Dr. Warner Montgomery, chair of the Greater Piedmont Chapter of The Explorers Club (l), and Dr. Bill Vartorella, past chair (r), congratulate Alan Shoemaker on an excellent presentation. Photo by Sydney Kornegay

Alan Shoemaker is an explorer in many ways. As a biologist, a paleontologist, and curator of mammals/manager of collections at Riverbanks Zoo for 30 years, he’s accustomed to exploring the world of lions and dinosaurs. However, his recent trip to Italy involved an entirely different type of exploration, the exploration of an ancient culture.

Last May, Shoemaker led 13 other people including two other fellow members of the Greater Piedmont Chapter of the Explorer’s Club on a tour of Italy in association with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). The group spent more than three weeks traversing the Tuscan hilltop towns, exploring the rich history, famous artwork and architecture, and world-renowned cuisine of Italy.

The trip began in Florence, where the group learned that “Italy is about art.” They viewed the magnificent cathedrals and the huge decorative domes that dominated the skyline. These marble cathedrals, built during the Renaissance, were financed by aristocratic families such as the Medici, and are meant to display their sponsor’s wealth. The cathedrals showcase intricate marble designs and frescoes on the exterior, and stunning stained glass windows within. Even the doors of the cathedrals are decoratively carved. The group also saw other masterpieces such as the statue David by Michelangelo.

After spending five nights in Florence, they traveled south where they viewed the olive groves and vineyards that produce Italy’s famous cuisine and learned that the country is not only about art, but about food as well.

“It’s impossible to starve in Italy,” said Shoemaker.

According to this able explorer, the city streets are lined with open–air cafes, bakeries, sausage and cheese stores, and classy sit–down restaurants. The group not only savored the food in its various forms, but the wine as well. As they traveled south from Florence, they visited a vineyard and participated in a wine tasting. The group even took cooking lessons at a bed and breakfast, where they learned how to prepare an authentic Italian meal.

The group explored Italy’s rich history viewing evidence of events that dated back centuries. In one town, they found an arch that was built on the ruins of a Roman column. In another, they discovered the city had been left partially undeveloped because of a war in the 1600’s.

Most towns are still surrounded by high stone walls which were built as a defense in times of war. These walls have only a few small entrances, which were made to slow an advancing army. Towers, which were erected as a sign of power when the town was built, still overlook the Italian landscape.

Finally, as the group’s journey ended in Rome, they explored the ruins of the Coliseum and the Senate.

Asked if he planned to return, Shoemaker replied, “Probably not. There are so many places to go and see in the world, I rarely go some place twice.”

The next meeting of The Explorers Club will be November 11. Dr. Billy Moore, who recently returned from a circumnavigation expedition of the Pacific Rim, will give a presentation – Under the sea a river flows – on what he has learned in the mucky waters of Port Royal Sound, Cape Hatteras, Sicily, Brazil, Australia, and Mauritius.