Pecorino e Miele

Va “bing” …

November 20th, 2006

I didn’t realize how accustomed I’d become to the Umbrian accent until a trip up north to visit Simone who is about to move to the United States. In the Veneto it’s a whole new world, architecturally, energetically and linguistically. I can’t quite explain the difference in accents here, but you’ll just have to take my word for it that it’s different. I feel fortunate that I understand Italian well enough to be able to detect an accent. It’s a sign of how far I’ve come, I’d say. Or at least I hope.

I left Perugia on a sunny, dry afternoon with smooth hair, to arrive in a very humid, foggy Verona with frizzy, curly hair – and an appetite. (Simone if you read this will you please leave a comment telling me what exactly I ate? I can’t remember the names of everything…) So after a sumptuous dinner that I can’t quite describe yet, we took a walk and I marveled away at how lovely and….flat Verona is. No hills. Not a climb in site. Very un-Perugia. What a welcome relief. The architecture had a slightly Venetian touch but the general feel of the city was slightly Germanic, at least compared to Umbria.

Though I could feel my hair growing curlier by the minute the following day, (such humidity!), I was still able to enjoy the layout of the beautiful city of Padova with its arcaded streets, generally friendly inhabitants and a few grumpy old men, as well as the beautiful (if slighly macabre) church of Saint Anthony, where I left a few Euros in thanks for some favors I’ve asked of him in the past…I loved Padova and its energy – talk about a breath of fresh air. There was an enthusiasm in Padova that I didn’t quite feel in Verona.

Though I struggled to understand what people were saying with their accents, and therefore felt rather shy about speaking Italian with them (and probably sounded like an idiot when I did), I felt incredibly fortunate to be the guest of Simone’s adorable parents for lunch…I don’t get a lot of chances to spend time with family and it meant a lot to be taken care of a little bit, especially with Thanksgiving approaching and me all the way here in Italy. (Thank you!)

My last hour and a half prior to hopping on a train on Sunday was spent in Verona watching a group of women dance around underneath Juliet’s balcony (as in, Romeo and Juliet – as in, fake tourist trap but charming none the less), placing my hand on Juliet’s right breast (she was a statue, you perverts) for good luck in love, and sitting outside with a drink, critiquing people’s various fashion choices. I didn’t really want to leave – It was nice to get out of Umbria for a bit and see something new, and I was just getting used to things. But for now, back to reality…

Some photos are in the “Le Foto” page of my blog.

Entry Filed under: Misc Travels