Submitted by Isabella Kalb on the 2024 Winter HONR/PHIL program in Italy…
This past Tuesday, we embarked on a 7-hour bus drive from Sorrento to Florence. I wouldn’t say that I was happy to depart Sorrento, but I have been looking forward to traveling to Florence for weeks, which made the 7-hour drive worth the time. One thing that is super unique about my program, the Honors Philosophy Study Abroad Program, is that we get to travel to so
many different cities in Italy. So far, we have been to Rome, Sorrento, and now Florence, and in the upcoming weeks, we will make our way to Bologna and Milan. As an Honors student, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to travel with other Honors peers and form connections that will last a lifetime.
When we finally arrived in Florence, we as a group were absolutely amazed by our hotel. We are staying in the Grand Hotel Cavour, a four star hotel with a prime location in the city of Florence. After scoping out our rooms and unpacking, we all walked literally right next door for a group dinner with our professor. Having time set aside for these group dinners makes my trip even more enjoyable and worthwhile, as the conversations we have are absolutely priceless. The next morning, I indulged in the best breakfast buffet I have ever seen in my life; they truly have everything, from hot dogs to mini donuts and huge croissants. Towards the middle of the day, many of us walked nearby to a laundromat, where we experienced the extensive process of washing our clothes for the first time this trip. Kinda gross, but also extremely impressive; what can I say, we are all just really good packers and packed well for our trip…
The real beauty of Florence lies in the long list of museums and nearby attractions. So far, in the few days we have been in this city, we have been given the opportunity to see so much art and beauty. On Wednesday, we all took a trip to the Uffizi Museum, greeted by our wonderful tour guide, Isabella. Maybe it’s because she has the same name as me, but I do have to say that she has been my favorite tour guide thus far. At the Uffizi, we got the chance to see many famous paintings. My favorite of them all was titled “Spring” by Sandro Botticelli. In this painting, nine figures from classic mythology are shown around a flowery lawn. Our tour guide, Isabella, explained to us that the painting is meant to advance from right to left. As you advance, you are supposed to see the separation of physical love on the right side to a spiritual love on the left side of the painting, symbolizing the importance of a spiritual connection over any physical one. When Isabella explained this meaning to us, I have to admit that I teared up from the beauty and raw emotion of the painting.
On Thursday, our group ventured down to Accademia, home to the famous David statue from the David and Goliath storyline. I stood at the David statue for at least 20 minutes before exploring the rest of the artwork at Accademia; it really was all so stunning. Then, on Friday, we all traveled to Siena for a day trip. One really cool fact about Siena is that this city is divided into 17 Contrade, or districts, each named after an animal or a symbol of nature. Personally, my favorite was the Bruco Contrada, symbolized by a caterpillar. We spent the rest of our time in Siena exploring more of the city and, of course, some shopping.
I can’t seem to put a finger on it, but Florence is by far my favorite city in Italy. Geographically, the city is built like Rome, but much less touristy and a lot calmer. Italy has been everything I anticipated and so much more, and I can’t wait for my final weeks exploring this country (Submitted on January 20, 2024).
