On the recent trip to Tuscany, I was blown away by the landscape, the people, and the wine. Alessandro’s kindness in planning this trip for us is much appreciated and the experience cannot be replaced! Visiting smaller cities in Italy was highly rewarding because we were able to see into the lives of local Italians and interact with them in our broken Italian. It was nice to be in places where tourism is not the primary source of peoples’ liveliness. Many were shop or bar owners or wine makers/sellers. It was, however, pretty apparent why we did not see many young people in cities like Montichiello, where it was small enough to walk in 45 minutes or less. Seeing this side of Italy,-the more rural, quiet side- it made sense that many younger generations of Italians were leaving to find more job opportunities. No matter how beautiful the Tuscan countryside is, it would be a much different life in these times. There are not many cities in the countryside with booming industry; the major product of the area is wine. A young adult in Tuscany does not have many options there for a career unless they want to own a vineyard or shop. Going to Siena, on the other hand, I was very impressed with the University there! The administrators that we talked to spoke highly of their university, of course, but even listening for the unbiased information, the university has survived for hundreds of years and is expanding towards an international base by teaching courses in English. They even offer chemistry classes in English, appealing to the nerd in me! These expansions allow for more education and more cultural diversity for the area. However, after attending the university, there are not many jobs to keep the graduated individual in the area. Italy itself has the problem of “exporting” graduates that the state educated but do not stay around to give back because there are a lack of jobs in the country. Even though this University is impressive and reaches towards advancing Italy, most of the graduates unfortunately do not stay in Italy. I would love to ask the administrators what they thought about this and what they would suggest to the Italian government to fix this.
The most memorable part of the trip for me was Pienza. While we were there we had the most free time available to walk around and really experience the town. Although it was not any larger of a town than the others, being able to walk around and explore on our own made all the difference. We went into every shop in the town, talking to locals, and had time to find a nice place to sit and just enjoy the beautiful view for a while. It was incredible to be able to just meander around town and not feel rushed, not to mention the FOOD. Dinner was amazing, both the food and the people we met. We met an American woman from New Jersey who told us how she loved Pienza and returned every couple years, this being her first time back since her husband passed away. The owner of the restaurant knew her and they spoke to each other in broken English/Italian, confirming her love of Pienza. I cannot say that I blame her. It was gorgeous and small enough to get to know people well in short stays, which is basically what she said to us when we asked why she kept coming back. I wish I had asked her how many years she had been visiting Tuscany.
In the north of the US and even the north of Italy, life is faster paced and there is hardly time to stop and smell the flowers. Moving to “the south” was my first experience of a little bit slower lifestyle, but attending Wake Forest does not really allow for this type of slower life. In the country side of Tuscany, life is truly slower and a place where the Italians can take their time, of course not as much as they do in the very south of Italy. The people were very nice and welcoming, calling the group beautiful and kind after we spoke with them.
There is no place like home, but, dang, Tuscany is lovely. From the landscape to the history of the area, the trip had no downside. There is no comparison to their Chianti wine and I cannot wait to try the Brunello from Montalcino that I bought. I will never forget the trip and how much fun I had learning about the history of the region and how to taste good olive oil.
The most memorable part of the trip for me was Pienza. While we were there we had the most free time available to walk around and really experience the town. Although it was not any larger of a town than the others, being able to walk around and explore on our own made all the difference. We went into every shop in the town, talking to locals, and had time to find a nice place to sit and just enjoy the beautiful view for a while. It was incredible to be able to just meander around town and not feel rushed, not to mention the FOOD. Dinner was amazing, both the food and the people we met. We met an American woman from New Jersey who told us how she loved Pienza and returned every couple years, this being her first time back since her husband passed away. The owner of the restaurant knew her and they spoke to each other in broken English/Italian, confirming her love of Pienza. I cannot say that I blame her. It was gorgeous and small enough to get to know people well in short stays, which is basically what she said to us when we asked why she kept coming back. I wish I had asked her how many years she had been visiting Tuscany.
In the north of the US and even the north of Italy, life is faster paced and there is hardly time to stop and smell the flowers. Moving to “the south” was my first experience of a little bit slower lifestyle, but attending Wake Forest does not really allow for this type of slower life. In the country side of Tuscany, life is truly slower and a place where the Italians can take their time, of course not as much as they do in the very south of Italy. The people were very nice and welcoming, calling the group beautiful and kind after we spoke with them.
There is no place like home, but, dang, Tuscany is lovely. From the landscape to the history of the area, the trip had no downside. There is no comparison to their Chianti wine and I cannot wait to try the Brunello from Montalcino that I bought. I will never forget the trip and how much fun I had learning about the history of the region and how to taste good olive oil.