24 May Being a Novelty in Poppi
Just when I thought that wine country was gorgeous, I had the absolute privilege of seeing and visiting Poppi.
We left Florence early Sunday morning to begin our journey further northward. The bus ride wasn’t too long, considering the time was used to nap and get work done.
The driver let us off in some random parking lot in the middle of nowhere, as he did not want to negotiate the tight turns and narrow streets of the mountain town. I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t want to drive a bus around there either.
We were forced to lug our luggage up a steep incline, but we were rewarded with breathtaking sights of the region. Everything smelled so fresh and authentic. It was quite quiet and serene, very little noise and congestion compared to a place like Florence.
Of all places to stay, we discovered we were given room and board in a convent. The nuns were super nice and helpful, and we rarely saw them. They were like Catholic ninjas or something.
Our typical crew of Gabby, Jordan, Phil, Zayne, and I decided to roam town before we had to be anywhere. We staved off hunger by purchasing snacks at convenience stores intermittently littered throughout the neighborhood, and by going to a cafe that sold pizza and sandwiches.
I ordered what I believed to be a hotdog, but was greatly dismayed when I discovered that I had been given some triangular sandwich piled with ham and coated in a mushroom-based spread. Not wanting to seem rude or disrespectful, I made it look as if I ate the food, but really I just tore away pieces of it at a time and dropped them into an empty potato chip bag I had been carrying around with me.
The first responsibility of the day required us splitting up and going for a language and culture lesson. My group was lead to the international school where we learned some phrases, and then we took a small bus to see some sights.
It was there that we reconvened with the others. After a scenic walk downhill, we participated in a guessing game and then visited an old church. The space was used by early Christians and, as usual, was repurposed from a pagan temple. Unlike previous examples we saw, the pagan portion was preserved underneath, as the church builders didn’t have a clue than an ancient civilization lay underneath the ground.
The pagans, the Truscans, were pretty mathematically-inclined and socially adept. They were pacifists (sadly, they were conquered), and they produced stunning artwork. Their idea of the hurricane equaling life relates to the belief that life never really ends, it’s infinite, in some semblance.
We hiked through some woods, saw Dante’s exile shack (that had the town’s water supply), and then we made our way to the castle. Plenty of pictures were taken before, during, and after the tour, then we went home and had a terrific dinner with some esteemed locals, where we were treated to some songs sang by our peers, and then we all enjoyed a lazy evening.
The second day was just as eventful. In addition to having an amazing lunch and getting to play games and learn some more of the language, we toured the castle near the nunnery.
Inside, we got to climb the guard tower (which offered picturesque views), see the exhibitions, see the dungeon/torture chamber, and best of all, got to see the amazing library that housed some early, hand-written and illustrated drafts of Dante’s Inferno. The monks who compiled the collection, we learned, were quite open-minded, and were incredibly well read on a variety of subjects.
Perhaps the coolest thing we got to do was meet and have a photo shoot (of sorts) with the mayor. He wished that we all find love in our lives, which received a unanimous, “Awwww!”
He even bought us a nice bottle of Presecco that we had with lunch. Quite a wonderful man. If only more politicians were like him.
To cap off our stay there, the bus was late, in typical SRU fashion. The time was used to talk and read. And after an hour and a half of waiting, we got on the bus and headed towards Bologna.
I wish we had spent more time in Poppi, even if there was no wifi or many people who spoke English.
