Pre-session Summer 2018
(May 16-May 30) 
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Author: Cortney Claypoole
Exercise Science Pre-Professional Major at Slippery Rock University.
Rock Softball #42
My favorite thing to do is travel.
I was a little weary of Bologna at first. As we drove up to our hotel the first night I could not figure out exactly how I felt about it. I loved the country side of Poppi so much that being in another city was sort of upsetting. I soon realized the complete opposite. As soon as we got here we went out to dinner. We were confused at first because everything was closed. Once we found a place and sat down they gave us drinks but no menus. After about 20 minutes, we thought maybe the kitchen was closed and people in Bologna just did not eat or something. Finally, we got up the courage to ask for menus. The waitress looked confused but grabbed some for us. She ended up being very nice, and tried her best to speak English to us. The food we got was amazing, I had the ravioli and it may have been the best pasta dish I have had here in Italy. Then we got dessert which also ended up being to die for. We ended up asking our waitress why everything was closed and why no one was eating and she told us that one, it was a Sunday so some places were closed, and two, it was still early for dinner. It was 8:00 pm. Now we knew Italians ate late, but that was not a problem in the cities with more tourism because they stay open for the tourist! Now that we are in places with less tourists, we can start to truly experience how Italians live, and of course eat. Then today, after having some amazing gelato and visiting the University of Bologna, We had another pleasant experience at lunch. The people are so nice here, and the food is even better. We ordered pizza and salads and were not disappointed. To end the night Megan and I sat outside to do some homework. We talked to the owner of the hotel we are staying at, and of course he was a sweetheart as well. People in Bologna have proven to be so friendly. He talked to us about how he loves the United States, and how Italians think of the U.S. as New York City and such, but he thinks of it as the west and the country side. This was a refreshing thing to hear, because I always thought the people here did not like America or Americans all too much. Overall, Bologna is a beautiful laid back city. Although my initial response was questionable, it has proven to be a great place full of friendly people.
...Pictures will not even do it any justice how beautiful Poppi is. The view from the top of the hill where we are staying by the castle is breathtaking. I have not been able to have my camera out all that much because the other cities we have been too have been sort of crowded, and I just was not comfortable shooting pictures with people and cars constantly zooming by. Poppi however, provided a perfect environment for me to finally break out my camera and my inner photographer. Moreover, I love the countryside. Even back home favorite thing to do is take pictures of flowers, fields, trees, and anything to do with nature. Poppi has a refreshing amount of green life to it, and after spending a week in cities with very little green, I was extremely happy to be here in Poppi. It is hard to explain the calmness that came over me as I looked over the Tuscan countryside view. All I can say is that when I remember this trip to Italy, I am going to remember that view. Another neat factor to Poppi is that there is not very much tourism. The people here do not speak as much English as in other places, and that to me just showed that they mostly just work with locals. Acting like a local and spending time with them is something I also enjoy. During our night here in Poppi our professors showed us a balcony area that only the locals knew of. As we ordered our appetizers I was worried the waiter would realize we were not locals and be less kind. The exact opposite happened though. They called us their guests in this country and kept giving us more food to try. It was really nice to have this hospitality that other cities were missing. Overall, between the views of the country side, the welcoming locals, and the amazing food, I would have to say that Poppi may be my favorite place so far. I am so grateful to have been able to experience this wonderful place in the gorgeous Tuscam countryside.
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When we arrived in Florence and were given our first taste of the city, of course we were going to find something to eat. First impressions are important, anyone will tell you that. Thankfully, to a little restaurant next to the train station, my first impression of Florence was a good one. The first thing I heard was the owner of the restaurant say “momma” to get his mothers attention to wait on us. I knew then it was a family owned restaurant. That to me was heart warming. The mother could barely speak English, but was so sweet and helpful. She knew we wanted pizza but did not understand much else. The owner however, was good at speaking English and very friendly. This was refreshing after experiencing a lot of people in Rome who were not so nice and willing to help. We got our pizza to go, and grabbed some cute fruity drinks to try. The drinks were full of sugar, but tasty! The pizza was also delicious. It was a perfect snack to go, from a perfect family owned restaurant. I like to remember that for my first impression of Florence, it was a homey comfortable feeling; which the rest of Florence has also proven to be too. So the story of this little restaurant in Italy continues because we decided to go back for lunch one day. The owner and his mother were so welcoming, and it was just what we needed after our struggle trying to buy train tickets to Venice (everything worked out in the end no worries). We got some ravioli and it was amazing, just like any pasta you get in Italy really. We found out though that they change the menu everyday and hand make the pasta of the day every morning; which just made this place officially my favorite place to eat in Florence. After lunch we went up to pay, and the owner thanked us for coming back a second time and gave us little cookies to say thank you. His mother also thanked us and walked us out the door. It’s places like these that will make my trip here in Italy so great and memorable. I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant. Just look for a little place on the corner near the train station with a friendly owner and his “momma.”
...By Megan Pesci- NOT Cortney Claypoole In the middle of one of the most crowded spaces I have ever been in, I felt completely alone. I stood in the middle of the Pantheon, mouth agape, trying to take in what was before me. Imagining how people way before their time built arguably the most beautiful and architecturally challenging buildings in the world, I found myself lost in my head rather then aware of my surroundings. I felt minuscule, like a little blip on the timeline of the world, in the presence of such a place. When I pulled myself out of the mental depths I had dug myself in, I crossed myself with the water at the exit and went to leave. This was a bit uncharacteristic for me, as I am about the worst Catholic you could meet, but I felt as if there’s no way art like that could be constructed without a higher power. As I walked out of the Pantheon, I burst into tears. Not because of the out of body experience I just returned from, but because I heard my favorite son being sung in the piazza. My friends and I ran over to the man singing “Time to Say Goodbye” by Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli and watched him for a half hour or so. I was taken back to my early high school days when my Nonno (grandfather) and I would cook our favorite ravioli in his kitchen with Bocelli over the house speakers. He taught me everything I know about Italy and the culture, so it was neat to almost have a part of him in Italy with me. Once again, I stood in the middle of a space as busy as New York City, completely mesmerized. .
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You’ve landed in Rome. It’s your first day in Italy, for some it’s your first day overseas, maybe your first day in a different country period. You should be overly excited, full of energy, curious about each and every different thing right?? Ehhh, not so much. You’re actually nauseous, extremely exhausted, and grumpy. Why are you grumpy?? You’re young and in the great country of Italy!! Well my friend, you have a good case of what they call, jet lag. So what do you do? You cannot sleep, you do not feel like walking anywhere, and there’s really no where to just sit down in Rome. Do you cave and go to bed and risk being completely off schedule? Do you walk around aimlessly and hope to stumble upon some energy?? Or, do you want to cure you jet lag, and enjoy Rome?? Well, if you said yes to the third question, you have come to the right place. Gelato. Yes, that is the cure to this horrible thing we call jet lag. I swear by it. Walk yourself, or take the metro, to the closest REAL gelato place you can find, and look around for what looks like your perfect fix. If you’re up for the trip, I highly recommend Giolotti out by the Pantheon. It’s the original place of Gelato in Rome! They have an amazing array of flavors, different sizes, and you can choose cup or cone. If you want to know what cured my jet lag, it was “un cono medio con gocce di cioccolato e tiramisù,” which just is a medium cone with chocolate chip and tiramisu gelato. Once you have your gelato try and relax and enjoy. I promise it’ll put you in the right state of mind to power through and cure your jet lag. So there you have it, the secret weapon to traveling abroad to Italy. Gelato.
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