Yesterday was a looooong day. I was misled into believing the bus was a good idea. It was comfortable enough (and compared to buses in Asia it was pure luxury), but it was nearly 11 hours crossing three countries from Prague to Udine, Italy. Food options were limited, and the only thing I could grab at the stop in Brno was a fried cheese sandwich. I had thought I was going to escape the Czech Republic without having sampled fried cheese - a local favorite - but no such luck. The ride was interesting nonetheless, as we also stopped in Austria at a truck stop not far from the Italian border, and one could see the complete difference between the grittiness of an Eastern European town, and the polished orderliness of an Austrian truck stop (I couldn't help but compare it to California truck stops, which are decidedly icky).
After crossing over the alps, we descended into the northeastern corner of Italy amid thunder, lightning and rain. Luckily, the weather in Udine has proved to be perfect: warm, but comfortable, with a nice breeze. I am here for 1 day, then off tomorrow to see one of the oldest settlements in the area (Cividale de Friuli), which was established by Julius Caesar in 50 B.C.
As for Udine itself, it is a pleasant old former market town that changed hands many times over the centuries, but it was the Venetian rule in the 18th century that left the most distinctive architecture (see photo of the Piazza della Liberta - supposedly one of the nicest in all of Italy).
Unfortunately, the city was heavily bombed in the world wars, and buildings were reconstructed in the 1950's, with the architectural style of that time. What a contrast! Udine is all but deserted at the moment as it draws few tourists, and the vast majority of the population has already left for the coast (only 60 km away). However, I am enjoying the lack of crowds and easy pace after the crush of Prague.
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