All in a days work

Ciao,

Back again here to tell everyone about the great experience I had in the little town of Crespano, just a brisk walk from the Paderno campus. Crespano is just fifteen minutes west of campus on a well-established road, so there are sidewalks that we Americans are used to and not the single file walking lane on the side of the road (like some of the walking trips I’ve taken). In Crespano you will find a beautiful city with breathtaking views of the mountains as well as architecture. On my trip, it was muggy and raining the entirety of the time, so of course we stuck out like sore thumbs being the only ones in the city without an umbrella. We were amazed to see so many vendors out on such a rainy day, but each of the little shops were fitted with their own motorized awnings to keep the rain out. This outdoor market had just about everything you could possibly want and need: from clothes to food to a small pet store consisting of goldfish, small turtles, hamsters, and bunnies.

The vendors were very nice and work with you on purchasing if something catches your eye. However, when ordering food, my advice is to make sure you know what you are saying or you could end up with a cigarette instead of a chicken. The man working at the food cart asked what we wanted, and before thinking, a member of my group pointed and said “chicken” to which the man turned to his friends, laughed, and proceeded to take the pack of cigarettes out of his pocket to hand to us. After a good chuckle at the three of us (looking at each other puzzled) the man proceeded to laugh as he got the chicken out we had originally attempted to buy. We walked off confused, as chicken in Italian was not cigarette, so we came to the conclusion he was having a good time making us Americans feel dumb in his country or it could have been slang who knows.

I made the first purchase of my trip at a sportswear and music stand. He was selling futbol jerseys from around Italy and cd’s from bands around the world, many of which we recognized being hard rock American bands. I purchased an Italy futbol scarf which I am hoping to wear later on in the trip at a game, but that is yet to be planned.

Besides the outdoor stores that are only there on Sunday, there was a lot more the town had to offer. There was a gelateria, a multitude of coffee shops, some very good smelling pizzerias, and pastry shops. This town has a lot more to offer than just the hustle and bustle of an afternoon at the mall, and if you have time to stop by, I would definitely recommend it. I know I will be going back a few times this trip so hope to see you there.

Till next time,

Ciao