Andiamo a Italia Pt. II

While we were in Sicily, Maria had her birthday and we had a party for her. That night we listened to Italian music and watched as Maria and Arturo danced the night away. I have never witnessed such hospitality from a family that I had never met before. Even though there was a language barrier, I feel as though I got to know each one of them. Their daughter lived really close by and we were able to meet their kids: Francesca, (little) Arturo, and Giulia. Giulia was the oldest and played the piano at a very prestigious music school in Sicily. Francesca was the middle child and I feel like me and Brittany connected with her most. She was very talented at drawing and loved doing Disney characters free hand.

 

At the end of our trip she gave me a drawing of my favorite Disney movie: Inside Out which still hangs above my desk. The prettiest place for me was Scala dei Turchi which is a white mountain side next to the clear blue water. I have never seen something so incredibly big and it reminded me once again of how small we are in this big world. For breakfast we got to eat cannolis which I’ve never liked but fell in love with. If you have ever had cannoli, you haven’t eaten it right. NO ONE makes cannolis like Sicilia.

 

Our trip to Sorrento and Pompeii was done over three days and was mostly driving. We did this with our school, so of course, we took advantage of it. We arrived in Sorrento late afternoon, I loved walking around the town and seeing the beautiful blue water. Sorrento was another hidden town, but for some reason it felt more conquerable. I spent the evening roaming and going into the little stores along the streets. Sorrento is known for its lemons and limoncello. We went into a store with our teachers who showed us little bottles with intricate designs. The roads are winding and it is very easy to get lost! We found our way by the water and wondered how cars get their way down with the width of our paths. Pompeii on the other hand was historic. We made our way through the grounds where people used to live and tried to see the world at a different time. Pompeii is very similar to Rome with the ruins that encompass the city. Unlike Rome, it is only ruins and the city is purely for tourism.

Each of the cities in Italy, whether small or big make the country the beautiful place it is. In class we discussed that people from each city do not say “I’m Camilla, I’m from Italy”, they say “I’m Camilla, I’m from Florence.” They are very proud of where they are from and come together only when they are watching soccer. Being a part of the country, even if it was for four months, allowed me to have an even deeper understanding of a culture different than my own.