Spring break came a lot later than I expected. After a horrifying week of midterms there was still one more week between me and vacation. Break started the 18th of March and ended on the 28th. My little sister back in the States had her break the week before. Unfortunately that, among other things, made it difficult for my family to come and visit me during the Easter holiday. So I’ve gone a little over two months without seeing them in person. But luckily I’m not without family in Rome. The following Saturday I took the same route back to Vicenza. Aunt Patti and Gehrig met me at the platform in Padova and we picked up Uncle David at the military base in Vicenza. My plan over the break was to knock out some homework so I could get ahead in my classes (even more than I already am). But Uncle David and Aunt Patti were against it and wanted me to just sit still and be lazy. I felt like a slacker the entire time but my brain really needed the rest.
My first day there we took a walk through the city to Piazza Signore, which is like a miniature Piazza San Marco in Venice but much less crowded. We got a table outside and had lunch in the cool fresh air. The rest of the day we took it slow. It was nice to have a home to return to at the end of the day and jut be a family. Plus, I finally got to try Aunt Patti’s cooking! A nice bowl of hot broccoli soup really hit the spot!
The next three days were much like the first. I took some time to research my topics for three research papers due in April. I physically can’t help myself. If there’s an assignment I know about I have to start working on it immediately. One day I went for a walk with Aunt Patti and her friends Marcella and Marcia to a church that used to be a pilgrimage site. There were a lot of stairs.
But the view was worth it.
On the 23th, Aunt Patti, her friend Marcia, and I took a day trip to Verona. To enter the city, we walked through the Castel Vecchio (which translates to Old Castle, descriptive).
Other stops included the Arena and the Roman Theatre (which was, unfortunately, undergoing construction).
The next day was more like a work day. I’m considered a junior at Rollins so I got to register for classes early. I’m happy to say everything went according to plan! For the rest of the day I babysat Gehrig while Aunt Patti and Uncle David went out to dinner with some friends. While I said it was work it was actually a lot of fun. Reminds me of when I babysat the Abdoney kids! Gehrig has a lot of energy for a four year old and gets a little crazy from time to time but luckily he listens to me and does what he’s told. I ended the night by reading him bed time stories and sitting with him until he fell asleep to keep away any monsters. I just love taking care of kids!!
The 25th was a special day because it was Uncle David’s birthday! To celebrate, we took a family trip to Venice. But rather than visiting the hot tourist spots we went to Lido, the last stop on the water taxi. This is one of Uncle David’s favorite places in Venice because the sites are just as beautiful with no large crowds. We spent a lot of time at the beach and let Gehrig play around in the sand and collect seashells. While the weather wasn’t all that sunny and I wasn’t dressed for the beach, I still enjoyed myself. Hearing the water and the seagulls reminds me of summer vacation with my family just without the sun. Afterwards Aunt Patti prepared a special dinner of pork and brussel sprouts. And I don’t understand why those little guys have such a bad reputation. They were delicious!
The Veneto region is such a lovely place but most people are attracted to the island of Venice. While Venice is a beautiful city, it’s not the only city. But its popularity overshadows what its neighbors have to offer. If you ever find yourself in Italy, go ahead and be a tourist but take a look at the smaller things and experience authentic Italian life.