A weekend getaway with SAI
This past weekend I took a trip through my study abroad program (SAI). The adventure started pretty early on Friday morning. We gathered in the Piazza Trilussa which is a common meeting place in Trastevere. From there, we piled our bags under the bus and loaded ourselves on as well. Then we all fell asleep because how could we be expected to stay awake in a bus at 9am?
The first stop brought us into Perugia, the capital of this region. It is known for the popular candy Bali. This is a small ball of chocolate with hazelnuts covered in chocolate and comes with love advice on a wrapper inside the packaging. The group I was in started by taking a class to learn how to make these treats. I must say, I crushed it. We left as professional chocolatiers with new aprons and a sense of accomplishment. We then toured the factory, learned the history behind the treat, and then boarded the bus again.
Next, we drove to our hotel. At first I was...suspicious. We almost rolled off a mountain numerous times and then when we arrived it seemed as though there was no civilization for miles. Also, there was a bug in our room and that in itself is terrifying.
After dinner and a good night's sleep, things started to look better. The hotel was run by a small family and it was located on their family farm. I got used to seeing the mountains very quickly and enjoyed walking around the property. The fresh air was a welcome change from the city life and chaos. I pet the horses (despite being highly allergic) and became best friends with their dog.
Our next adventures took us to Gubbio and then finally, Assisi. Both towns were small but rich with history. It is hard to choose which one is better because they both were charming. We took a tour in each town, ate interesting food, and obviously goofed off. My personal highlight was when we had free time in Assisi. A SAI leader (Jordan) lead some students as well as me up the hill (mountain?) to see a castle-but more importantly the view of Assisi from above. I liked the hike and we covered a surprising amount of distance in a short amount of time.
After all that, a bunch of sweaty and tired 20-somethings loaded back onto the bus that doubled as an oven. Nobody spoke, everyone fell asleep within four minutes of the drive back to Rome.
Overall, I really enjoyed this trip! It was a unique experience I wouldn't have otherwise had because it included destinations and activities I wouldn't have thought of doing myself. 10/10