta and meat sauce can look--but tasted very much otherwise. It was absolutely wonderful! By the time we finished our two and a half courses we were too full to consider dessert (much to our disappointment--believe me, we tried to convince ourselves we could fit it in). Once again the hospitality of our wonderful Italian restaurant owner/worker shone through, perhaps because he could not stand the thought of us leaving without dessert, and he brought us each a biscotti and dessert sampler plate that contained a small piece each of various cookies, cakes, and two different custards. I was in love with this older Italian man and his true Italian hospitality by the end of our meal, and we left very full and very happy. This one experience along with a few others (I was able to ask the waitress where the bagno (bathroom) was in another restaurant, I was able to figure out how to make sure that I was on the right autobus when I left, and I was able to translate for the waitress who spoke no English the cost of some slices of pizza for my non-Italian speaking boyfriend) provided me with many high points throughout the weekend.






Arezzo proved to be an unforgettable weekend, needless to say, as much of my short time here has already been. I am very much looking forward to our trip to Florence this weekend, and hope you look forward to reading about it next week!

Ciao for now,
Hilary