Italy Study Tour 2008

Conquering Italy from Mankato to Rome and Sorrento

by Adrianne Basch

1

From the first time I heard about the Italy trip I knew this was the class for me. This

was an experience that I knew I couldn’t let pass me by. I like many other people have always

wanted to go to Italy, but for me this trip was even more special. My Italian heritage played a

large part in my interest of going to Italy. Being a third generation American I still have many

Italian influences in my family and in my everyday life. But I have always wanted to see where

my family came from and walk the streets of my ancestors. This dream of mine was able to come

true through this course in a educational and fun atmosphere. I am thankful that this class and

trip is offered to students Minnesota State, otherwise I might never have had this experience of a

life time! I was able to see what I have only read, seen in movies or heard in stories. I will never

forget this amazing experience and I thank everyone that was involved in making this trip

special.

2

Italy and especially Rome has seen it all! From power         

hungry rulers, to people getting swept up in the

adventures that Rome holds for them, including

romance for all ages. We saw this and much more in

our lessons in class and in the trip. The literature that

we read and movies we watched in class reflected

through out our trip to Italy. From Roman Fever, to

the stories of saints, to Julius Caesar they all still have

resonance in Italy today. The works that we studied set

up the atmosphere of Rome, their people, and its

history. Experiencing Italy first through literature was

a way to take a look the culture with out actually being

in Italy. The works that we looked at kept popping up

throughout the trip in Italy.

I hadn’t read any of the literature assigned

Roman Holiday about 15 times. (Audrey Hrpburn is

my favorite actress) I enjoyed much of the stories we

read and discussed and even more when I was in Italy

actually seeing when I had read or seen in a movie.

3

When one walks through Rome it is hard not to think about its history. As you walk

down the streets there are centuries old builds everywhere you look, from the Colosseum, to

the Forum to the cobble streets that Cleopatra walked. In Rome’s history was put

into the present and no longer just a page in a book or a frame in the movies.

During the walking tour we were lead to the spot were the famous “Friends,

Romans, Countrymen” speech was supposedly made by Marc Anthony. The history

of Caesar is still with people of Rome today. People still lay flowers on the monumental ruin still

honering Caesar. Being in the Colosseum was a weird but amazing feeling at the same time

knowing that I stood were real Gladiators, and past Caesars have stood. As I walked around

Rome, whether in a group on alone history was constantly around me. Only in Rome can one

experience staying two blocks walking distance from the Colosseum or seeing a building that is

nineteen centuries old right next to the place were you might sit for dinner.

4

The movie Roman Holiday was about a

princess that wanted to be “normal” for a day. In

this movie Audrey Hupburn’s character Princess

Ann experiences Rome in an exciting way that

she had never experienced before. I

including many others on the trip

had many unforgettable experiences

with in Rome weather it was during

our planned group trips or our own unforgettable

excursions. As I walked through Rome, a

completely forgein city I couldn't help but feeling

free from my other life back in the states. Though

my life isn’t as confided as Princess Ann’s, the trip

was a very freeing experience. I away from the

normal routine of friends and family into a world of

exploration and adventure.

In class and on the discussion boards we

talked about “Daisy Miller” and the culture clash of

American and Roman/European. I noticed much of

this while on the trip. Being an American I still

consider myself pretty laid back. Where as many

American have a need to be very busy and in your

face.

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Rome on the other hand had a very laid back feel. Even in Italy it seems like many Americans

want to be constantly busy and then center of attention rather then just taking the day slowly and

enjoying the beauty of the new day, like the Italians seem to do. I realized that this relaxed world

was defiantly a place that I could live in. Daisy in “Daisy Miller” is an independent American

girl. But like many Americans visiting other countries her lack of social graces brings her

unwanted attention. Daisy Miller shows the story of high spirited American girl trying to flirt her

way up in society. As an American in Rome I could see the way that American and my self acted

very differently then the native Italians. But what I found most interesting was how differently I

was treated if I was with a group or if I went out completely on my own. In Rome I mostly

stayed in a group but in Sorrento I ventured out on my own. In a group I was mostly spoken to

in English though once in a while I was asked if I was “Italiana”. When I was alone I was

always spoken to in Italian, until they realized I was American. Then they would talk to me

about how I looked Italian and where my Italian family is from. I also felt that when I was alone

people in stores were more willing to approach me and start a conversation. Maybe it was

because they didn’t think I was an American.

Studying the saints was very interesting to me. While I was in Italy I didn’t see

anything about the saint that I spoke on in class but since most Italians are Catholic I saw many

other saints throughout my trip in Italy. Our trip to the Vatican and St. Peter’s was were I saw a

lot of religious aspects. It was while we were at Pompeii that a Saint unexpectedly was presented

to me. While I was looking at jewelry in the street I was approached again about my heritage. I

told the vender that I was Italian American and we had a pleasant conversation about my family

and Italy. It was at the end the he wished me a nice trip then he gave me a card with a saint on it

in hopes of safe traveling, an offering that I would surely not get in the states.

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Our tours through out the whole trip were amazing. But nothing could compete with our

tour guide in Rome, Sandro. His passion for the city and its history was a fantastic way to kick

off the trip. The walking tour took us around the ruins of Rome. As a first timer to Italy and

abroad I was amazed at the shear size of the buildings that were build centuries earlier and were

still standing today. This tour was my favorite out of all the tours in the cities. Though my feet

killed after it was completely worth the pain! The next tour was to the Vatican. I found all the art

works incredible. I had even seen many on the pieces of art before in classes and it was fantastic

to see them in person. After awhile the tour turned a little tedious because I really just wanted to

see the Sistine Chapel. By the time I was able to see the Chapel words cant even describe how I

felt. Michelangelo’s ceiling was a breathtaking piece of art and that I never before thought I

would see in person.

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Our first experience with Pompeii was was the museum

trip. Our new guide wasn’t as long winded as Sandro but just as

informative. This museum had many artifacts of Pompeii and the

area. One of the most shocking parts of the museum for me was

the phallic symbols from Pompeii and there brothels. To me this

was a completely unexpected part to the tour. The museum also

had a miniature replica of Pompeii before the Volcanic eruption.

(in picture to right) The Museum tour was a great precursor to our

walking tour of the recovered Pompeii the following day. I was

able to appreciate the ruins more through the information from

our guide and the artifacts seen the day before

It was a beautiful day to walk the ruins of Pompeii.

We were able to see the where the people of the city used to walk,

live, and work. There were even recovered castes of bodies from

people that were in the disaster that were on display. After the

tour of Pompeii we climbed the crater that created the

catastrophe. The hike up the Vesuvius was well worth the work.

To see the smoke and the ash from the once dangerous volcano

the killed so many was something that I had only seen in

documentaries. It was unbelievable that I was able to see in

person the shear size of the deadly volcano.

8

My favorite part of the trip was the

independent exploration of Rome and Sorrento. Any

Italian knows part of the fun is the food, wine, and

conversation. The first night in Rome, after a well

needed nap, I went out with my roommates to

explore the city and grab some of the famous pizza.

American Pizza will never taste the same after the

many pizza slices from Rome, Naples, and

Sorrento. The food in Italy was probably some of

the best food that I have ever had, excluding my

own family Italian recipes of course. Our first real

Roman pizza was eaten on the steps of our hotel.

(top picture) This is when I really started to get to

know my two new friends Becky and Gabby.

Between our group dinners and our fun nights out I

was able to make some friends and I was fortune

enough to find a great friend in my roommate

Gabby.

I spent most of my days and nights with

my roommates and some of the other students on

the trip. At night we roamed the towns mingling

with locals and getting to know one another.

9

Shopping

Shopping was a very different experience in

Rome. I knew that the first thing the I wanted to buy was

a scarf so I could look like the Roman women, because

lets be honest who doesn't want to look as chic as some of

the most beautiful women in the world. After I obtained

the Italian look the Roman stores were min to conquer, or

so I thought. One thing that was completely different was

the time frame that the shops were open. Shop owners

take a short break in the middle of the afternoon when

most American would usually do their shopping. After I

hit some shops with Gabby we found purses... on the

street. This was one of the funniest things I had seen in

Rome. On an off street by the Trevi Fountain men lay out

purses on sheets to be sold. This is apparently illegal

seeing that when police officers would come by on a

motorcycle the vendors would run as if it were the

running of the bulls down the street with their bundle of

purses thrown over their backs. But they would come

right back and the game would start all over again. This

was defiantly one of my highlights and a place of some of

my best purchases.

10

Sorrento’s atmosphere was completely

different then Rome’s. Here I felt safe walking

around by myself, going to shops and mingling with

the residents. In a family owned shop I met a

women whose family made traditional wood boxes

and a family recipe of Lemonchello for Danny

Devido’s Lemonchello that is sold in the U.S. The

picturesque laid back feel of this town was perfect

for our walk around town on our free day. Gabby

and I went to the Orange and lemon grove across

from the hotel. I had the best Orange I have ever

tasted given to me at the grove. From their we spent

the day at the beach playing in the freezing water

and sand. It was the ultimate free day.

The literature that we read in class and

the sights that were seen in Italy were completely

life changing. I’ll always remember the experiences

that I had during the study tour. Even though I

probably won’t get back to Italy for many years the

memories will always be there to look back fondly

on.

I thank you Dr. Bunkers for making this

possible. Class was a fantastic time discussing the

literature and film and what we hoped to see on our

trip. I participated and enjoyed both class periods. I

missed class once because of an illness. I think I

had a problem with D2L thought I wrote more then

it shows. Maybe they just didn’t go through. I did

read all the material for the course and enjoyed it

all. Thank you again!