Ciao!
A little over one week has passed since we arrived and we have settled into life here in Erli. The sweet smell of African Lillies, hum of cicadas, and constant heat of the sun keep us company as we travel to and from the lab. We go nowhere without our water bottles and have learned to take advantage of the breeze when it arrives by opening windows throughout the house. Unfortunately, we have not escaped the heat wave that has impacted other parts of Europe.
Laundry is drying on the line, cell phone plans have been squared away, and our Italian is coming along. The multi-course dinners are still something we're getting used to, however, and we haven't quite learned the lesson to not fill up on the first pasta dish. 😅
It's hard to be homesick in such a beautiful place filled with incredibly friendly and generous people, but most of us are in some capacity missing pets and loved ones back home, so we are thrilled to have met several feline friends lounging around.
Besides lab work, we've spent time exploring our neighborhood, relaxing in a nearby pool with quite the view, meandering through olive groves and medieval ruins, and paying our respects at the local cemeteries and churches.
The town cemetery in Erli
Last Saturday by serendipitous opportunity we were invited to Albenga by the President of the local Historical Society. Albenga is situated along the Mediterranean coast and was a flourishing port city until the Republic of Genoa rerouted the River Centa around the city as punishment, slowing its economic success.
We were given a tour of one of the three 13th century iconic towers in the Piazza San Michelle, the heart of Albenga. Albenga is referred to as the "city of a hundred towers", symbolic of its power and influence in the region. The three medieval towers near the Cattedrale di San Michele are situated where the two main Roman roads, the cardo and decumanus, met. This intersection was the center of Albingaunum (Albenga) during Roman occupation and split the city into quarters. It remains the heart of the city, with a town hall and municipality buildings.
From the upper floor of the bell tower, we were able to see over the rooftops of Albenga, out to Gallinara, a privately-owned island off the coast.
After touring the bell tower, we walked a short distance to the Magiche Trasparenze Museum, which features an exhibition on Roman glassware from the excavations of the necropolis in Albenga from the 1st to 3rd centuries AD.
Left: Examples of exquisite glassware from the Roman period.
Right: A blue glass plate found in a tomb in Albenga from the first or second century AD depicting a Baccic scene only visible when illuminated from behind by light.
This map from the museum illustrates the Roman extent of Albenga (Albingaunum) when the coast was much closer. The outline of present-day Albenga is also visible, making evident how much the sea has receded and the geographic landscape has shifted.
After a day of working, walking, and learning, we couldn't wait to get our hands on some famous Italian gelato.
The evening ended with a pleasant surprise, the restaurant put on Argentinian night with a huge barbeque and live music! The food kept coming, the atmosphere was festive and joyful, and the band played well into the night. All in all, an incredible day spent soaking up Italian history and culture.
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