On Saturday morning, and I do mean MORNING (we left at 5:00a.m. sharp), we hopped on a cramped bus to the Alps. Five hours later, we arrived at the foot of the mountains, and followed our guides toward the hiking trail.
Now most of you who know me are fully aware that I'm not exactly a "nature" person. But oh my goodness, I would have been a fool to miss out on an opportunity like this. The air was so fresh, the trees so green, the water so clear. Our first major stop on the hike was being able to stand behind an actual waterfall! So I guess you could say I saw the backside of water. But seriously, it was so awe-inspiring, and was definitely the highlight of the hike for me.
Our hike was mostly uphill from that point, but still...it really made me appreciate God's creations, despite how out of shape I was. I feel like the photos I took or the descriptions I give don't do the Alps justice!
That night, we stayed in the Hotel American (ha. ha.) in the city of Trento, and had a full Italian dinner. It wasn't necessarily my favorite meal of my trip, but hey, we were starving and devoured every course.
The next morning, we departed for Lago da Garda in the city of Sirmione. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. We explored the town, and did a 4-euro self-tour of the huge fortress that serves as the majestic entrance of the city. There were some fantastic views of Sirmione, and the water in the lake is extremely clean and clear.
After a delicious pizza lunch at a restaurant on the shores of the lake, we hopped on the bus to Verona. In case you dozed off during your freshman year english class, Verona is the setting of Romeo and Juliet. However, our tour guide broke our hearts by telling us that since Romeo and Juliet is a completely fictional story, the supposed "House of Juliet" is too. The city of Verona decided to build Juliet's house, complete with balcony and tomb, merely as homage to Shakespeare's famous love story. So basically...it's a glorified tourist trap.
I also found it interesting to learn that the Bard didn't conceptualize the tale of the star-crossed lovers. It was a story written by a less famous author, but it was Shakespeare's interpretation that made it so famous.
However, we snapped some touristy photos anyways, and even signed our names on a wall where you can write "love notes" to Juliet (just like the movie, but not really). Here is my contribution:
Then we got a mere hour to explore the rest of Verona. I wish we could have had time to see more of the city, but we had to head home. It was a wonderful weekend, and made me excited for the rest of my excursions.
This weekend's itinerary: A Fiorentina soccer match, and a day trip Cinque Terre!
Until next time....
Kara
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