Italy (Part I, Padova)

Another weekend holiday with my IHE friends (Guillermo (Colombia), Imraan (South Africa) Judith (USA), Maria (Spain), Alejandro (Colombia), Rosy (Serbia), and in front Giorgia (Italy) and Elena (Spain)). Last weekend was Venice for Carnival. We weren't in Venice the whole time, not even 12 hours, but that was the premise of the trip. Giorgia hosted us in Padova (or Padua as they call it in the States). Of course it started as an adventure.

Last Friday morning we woke up at 3AM to meet at 3:30AM to take the 4:11AM train to Schiphol that would arrive at 4:55AM with a solid two hours to hang out at the airport until our 7:15AM flight. Well, the trouble started on the train. It did not go to Schiphol, but only to Leiden, where we boarded a bus to the airport. We understood the bus would be a bit slower, but had plenty of time. After 20 minutes on the bus, as the airport office park was coming into view, the bus stops. We barely noticed the bus slowing down, but suddenly the lights dimmed and we were stopped on the side of the highway. After a few minutes Giorgia went to ask the bus driver what had happened. Then, all the way at the back of the bus we hear the sweet sound of Italian curing coming from the front. We had run out of gas. Apparently the bus driver has nothing to do with the maintenance of the bus. OK, I can understand that. But I figured that he would notice when the fuel gage was low. After about 25 minutes on the side of the highway, contemplating walking or calling a taxi, another bus shows up and we all squeeze in. We arrive at the airport by 5:45AM and check-in and security are a breeze. We even have time for some coffee before the flight.

Once we arrived in Treviso we took a bus to Padova where Giorgia's mother and stepfather met us and took us home for some fabulous Italian coffee (elevenes) and we met Filippo (Giorgia's dog) and Matilde (her cat). We took Filippo out for a walk around town where we all enjoyed seeing the sun (there is a permanent cloud cover over Holland) as well as a few Italian figos on the way to the university. It was graduation season so we ended up sneaking into a ceremonial room that was empty and unlocked. We even brought Filippo in with us as we stared at the gilded walls and tapestries, and taking photos right next to the sign that said no cameras allowed. We snuck out with just as much ease. We returned home for lunch, which was to be the start of our three day eating binge. I had not traveled with Guillermo before and had no idea about his gastronomic capabilities. He is always hungry. And, of course, when one person would stop for a snack, everyone would end up eating. Just a bite of your sandwich, a cup of coffee, a taste or gelato, well, I think I'll get my own cone. The food was fantastic. As many people know, I'm a bit of a picky eater, but I ate almost everything put in front of me in Italy. But more on that later.

After lunch and a brief nap was another walk around town, towards the city museum, taking our time, of course. We had tickets to see the Cappella degli Scrovegni, a masterpiece by Giotto. Since we got there a few minutes early we were sprinted up the stairs to see one of his earlier a pieces, being told in Italian not to run. Once we arrived at the chapel there was another sprint when Giorgia realized that she left the tickets in her purse which she had just checked. But we made it into the sealed room for our 15 minutes of viewing the chapel, where of course we got yelled at by a guide for giggling in a sacred place. We weren't being disrespectful, it's just that our interpretations of the frescoes seemed to differ with the official tale.

That evening we met up with Giorgia's friends at a bar. Apparently the custom there is to stand of the sidewalk outside the bar with your drink. And usually your drink is a "Spritz", an aperitif made of Aperol and prosecco (I think). It's very tasty. It was seasonable warm for the middle of winter, but still a bit chilly and after three hours and two bars it was time to drive out of the city for some pizza. Yum. It was great to meet Giorgia's friends and see how she lived. But we were absolutely exhausted after our first day and excited for Saturday in Venice...