Major and Minor Chords

Let’s talk about Perugia.

I arrived in this lovely little medieval town on January 8^th and while yes, that was only 12 days ago, I am officially considering this my home. Perugia is perfect in more ways than one, and lucky for you I am here to point out all of the gold stars that decorate this little fantasy land:

1. Piazza IV Novembre.

            This piazza is a gem. I have now been in Italy for about 5 months straight and I can tell you that I have yet to find a piazza as perfect, maaaaybe save for the piazza in Cremona but that’s a different argument. Piazza IV Novembre has it all: a cathedral, a fountain in the very center, and the best of the best—The Steps. The piazza is the center of Perugian life, where everyone meets, greets and just hangs out. I honestly cannot think of anything better than sitting on The Steps outside the cathedral whilst eating a gelato or panino from the local grocery store “Ciao Ciao’s” and soaking in the sun. This is people watching central, folks.

2. Castles

            Ok, so maybe there aren’t too many legit castles here but I feel like I am going to run into one every 5 steps because Perugia is just that amazing. All the roads here are super twisty, turny and make semi-to-no sense and getting lost in Perugia is probably my favorite activity second only to sitting on the aforementioned Steps. I have let myself wander around this town with no map or plan and I have come across the most amazing things: secret gardens, hidden churches, the best coffee shops. In most cities, getting lost is not a desired outcome, but in Perugia it is definitely the objective in most of my walks.

3. The views

            As just about everyone that has ever come in contact with me knows, I am a HUGE sucker for a view. Especially when it involves hills and open space. In Bologna there were just no good views unless I wanted to hike 45 minutes up a GIANT portico-covered incline to the hilltop church. Here in Perugia, things are different. Let me give you a visual: I exit my apartment, walk down the road to my left maaaaaybe 50 yards and BAM there is Umbria, welcoming me with rolling hills that are just perfect at every time of day: in the morning the mist covers the valleys in a soft blanket, in the afternoon the perfect golden sunlight casts amazing shadows from the houses of the lucky people who actually live here forever, and in the evening after the sun has set behind the last hill, the city lights sparkle all around and it literally makes my heart sing.

4. Perugians

            I’m going to be honest: Perugians might be the nicest people I have met in Italy save for the people in Mola. In Bologna, I never felt like I could walk into a store and be recognized and say a friendly “ciao” to the shopkeeper. I always felt like I was just another faceless student and never felt comfortable enough with anyone to use the informal, reverting always to the formal “buongiorno” and “arrivederci” for fear of offending anyone. Here in Perugia, I already have made friends with the man who owns the pizza shop right across my apartment, the guys from Turkey who run the kebab place right next door, a DJ from one of the local clubs, the women who own the house ware store across the street, and the bartenders at at least 3 coffee bars around town. They always greet me with a smile and seem genuinely interested in how my day has been. This makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I could go on and on and on about this place. Here is an excerpt from an email I recently wrote to my family: “…this place is honestly perfect. I don’t want to hate on Bologna too much, but I feel like it somehow damaged me. I didn’t love it there, and I don’t want to hate anything about Italy. Perugia is taking my heart and just warming it up and I’m remembering how much I love this country and the language and the people….there is a sense of comfort here that is absolutely ineffable and I’m sorry that I can’t express to you or anyone how happy I am to be here.”

This is fact. Don’t get me wrong, my whole experience has been like a musical fairy tale straight out of a Disney book (minus the gender stereotypes….whatever). The only difference between my semester in Bologna and my experience thus far in Perugia is the intensity of my love for where I live. Perugia has stuck a major chord inside me and completely disrupted all of the minor chords that have been humming just underneath my skin for the past 4 months. It is so refreshing and I honestly can say without a doubt, that I am in love with this place, and I would absolutely live here forever if given the opportunity.