Sora, Italy Pt. 1

Barcelona was a great introduction into our 2 week Easter break. It was easy to navigate and there seemed to be a lot of English spoken. This allowed us to navigate our 2 day stay without any trouble at all. WINNING!

After Barcelona we flew into Ciampino airport in Rome (which is the smaller airport of the two) as we were advised that this airport would be easier starting point to make our way to Sora. When we arrived and there seemed to be no one around. We looked and couldn't find customs desk so we followed the signs to an exit which allowed us to collect our bags without even getting our passports stamped. Weird!

Then we managed to buy a ticket on the shuttle bus service to get into Rome before buying a bus ticket to get from Rome to Sora.  Arriving in the termini was kinda crazy as it was huge, busy and it was buzzing with loads of people; all trying to either sell you something or 'help' you for a fee. We wandered down to the ticket booth and used words and pictures to communicate with the ticket officer. After about a 30 minute wait and a 5 minute-sort of-conversation, we walked to our train platform before catching a bus which felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. Anagnina was an older, rundown looking bus depot and the locals catching the buses sure had never seen anyone like us before because they couldn't help but to stare. I was just as amused at their interest in us so I giggled as we waited for our bus. We initially jumped on a bus heading back to Rome but luckily the bus driver directed us off because we were on the next bus to Sora.

The bus ride was pleasant and the scenery was wonderful. We arrived to the town of Sora as we had booked the Italy Farm Stay and were immediately greeted by Federico; a burly older man who said in his thick Italian-Brooklyn accent "Are you English? Follow me".

We scoffed single slices of pizza as we waited for Antonello to pick us up. Federico told us that he was a taxi service if we needed to get around town. After this initial excitement, we piled into the van and were speechless when we arrived at the farm stay. It was just on dusk, but I had never seen anything like it before. The snow capped mountains looked as if it were a painted backdrop and we placed our belongings away excited for dinner, a shower and a rest.

The next morning I woke up early to catch the sunrise and ended up going for a walk around the property. It was so nice to hear the babbling brooke and birds singing first thing in the morning. I miss those simple things when I'm living in the city.

After breakfast we decided to go for a walk in town to the castle remains as it would only require a couple of hours because we had booked a cooking class for the afternoon.

I don't think the photos do the place enough justice. I highly recommend you visit the Italy Farm Stay. It is such good value for money and it is a food lovers heaven because they grow or make everything they serve. It is in my opinion the best way to have an authentic Italian experience. It's only 2 hours outside of Rome so it is very doable. If you're worried about catching public transport, Federico can pick you up for an arranged cost. My friends said that they would have paid for the convenience and comfort but I personally love figuring my way on public transport because it makes me feel like a real independent traveler.

Big love,

Falala Mele