Between the Miles: Ventures in Verona and Cheese...

I'm currently on a train to La Spezia, which is a town just outside of Cinque Terre, or 5 lands. We originally planned on taking a noon train out of Verona, but quickly had to change our plans when we hopped on the wrong bus that took us on a 2 hour (not an exaggeration) bus ride in the wrong direction. I'm honestly not even sure where we were, but the view was beautiful, so we changed plans and didn't get on a train until 15:50(6:50pm). This is a late night post and we've been sitting on a bus/train for far too long for any athlete to be sitting, so I apologize for any typos or rambling!

We've been in Europe for a week now! The city has continued to amaze me with how beautiful it is. Although we've encountered some serious issues maneuvering train stations, bus lines, and busy city streets, we finish each day having learned something.

On Wednesday, we had an excursion to Grana Padano cheese factory. This was probably the excursion I was least excited about when I was looking over the syllabus, but it was SO cool. Not to sound too cheesy but I loved learning about the process involved in making formaggio! We learned that the cheese is made from milk that has been separated from the majority of the excess fat that it comes with, and that fat is then recycled to make butter- nothing goes to waste! It was really cool being able to see the storage room where the Granna Padano cheese ages. The room was huge, and stored 6,500 wheels that weighed over 100 pounds and were valued at 4 million euros....my mind was blown.

After a full tour of the extremely stanky cheese factory, we finally got to try the cheeses! I was nervous to try some of them, because I don't typically like cheese all that much, but they were amazing. Cheese in Italy is an entirely different ballgame. You haven't lived until you've tried fresh mozzarella...I'm talking 2 minutes old fresh. It's safe to say I've had more cheese in the last week than I have in my entire life.

The family who owned the factory had been in the business since 1905! A lot of Italians own businesses that are handed down from generation to generation, and everyone here is extremely passionate about what they do- be it making cheese, scooping gelato, or waiting tables.

Thursday was a fun and busy day! I woke up early to go on a run, which is a daily occurrence for Carly and I. This was incredible because I found my favorite view of Verona so far at sunset over the vineyards in the hills... I found some of the most beautiful homes and views that I couldn't even explain or capture with a photo. I love the vastness that the hills and vineyards provide, and turning around to make it back for class is always the most difficult part of every run- no matter how big the hill or how tired I am. This week I ran over 30 miles from Sunday to Thursday--and I can't wait to explore new trails next week!

I made it back just in time for a little game of soccer, which was a blast! Although I'm way too competitive for a game of soccer when I'm terrible, it was so fun sliding around on the wet grass with my professor and other students in the program! Afterwards, we had class, then a cooking lesson at our classroom in the heart of Verona. We learned who to make Gnocchi with 4 different types of cheeses, topped with cinnamon, a healthy yogurt desert with fresh berries, and fresh caprese salad. Our instructor Antonia Polese is an absolute gem of a lady. She has a very particular way of cooking, and it's truly an amazing experience to learn all of the tricks of the trade! Cooking is amazing because we're using all fresh ingredients. Even things like cheese have health benefits, and Olive Oil is gold to the Italians.

After our cooking lesson, we met by the Roman Coliseum to take an official tour of the city of Verona with our extremely aggressive tour guide, Victoria. Victoria has a very shrill voice and she could clear the streets of anything that gets in her way, but she had some amazing things to say. She taught us all about the history of Verona and the four main stages of it's history. It had been under the rule of the Romans, Austrians, and the French under Napoleon. The city walls are still up, and although a lot has changed, traces and battle wounds are still present. Victoria also showed us a cool restaurant called Osteria Sottoriva, which is known for it's horse meat, which is a delicacy in Verona. Caitlin, Carly, and I have vowed we'd be back to try it...eek! This restaurant has a lot of character, it even has a sign on the wall that translates to "Don't think, you have to drink!" Another stop on our tour included Romeo's alleged house, as well as Giuletta's balcony. Romeo's family was banished from the city twice, but extensive searching has led people to believe he lived in a striped brick house about 5 minutes from Giuliette's. Seeing Giuliette's balcony was cool not because of all of the history that surrounded it, but just the general feeling that I got when I walked through the walls. There is an aura of love and happiness in the courtyard, which is surrounded by letters that people have written to Giulietta, locks on the gates with couple's initials, and a colorful wall full of loving messages on the walls of the entrance. Giuliette is a type of hero for the people of Verona, partially because she brings in hundreds of tourists each year. The best part of the tour was being able to go to the office of the Secretaries of Giuliette, and being offered to volunteer to respond to the hundreds of letters that come through each day. Every Tuesday and Thursday, Carly, Caitlin, and I will be responding to love letters from English speaking people seeking advice from the most romantic love story ever written--pretty cool, right?

When I think I've seen pretty much all there is to see, I find another fortress, church, or twist of the Adige River. This city truly is amazing, and I've fallen in love with it...and the challenges it has presented and I can't wait to explore it some more! For now, I can't wait to see the five lands and scenic views of Cinque Terre!