The Journey to Volterra
And so it begins: the first winter study abroad group officially landing in Volterra. After arriving on January 10th, we settled into the building after running only on fumes, craving sleep, and slowly realizing that we actually made it.
Matt and Abbey arrived in Florence on the afternoon of January 9th after a long journey from Toronto to Frankfurt to Florence. The next day, we met up with Ashley, Mario, and Piera, who had flown from Detroit through Frankfurt as well. Tom joined us shortly after, having stayed in the area beforehand. Almost immediately, we were introduced to our first challenge: a regional train strike. The Florence station quickly turned into organized chaos with trains sitting still, departure times slipping further and further behind, and delays stretching past an hour. Not exactly the smooth arrival we imagined.
Later that day, Brianna, Emerson, and Stephanie finally arrived after traveling from Detroit to Paris to Florence. By around 1:00 p.m., the full group had assembled. We were exhausted, hungry, dehydrated, and surrounded by far too much luggage. With no clear travel solution in sight, we took turns guarding the luggage while others explored the city.
One group managed to visit Santa Maria del Fiore (Saint Mary of the Flower) in Duomo Square. Standing nearly 90 meters tall, the Gothic cathedral is impossible to ignore. The intricate carvings and vibrant white, green, and pink marble stop you in your tracks. It was a small but memorable preview of the architecture and history we’ll be diving into later this semester.
Finally, at 6:28 p.m., we boarded a half an hour train to Pontedera, allowing the group to collectively power nap. From there, we had just 15 minutes to unload ourselves and our mountain of luggage and catch an hour bus to Volterra. The bus ride was steep, shaky, and uphill, not ideal when running on little sleep, but eventually we reached the top. Waiting for us were Giulia and Marco, greeting us like knights in shining armor. Giulia guided us straight to dinner, where we enjoyed our first official meal: ragù pasta, beef brisket, and potatoes. It was exactly what we needed.
After dinner and lots of socializing, we dragged ourselves back to bed. It had been a long, overwhelming, and unforgettable day, but completely worth it to be here. We’re incredibly grateful for Giulia and Marco’s help, the patience we had with one another, and the coordination and leadership Tom provided throughout the journey.
As classes begin on Monday, January 12th, we’re very thankful to put that bus ride behind us and start this next chapter well-rested and ready (eventually).
Until next time,
The Volterra Group