Rome Week Two

This weekend (February 8-10) the class had a guided tour and wine tasting excursion in Florence! Our trip was an eye-opener to how deeply rooted Italian culture really is. It is hard, as an American, to realize how old some of the traditions in Italian life and social interactions actually are. 

I still have not grasped the technique of ordering coffee or food at counter service places (not only this, but their coffee shops are called “bars” … much different connotation in America). Italians, I have found, have no concept of lines or order when asking for things at a counter. It is not a “first come, first serve” basis, but more so an “attention grabbing contest.” Being that I only speak English, it is sometimes hard to assert myself and get what I paid for. Moreover, you must pay for your drink and food before you receive it. If you do not show a receipt at the time where you are flagging down a busy barista, you will be ignored or told to go back to the register. This discussion of coffee-ordering stems from the fact that “bar breaks” during the day are entrenched in Italians’ daily lives, and our group stopped several times on our tour to get coffee and take a pause in our long day. Ordering at Starbucks is a lot easier, faster, and more convenient in my eyes, but that is how I have been raised to think of what is normal.

After touring the squares, piazzas, and narrow streets of Florence (we got to see the statue of David!), we traveled to the small ghost town of San Gimignano. There, Duquesne had organized a private wine tasting and lunch in one of the town’s picturesque vineyards. To me, eating lunch at 1:30 or 2:00 every day seems absurd. I tend to have a meal or snack every few hours. Again, looking through my American eyes, I was starving and couldn’t wait to get a bite of whatever they were cooking. Through Italian eyes, eating this late is no big deal and one should take their time savoring their food. We were served some of the vineyard owners’ private collection of wines along with an appetizer, main course, and dessert. To start, we were given a large tray with a selection of finger foods to sip our sparkling prosecco with. There were some foods that I was unsure of their source or what they even were, but it never hurts to try things! The main dish was a spectacular slice of lasagna with red sauce and a tomato rice-looking side. For dessert, we got to try homemade biscotti and dessert wine. The Italian cookie was delicious, but the dessert wine tasted stronger than whiskey. All in all, this experience was a lot of fun and very informational. It helped me understand why statues and art were made and their purpose, why certain wines go with some foods and not others, how what you eat and what you see have a huge, everlasting impression on who you identify as culturally.