Favorite places in Avellino

1) There's this old, abandoned skatepark on the other side of town. It's gated all the way around, and no one's let in; it's not guarded, though, so Martina, Alessandra and I literally scaled a wall to get in on a day we were ditching school. It was amazing. There was a huge concrete rink for roller blading/skating, and an area above for observing. We laid around there for an hour or so, smoking cigarettes and bathing in the glow of the early morning sun. Every surface in that area was plastered with graffiti, all overlapping and creating something new. On the other side there was an actual park, with overgrown plants, broken and breaking benches, and pretty little pathways. Birds were abundant. There was so much beauty in the isolation of the place, the warmth of the sun, and the messages and art left by vagrant kids trying to say something to the world.

2) The ShaZa (tea room). The best tea, and the kindest people. They know me by name, and remember every drink I've ever ordered (Kind of easy when I have the tendency to either get Chai or try something no one else has ever gotten off the menu). The atmosphere (beautiful tea pots, exotic music, candles, silk cushions, hushed voices) is everything, and this place was a savior on winter nights when we needed a break from the cold.

3) I go on a lot of walks, try to explore both the countryside and the city, and my host family's home is the perfect location to do that. Our neighborhood is called San Tomaso, but our house should hardly be counted, as it's on the edge. There's a part of it not too far off that I'm absolutely in love with. It has colorfully painted apartment buildings, all forming a square around individual parks filled with greenery. People are always about, doing laundry or managing to fit their cars into nearly impossible parking spaces. There's an old dog racing track that's been converted into bocce lanes, and old men sit on folding chairs there in the afternoon (although no one really plays). More apartments farther along are less well-kept and have plenty of graffiti. Whenever I weave through the buildings, boys are playing soccer in the alleyways and dogs bark as I pass. It's a good place to take a solitary walk.

4) Milly's house. She lives in a village about an hour and a half away from school, and it's tiny. Two doors on a single, expansive wall mark her home from the other doors down the line. Inside, a courtyard with a vintage Fiat is parked. Small trees grow; on the left, doors to her grandparent's apartment. On the right, an insane storage room filled with ancient bicycles. Up the outer staircase, to her front door. Inside, her mother's always cooking (She served us a six course meal on an average school day!), and the home is cozy. Back outside, more stairs lead to the roof. There's a garden with hanging vines, empty wine bottles piling in a corner, laundry lines, an amazing view of the village and the church steeple, and a cage of pigeons (FOR EATING). It was the most traditional homes I've ever been to, and an incredible experience.

5) There's this one cafe/bar on the corso; it's always overcrowded, especially in the winter, and they serve the most amazing hot chocolate and have a huge pastry selection.

6) Rosti Pizza. It's a classic. I think I've eaten more pizza from here than anywhere else, ever. It's the cheapest pizza I've found in Italy (2 euros for a margherita or marinara), and their marinara is sublime. Better than marinara I've had anywhere. Their other pizzas are also very, very good.

7) On the way to Renzo's apartment complex there's a massive wall of graffiti that stretches at least a quarter mile. None of it's just random scratch or poorly done; it's all serious artwork.