I have learned that since Italy has only been a country for
about 160 years, the culture greatly differs depending on the region. Spending
time in Northern Italy has been a surprising experience so far.
Being that
Paderno del Grappa is so tiny, and I’ve been busy with classes and workshops, I
feel like I haven’t had much time to experience the culture so far. However,
last weekend some friends and I went out in a town 20 minutes away by cab
called Bassano del Grappa. We got there at around 8:45 and found visitors of
all types and different ages. We were definitely the only Americans, at least
that I saw, and probably the only tourists. This I loved because most places
to which I will be traveling will be filled with tourists, which really changes the
nightlife as well as other small details such as the food. Being in a village a
lot larger than Paderno, with exciting nightlife really gave me my first taste
of culture and people in the Veneto region.
There were
young adults from the shockingly young age of about 15, all the way up through
adults in their 40s. What I noticed most was their clothing. It was a warm
evening, so I was wearing shorts and a tank top with a light sweater, and most
of my girl friends were wearing the same. However, although it was technically
still summer, it was clear that the Italians were no longer in that mindset. I
saw a handful of women wearing fur coats with pants, or chunky sweaters with
jeans. I was told that jeans were not so typical for Italian women, yet I saw
many girls wearing jeans, especially the younger ones. They did all look great
though.
All the
locals we met were very friendly and eager to speak English (even though I
wanted to practice my Italian), and they always greeted us with a smile. The
small bit of Veneto culture I have seen thus far has really impressed me, and I
am excited to become even more familiar with it as the semester goes on.
No comments:
Post a Comment