On Sunday, I took a day trip to the ancient city of Ferrara, which is a little south of Padova. Though the day did not go at all as I had planned, it was wonderful and full of surprises!
The day started off a little rocky when I waited for the bus for 40 minutes and it never came, causing me to miss the train that my friends were on. I should've known; the bus schedule means nothing on Sundays (and pretty much every day, but ESPECIALLY Sundays). It Italy, everything shuts down on Sundays, which is actually pretty spectacular (until you need to buy tissues or facewash or something). I decided that missing the first train was not going to stop me from seeing Ferrara, so I forgot the bus and started walking to the nearest tram stop. As I approached the Prato della Valle (google it, it's gorgeous!), I remembered that on the third Sunday of every month, there's a huge antique market in the Prato. Providence! The sun was shining, and I had time to kill, so I perused for a while. I could've easily spent too much money on some fantastic books I stumbled upon, but fortunately (and unfortunately) I did not have cash. But it was so lovely to just walk through the market alone and admire all of the trinkets and treasures. I love when misfortunes become blessings!
When I finally made it to the train station, I was a little uneasy about being alone because 1-Guys are pretty forward here and 2-I can't adequately tell them off (but the italian IS improving daily). I sat at a little cafe and wondered how I was going to kill time until the next train. An older couple sat at my table, and the woman started complaining about her husband to me in rapid italiano. I understood a lot but was a bit taken aback! She just kept going on and on about her husband, and then traveling, and then trains, and then she leaned in a whispered "It's amazing how many foreigners there are in this train station!" I almost died. I was flattered that she thought I was NOT a foreigner but really confused at to why she didn't wonder why I was barely saying anything. Then she asked me to write the address on a postcard for her because she said she had terrible handwriting. What a random and hilarious way to kill time!
After an awkward don't-make-eye-contact-with-the-person-across-from-you train ride, I was in Ferrara! As soon as I got off the train, I loved the city. It just had a good feel. Everyone was very friendly, and the city itself was gorgeous! I finally joined up with my friends in the historical center, which was beautiful. The duomo (pictured above) is magnificent, and the Castle d'Este sits right across the street. We wined and dined italian style (three courses, two and half hours, 6 different types of wine) and then headed to the castle. It was so incredible and SO OLD. By far, the eeriest and best part was the dungeon (yes, I said DUNGEON).
When I entered the duomo, the sight literally took my breath away. It is such a gorgeous church! And there were so many candles lit...it brought tears to my eyes and a prayer of thanks to my heart.
Lesson learned: if you're willing to let it be a good day despite unwanted circumstance, God will reveal Himself to you in really special ways!
No comments:
Post a Comment