Submitted by Hoda Bazzi on the 2024 Winter LLCU program in Siena, Italy…
This week was full of new places, including Perugia and San Gimignano. In Perugia, we saw the Bacci Chocolate factory which included a tour of the factory, a tasting, and cooking with the chef!. The chocolate factory was such an amazing experience. I enjoyed tasting the chocolate, cooking with the chef, and seeing the factory and how it works. I also really enjoyed having lunch with the entire group, it was very fun and I wish we could eat all together more often. We were given an hour to look around the city, I saw a few arches, and overlooks of the city that were absolutely beautiful. Perugia was definitely the quietest city that I have visited thus far, but yet it still managed to be so interesting and fun.
In San Gimignano, we first made a stop at a winery in a small town 30 minutes from San Gimignano. Here we got to try 3 red wines and the olive oil they produced. We got to see the wine cellar and learn how wine is made. After the wine tasting, we drove to San Gimignano where we had free time to roam the city. There were lots of places with amazing views. Out of everywhere we visited, San Gimignano was definitely the prettiest and had the most scenic views. It was such a quaint and perfect little town.
When we were traveling and we were studying in Siena, we climbed the Torre de Mangia in the main Piazza. I also discovered cute little shops and became a regular at one panini shop in particular.
Also this week, I visited the leaning tower of Pisa! The town was amazingly beautiful. We even managed to climb the tower right before it closed for the night!
As the weeks are almost over, I have enjoyed every second of Italy. I cant wait to see what the last week holds! (Submitted on January 29, 2024)