Four Cities in Italy

Submitted by Kyle Tomlin on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Philosophy…

Since my last blog, so much has happened in the week and so many more experiences have taken place. I have had the pleasure of seeing four more Italian cities and I am so grateful for the opportunity to compare and contrast the landscapes and way of life of each.

We took an excursion to the ruined city of Pompeii and that was like nothing I have ever seen before. Walking into this city was like walking into a time machine. When the volcano erupted and covered the city in ash, its buildings and people’s lifestyles were preserved for hundreds of years. Before Pompeii, Rome was all I knew, so this was quite a change up considering the suburban scenery.

After our eight days in Rome, we journeyed to our next city and what I would soon find to be my favorite, Florence. Florence is the happy medium between all the places we’ve been. It was absolutely beautiful in Florence. The shops and leather market were unbelievable and the food was better than anywhere else in Italy I’ve experienced. It was amazing to walk the streets of such a beautiful city and take pictures along the waterfronts. If I ever have the chance to go back to Italy, I would choose to go back to Florence every time.

As of right now, our group has moved onto a small Tuscan town called Volterra and it is a significant change of pace. Volterra is surrounded by mountains and land for miles around. The sunset walks are beautiful and I love to see the Italian countryside. We’re here for another five days so my next blog will explain more about my adventures in Volterra!

Florence
Volterra
Tuscan countryside