Monday, May 21, 2012

Ferrara- La città della bicicletta


Translation: Ferrara- The city of bikes
Speaking in American or even Italian standards, that certainly is true, but my Dutch half disagrees with that. Until bicycles have undisputed right-of-way and I see a parking garages dedicated to the two-wheeled wonders, Ferrara will never come close to the Dutch.

Don’t get me wrong. Ferrara is actually a really nice place to be. It’s not at all like I thought it would be. I imagined more of an Italian village, but in reality it’s pretty big. There are piazzas (town squares) everywhere, and plenty of gelaterie. The city even has a cathedral and a castle! Yes, I live a 20 minute bike ride from a castle. I think that’s pretty cool.

Like most smaller Italian cities, basically everything closes between 1 and 4 pm, and reopen until about 7. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get used to that. There are coble-stone streets and beautiful old buildings, so it’s definitely a pretty city, and quite different than the cement buildings in most American cities.

I have to admit, I’m still getting used to the Italian fashion. Seeing guys with their hair gelled straight up and wearing skinny jeans is always shocking. And there are scarves everywhere! If I see someone who’s not wearing one, it’s definitely an exception to the rule. 

Here are some pictures of the city!

My first Italian coffee. I'm easing my way up to the straight shot of espresso

Cathedral at night

The "Mille Miglia" is a "race" for cars throughout Italy, and it stops in Ferrara every year.

There are also Ferraris.

Cathedral during the day

Inside

Our castle (sadly, part of one of the towers was destroyed in the earthquake)

Random epic-looking statue

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