"Time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older, too."
- "Landslide," Fleetwood Mac
With only 5 weeks remaining in Italy, I thought that it would be appropriate to format this post like a countdown.
The following five points highlight the top five things/events that have occurred over the past couple weeks. Of course, there are numerous other marvelous experiences that aren’t listed below, but these seemed like the most noteworthy:
#5 – La Biblioteca
Last week, my roommates brought me to Carlo Bo’s central library. I’d been to other libraries and reading rooms in Urbino -- the campus is scattered with study areas – but I’d never been able to find the central biblioteca. To be fair, it isn’t widely advertised, and it isn’t in an obvious location. In fact, from the street, you can’t even see it – the structure is embedded within another building, and there aren’t any obvious signs.
But, despite its “Where’s Waldo-esque” location, the central library is exceptionally charming. And quiet.
. . . Perhaps because nobody knows that it’s there.
The main room of the library features floor-to-ceiling bookcases, large windows to let in natural light, and a muggy, bookish musk that would make any bibliophile swoon. It is, in essence, the perfect spot to study for hours and completely forget about the outside world. With final exams approaching, it’s become one of my favorite spots in Urbino.
#4 – Pioggia
A few weeks ago, I created a post about the rain – It was amazing to me, as a native Arizonian, to experience so much precipitation over such an extended period of time. In fact, it was amazing to experience any kind of precipitation at all. In the desert, rainy days are few and far between.
But here, in Urbino . . . Well.
It’s rained almost every. single. day. for. two. weeks.
It’s also surprisingly cold! I packed two pairs of shorts when I left Arizona, but I’ve only worn one of them once. It’s May. And I still have to wear a coat and boots when I leave the apartment. Where or where is my steamy Italian summer weather??? I want to walk around the main piazza in a sun dress and a gelato in my hand!
Perhaps things will start warming up soon -- I have some time left to enjoy the Mediterranean climate, and I hope that I’ll be able to wear my shorts at least a few more times!
#3 – Street Food
This past weekend, Urbino hosted a street food festival just outside the town walls. Various colorful and brightly lit tents sprung up from a normally empty parking lot and drew people in with enticing smells. A few friends and I voyaged to the event, just to check it out. In addition to having a crepe stand, a margarita stand, and a place that sold fried olive balls, the festival featured one booth with American-style beer. Although I didn’t order anything there, I got a kick out of the USA-inspired decorations, and it was nice to see a piece of home here in Italy.
For dinner, I found a place that sold grilled, vegetarian sandwiches (panini). Yum!
I also treated myself to a glass of Czech-style beer. Mňam!
Although the festival is over now, I’m glad that I got to experience it. Sometimes the general pace of Urbino a is little slow – it’s a small town in the heart of the Marche Region – so, we don’t see much excitement. Sometimes this is an asset – especially with finals coming! No distractions here! But, even hard-core studiers need a break from the books every once-in-a-while. And what better way to do that than to enjoy some traditional Czech beer?
#2 – Running
Every week for the past month, I’ve gone out running with my friend, Cuong, who’s from Vietnam. We meet at 7 – 7:30 in the morning, and then we hit the road, rain or shine.
I’ve been running for around two years – I even completed a half-marathon this past January. Cuong wants to participate in a 5K when he returns home, so he enlisted me to help him train. We average around 3 ½ miles each time, so he should be able to finish his race without a sweat!
The hardest part about running is the mental strain. Sure, your legs and knees get tired, your lungs feel like they might explode . . . but maintaining a sense of motivation? That’s that hard part. When I ran the half-marathon, I was ready to collapse and die by mile 11. But, as I got closer to the finish line, there were more and more people cheering from the sidelines. People who were there to support their friends or family members – people I didn’t even know – people who wanted to see me succeed, even though they didn’t know me either.
When the finish line was in sight, I blasted into a full sprint. Although my legs were on fire, my knees were screaming, and my lungs were ready to pass out, the cheers from the crowd gave me an extra jolt of energy! It was like running into one of those star things in Mario Cart. Suddenly, super-speed was my only speed. I felt like a lightning bolt or something.
In previous weeks, when I was preparing for the half-marathon, I could finish 10 miles in about 2 hours. So, I figured that it would take me close to 2 ½ or even 3 hours to complete the dreaded 13 mile-race.
However, on the actual race day, I passed the finish line in 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 4 seconds – completely shattering any expectations that I had for myself.
I think having people cheer me on helped. I think being surrounded by other suffering runners helped. I think the excitement of the moment propelled me onward, and I was able to physically achieve something that my mind told me wasn’t possible.
So, this all goes to explain how, by running with Cuong, I’m finding that running is actually – dare I say? – fun???? Having a buddy to jog with and talk to makes the miles melt away. Instead of a cheering crowd at just the finish line, instead I have someone to cheer me on during the entire run.
I wish Cuong the best of luck with his 5K! He’s already running much further and faster than me when I first started out two years ago. Kudos to him!
#1 - Pesaro
The past two Thursdays, I’ve taken little day-trips to Pesaro. After a full week of studying and taking notes, I allow myself a relaxing afternoon to mess around in my favorite sea-side Italian town. Only an hour away from Urbino, Pesaro is the perfect escape. It has an extensive beach, miles of bike paths, and some of the best gelato around.
Last Thursday, I rented a bike from Pesaro Bici for only 10 euros. Since the rental was for the whole day, I took my time and did some serious exploring. I rode all the way down from Pesaro to its southern neighbor, Fano. The trip took about an hour each way, but the scenery was spectacular, so I didn’t even notice the time. There’s a great pathway that connects the two towns, so I wasn’t worried about cars or trucks rumbling by. I listened to some music, took in the sun, and forgot about my final exams for a while.
I’d never been to Fano before, so it was a treat to visit! It’s a walled town – like Urbino – and it’s close to the sea – like Pesaro. Best of both, I guess! I think maybe it was a holiday or something there, because the streets were almost empty, and it was so quiet that I hoped off my bike and tip-toed around for a bit. I didn’t stick around for too long because nothing was open -- but it was nice to at least visit.
When I returned to Pesaro, I got myself some strawberry-lemon-coconut gelato, and then I rested in the shade for a bit. Adventuring (especially on a bike) is hard work!
I’m planning to visit Pesaro again later this week. Hopefully on a day when it’s not raining!
Well, that brings us to the end of the countdown. Things have slowed down a lot the past few weeks, but I'm enjoying the simple, everyday pace of rural Italy. The following month will bring finals, more travel, and hopefully more gelato! I'll keep you updated, and thank you for reading!