Submitted by Daniel Tokar on the 2018 winter session program in Italy sponsored by the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics and the Department of English…
I bought a phrase book, I learned the basics of Italian on Duolingo, I was ready. All that was true until we arrived in our first location, the ancient town of Volterra. My first interaction with a native Italian was clunky at best. For a second, I completely forgot how to say the simplest of things, like ‘yes’ and ‘hello’. Luckily, he was a friendly shop owner with a much better grasp on my language than I had on his. He gave me a free sample of his wares, and I made my first purchase in Europe. After that initial shock, I’ve been able to incorporate a little more Italian into each of my interactions.
On our second morning in the country, we piled into a bus and took an hour’s drive to Pisa, home of the famous leaning tower, the largest baptistery in the world, and a beautiful Pisan-Romanesque cathedral all within a small and beautiful patch of grass known as the Field of Miracles. Each building was equally impressive and historic. The cathedral was the first of its style, combining Pisan, Roman and Moorish styles to create a beautiful and unique marvel of architecture. The baptistery, cathedral and leaning tower were all made with solid marble, signifying the wealth of power of medieval Pisa. These ancient and beautiful structures had no comparison in the United States, a nation born hundreds of years after these monuments were erected.
My brief time in Italy thus far has felt like a month’s worth of new experiences. The culinary, artistic and historic wealth in every corner of Tuscany has been an experience like no other, and I look forward to my remaining time here.