The Gardens

I went to cross the bridge again to head to the gardens that I found on my information map (not the small one that the hostel gave me). I crossed it and found my whereabouts nice and easy. I went up to the guy at the huge building I sat in front of last night and asked about gardens. He said that this was the place and to buy a ticket. I was hoping I could get around to a garden with no price but felt this was worth it, they looked huge!





I got in and walked around the wine museum. Saw an old wine press...and was not amused with anything else other than the ceiling. It was so nice! I could not take pictures though, sorry!

I headed to the modern art museum but was told it was an additional fee, so I skipped that. Plus, it was so early that nobody was here and I did not want to have to deal with waiting for people to get out of the way for my pictures! I headed up and saw a beautiful fountain. I ran into a couple and asked if they wanted a photo together, they said yes.

They were shocked that I was traveling alone and were not feeling better when I said that I meet people in hostels. They asked (nervously) how old I was and were slightly okay with the fact I said 25. They said that if I was 18 they would have to call my parents. They seemed really nice, very concerned, and I get the feeling they thought I was even younger.

Watching them take pictures and scurry along since they only had an hour (and were told it would take 5 to see everything) made me think of my mom and then of more or less the American woman. They want to go and see something, do not have a lot of time and so rush through what they do see. It is sad since I do not think she even saw what she was taking pictures in front of. Anyway, we parted ways and I headed up.

There was a small maze of a garden with amazing views of the city. Over one building, it even looked like there was a rocket going into space but what do I know? I walked through a ceramic museum looking for an exit and realized it was the same as the entrance (I thought it was a passage to another garden) then left. I went into another "garden" that had nothing in it. I mean no grass, plants, anything!



I kept walking hoping it was further up but it was not. I did run into that couple again though and they were looking for the next garden too. It was interesting that where they had come from was the same weird maze thing with no real flowers. We were feeling disappointed. We went to follow a sign to another garden and the woman said that it was a residential area and we should not go. Her husband asked in perfect Italian and a local said it was residential. The woman said they had no time for this and they should turn around and left with a warning I should not go there.



I walked back to the sign that pointed in that direction and went for it. I found the garden and headed in. (each garden there is a post and people check your ticket, I had dropped mine when departing from the couple but they told me and I picked it up). I headed in and this was much more of a garden. There were statues everywhere, roses, and wonderful views of the church I climbed yesterday.

I found a shaded bench and took some time to nibble on my market findings. After a while I packed up and could not find my ticket. I was worried that I would not be able to get back without it but figured I would just retrace my steps and find it...Nope! While existing I asked the man who stamped me in if I would be able to leave without a problem with no ticket. He said yes (I also asked about a new ticket and he said I would have to buy a new one). I headed back the way I came just to be told that I would be walking through a garden and without my ticket I could not go. The lady gave me new directions and I backtracked to leave.

At this point I was very irritated and upset. I mean I paid, got checked multiple times to see crappy gardens (with a nice view yes) and now I was stuck in a garden not being able to get out. I finally did find my way out though and thought it was the same steep street I had climbed with Nicole the other day. I told myself all the streets look the same and I was a fool and hoped I would know where I ended up at the end.

It wound up it was the same street and I knew exactly where I was, I was over joyed and happy to be headed back after walking for a really really long time. On the way back I thought that I would get some food. I did not want to go back to the same restaurant I had been going to, it was good good, but I wanted to try something else that was not as expensive (even though it wasn't bad). I picked a restaurant near it and was so disappointed. It was a total tourist trap and they gave me basically a giant chicken nugget with American salad and eh spaghetti with meat sauce.