Last week was crammed packed with a day trip to visit the ‘Floating Piers’ exhibit on Lake Iseo. All week we had mentally prepared for this adventure and the long 4.5km walk along the piers. However, when the day finally came not one of us were ready for what was to come. It ‘only’ took not fitting into a packed train,running to a new train with no A/C, standing for two hours in a mob of sweaty travelers, and about eight hours of travel to finally arrive at Lake Iseo.
Along the way, the heat and exhaustion mixed with the aching and swollen feet convinced many of us that the journey just was not worth it. I cannot lie, I definitely considered bailing out of the madness on several occasions. Let me tell you- I am so glad that I did not! Once we arrived at Lake Iseo it was not quite a remarkable experience, but shortly after it truly was.
Maybe it is just me, but being barefoot is one of the absolute best things in the world. Once we got through the madhouse of lines and arrived at the pier entrance people began to remove their shoes and walk along the golden pathways- HEAVEN. At first, the sight of this act did not make much sense, but who was I to complain? However, once we got on the pier and removed our shoes there was a sudden relaxation, relief, and overall tranquility that overcame me.
Although that may sound lame or cheesy, it was absolutely true. Perhaps it had just been the breathing point at the end of a journey filled with agony, but the piers somehow made it all worth it. The views were remarkable, unquestionably, but the experience through motion and sensation were what made this ‘exhibit’ the most incredible in my opinion. At the end of the day I was left questioning the exhibit though. Had it been the intention for it to be a relieving experience at the end of chaos? Or if it hadn’t, would the experience have been the same – or as rewarding – had I not just spent eight hours on my aching feet to get there? Maybe the agony is what made the piers so worth it. Maybe, if I had not endured the draining journey then I would not have appreciated the total experience. But it was a once in a lifetime experience so I suppose I may never know.
*PICTURES NOT UPLOADING*