Lunch at La Buona Terra
We had a low-key day on Thursday in preparation for a busy weekend excursion to Padua, Venice and Verona. We left early Friday morning for our first stop: La Buona Terra ("the good earth") farm for lunch. They grow all of their ingredients fresh on their farm and the lady was so excited for our arrival she immediately took us on a tour of the farm (all in Italian, so can really only confirm there were galline and an asino and not much more).
After the tour we came inside the restaurant area that was decorated in authentic rustic Tuscan artifacts. It felt straight out of a magazine! I tried to get some shots of it but the lighting was very dim and I wasn't quite sure how to manipulate it on my camera yet.
Our meal consisted first of a delicious pasta with fresh ingredients and spices; it was the best pasta I had had yet in Italy! The next course consisted of some fancy vegetables and finally the best part: dessert. They served warm "crostata," a traditional Italian dessert that is basically a pie crust with jam on top. This was so sweet and fresh, you could definitely tell it was made that morning!
Proceeding to Padua
Shortly we were off to Padua, a city outside of Venice where we'd spend the next couple nights. It was a small town that had its select historical parts but also modern, urban sections. There wasn't too much to do here, but after our guided tour we were anxious to just explore a little then rest up for the next day in Venice. We did get to go inside the Basilica Pontificia di Sant'Antonio di Padova which housed the famous Saint Anthony's tongue, jaw bones and vocal cords. Legend has it that when they exhumed his body 30 years after his death, his body had turned to dust but his tongue, jaw and vocal cords stayed intact, which was interpreted as a sign of his eternal preaching. Unfortunately no photography was allowed inside, but the shrine was some sight!
One of my favorite parts of Padua was this memorial for the attacks on September 11th. One of the tour guides mentioned it so we took the time to go check it out and it was definitely worth it! It was constructed to look like an open and luminous book, complete with a piece of steel salvaged from the wreckage of the World Trade Center that was donated first to the Veneto region, then to the city of Padua. I can't say I expected anything like this over here so it was a nice surprise reminder of home.
Adventures in Venice
We were all so excited for Venice on Saturday! We grabbed breakfast (aka chocolate croissants, ham that looks like bacon, nutella, and lots of "caffe") at the hotel and headed to a pier near Venice to board our private boat into the city. The sun started to come out just as we arrived, which made for probably the best weather we had yet on this trip! After we arrived we met up with our tour guide and begin our walk toward the famous Piazza San Marco, crossing several canal bridges that gave us our first glimpse into the famous canals and gondolas of Venice! It was surreal to see all of these things along with the bell tower (St. Mark's Campanile), as I have pictures of both on my wall at home and was suddenly standing right in front of them, taking photos of my own! The bridges made for some really cool vantage points with the gondolas, and I began experimenting with the manual focus setting on my camera. We also splurged (though I would have paid twice what it cost me for this) for a gondola ride with a charming, singing gondolier. Seeing Venice from the perspective of the canals was so cool; as we navigated the small canal turns we'd be greeted with locals peering out their shutters or a passing gondola shouting, "Ciao, Lorenzo!" to our guide. Though I have some rowing experience, I never could have controlled this thing through all these narrow canals! This one picture of my friends happened spontaneously after we had just crossed beneath one of the bridges into a new canal. I think it really captures how in awe we were of what was happening!
I especially liked the details on the front of the boat, and I was glad to get this picture that showed a part of them in focus with the bow of the gondola in the background.
After the gondola ride we walked around some more with really one goal in mind: buy authentic Venetian masks! They're sold everywhere but we wanted to find a shop outside of the typical tourist zone that really did have locally made masks. The colors and designs on all the storefront masks were one of my favorite things to photograph! Here are four of my favorites:
I also took this photo after crossing a bridge and seeing a store filled with lots of fancy, elegant dresses. It's definitely one of my favorites so far, especially in black and white:
I've also unfairly neglected arguably the best part about Italy: gelato. I once read in a guide book that it is socially acceptable to have gelato once a day while you're here, even if you're here for 5 years. If it's in a book it must be true, right? We've not been quite that faithful but it never fails to exceed our expectations! We've managed to eat at both Grom and Venchi, two of the most famous gelaterias in Italy and it's really a tough call which is better! I think I'll have to do some more research.
We were so sad to leave Venice but were excited for our next stop: Verona!
The Lovers City: Verona
The next day we headed to Verona, most famous as the setting for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Despite conflicting with the local marathon, we set out on another guided tour where we saw many relics and landmarks of the city. Our guide took us to the Scaliger Tombs, which celebrate a family that ruled Verona back in the day. These tombs are some of the finest examples of Gothic architecture and are surrounded by an iron fence, making for some cool pictures. Here's a couple where I adjusted the manual focus:
Shortly thereafter we were taken to Juliet's house, likely the most popular attraction in Verona. There were literally mobs of people making their way to Juliet's statue to touch her... "heart." The myth goes that those who touch her chest will have good fortune. I guess there really are John Harvard's all around the world! Let's hope the locals don't think of this statue as we think of JH's toe. Also in the courtyard was an iron gate on which couples put locks and toss the key over the wall. It was cool to see all the messages people wrote and how this small terrace has become such a romantic spot!
There wasn't too much else to see in Verona, but the streets were lively with lots of vendors and artists. This collection of paintings caught my eye, probably because I've been subjected to a lot of dance in my day. I love how the colors came out in the picture!
Vineyard Vines
After we left Verona we began our journey back to Florence. On the way we stopped at one of my absolutely favorite places yet - "Gamba Farm". This farm is located in the town of Valpolicella, which has been home to wine making since ancient times. The Gamba Farm has been passed down from generation to generation and now is in the hands of the Aldrighetti family who oversee the production & processing of the grapes, wine production, and the bottling process. The farm sits 300 feet above sea level, overlooking the rolling hills of Valpolicella. Despite the foggy day, the views were spectacular! When we arrived, one of the brothers took us up through the vineyard, where I got these shots of the endless grape trees and one of a cherry tree that lined the pathway up the hill:
Next he took us down into the chilled wine cellar where we saw the giant barrels of wine. It was so "cool" to be down there and see how massive these barrels really are. I played with the light settings and the focus a bit on this picture and I like how it shows the ceiling of the cellar as well:
And finally we were led through a wine tasting lesson with a lady who has been a sommelier for 20 years! She taught us how to swirl the wine to observe the color, smell for either a spicy or vegetable taste, and finally pair it with the right kind of cheese. They were all red wines - Valpolicella Classico, Amarone, and Recioto - that each brought a unique flavor. I didn't care too much for them, but based on the line at the gift shop checkout, I think I figured out why the Aldrighetti family looks forward to this trip every year...
By the time we loaded the buses everyone was pretty tired from our busy weekend. The three hour trip back to Florence went fairly quickly, and gave us some incredible views as we drove across the Apennine Mountains! We're off this weekend as far as planned excursions go but with Photography class officially underway I'm sure I'll have some more pictures to share soon enough.
No stranger to masquerades, I can't wait to bring this souvenir back!
Arrivederci!
Megan
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