Traveling to Italy has always been a huge dream of mine, both because of my Italian family heritage and because of the incredible art and music that originates there. I took a month in the summer of 2011 to live and study in Florence. At the university, Lorenzo d’Medici, I took an Art History course that has already greatly supplemented my studies of Renaissance and Baroque music history at ISU. Several times a week we visited churches and museums to see the art and architecture we were learning about in class. I could not have picked a more perfect city to study art history! My cooking class, Current Trends in Italian Cuisine, was one of the most useful classes I have taken. We learned the logic and history behind the Italian diet, as well as about different cheeses, wines, pastas, and Italian chefs. My incredibly experienced and personable professor took us on field trips to a wine tasting to learn how to pair food and wine and the Central Market to learn how to shop for fresh meat, fish, and produce. We also visited a kitchen of a famous Florentine seafood restaurant, a biscotti bakery, and two different gelato shops to see demonstrations. Best of all, we cooked a four course meal every day in class! I now have the skills to cook and bake on my own, a slew of fantastic Italian recipes, and the knowledge of the Italian way of eating to carry with me.
On the weekends, I had the opportunity to travel with my friends to Cinque Terre, Pisa, Luca, Verona, and Venice. Just having to figure out the Italian train and hotel systems greatly increased my sense of independence. It was also an incredible opportunity to explore the nooks and crannies of these destinations without a tour guide, discovering whatever we were meant to stumble upon amongst the creeks and cobblestones. My roommate and I had an amazing time reciting Romeo and Juliet from the Capulet balcony, sunbathing on the Mediterranean Sea, and eating at the composer Puccini’s favorite café. I also took an organized trip to Split, Croatia one weekend, which was such a foreign and exciting experience. In addition, I went on my university’s academic trip to Rome and saw tons of architecture that I was learning about in my art history class.
Living in the city of Florence was an incredible experience in itself. My large, rustic apartment took three flights of steep, winding stairs to reach. Everything about it, form the skylight at the top of the stairwell, to the pigeons on the windowsill, to the tiny blue bathroom, were absolutely charming. One difficult aspect to adjust to was the laid back lifestyle of the Italians. Living in Italy forces you to be patient when the restaurants are not open, the internet works slowly, and the concerts start 20 minute late. Regardless, the quality of the food, music, and human relations surrounding you certainly makes up for it. Over the month I was there, I discovered my favorite grocers, restaurants, and piazzas. My favorite place in Florence is the Boboli Gardens. The gardens are an enchanting maze of hills, beautiful views of the city, lawns, fountains, forests, and statues. I could get lost there all day and keep finding new things I haven't seen before. I also loved Piazza Michelangelo, because it has the most stunning view of the city at sunset! We were fortunate enough for our last day in Florence to be St. John the Baptist Day, celebrating the patron saint of Florence. Therefore, my time in Italy commenced with a magnificent firework show and the sending of twinkling paper lanterns into the sky. I could not have asked for a more perfect send-off from this city that will forever be a second home in my heart.
