Seal Team 4
The first free day I had in Italy, I choose to go on a hike
with Dr. Cochran, Sam Liptak, and Michael Leemann. The day before, we all
agreed to go at 8 in the morning but then once we were at dinner, Sam asked if
we could go at 6 in the morning. Of course, everyone said yes, so we were going
to be leaving just as the sun was rising. When I woke up Friday morning, I could
barely open my eyes since it was a long first week of school and I was very
tired. But once I took a shower, I felt a lot better and was ready to go. When
we started the hike, it was nice and cool outside which was the type of weather
I was hoping for since it can get really hot in Italy. That morning we walked
13 kilometers to the first city we were going to visit which was Pienza. It was
interesting to see how there were barely any homes on the way to this town. What
I learned was most people live in the town and not a lot of people live on the outskirts
of them. When we were there, we wanted to go to Dr. Cochran’s favorite gelato
place but they were not going to open for another 2 hours. Instead, we went to
a restaurant and got some sandwiches. This is exactly what I needed because I did
not eat breakfast that morning and was starving. After we ate our sandwiches,
we started our journey to the next town which was approximately 7 kilometers. The
second town was called Monticchiello. This place, was extremely small compared to
the other towns we visited. It was not my favorite because I am not used to be
in such a small place with very few people. We did not stay here long at all as
we just got water and toured the church. When we started to leave, Dr. Cochran
said we have about 6 kilometers which at first, I did not think was bad at all
but then he told us that it is basically all uphill which just took me by surprise.
I was hoping for a nice slightly uphill incline but this was nothing like that.
We were walking uphill for about a straight hour before we came across a really
unique tractor. This was not your ordinary tractor because it was made by Lamborghini.
It was the first tractor I have ever seen that was made by them. To be honest,
I never knew they even made tractors since they are known for their sports
cars. After taking pictures in front of it, we had about another 30 minutes
left until we would get back to Motetpulciano. When I got back to my room, I
was relieved I went on the hike as I felt accomplished after that. It was a great
way to start the three-day weekend.
Fine as Wine
Later in the day, after the hike, the whole group was
invited to do a free wine tasting! This is a big deal since as college students,
we are poor so anything free is always great. When we got there, they brought
us into a little secret room underneath the wine shop. This was where the wine
tasting was going to take place for the afternoon. We were able to try 3 wines
and they all tasted amazing. They also gave us bread with olive oil and it was delicious.
Nothing is better than Italy’s olive oil because it is so fresh since it does
not have to be imported. At the end, they gave us a free shot which I was
really excited about. When I took it, it was something I was not expecting. Originally,
I was thinking the type of liquor they were going to give us was vodka. But
that was not the case as it tasted like white rum. But other than that, I had a
great experience while I was there since wine tasting is always fun, especially
when you do it with people you know.
Orvieto
Today was the day we went to Orvieto as our first field trip
as a whole class. I was excited to go see what the other towns were like since I
have only seen a few. When we got there, it reminded me a lot of Montepulciano.
They had a lot of people and a great energy to the town which always makes the
experience that much better. The first touristy thing we did as a group was go
see Doumo di Orvieto. This is a church and easily one of the biggest ones I have
ever seen in my entire life. The detail that was put into making this church is
outstanding. What is even more incredible is how the church is still standing
500 years later. It is something you get to see once in your lifetime so I really
took in the experience and enjoyed it to the fullest. After going to the church,
we went to Underground Orvieto. The Etruscans were the ones who found and built
it. They used it as a bomb shelter, for making olive oil, and pigeon holes.
What I thought was the best part of that trip into Underground Orvieto was the
well the Etruscans built that went as far down as 230 feet. To think, someone
had to go down there every time they wanted water is crazy. I’m usually okay
with heights but the reason I was not be okay with this is because the well is
not big at all so you have no room to really maneuver up and down the well. The
only thing they had told hold onto when they were going down was the holes on
each side of the well to put your feet in so you won’t fall down. It was a good
system back in then day but in today’s day and age, it would be considered
insane to do something like that. Overall, Orvieto is a great city with a lot
of history that makes it that much more interesting.
The Place to Be
We went to the famous
steak house that is highly praised in this town last Saturday night. At first,
I did not understand all the hype of this restaurant since steak houses back in
Atlanta never get this much hype. But when I got to the steak house, the place
was not even opened yet and there were at least 50 people outside waiting to
get in since it is just that good. Once we sat down and he brought us the
steak, I was literally in shock. I had never had a piece of steak that good or
big in my entire life. It was definitely a memory I will remember forever.
Fresh in the Cut
Since I have been in Europe for a month, my hair has been getting
out of control. My hair has been going every which way so I decided, instead of
waiting until I get home to get a haircut, I am just going to get one here. At
first, I was nervous since I don’t like other people that I don’t know to cut
my hair. But that day, I took a leap of faith and let him cut it. It turned out
to be one of the best haircuts I have had and I was really happy with the
result. I definitely would recommend him to anyone that is looking for a place
to get a haircut while they are here.
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