The "Study" in Study Abroad

My home university, Goucher College, is the only college in America where studying abroad is required. This played a huge part in me picking Goucher. So, the going to school aspect of studying abroad was really important to me. Yet, only one of the classes I am taking counts for my minor, and I don't really feel like I'm in school still...which can be good and bad. Still, I am really enjoying this experience. I am used to studying at a very small and condensed campus. But in Torino, I travel 30 minutes to school once or twice a day. I feel like I am learning just as much from being in a big historic city as I am in my classes.

I go to school at the business school of the University of Torino. Most students in my program are either business or marketing majors, but there are also quite a few design students. I am a history major and art history minor, yet I still found classes that are related to what I am studying back home.

Everyone in my program is required to take at least a six week intensive Italian course. I am also taking intermediate 2 because I want to complete my school's language requirement while abroad. Learning Italian was really important to me, but so far it has been a slow process. I took two semesters at Goucher and I have learned a lot more since being here, but taking what I am learning in the classroom and using it in conversation with Italians is a lot harder than I expected. 

Next, I am taking Italian culture, which is sort of just for fun. The same professor who teaches that class is also my professor for International Affairs. I am also taking History of Modern Design, which is the class that counts for my minor. 

My favorite class is cuisine. We go to an Italian woman's house, where we spend the first two hours cooking and learning about the history and culture of Italian cooking. Then, we get to enjoy our efforts with a multiple course meal. 

All study abroad programs are different. Some are less focused on studying and are more about having a crazy fun time abroad. I think my program  has a good balance of academics and fun. It is also what you make it. I feel like there is plenty of time to study, explore the city, go out, and travel to different places. 

Homemade Jam Tart 

 

Tiramisu  

Fennel

My Venetian Romance...with the city and food.

Every semester, USAC takes students on a weekend trip to see other parts of Italy. Last semester, the students went to Cinque Terre. This past weekend, we went to Venice and stopped for a few hours on the way in Verona. I want to try the main food speciality of everyplace I visit, and in Verona it was horse meat. So, of course I had to try it. It was ground up on pasta and it tasted slightly different than beef, but it wasn't bad at all. With that said, I  don't know if I would try it again anytime soon. More famously, Verona is known for being the location of Romeo and Juliet's romance.

You'd try it, right?

We arrived in Venice once the sun had set, but I fell in love immediately. Venice is one of the cities for me that I just can't believe actually exists. After watching so many movies with scenes set along the canals, I felt like Venice was a movie set. One of the biggest complaints of Venice that I've heard is that it is smelly and dirty. I still had a cold while visiting, so I wasn't bothered by any stench. Most big cities are a bit smelly and dirty, and Venice isn't an exception, so I don't think those annoyances are any reason to avoid this city, which really took my breath away.

USAC organized a walking tour for us where we visited San Marco, the biggest piazza, and walked through the streets, ending up at the Rialto bridge. We were free of the day, and I managed to get lost by my self for the whole afternoon. I usually pride myself in being able to follow directions and being able to get around a city, but Venice was the most disorienting city I have ever tried to walk. I went down a street, I was hoping would take me right, and I kept walking in the direction I believed to be the one to take me back to my hotel, but somehow, after three hours I managed to end up in the same place I started. But, I am glad that I did get lost. I got to see more of the residential, less touristy parts of Venice and I would have kept walking until my legs fell off, just to experience the city farther. For dinner, I unknowingly ordered Pasta in squid ink sauce. It was black and salty, but I happily wiped my plate clean of the famous Venetian dish.

We also had some time to explore the next morning, and I decided to visit the Peggy Guggenheim museum, which it the collection of personal paintings and sculptures of Peggy Guggenheim. Of course, I got lost again, but for a shorter amount of time, and I felt so proud when I made it to the building. For the 8 euro cost, I don't personally feel like it was worth it, but if you are a fan of modern art, I would definitely go.

Erin took two boats while in Venice, one to the other islands, and a gondola. If I had more time in the city and the weather was nice, I think I would have taken those journeys as well. But I liked discovering the city by foot.

Sculptures bassed off of Picasso's sketches
at the Peggy Guggenheim museum 

A bit of the flood in Venice

San Marco

I searched all afternoon to find this pastry after spotting it on the tour

The Tetrarchs (I had an art history nerd freakout when I saw these)

St. Mark's Basilica

Venice & Verona

Last weekend we had the opportunity to go on a USAC led overnight trip to Verona and Venice. It was the perfect reward for all of our hard work throughout the past six weeks of Elementary Italian. How do I even begin to explain how much I loved this trip?

Our weekend started in beautiful Verona (about a four hour bus ride from Torino), one of many major tourists attractions in Italy. The city is home to many ancient Roman monuments. The most famous of these is the Roman amphitheater, which is the third largest in Italy and is actually still used today. 

The city is also well-known as the setting for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Over half a million tourists flock to Verona each year to visit the supposed site Juliet's home and the famous balcony scene. It is tradition for couples to prove their eternal love by placing a padlock in the courtyard and tossing the key, as well as signing their names on what I'm going to refer to as the "wall of love."

        

  

After visiting these sights, we had the next few hours to explore on our own. We were encouraged to try the local delicacy: horse meat. While that didn't quite sound like my cup of tea, almost everyone else decided to try a pasta dish with ground "carne di cavallo."

After lunch we explored around the city and the open market in the main square. I absolutely fell in love with Verona and wished we could have spent just a little bit more time there, but Venice was waiting for us!

Venice was, in one word, breathtaking. It felt like a completely different world from Torino. The city is actually a cluster of 118 small island linked by canals and bridges. The only way to get around Venice is by boat or by foot. I can't even explain how strangely wonderful it was to not see a single car. 

On Saturday we were able to take a walking tour around the city, which included the famous Doges Palace in Piazzo San Marco. The Palace is one of the main attractions in Venice. Completed in 1450, it was once the residence of the Doge of Venice (the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice). 

After the tour we decided to check out the island of Murano, famous for its beautiful blown glass. By water taxi the trip took about 30-40 minutes, but was well worth the journey. We were able to see live glass blowing for about 2 € as well as walk through the beautiful galleries and shops. 

But what's the one thing you can't leave Venice without doing? A gondola ride of course! This was definitely the highlight of the weekend for me. Traveling by boat lets you see Venice from an entirely different point of view. Our group was able to find a pretty decent deal; we paid a total of 70 € for our group of five (14 € per person) for about 40 minutes. It may seem like a lot, but it's absolutely worth it and I know I would have regretted not doing it. Our gondolier was fantastic, he gave us lots of interesting background information about Venice and spoke English very well. Definitely money well spent! 

Overall, the weekend was unforgettable and I would go back to either of these places in a heartbeat. Many thanks to USAC for organizing the trip!

From Porta Nuova to Porto Palazzo: Downtown Torino

When I was doing housing paperwork before coming, I chose the rare option of living with a host student, so I didn't request any neighborhood to live in. When I didn't get placed with an Italian student, I randomly was put in downtown Torino, and I am so happy I was.

Out of all the USAC students living in the downtown area, I probably live closest to midtown. I am about a 10 minute walk to Porta Nuova, the new train station/one of the busiest metro stations. Once on the metro it takes less than 10 more minutes to the last metro stop Lingotto, and then another 10 minute walk to school. I can also take the 18 bus to school, but although more direct, depending on the time of day it could take me longer to get to school on it. Despite the shlep to school, I wouldn't change where I live. I'd much rather live in part of the city where there was always something to do at any time of the day then live conveniently close to school, but in a less exciting area. That being said, of course, there are pros to living in near school and midtown, and Erin highlights some of them in her post.

My favorite Piazza: San Carlo

Art installations outside Palazzo Reale

Downtown Torino includes palaces, piazzas, museums, porto palazzo (the huge open market), expensive and cheap shopping, multiple restuarents, bars (coffee shops), pubs, and clubs. The architecture around me is beautiful. I am also a close walk from the Po river and Valentino Park. I haven't even explored all of downtown yet just like I haven't spent that much time in the other areas like midtown and the school area (although my favorite kebab shop is in Midtown).  There are also a lot of streets in my area that are just for pedestrians and around 5 in the evening when work ends, people parade through them.

Po River

Piazza near my apartment

Roman ruins in Palazzo Madama

View from Palazzo Madama or Piazzo Castello

Marvelous Midtown

One of the things I was most worried about before coming to Torino was the housing situation. This is probably due to the fact that we were not told where we would be living prior to coming here. Anything unknown is usually a cause for worry, especially when going to live in another country. I had no idea which of the three areas of town (downtown, midtown, or near school) was going to be the best fit for me.

Here's the truth: no one area is any "better" than another. Each part of town has its own unique attributes as well as its own pros and cons. Torino is a beautiful (and huge) city with all kinds of things to offer to all kinds of people. I don't think I have heard a single person complain about the area in which they live. Props to USAC!

I was placed in the midtown area of Torino, so basically halfway between school and downtown. Actually, the downtown area is somewhat closer than school (about 2 metro from downtown and about 4 metro stops away from school). To get to school, it takes about 25 minutes. I can either walk to the nearest metro stop which is about 10 minutes away, or take the bus almost directly from my apartment to school. I usually take the metro, since the bus is not as consistent and I like to walk as much as I can (to burn off all the pasta). If the bus arrives when I actually want it to, the journey to school takes about the same amount of time as taking the metro. However, the bus has proved to be very convenient at times. I have found that bus 18 will take me nearly anywhere I need to go.

Overall, I really love the area around me. Yes, it does take a little bit of time to get to school, but we really are at a great half way point between campus and downtown. There is also a huge variety of businesses to choose from. There are several restaurants and retail shops in the area, as well as a few grocery stores and open markets. There are tons of great options for shopping on Via Madama Cristina; I actually found a great pair of boots for only 10 € while shopping there one night. There is also an awesome open market on this street where you can find a great selection of foods as well as clothing and other items at amazing prices.

Of all the great features this area has to offer, Valentino Park is definitely my favorite. I can't believe that such a beautiful park is literally just steps from my apartment. The park runs along the Po River and is quite a contrast from the busy city just over the hill. In this area you can see the amazing Valentino Castle as well as the Medieval Village, both of which are absolutely stunning. I actually walked down to the park just today to enjoy one of the first warm (ish) and sunny days since I've been here. iPhone photos don't exactly do this place justice, but for now I hope it gets the idea across!

Overall, wherever you live there will be positives and negatives. There can never be an "ideal" location in such a large city with so much to see! Every area has something amazing and unique to offer, you just have to get out and explore!

Ciao for now!

Erin

Carnivale!

Carnivale, also known as Mardi Gras, is celebrated throughout Italy with parades, masquerade balls, parties, entertainment, and lots of confetti, and even orange throwing. Speaking of orange throwing, we had the pleasure of experiencing first hand Lo Storico Carnevale di Ivrea where La Battaglia delle Arance (the battle of the oranges) takes places. Ivrea, a small town near Torino, is best known for this three day carnival where thousands of townspeople participate in nine teams and throw oranges at each other. One of the townspeople is elected the Mugnaia, who in the legend was the miller's daughter, who refused to spend the night with the local duke, and instead chopped his head off. The carriages represent the duke's guard and the orange throwers represent the revolutionaries of the tale. It is unknown why oranges are used considering the 270,000 kg (around 600,000 lbs) have to be imported from Sicily each year. Before oranges were used, they threw beans and then apples.

 

Visitors can't throw oranges from the crates, but can throw the smashed oranges on the ground at the carts. We were told that if we purchased a red hat we'd be safe from the flying oranges. This was not true. Many of us were covered in blood orange juice by the end of the day.

If you have the opportunity to go, do it! It was unlike anything else you could ever see or participate in. The carnival was completely free. The only expense was the 3 to 5 euro red hat that was supposed to be our protection. The streets also had stands of carnival pastries, including the warm nutella filled doughnuts called frittelli.

We are about to go to Venice to experience the end of their famous carnival. There are also many smaller carnivals happening all around Italy right now. The other night, I went to one in a tiny town close to Ivrea where elaborate floats circled around the streets, music blasted, and confetti was thrown everywhere. 

If you are here during carnival season, take the time to join in on the celebrations!

Ciao,
Hannah and Erin

Valle d'Awesome!

Ciao a tutti! Goodness this week has been busy! I finally have enough time to sit down and talk about this past weekend in Valle d'Aosta. As I said before, I want to take as much time as I can to explore local areas around Torino. If you're at all interested in doing the same, I would definitely recommend Aosta.

This small town is located about 68 miles north-west of Torino in the Italian Alps between France and Switzerland. If you want to see some amazing panoramic mountain views, this is the place to go. To get there, my group and I took two trains, one from Torino to Ivrea, and one from Ivrea to Aosta. The entire trip took about two hours and was well worth the journey! Our train tickets cost just under 10 € (round trip)

Aosta is, in one word, picturesque. With its cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, charming shops, and of course incredible views of the alps wherever you look, Aosta has definitely made my list of favorite places.

While small, Aosta is still packed full of sights to see. There is still evidence remaining from Roman rule throughout the city. Visitors can see ancient roman roads, town walls, bridges, and crypts. The valley is also full of ancient castles. 

Our group spent Saturday exploring around the city. On Sunday we decided we wanted to see more of the alps and do a little hiking. We found a tourism office near our hotel that told us to take bus 8 (near the train station, cost is about 2 €) to Cogne, which was about a 30 minute trip further into the mountains. Cogne is an adorable little ski resort town. That weekend there happened to be a cross country skiing competition going on, which definitely added to the excitement. We explored around Cogne for a bit, then took another short bus ride (about 10 minutes, cost was 1 €) a little further into the mountains where there was a hiking trail.

The area was absolutely beautiful. There was tons of snow but the weather could not have been more perfect (although much colder than Torino!). The trail was flat for the most part, and we were able to watch parts of the race at various points also. Words cannot really explain how beautiful it was! 

This was the perfect place to go for a short, inexpensive weekend trip. Including transportation, lodging, and food, I only spent about 70 €. I would definitely go back! As always, please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions or want more information! Ciao for now!