Road to Vicenza
Italy is known for its beautiful landscapes, rich cultural heritage and regional cuisine, but Francis and Marjorie Griffin of Prospect first noticed the helpful and friendly people when they got lost last March at Milan Central Station.
As one of the main rail stations in Europe, about 330,000 people pass through Milan Central Station each day.
The Griffins struggled to find the correct train line to Vicenza, where they planned to visit Marjorie's grandson, Aaron Doriani, his wife, Marina, and their daughters Sophia, 1, and Svetlana, 5. A weatherman with the Air Force, Doriani is stationed in Vicenza.
"We could just say the name of the city we were going to, 'Vicenza, Vicenza!'" said Marjorie. "The thing that was surprising to me was how everyone helped us by offering to carry suitcases and pointing in the direction of the train station."
The Griffins were able to get by with a few words and hand motions, Francis said.
"Once you're used to being in another country, you just cope one way or another," he added.
After being guided to the correct station, they were able to relax on the three-hour train ride from Milan to Vicenza.
"The train was traveling along the area just south of the Italian Alps," Marjorie said. "We could see the snow-covered peaks out of our train window all the way."
The Griffins stayed at Camere con Colazione, a bed and breakfast run by a farmer and his family.Francis, a farmer himself, was struck by the difference in how American and Italian farms are structured."He had about 17 hectares or 35 acres of land on his farm, but the farmland was right up to the back side of his house," he said, mentioning that American farms are much more spread out.The inside of the bed and breakfast looked like a typical American hotel, Marjorie said, but the exteriors are much more interesting."The thing that impressed me about the landscape is that the buildings are so big and there are Roman remains everywhere," she said. "There were statues everywhere portraying every kind of hero or saint."As the Griffins toured Vicenza further, they were astounded to be immersed in so much history. Marjorie said the ancient ruins scattered throughout the city fascinated her, including some Roman structures that are still mostly intact."(The tour guide) took us down a flight of stairs to what was the first floor of an ancient Roman house," she said. "There were ornate moldings around the walls, the floors were all mosaic and there was a Roman bath."The mixture of the ancient and modern worlds stood out to Marjorie when the Griffins took a day trip to Padua and visited the Basilica of St. Anthony, on which construction began in 1230 and was completed the following century.
"(St. Anthony) is famous for being a healer," she said. "When we went into one alcove, the whole wall was covered with prayer requests from children all over the world."The couple toured Rome at their own pace by taking a shuttle bus to notable landmarks. Another bus in the line comes through the route each half-hour, so tourists can choose their stops and stay as long as desired."You can travel all day long and see everything," Marjorie said. "There's a tour guide on the bus who tells you where you are."The Griffins stopped at famous sites such as St. Peter's Basilica, which has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world with room for 60,000 people. Sites also included artwork in the Sistine Chapel, which has been frescoed by famous Renaissance artists like Raphael, Bernini, Botticelli and Michelangelo.The paintings in the Sistine Chapel defy description, Francis said, and the most spectacular piece of artwork is Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam" on the chapel's ceiling."Michelangelo spent 10 or 15 years painting that while he was lying on his back," he said. "It's a magnificent place."After full days of sightseeing, the couple often had simple meals at their grandson's home rather than in restaurants."We bought a lot of pizzas because I guess we were more familiar with them," Marjorie said.Much of the cuisine was similar to American food, except for a dish served at a nearby restaurant."Aaron recommended this fish soup and it was very different — it had eyes in it!" Marjorie said. "We didn't eat the eyes."Despite the unfamiliar dish, the couple still felt welcome at the restaurant."The man who ran the restaurant was very excited to have us there from America," Marjorie said. "The owner could speak limited English, and he had a toast to America while we were there."Like the restaurant owner, people in Italy's northern regions do not speak much English, Marjorie said, but they were able to barter at an open-air market.
"There were so many things that you couldn't make up your mind about what to buy," said Marjorie, who eventually decided on some plates. "There were books, beautiful paintings, all kinds of knickknacks, dishes, house decorations and so on."On another day trip to Trieste, the Griffins learned about the history of World War II and saw the grounds of a former concentration camp.Trieste was occupied by German forces during the war and survived violent partisan activity and Allied bombings. Its suburb of Risiera di San Sabba contained the only concentration camp built in Italian territory."Trieste was a hotbed of resistance against the Nazi occupation," Marjorie said. "I did not know that it was a place American troops had liberated toward the end of the war."The tour of Trieste also included climbing a steep hill to Castello di Miramare, or Miramare Castle.Built between 1856 and 1860, the castle is known for its lush and elaborate gardens. The collection includes two ponds, one famous for its swans and the other for lotus flowers and bronze statuary.Francis was surprised to see so much ancient architecture still standing, particularly in heavily-trafficked areas like Trieste and Rome."For instance, the Coliseum is very much there and half an arena from 2000-plus years ago is preserved along the street," he said. "(The landmarks) are very well cared for. The people are not afraid to put a little time into preserving it."Touring Italy would be a fascinating trip for anyone, Francis said, but would be especially nteresting for people with Italian heritage."There are so many Italian immigrant families who came here over the past 150 years or so," he said. "If they are at all interested in their ancestry, they should go."Jill Roth, owner of the Travel Centre of Butler, said she agrees."There are so many people in this area with Italian heritage, which makes it even more special," said Roth, although she said that is far from a requirement. "But when you're in Italy, everyone's Italian!"Roth has traveled to Rome, as well as to villages she said are smaller than downtown Butler, but she said all of her destinations were incredible."Italy is a glorious place to be," Roth said. "It's a place everyone should go once in their lives."
