Italy for a Day
When within reach of Italy, you take every opportunity to indulge in this amazing country that is home to such diverse landscape and beautiful people. We were invited for a day trip to Klausen, Italy, a town just beyond the border of Austria in Italy. It considers itself Austria and makes it known straight away at the border. The buildings are Austrian, the food is a blend of Austr-Italian, and the people speak a dialect of Austri-Italian-German that you may be downright snuffed at for not knowing it.
Something so special about Europeans, particularly from our friends' perspective, is that culture is interpreted through history. Not necessarily the history of wars or battles, but the history of movement. People moved in large groups throughout Europe and their movement impacts the cultural fractions and distinctions that exist today. Yes, Brexit, the formation of the Schengen area, and ____ can all be explained so beautifully by our friends through migration of peoples past. Current events are seen through a kaleidoscope of centuries of history. The decisions made today cannot be separate from decisions that were made 1000 years ago, literally.
"Let's take the Old Roman Road. It's faster than the highway today." Oh, yes, these are the paths that lay before you in Austria. I crossed the border into Italy for the first time in my life via the Old Roman Road-- that is, the path through the valley of the massive Austrian and Italian alps that the Romans traveled by horse and carriage to do their duties. It is an astoundingly beautiful path, one that I won't soon forget. In Summer, the glacier ice melts to gorgeous turquoise seas that lay waiting to be explored beside the winding road. Cliffs break into waterfalls just up above. There are still glimpses of snow from storms in days past and wildflowers just below show signs that summer is still in the air.
While swept in the magic of the moment, I hadn't noticed that we had pulled off the road and parked in a standard parking lot. I was confused but obliged. Down the stairs and around many twists and corners opened the town of Klausen, a place you could not even see from the street side. We walked the cobbled streets of this town, steeped in incredible history, where window flower boxes and leiderhausen shops thrived. We drank fresh glacier water from copper and stone dappled fountains. We had gelato, espressos, Aperol spritz, and Schnitzel. Yes, this is technically Italy, but culturally not because... history. Get it?