Road trip: Italian Style

This weekend, my friend Ibraheem from back home, who is studying in Paris this semester, came to visit me in Perugia. It was a last minute trip, and Kristen and I had already planned to rent a car and drive around Italy this weekend. When he found out, he was in. We are all three really relaxed people, so I knew it would be a good trio for a trip like this.

I picked Ibraheem up from the train station on Thursday evening to go out to dinner with a group of my friends. There’s a restaurant right up the street from my apartment that I had yet to eat at, so we decided it would be a great night to try it. The main reason I was drawn to it was the pumpkin quiche. And oh, it was so good! We had a nice dinner with some great wine. It was still a bit too early to go out, so we went back to our apartment for some more wine.

After that, we showed Ibraheem around Perugia nightlife. We went to a couple of bars that we frequent as students here. A lot of people were out, so I think Ibraheem had a good time!

The next morning, we got an early start…9:30 is early for us on a weekend! We went to the train station to pick up our car. First we went to Hertz (the most accessible of car rental places), but the reservation wasn’t there. Kristen had forgotten which car rental place she booked under on the internet, so we headed to the next one…Europecar. The reservation wasn’t there either. But the man told us that the site we booked under worked with Europecar and with Avis. Next, we headed to Avis, and we had a car! A beautiful 4-door, silver Toyota. The reservation was under Kristen’s name, but she is only 20. The man said she was a "little too young to rent it" and asked if either Ibraheem or I were 21. Ibraheem is, so he was the primary driver for the weekend.


Before we left Perugia, we went to the big supermarket to stock up on things to eat for the weekend…mainly sandwich stuff for the impending lunchtime. After many Italian round a bouts, we find ourselves on the highway and ready to go! We’re driving in the left lane after only a few minutes on the highway and a motorcycle man pulls up to our right. He keeps pointing to something on the right side of our car and trying to tell us something. We ignore him the first time, but he comes up again. This time, I try to lower my window to hear what he’s saying, but the window lock is on. Ibraheem tries to undo the window lock but is distracted by the motorcycle man. Next thing we know, we have run into the concrete median, so Ibraheem slams on the brakes as we try to assess the situation. The motorcycle man has exited, and the people behind us are honking their horns and NOT happy with us.

We are all a bit shook up, but decide to head on. The first stop was Lake Trasimeno, which is about 30 minutes from Perugia. Once we get there, we parked the car to check the damage….not a scratch! Only the mirror on the left side is gone. We were so lucky. After that we had a few minutes to take in the beauty of the lake, relax, and get ready for the weekend ahead.




Back on the road and heading to Pisa, we enjoy sandwiches made my Kristen. The landscape is unbelievable, and it’s a beautiful day. We get to Pisa, a lot earlier than expected, and park the car to find the Leaning Tower. We’re just walking and trying to follow signs leading us in the right direction.


Suddenly, we look to our left and through a brick arch, we find see the Leaning Tower.


Turns out, the Leaning Tower is a part of a huge grassy piazza with market vendors lining the road. People are laying in the lawn and just enjoying the sunshine.




After taking the classic pics…


We enjoy watching others take their pictures and decide to lay down to soak up some sun. An Italian duo was playing “Knockin on Heaven’s Door” as we sit down. We sit for a while, listening to the music and enjoying the sites of Pisa and people watching.




After about half an hour, we decide to have some dinner, and we eat at a nice place near the Tower. We had some time to waste before the nightlife started, so we decide to head to the car for a nap. After two hours of sleep time, we are all rejuvenated.

We head back into the city, and for a while, we thought there wasn’t another soul out in Pisa. Finally, we stumble upon a Piazza where a TON of people are just hanging out. We grab a drink and try to blend in with the locals. We chat and enjoy each other’s company in the streets of Pisa until we’re all tired and ready to go home (a.k.a. the car). We go to sleep and don’t wake up until fairly late. The car was parked in a free lot with a full service rest station, so in the morning, we enjoyed a nice Italian caffè and brioche.

Back on the road with Kristen at the wheel…



We head to Venice. Again, the scenery was breathtaking. As we approach Venice, the landscape gets more flat and fairly foggy. We arrive in Venice, park the car, and head to explore. Venice was again another beautiful city. I’m glad I can say that I’ve seen it, but it wasn’t my favorite of places. It was really expensive, which deterred me a bit from completely falling in love with the city.



THE Italian hairstyle for men.



St. Mark's Square






We enjoyed the pigeons at St. Mark’s square, and sat for a while on the dock just relaxing.




The Indian music for Kristen's dad


After a bottle of wine, we tried to head back to the car, but we got lost in the labyrinth of Venice for about an hour. Eventually we found the parking garage, and we had our bearings back.



It was time for dinner, and we noticed three cute restaurants along a canal that looked like viable options. We checked all three and ended up choosing the last one. It was FABULOUS. Honestly, this dinner was a true Italian experience, and I am so glad Ibraheem got to experience that. We stepped into a small restaurant that was packed! The waitress and the owner were the only people working it. There was a bit of a wait, but we didn’t mind. As we waited, the owner poured us Bellini’s. We enjoyed those and the atmosphere while preparing ourselves for some excellent seafood. Not long after, we sat at a table and all decided to do the fixed menu of three courses. I had my first lasagna in Italy, which was really good. Then seafood for seconds, which was out of this world! We don’t get much seafood in landlocked Umbria! Dessert was fresh fruit with a little bit of lemon juice and sugar…so good! Ibraheem had tiramisu too, which is only fitting as it was born in Venice.

That night after dinner, we went straight to sleep…in the car again. The second night wasn’t as great as the first. We all had a bit of trouble sleeping, but that meant we had an earlier start to head back to Perugia. It was my turn to drive, and leaving Venice at 8a.m. means DENSE fog. I could hardly see 20-30 feet in front of me. I was driving slow, but trying to navigate my way around in a foreign country is not a piece of cake. With the tricky Italian round a bouts, I made one wrong turn, and we were lost for nearly an hour.


We finally were heading the right way, but the persistent fog was not letting up. About an hour after that, the fog finally lifts, and we stopped off for a coffee. Back on the road, Kristen took over and we head home. Heading back towards the middle of Italy and towards the mountains means even more beautiful landscapes to gaze at. After a surprisingly excellent gas station meal, Ibraheem took the wheel; I took the back seat...


Next thing I know, we’re back in Perugia!

It was a great weekend, and it was an even better way to see the Italian countryside. Needless to say, we were all glad to be back in Perugia…especially for a shower and a bed to sleep in!

Right now, I should be studying for my midterms, but I just can’t get motivated to do that. The test I have today is for my film class, but it doesn’t count for anything towards my major back home. It’s only pass/fail, so it doesn’t count towards my GPA. I’m not looking forward to having midterms and studying this week, but I am really looking forward to spring break. This Friday I head to Prague, then Budapest, and ending spring break in Dublin. It should be absolutely fabulous!

**If you actually read this whole thing and aren't tired of it...check out Kristen's blog for extra pictures and stories!**