Our Family’s Homeland ― Experiencing Italian Cities for the first time (Ashley Morrison)

Our Family’s Homeland ― Experiencing Italian Cities for the first time

By Ashley Morrison

 

Ashley Morrison is an English teacher from Hesperia, California. She studied Art History  and Anthropology at UC Riverside. During her school days, she traveled to many          countries but wanted to add living in another country to her list. She has found great     moments and experiences in South Korea and hopes to continue her enjoyment and      wonder of the country.

 

 

Growing up, my father’s family always talked about how “Italian” their grandparents were and the food and traditions they enjoyed together. Like most Americans, my sister  and I have so many ethnicities flowing through us, it’s hard to pick just one that you tell people when they ask, “Where are you from?”. Our largest percentage is Italian, so we   always tried to be part of our family’s discussions of our Italian heritage. So much so,    that my sister and I decided that we needed to take our parents to the homeland (and our first international family trip) for their wedding anniversary. So, in early 2018, my sister    and I (and a travel agent) began our planning of a multi-city vacation through Italy.

We decided to take our vacation in February of 2019 because it’s the most time my parents could have off from work and it turns out, it’s the best time of the year for      Italy! February is the off-season for tourism in Italy which means less crowds and lesser waiting times for famous sites. one drawback of visiting during the off-season is that some Italian shop owners take their vacations as well, so many places may be closed      during this time. This is especially true for the coastal cities.

We started our journey in “the floating city” of Venice, but these days it’s more    like “the sinking city of Venice”. How Venice came about and was built is a fascinating    history itself, but something that greatly impressed me was how modern-day Venetians    still live according to the older styles. Venice is also known as the “city of canals”. Many people might think of the canals as a tourist attraction, but that’s not true. They are as    functional as they are beautiful. The canals are the equivalent of streets, which means    you don’t have a car, but a boat instead!

We were lucky enough to visit Italy close to the time of Carnival. The big           celebration has an assortment of special foods, dedications and parades around the     country. Venice has one of the oldest and most well-known celebrations of Carnival      called the Mask Festival. It has been celebrated since 1162 and allows all the people of  the city, rich or poor, to celebrate together anonymously. My family took a mask making class with some famous mask makers, Francisco and his wife Francesca. They’ve made masks for Cirque du Soleil and The Nutcracker!

Taking a train through the Italian countryside, we moved down to Florence. This  was by far my favorite city in Italy. It has an incredible history, delicious food and a       population who seem to take great pride in their city. So many famous people who have changed our world come from Florence. It’s mind-blowing to think that you are standing  exactly where popes, politicians, artists, sculptors and painters once stood. We stood  and visited places that people such as the Medici Family, Michelangelo and Lorenzo     Ghiberti once stood, or built, or were infamously killed in. Overall though, I believe the    best thing about Florence was the food! The Florentine people take great care to make   sure their food is fresh, healthy and delicious. Daily markets are everywhere in the city   and a restaurant won’t serve a dish if the vegetables weren’t good quality that day.

Finally, we took the train down even more south to our final destination of Rome. As probably the most famous city for tourists, the city was expectedly the busiest and   most crowded. Fortunately, because of our great planning, we were able to see most     everything there is to see in Rome. Took a tour of the Colosseum, walked around         Palatine Hill, saw Michelangelo’s masterpiece The Pieta and stood in silence under the   brilliant painting of the Sistine Chapel. This was my second time visiting the Vatican and it still gives me goosebumps. Even if you wanted to wander on your own around Rome,    you could find a beautiful piece of architecture and story around every corner.

Unfortunately, our family vacation came to an end, but I was very impressed that we were able to handle each other for 10 days. Italy is an incredible experience for all    who go there. I’m glad to have gone with my family and was able to connect our family  with our homeland. It was the small things that are especially memorable for me: Different tour guides asking my father if he was Italian because “you look Italian,” watching my     parents try gelato for the first time, and listening to my dad talk about how his grandma   used to make “those same cookies” while we were looking through a bakery window.    So, despite wherever you are in the world or whatever situation you’re in, I would          encourage anyone to learn about themselves and where they come from.

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