Anne Stevenson
Reflection 1
June 8, 2017
I’ve always wanted to go to Italy and on this May term, and now I’m finally here and it’s a
beautiful country. Grado is a quaint coastal town with gorgeous flowers all over the streets.
Nature is something that I love, and I greatly appreciate beautiful scenery; here it is abundant. I
could easily take pictures of every little thing: the flowers, trees, cafes, streets, artwork,
churches, water, architecture, food, etc. The cities here look so different than cities in the US,
from the balconies overflowing with vibrant colored flowers to the lovely outdoor cafes. As we
walk through the towns, there aren’t pavement sidewalks, instead there are narrow stone streets
where buildings surround you and scooters and bikes lay against the walls in different alley
ways. Walking through the streets is enjoyable because it is almost maze-like and green plants
and trees cover the walls and steps making for an artsy picture. The doors are intricate and
each door is unique and interesting. There are beautiful colored flowers or flowering trees
everywhere and the culture here is outside-oriented. You can find an outdoor cafe every couple
of steps and I find the cafes and restaurants to be adorable. We might not have as many
outdoor places to eat in the US because of the weather but even in the summer in the US,
nothing beats these Italian cafes. The pace of life is much more relaxed and people seem to
enjoy taking their time and taking in the moment. Whenever I walk around Grado, I see people
sitting outside observing the world around them, socializing with their company, and just
enjoying life. It looks very relaxing and I wish life in the US was more relaxed like this.
Restaurants take a long time and it seems like people like to take their time, which is a nice
change of pace being here.
Another aspect of the culture here is the delicious food. It is nice to have authentic Italian
pasta, pizza, and wine. It’s interesting because we’ve had 3-4, sometimes 7-8 course meals and
I don’t understand how Italians eat it all. A few times I haven’t been able to make even a dent in
my food and the waiters think I don’t like the meals, but it’s because I’ve been too full to eat it
all. Maybe they just fast all day and then eat a big meal! The funny thing is that there aren’t
many fat people here but I’m guessing it’s because people do a lot of walking or biking around
and the food is healthier. You also don’t see as many people working out here, whereas in the
US so many people workout constantly. We’ve have had extremely nice meals with amazing
views and I’ve enjoyed trying all of the different kinds of food that I wouldn’t have typically
ordered in the US.
One unique experience I had was when a few of us went to Mass on Sunday. The
church was so breathtaking and peaceful, and although I didn’t understand what was being
said, I liked taking it all in. The music was lovely and was probably my favorite part. I was a little
surprised that some people weren’t as dressed up as I thought they would be. Since I couldn’t
understand what was being said, I reflected on how lucky I am to be here and how beautiful life
is and this place.
Reflection 2
As we’ve been around to other cities like Bellagio, Verona and Venice, I’ve noticed that
in Grado, there are less people who speak English, which makes sense because those other
towns are more touristy. Grado is an interesting town because it is more authentic, so it’s nice to
experience the culture and be away from tourist places. Each of the cities we’ve been to have
been extraordinary. Piran was sensational—from the incredible views to the big plaza. I didn’t
know what to expect from Slovenia because I only really knew that Slovenia was in Europe, but
I loved climbing around the fortress and swimming in the water. I had never seen live jellyfish in
real life in the water and I got to see tons of jellyfish in Piran which was so cool. We were
swimming with some and there was a huge one that I touched, but I think that one was dead.
Lake Como is one most beautiful places I’ve ever been. At first I was bummed it was
raining and not sunny out, but the lake was still gorgeous. The clouds hanging low on the
mountains with the vibrant greenery with houses along the shore made the scenery pretty cool.
Our walk along the gardens was my favorite part because it was so beautiful.
Verona was another great city and I enjoyed walking around shopping. I wrote a letter to
Juliet and thought it was cool to see the Shakespeare spots around the town. Dinner was
spectacular and the sunset was perfect with the whole city below us.
Venice is a very interesting town and very unique because it is all water. The canal and
bridges were better than I’ve seen in the pictures and the gondola ride was so special and
tranquil. Lunch had an amazing view of the water with beautiful red flowers along the perimeter,
so I got some great pictures. I loved going to Cafe Florian because it was elegant and was like
going back in time. The hot chocolate was very different than in the US because it tasted like a
melted chocolate bar, but wasn’t as sweet as I expected it to be. St. Mark’s Basilica was the
most beautiful building I’ve ever been in. The mosaics and the intricate detail of everything was
mind blowing and super impressive. The view of the square from outside was also amazing. The
water taxis are so fun and the one back to the bus in Venice was so pleasant. I could have sat in
a water taxi all night, enjoying the view of the water and Venice. The sun was beginning to set
and we were going at the nice speed; it was very picturesque. It was a great way to see the city
and waterfront.
I love seeing the art, architecture, and ruins in Italy because we don’t have anything like
it in the US. The forts, castles, ruins and cathedrals are full of interesting history and it’s like a
snapshot of the past. The mosaics and intricate art and architecture in the buildings and on the
walls are cool to see and it’s hard to wrap my head around how people used to create
everything by hand because it must have taken so much time, effort and patience. I can’t
imagine building a massive building or city by hand or putting individual pieces of mosaic to
make a beautiful picture, but I’m glad someone did it because now we can appreciate the
beauty.
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