Two more days and my Italy adventure comes to an end. It really hit me as I was standing at the counter at the cafe eating my cornetto drinking my cappuccino. It’s so much fun to watch the locals interact with each other. You don’t get that chance at home because you understand the language and pay more attention to what is being said. With the language barrier the non-verbal cues, their tone, their body movements, the reactions of the other people... So amazing.
Those of you that are following me like proper internet stalkers know I’m writing this a day late. I’m trying to fit everything I can in these last days, which is unfortunately taking away my blogging time! I’m going to do my best to write this as if it was still that day, and hopefully if I mess it up someone will fix it for me.
The day started with a stop at one of the nice little cafe’s right by my house. Lexy and I had stopped in here when we first arrived and they have a nice spot for sitting. I thought I’d go back one more time. I remember the first cornetto I had there was amazing, the filling was so delicious. Haven’t been able to find that same one again! That’s ok, I’ll just savor that memory. I ordered, then armed with my cappuccino, cornetto, and free wifi I spent about an hour relaxing in their sitting area. They have TVs set up and were playing a mix of Italian news and Italian music which makes it very easy to pass the time. Around 8am I left my comfy little spot and headed out to the bus station. Half way there I met up with my travel buddies for the day, David and Nate. I’m so appreciative that we all got to go together. As David and I were discussing, it’s nice to share these things with someone else. And he was about as excited as I was! Perfect.
The bus left at 9am. I’m quite impressed with how easy the transportation is in Italy. I'm not used to public transportation so at first I was terrified at the prospect of traveling by train, now a month later I was fully prepared to do this bus trip by myself. Amazing how much has changed for me! The bus ride was about an hour long. The countryside here is so beautiful I didn’t mind a bit. We even got to drive through a piece of the forest which made me terribly homesick. I want to go camping now! At one point we came around a corner and I just happened to catch a glimpse of Bagnoregio. The sight is breathtaking. The view is worth the crazy climb up to it.
We made it to the main city and started our journey to Bagnoregio. David and Nate were great to travel with, we found a couple streets that looked interesting and the three of us would head off to investigate. Loved how none of us felt rushed to get anywhere in a hurry. We ignored the signs that pointed to the city because we spotted an interesting vista overlook. Best view ever. The signs take you on the road and you never get a really clear shot of the city with the bridge. This little offshoot we found did just that. I think we stood there for a good 15 minutes just staring. Have I said this place is breathtaking yet?
Civita di Bagnoregio is built on an area that was created after thousands of years of volcanic eruptions of the Volsini volcanoes. This settled over the Pliocene clay hills by the Tiber river, and the city sits right on top of all that. Over the years erosion has slowly chipped away at the city built on the already present cliffs. Today the population of Bagnoregio is only 15 people. The city was first created in the late Bronze Age, (12-10 century B.C.) by the Etruscans. Between the erosion of the area and the earthquake that shook the area in the 17th century, the city has become an island. The current bridge was made after the erosion finally made it to the clay under the rock, leaving no other clear path to the city. Tourism has only recently picked up in the city, which I can’t imagine why it’s recent. This is a truly breathtaking sight.
The three of us made it to the foot bridge where we stopped and stared for a while longer. You know that problem of seeing something so beautiful, but when you are actually in it it’s not the same? We were all savoring that moment. Then we started the hike. Yup, total hike. I saw a dad with a stroller and couldn’t help but pity the poor guy. That bridge is a lot more steep than it looks! We eventually made it to the top, after several stops for picture taking. The entire valley is so beautiful, the farms below as well as the other razor edges of the hills that haven’t been eroded away yet. There were also fun cracks in the rocks surrounding the city, I wonder how much will be left in 20 more years.
Inside the city it felt very quiet, and very much like parts of the other cities we’ve been to. For several of the homes there are these narrow steps leading to the door, with flowers everywhere. I adore how the Italians make the most out of their living space. They truly enjoy the outdoors in such a different sense than we do. Much more social. Many of the homes had been converted to restaurants, and several more to souvenir shops. The city is really little more than a tourist destination. We were able to look out one side of the city and get more great views of the valley below. We couldn’t make it to the other side of the city where it looks back at the main city.
We spent about an hour and a half exploring in the city then sat down to enjoy some cherries. Then we started the trek back. It’s much easier to go down the steep bridge rather than up. Its a good thing my month in Italy has been conditioning me to such treks. At this point it was about noon so American lunch time. We found a quaint little pizzeria and picked some up, then sat out on the patio to eat. The main city is quite beautiful too, I just can’t get over how amazing these Italian cities are. 1:50 eventually rolled around, and we caught our bus back to Viterbo.
So I guess the good thing about writing my blog the next day is I get to explain my whole day, right? I made it home from my trip, then got ready for an evening with Claire. Since it was early we went to a little cafe and had some tea and abused their internet (hence those thousands of Italy pictures I put on FaceBook yesterday!) We then went back to her adorable italian apartment for dinner and a movie. Perfect girls night. Pasta with veggies and an egg (random, but soooo good), and we watched... This is soo cliche... We watched “Under the Tuscan Sun.” The whole time we were like, Yes! That’s so Italy! I had brought dessert, so we indulged in some chocolaty goodness. It was the perfect conclusion to my day. Walked home at 11pm and quickly fell asleep.
Alright, I should probably post this then go do some work. So many cores to finish in only two days! Wish me luck!
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