I have always wanted to travel to Italy! When I saw that St. Petersburg College had a Study Abroad Trip for Italy, I knew I needed to apply. The itinerary explained all the places we would visit, which were Venice, Florence, and Rome. These are three of the most popular and historic locations in Italy. I couldn’t wait to be there learning about the Italian culture and Italy’s history. Each day was filled with new educational and physical adventures; which included walking over 36,000 steps in one day.
On our first full day, we visited Murano and Burano, two small islands not far from Venice. I’m very happy that I was able to visit both of these islands and learn about why each of them is important in their own way. Murano is known for glass blowing, a skill that takes many years to master. Burano is known for its colorful houses, which was a way for fishermen to identify their island when returning from sea. Murano and Burano are beautiful islands with kind people and excellent food. Florence was wonderful! The Duomo was one of my favorite places to see; the size of this cathedral leaves me feeling absolutely astonished. The food was delicious and never disappointed me. I tried something that I never thought I would, Trippe, which is cow’s stomach. Our tour guide, Deniz, brought a group of us to a restaurant to try it. This was definitely out of my comfort zone, but I’m glad I was able to try this local cuisine. It tasted really good; however, it’s not something I wouldn’t order on a regular basis. I loved being challenged to try new things, because most of the time I end up really enjoying it.
After Florence, we headed to San Gimignano a small town on our way to Rome. This town has two ice cream shops that won an award for the best gelato and I completely agree. The views were breathtaking and seeing the vineyards in the distance was very beautiful. The next stop was Rome; a place filled with history! Seeing the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, and Vatican City was surreal! All these places were fascinating to see in person. I’m so thankful that I was able to attend this Study Aboard Trip to Italy. These experiences will not be forgotten, nor will the history I learned while abroad in Italy. – Elizabeth, SPC Italy Study Abroad Program, July 2023