Wait, we're in Italy?
It is absolutely amazing to me that I was in Munich, Germany this morning and I am going to bed in Bolzano, Italy.
We drove from Munich to Innsbruck, Austria which was absolutely beautiful. The Alps are so unlike anything I have ever seen before. Driving on the highway through these wondrous mountains is almost indescribable, even through the rain! There is something about being in the middle of a mountain range that just completely changes your perspective. Suddenly you are so small and insignificant in comparison with these natural wonders.
"What a Wonderful World" came on my ipod on this drive and I must say it was the perfect song for the situation.
The Alps changed to the Dolomites which were equally as beautiful but so different from the Alps. There were vineyards running down the hills and everything was green. Each little down we passed was different from the previous, but they all had a church that looked exactly like the others, it was little strange.
We pulled off the freeway in Bolzano not knowing where we were going or why we were going there. All my uncle kept saying was, "We have to find Fiera Messe". After driving around in circles for what seems like hours we pull in, to an abandoned parking structure. All that was there was the Sheraton but it was some sort of convention center that I don't think gets used. We went into the Sheraton to use the restroom and as we were sitting in the lobby waiting for my uncle and alarm starts going off. He pulled the string and set the alarm off in the hotel, causing 2 men to rush into the restroom to "save" him only to find out it was an accident.
We drove downtown to find the Museo Archeologico dell'Alto Adige to see Ötzi the 5000 year old "ice man". There was a four story exhibit on him and the conclusions and speculations made from the discovery in 1991. He was found by a married couple hiking in the Alps frozen in the ice and preserved. Since then they've come to a conclusion on how he died what diseases he had, what he ate, how he looked, it's just amazing.
After Ötzi we walked around the shops scoping for a dinner place. There were just too many options but the choices of pasta and pizza were a nice break from wurst and schnitzel. It was pretty hot and we were all so indecisive so we went to the hotel to check in instead. Hotel Art is tucked away in this awkward little corner next to a Thai restaurant. There is no parking and to unload the bags we had to pull in down this narrow alley in our big boat of a rental. Nice and snug we brought our luggage to our rooms then spend 20 minutes navigating my uncle out of the alley which did not just include David and me, but also the receptionist and the hotel owner.
Luckily downtown is close enough to walk and we made our trek back down for dinner. I don't know why we have such trouble with city maps but we had a difficult time finding the restaurant recommended by the receptionist. By the time we got there we were all tired, hungry and a little bit grumpy. We were appeased with our prosecco and campari cocktails and authentic Italian pizza followed by espresso.
We followed dinner with a walk around the city which had completely transformed since we were there that afternoon! There were people everywhere, lights, live jazz music and it really felt like what I imagined Italy to be like. We stood in the piazza admiring the mountains with the little house tucked away, the moon, and the energy that surrounded us. No picture I could ever take could capture that image and how incredible it was.
I must say I think today has been one of my favorite days since being here. Northern Italy is so beautiful and mix of culture between Italian and German is very unique. Every other person was speaking German and it made it a little difficult to remember that we were actually in Italy but I think it added something to the city of Bolzano. The fluidity between the countries which are part of the EU is priceless and their unity, I think was seen today in this city. The two cultures are so different when measured in language, cuisine, customs and dress and it was all here in Bolzano mixed together. I don't think you can get that in many places and for that reason my first trip to Italy is going to be something I will always remember.

