Dec. 31, 2012: Padova
Since Paolo, Allie, and Joseph didn’t get to go to Padova the night before because of me, we got up and left early to go there on New Year’s Eve. We would meet Sara again, who would host Joseph, while Paolo, Allie, and I stayed the night at the home of one of Allie’s local friends.
The day started off, as usual, with frantic rushing about. We were due to catch yet another train, where Sara would be there to pick us up. By this time, we were exhausted, both from riding on so many trains as well as from lack of sufficient sleep. We made it just in time to catch the train we were hoping for, and then a quick nap later and we were there.
Arriving in Padova, we schlepped our luggage to Sara’s office, where we would store it for the day while we walked around. Then, it was off to her apartment for a light lunch. After leaving her apartment, the first stop on our tour of Padova was to try the local beverage specialty, called an Aperol spritz. Aperol is an aperitif that is produced in Padua, and the spritz is the signature cocktail that locals use it for.
Later that afternoon, we met up with some of Allie’s friends, the ones we’d be spending the night with. After touring around a bit more, we picked up our bags and brought them over to Michela’s, where we’d spend the night.
We had a dinner, the 15 or so of us that were together for the night, and we drank only wine and champagne. About half an hour before midnight, we all left to go to the town’s central square, Prato della Valle, which is also the largest square in all of Italy. It was massive, and thousands of people were out and about, drinking and laughing. Then the fireworks started, the band played, the countdown happened, and the rest of the night was a blur….
Jan. 1, 2013:
I remember getting back home around 4am, and then Allie woke me up at 7am to catch my train. I was so late that I couldn’t even take a proper shower, though I did wash up. They drove me to the station, and then that was it, I was leaving. The rest of my trip was rather uneventful, and I arrived back in New York City on time, happy to be home, but missing my best friends already. I’ll be back soon, Italy.