On Saturday night, after a long day of relaxation (and laziness) we trekked out of our apartment and headed to a restaurant called Osteria il Gatto e la Volpe. This place was recommended to us twice, by Alexa Asmar and Jen McAndrew, so we figured it had to be good. They could not have been more right....
My apartment ended up going with a few girls in the apartments next door, and 3 of the 5 boys that are on this trip, Spencer, Ben, and Jordan. The menu was a novel, with every choice of chicken, pasta, and salads that were impossible to choose from, not only because of the amount of selections but also because of the language. Luckily, Jen told us about one of the waiters, Fabio, who we sought out and was extremely helpful and friendly throughout our meal.
I was having a hard time deciding what to get (what else is new), and ended up taking a suggestion from Fabio, Penne il Gatto e la Volpe. It ended up being this spicy pasta dish that was out of this world, one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had (Sorry, Nonno!). I couldn't even finish it because before this dish, I overindulged on bread with the BEST balsamic vinegar on earth (It wasn't liquidy like in the states, but thick and just excellent) and bruchetta that was to die for. I ended up taking my pasta home to eat for leftovers (probably a very American thing to do, but oh well, I couldn't waste it!) Fabio then gave us limoncello shots after dinner, but after Friday night the thought of it made my stomach do flips. Besides the shots, the dinner was what I expected Italian restaurants to be like, and I am sure we will be frequenting this restaurant pretty often in our three month stay.
On Sunday, we woke up early and took an hour and 40 minute train ride to a beach called Viareggio, a beach town on the Mediterranean filled with private beaches, tourist shops, and restaurants. My first European train experience was better than I had expected. The trains weren't quite as nice as the double-decker New Jersey Transit trains that consumed my summer, but they were still very comfortable. We made the trip with the entire apartment next door (Adrienne, Leah, Danielle, Kaitlyn, and Laura), our apartment, and Spencer (because he is the only guy that could brave the 8am wake up call.)
We ended up wandering along the beach trying to find the free beach, but gave up after the long hour of walking and deciding to pay the 18 euro for an umbrella and 2 beach chairs. With our good luck, we were placed next to adolescent Italian boys without any manners. The minute we stepped on the beach, we were being heckled by the group of about eight boys in the seats right by us. Since the umbrella was assigned to us, we were forced to sit there. When the first comment out of their mouths were "Hey, Blonde girls, show us your chest!" we knew we were in for it. Unfortunately, the harassment didn't stop there. The boys (who were about 15) started saying anything they knew in English, including, "What is your name?" This is the first time when I was thankful for not knowing Italian, because most of the time they were singing songs and probably screaming profanities at us, but we didn't know any better. Ignorance is bliss. After about an hour of this (you would think they would get tired of this at some point, but nope), we asked to move umbrellas and we spent the rest of our beach day in peace, besides a few mishaps, like the man who touched Emily's boobs while he was underwater. Since we were traveling in a group of 10 American girls and 1 American boy, we were drawing a lot of attention to ourselves and we have since vowed to make trips in smaller groups. Of course, on the return train home we saw the boys from the beach who thought they were big shots; however, in public they were much more reserved and quiet than at the beach. Hmmm...
This beach was not quite what I was expecting from beaches in Italy. I imagined blue waters and empty beaches. This beach, which reminded me of the classy town of Seaside, New Jersey, has dirty brown water (Chelsea claimed to see a baby wipe!), and sand that was packed with people, just like the Jersey shore. While the day was an experience for sure, I do not see us frequenting this beach any time soon.
That night, Spencer, Jordan, and Ben invited us over to their apartment, which is across from the Arno River, and made us pasta. It was surprisingly good, a nice gesture, and a lot of fun. After dinner, the boys took us on a hike to the highest point of the city wall. While the hike was not easy, it was so worth it in the end. At the top of the hike, we could see the entire city lit up at night. It was one of the most beautiful sites I had ever seen in my life. All the famous sights, like the Duomo, and Palazzo Vecchio, were lit up and could be seen perfectly from where we were standing. It was truly a moment I will remember for the rest of my life, and I can't wait until we make the trip again in the day time.
For our first weekend, we definitely made the best of it with the knowledge we have.
One weekend down, about 13 to go.
so jealous chris - sounds like italy is amazinggggg! (minus the creepers)
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