Studying Away in Northern Italy

Exploring Italy

Hi everyone! I engaged in a study away experience last fall in northern Italy and this is one of my travel experiences during a break. In one week, I visited Venice, Siena, Florence, and Cinque Terre. I then went on a little solo adventure to Bologna! While I was in Venice, I saw Doge’s Palace, the Basilica, went on a gondola ride, and visited Murano and Burano. My favorites were my tour of Doge’s Palace and the gelato I had while in Burano. This was my second time in Venice, and it continued to be my favorite destination in Italy.

Following that adventure, we headed to Siena where we had car trouble in our Alfa Romeo that my mother rented. Despite that mess, Siena—or Tuscany in general for that matter—cemented a spot in my favorite places to visit. We also met with one of my new friends from the program and his family while we were there.

Art and Hiking Abroad

Then we headed to Florence, which was not at all what I expected. Everything in Florence was just massive—David, the Duomo, the sandwiches, and the city itself chief among the things.

I discovered my interest in art history, with special thanks to Brunelleschi and Michelangelo. Also, I had never seen my mom as utterly obsessed with art as she was with David, seriously. I honestly had no idea how art could be made on as massive a scale as it was with David. We also visited unique restaurants while we were there, with one, in particular, standing out—La Giostra—where the owner had a sleeve of jewelry swirling around his arm and offered meats that were among the best in Italy.

My time in Cinque Terre was short-lived, as I was only there for twenty-four hours. Cinque Terre was also a place, like Florence, that felt just massive. I regretted not making the time to go swimming as the weather was abnormally warm and there were so many people out on the beaches. Nevertheless, I went on a hike that took us from Monterosso to Vernazza—by far the hardest hike I had ever partaken in.

Solo Travels to Bologna

Finally, I traveled to Bologna on my own. I was hesitant about traveling solo, but I strongly recommended it. Even if you felt like you had only a little sense of individuality in yourself, I leaned into that and took the risk. I didn’t have any concrete plans except how I was getting there and where I was staying. It turned out to be super fun just roaming around the city alone and seeing where my intuitions took me. I chose superb food places on a whim, even though the restaurant I was recommended didn’t have any availability—so I stumbled upon a different one off the beaten path, and it had amazing Bolognese.

Overall, this travel break went very well, and it gave me more opportunities to learn about Italian culture than I had on campus. With nine days of built-in travel, it felt inevitable that that was going to happen, but it exceeded my expectations. My biggest lessons learned were to relax—which is easier said than done—because any issues will often find a way of getting resolved on their own. I also recommend taking risks by experiencing, eating, and drinking things that might seem scary at first. Those leaps in faith usually pay off in the end. Arrivederci!

-Colin Alfaro