Submitted by Fiona Letko on the 2024 Winter HLTH program in Italy…
This was such a bittersweet week, as it was the ending of our Winter study abroad. This week, we started off by visiting beautiful Siena. We started off the day by touring Santa Maria della Scala. We finished off the day by enjoying an amazing lunch as a group in the center of the city.
I was able to spend some time exploring the beautiful atmosphere and culture in Florence this week as well! I shopped for some leather to bring back with me, and tried many different foods, such as the best pesto pasta I have ever tasted!
This week we also took a trip to the Tuscan region of Italy, and learned how they train dogs for truffle hunting, pasta and ravioli making, and a beautiful dining experience trying many foods! I specifically enjoyed playing with the truffle hunting dogs!
This week my friends and I also traveled up the duomo, climbing 463 steps to the top for a beautiful view! This was an amazing experience and the view of Florence was breathtaking and well worth the climb.
We traveled to Chianti for our last meal together as a group on Friday, and it could not have been more perfect. We took a tour of the beautiful Castello di Verrazzano, and finished off the tour with an amazing family style meal. We ate a variety of foods such as different meats, cheese, vegetable soup, bolognese, ribs, sausages, potatoes, salad, and steak. I couldn’t ask for a better meal and way to end the trip as a group. It was very bittersweet to leave Italy, but I am so grateful to have had this experience, and I can’t wait to go back! (Submitted on January 29, 2024)