Melanie Sztybel

In our free day, I decided to have a relaxed slow day in Genoa, in which I caught up on laundry, cleaning to prepare to leave, packing, and finishing up assignments. I had a small breakfast, which was a very tasty sandwich right across from our apartment, and started cleaning and packing. I enjoyed my moments of rest and got ready to go out for our final group dinner. I had a delicious lasagna and great veal, as well as great conversation with good company. It was nice talking to everyone before we all departed our separate ways. We got in a couple of nice group photos for the memories.

 

On my day of departure, I left early to spend three more nights in Rome. I wanted to explore more than what we did during our day trip, such as a tour at the Vatican, Castel Sant’Angelo, and the inside of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum. I left early from the apartment to the train station, and said goodbye to Genoa. It felt very bittersweet, as I had an amazing trip and met great friends, but it was soon time to head out. I arrived in Rome and head to my accommodations to start my last couple of days in Italy.

Our morning started with a quick breakfast, and we soon left to start our walking tour. We saw the iconic Spanish Steps and learned some interesting facts. We walked to the Trevi Fountain, and saw the huge crowd there which is typical. A couple of us made wishes and took some photos, as well as admired the statues. We had a stop at the Pantheon, once a Roman temple and then Church, and went inside. It was very interesting to sit down and think about all the history that occurred there. In our free time, we went to the Colosseum and walked around the outside. We had some lunch, and head back to the hotel to retrieve luggage to start our journey back home.

 

When we arrived in Milan, we started our walking tour in the Duomo di Milano, a huge church with many unique statues on the outside. We explored the main shopping center, where some of us did the fun tradition on the bull. There were many shopping options in Milan, where we explored and got a quick bite and gelato. I decided to head into the Duomo and its Museum, and admired its architecture on the inside. The stained glass was very lovely and had many inque images. Afterwards, we went to the Fernet Branca Distillery, where we saw the business museum and learned more about its history. We learned about its production and interesting facts, as well as seeing the huge barrel it is kept in. There was also the tasting, which was fun, and soon we had our journey back home.

On our ninth day, we embarked early to Pisa, where we saw many iconic sights. One of them, of course, was the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was exciting to see how engineering led to what we see today. We spent time taking the typical pictures people take at the Leaning Tower and then decided to buy tickets to enter the Cattedrale di Pisa, which was beautiful on the inside. We soon left Pisa for Lucca, a lovely smaller town with historic walls. We ate some food and rented a five-person bike to ride along the walls. It was very fun and an adventure! We finally head to Florence, where we had a delicious meal with pasta and Florentine steak. It was definitely different from what I was used to.

 

On our day in Florence, we got a quick breakfast and started our walking tour. We saw the main Cathedral, which was stunning, and Ponte Vecchio, an iconic bridge in Florence. I enjoyed my time looking at the statues outside, such as the replica of David. I spent my free time going to the Uffizi Museum, filled to the brim with beautiful art. The Birth of Venus was amazing in person. The ceilings were all painted, and the hallways had amazing statues to walk by as well. My favorite room was definitely the Botticelli room. After this, we started our journey to Rome.

We began our day by making our way to Cinque Terre. We made a quick stop for a snack, and stopped at the first village to begin our journey through all five villages. We hiked along the path as well as taking the train in between the villages. We took in the scenic views of the colorful buildings on the mountain side and the coast. The overtourism of the region was something that we took notice, as the majority of the people walking were not locals and the area was very crowded. We were able to still enjoy some of the views, eat some food, and head back home.

The next day, we mostly did some general upkeep, such as laundry, cleaning, and packing for next week. We explored a handful of churches in our area, and admired the beautiful paintings on the ceilings, which tell so many different stories. In one church, we got a tour of their collection, and it was very interesting to see how a small church can have so much history. We then had a delicious sandwich, and made our way to the grocery store to buy a couple of items to make an extravagant dinner together as roommates. We made a pasta, along with a board of meats and cheeses. We enjoyed our night in Genoa before our traveling the next following days.

We began our day by making our way to Cinque Terre. We made a quick stop for a snack, and stopped at the first village to begin our journey through all five villages. We hiked along the path as well as taking the train in between the villages. We took in the scenic views of the colorful buildings on the mountain side and the coast. The overtourism of the region was something that we took notice, as the majority of the people walking were not locals and the area was very crowded. We were able to still enjoy some of the views, eat some food, and head back home.

The next day, we mostly did some general upkeep, such as laundry, cleaning, and packing for next week. We explored a handful of churches in our area, and admired the beautiful paintings on the ceilings, which tell so many different stories. In one church, we got a tour of their collection, and it was very interesting to see how a small church can have so much history. We then had a delicious sandwich, and made our way to the grocery store to buy a couple of items to make an extravagant dinner together as roommates. We made a pasta, along with a board of meats and cheeses. We enjoyed our night in Genoa before our traveling the next following days.

Our wonderful tour of the Riviera was full of beautiful and enchanting views of oceanside villages and cities. We took a train to Santa Margherita, in which we embarked on our first ferry to visit other areas. The sun was warm, and the wind felt great while riding the ferry. Coming into Portofino was very exciting, as it was a gorgeous town, filled with boats and colorful buildings. We walked around and admired the views from different points. Our next trip to San Fruttuoso was also lovely, as it was very peaceful and scenic. The pebble beaches were a nice sight, and we had a great lunch under lemon trees. Our final destination was to Camogli, another peaceful and colorful town in which we relaxed in the beach. We ate delicious foccacia and had a great time.

The following day, we adventured in the city of Turin. Our interesting taxi ride led us to the Lavazza Factory. We got to see firsthand the production, packaging, and shipping of the famous Lavazza coffee. The tasting of the coffee was also delicious. This was definitely a memorable experience in Turin. The coffee caviar was a highlight. We also got to see the Lavazza museum. In our free time, we got the lift in the Cinema museum to see a beautiful panoramic view of Turin.

In our fifth day, we began the day by exploring the Aquarium in Genoa. This aquarium is definitely one of the best I have been to, as they have a variety of wonderful animals. I would say the penguins and manatees were a highlight for me. We continued our way to our cooking class in the evening, in which we cooked a great meal with guidance. We made things such as gnocchi with pesto and foccacia. Grinding the pesto was a feat in itself, along with making the gnocchi dumplings. We finally finished and we’re able to feast on our multiple course meal, ending with tiramisu.

On the following day, we made it to the Piedmont region. At first, we stopped at La Morra. We basked in beautiful views of the rural region of Italy. We visited a gorgeous winery, Agricola Bandini, for a tour on wine production. We saw the outside along with their barrels and steel tanks for fermentation. I learned plenty I did not know about wine before. The wine tasting was delicious, as well as the four course meal. It was a diverse menu with veal, ravioli, and gelato. It was one of my best meals, and the best moscato I have tried.  I thoroughly enjoyed the authenticity of the setting and the food. 

Our wonderful tour of the Riviera was full of beautiful and enchanting views of oceanside villages and cities. We took a train to Santa Margherita, in which we embarked on our first ferry to visit other areas. The sun was warm, and the wind felt great while riding the ferry. Coming into Portofino was very exciting, as it was a gorgeous town, filled with boats and colorful buildings. We walked around and admired the views from different points. Our next trip to San Fruttuoso was also lovely, as it was very peaceful and scenic. The pebble beaches were a lovely sight, and we had a great lunch under lemon trees. Our final destination was Camogli, another peaceful and colorful town in which we relaxed in the beach. We ate delicious foccacia and had a great time.

The following day, we adventured in the city of Turin. Our interesting taxi ride led us to the Lavazza Factory. We saw firsthand the production, packaging, and shipping of the famous Lavazza coffee. The tasting of coffee was also delicious. This was definitely a memorable experience in Turin. The coffee caviar was a highlight. We also got to see the Lavazza Museum. In our free time, we got the lift in the Cinema museum to see a beautiful panoramic view of Turin.

After an arduous journey through multiple flights, layovers, and security lines, with a very limited amount of sleep, we finally made it to Genoa. Navigating our way to the apartment meet-up could not have been done without our great translator and fellow student, Candela. Amiable taxi drivers dropped us off at our corresponding train station and Piazza. We walked into our apartment and were immediately entranced by our view of Piazza delle Erbe. Our energy was renewed to explore the rest of the day. Following the tour with Professor Rice, we got to learn more about the Piazzas surrounding us, along with local neighborhoods, churches, the Port, and Trattorias. In the evening, we indulged in a trattoria with a full-course meal, of which highlights include the Pesto and Tiramisu.

The following day, Professor Rice gave a detailed tour of local spots focused on food, such as trattorias and markets. We explored the well-known market of Eataly, as well as a local market used every day by locals. This in-depth tour provides a better understanding of the local culture and food. We made our way to the train station after this tour to explore a local area called Nervi, a beautiful spot right next to the sea. Locals visit this spot often and its parks. We enjoyed a nice stroll by the seawalk and park to take in the views. In our free time, we indulged in Gelato and continued walking through the neighborhood, finding pebble beaches and nice walkways in the meantime. We slowly made our way back home, calling it a day for our second day in Genoa.