Thursday, February 17, 2022 A Lazy Sunday in Lanciano
By Elisa Bullen
At CCI, Sundays can be a student’s favourite day or least favourite day. On Sundays, in Lanciano, almost all the stores are closed. The streets are filled with locals going on walks after attending church in the morning. However, by 1 pm, it's a ghost town. When I first came to Lanciano, I was confused about why everyone was gone and where everyone went. I later found out it was because of the traditional Sunday meals. Italian families get together and make traditional Italian foods for everyone to enjoy.
Since there are few choices for what students can do on Sundays, we usually have three options: stay in residence and catch up on work, play soccer or basketball at the local field, or go on a walk in the countryside of Lanciano. I personally chose to spend my day outside. At 11 am, brunch is served at the Allegria. It usually consists of bacon, eggs, toast, a pastry, veggies, and fruits, a very traditional North American breakfast. After brunch, students will decide how they want to spend their day. Many students walk up to the top of the Corso to play basketball at the basketball court. The Corso and the park are packed with people during this time of day. Many families spend the morning outside playing in the park or walking around the track. We have made many friends with the local kids and have played basketball with them. By 1 pm, everyone has left, leaving CCI students alone at the court. We are now usually hungry for an afternoon snack and are tired of playing basketball. We always end up at Caffè del Corso, which sells delicious gelato. It is one of the very few stores that stay open on Sundays.
In the afternoon, the students split up and decide what they want to do next. With a few friends, I usually go on walks. Going on a walk in the countryside is very peaceful, one of my favourite places is the Fonte Grande di Civitanova. It is a fountain that was rebuilt in 1825 on the site of an older fountain dating back to the 12th century AD. It is interesting to see the different types of houses and lifestyles of people who live in the countryside versus in the town of Lanciano. Many of the houses grow their own food. We pass many vegetable gardens, olive trees, and grapevines. We return back to our residence before sunset. At 6:30, it is time for dinner. Dinner on Sundays is barbecue and a dessert. The dessert is usually cake. We have half an hour before study hall, many people go out and get gelato or walk around the town before going back inside for the night. At the end of the day, we say our goodbyes, head back to our residence and prepare for a new school week.
