Honestly, I literally believe Italy is the most beautiful place I have seen on earth. The art, the culture, and (as expected) the FOOD was magnificent. During my time in the country, I stayed in Florence with my friend but mostly toured Rome (which is 2 hours away) and Orsigna (which is in the mountainous Tuscany region). Although this may make some of you go WHAT, I actually toured Rome by myself while my girlfriend went on a trip in the city with her class. In truth, that was the best decision I could have made for the first time I experienced Rome. It was daylight, so safety was not a major issue. But visiting the Vatican on my own was the most humbling experience during my entire semester in Europe. Additionally, being in the Roman Colosseum and literally standing in the midst of a vast history truly made me feel connected to all that God has created and all that humans have experienced. Being able to pray without my friends saying “Oh wow, how beautiful” and just being able to just experience the ruins in silence at moments really made Rome my best experience during the fall semester. There was so much that I learned in Italy, but Orsigna truly put the cap on my trip. Orsigna is an EXTREMELY SMALL town located in the Tuscany region of Italy. Tourists typically do not go there since the only way to get there is to drive on narrow roads up the mountain. But NYU in Florence decided to take myself and my girlfriend’s class up to a chestnut mill in Orsigna that had existed for almost a century. The current owners of the mill only spoke italian but showed us around the chestnut mill property and even allowed us to drink fresh water from a rock! Then, they cooked for us and I nearly slid off my chair in delight. THAT WAS THE BEST FOOD I HAVE EEEVVVVERRRRR HAD IN MY LIFE. Everything was fresh and made out of chestnuts whether it was chestnut flour or sauce. Mostly, Italy taught me the significance of food and family, the significance of valuing the symbolism of what you put in your body and how you feed it. I have to say I eat much healthier now from the experience and completely respect those individuals who are self sufficient and produce their own food. So many Americans don’t even know where the meat they consume comes from. It’s disgusting, and I made a vow during dinner in Orsigna that I would try much harder to be cogniscent of what I eat and feed my temple. If I must recommend 1 country to visit in Europe it would by far be Italy thus far.
Enjoy the pictures!
The Vatican
The Colosseum
Orsigna
