Final Weekend Travel

On our final weekend of the program, we were all excited to get one last adventure in! We broke up into smaller groups to hit cities all over Europe. We had groups representing Mizzou in 7 different countries this weekend! We hit the major European cities of Rome, Prague, Munich, Amsterdam, Paris, London, Interlaken, and Mykonos to make our own final memories!

As everyone says, you haven’t been to Italy unless you have seen Rome! The group that traveled here had a great time taking tours of The Vatican City as well as the Coliseum and hanging out with locals and tourists on the Spanish Steps.

Despite the less than perfect weather, the group in Prague was excited to get out and explore the city. They hit the major points of the city such as the clock tower, Prague Castle, Prague Museum and St. Charles Bridge and embraced the Prague nightlife.

The city of Munich provided a range of activities and adventures. Here, the group toured Dachau Concentration Camp which was an eye opening and moving experience. They also hit the local Beer Gardens to embrace to German culture and big soft pretzels!

In the beautiful city of Amsterdam, the group toured the home of Anne Frank as well as the Van Gough museum. The “Heineken Experience” was a fun tour the group took of the Heineken Brewery that was named as a “must see” by students who previously visited the city!

One lucky student was able to celebrate her birthday in the wonderful city of Paris under the sparkling lights of the Eifel Tower! The group hit all of the points of interest in the city such as the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Arc de Triomphe which all added up to a wonderful time for everyone.

Finally, one very brave group spent the weekend in Interlaken, Switzerland… the extreme sport center of Europe! They took in the beautiful scenery of the Swiss Alps while falling 15,000 feet from airplanes!
We are all now sharing stories and pictures of our adventures with one another as we head into our last week in Bergamo.

Vino and a View

Ciao Tutti!

Thursday was a great day for the winery.  After the last class students piled (literally, all 60 of us) onto the local bus and headed outside of Bergamo for a day at a local vineyard and winery.  It was located in Sconza, just past the Bergamo border in the foothills of the Alps.  After quite a hike up the hill, we finally made it to the top, only to be greeted by breathtaking views of the city below.  We were at a local friend's home, where his family started the winery many years ago.  The company is called Biava and 

creates some of the best regional wine in the Lombardy area.  The owner was kind enough to give us a personal tour of the vineyards as well as the drying and fermentation rooms.  It was quite a different experience than Columbia's wineries! 

After the tour we learned the art of wine tasting.  We sampled four different wines, two were table wines that the company sold, the other were special types found no where else.  After swirling, sniffing, and sipping, students started to pick out their favorites.  Biava is known for their "Yellow Wine".  It is a true yellow color, with a sweet taste.  This wine is what they use for church services in Bergamo.  The next "special" wine was a red with a slight pepper taste--this is their most famous (and expensive, up to 80 euros!) bottle of win

e.  It was delicious, unlike anything we had every tasted.  To compliment the great wine we had a large spread of food, full of pizza, sandwiches, cheese, pasta, and chips, all the Italian favorites.  

We stayed at the winery well into the night, admiring the view and the great vino.  This was a great way to truly indulge in the culture we have come to love.  A number of Italian students joined us, as well as one of our American professors.  Everyone had a great time and it was a nice break in the middle of a busy week.  

It's going by fast...

Ciao!

It is hard to believe we are already half way through our program in Bergamo. Classes are going by faster than anyone could have imagined and in only a few days we will be venturing out on our last free weekend.

This past weekend marked our second period of travel. A large group of students headed to the sunny beaches of Barcelona, Spain, and a few others to various spots in Greece, Cinque Terre, Amsterdam, or Paris. Most came back with a tan and great stories. Barcelona was a great success. Being the long weekend, we spent 5 days and 4 nights in the busy city and enjoyed every second of it! Days were spent lounging on the beach or seeing the sights at Parc Guell, Las Ramblas, or Sagradia Familia. Nights were like nothing Mizzou has ever seen...clubs and pubs didn't even open until past midnight and they stayed open until the sun came up! It was definitely a tiring, but very fun weekend.

Cinque Terre offered another sunny getaway. Students hiked the trails between the five villages and then relaxed on the rocky beaches of the sea. This town is a hidden treasure, full of history but very welcoming to travelers. It has been a favorite to visit on the program, and being only a few hours away by train it is an easy trip to make!

This week we will be very busy with classes and activities. Wednesday students in Professor Cavalone's International Marketing class will visit Beretta meat company to hear about a family owned Italian company made big. Then, on Thursday we will visit a local winery known for their unique flavors and brilliant view. Stay posted to hear all about the adventures of the week!

Ciao!

Ciao Tutti!  (Hello Everyone!)

One weekend trip down, only a couple more to go.  Time seems to be flying by.  Students returned to Bergamo after visits to Prague, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Florence, and Milan.  Everyone came back with great stories and even better pictures.  

 Wednesday evening we had a pizza party at Da GiGi restaurant, a pizzeria known for their meter long pizza!  It is Maura Cavalone, the Italian counterpart to the study abroad programs, "favorite pizza in the world".  At this party we sampled all different kinds of pizza, even American flavor (pizza with hotdogs and french fries on top...not the best representation!)  To finish off the celebration we exchanged T-Shirts with the Italian students.  We gave them a Mizzou T-Shirt and they presented us with a Bergamo University one, tons of pictures were taken of course.  

Thursday marks our second free day.  Many students are traveling to Venice, which will be a perfect day to do so as the weather continues to be great.  Others are staying in Bergamo to discover what the city has to offer, talks of a visit to the public pool are starting.  The weather here has been super hot, so a visit to a pool sounds like a good idea to everyone.

Friday, students will venture out across Europe again on their weekend visits.  There is a large group headed to Barcelona, Spain to get a little sun.  This weekend is special due to an Italian holiday on Tuesday, so we have an extra day to explore.  

Stay posted for pictures of the pizza party and weekend visits, once they get on Shutterfly we can put them on the blog!  

Free day and weekend travel

Ciao!


Yesterday (Thursday) students took advantage of their day off school to do a little traveling. Students headed to near by cities such as Lake Como, Milan and Venice for the day. The student managers took a group of students to Lake Como and had a blast, after a few wrong busses, missed trains and confusing train stops... but it was well worth the hassle!

Today (Friday) after classes we are all heading off to different countries for our first weekend! Some students are staying in Italy to visit Rome, Cinque Terre, and Florence while others are heading to Amsterdam, Prague and Paris.

Check back Tuesday to hear all about everyones weekends!

Ciao!

A few days into the trip and things are going great!  The students are starting to learn their way around the city and discover all it has to offer.  We mainly travel via the public bus system, and while it can be confusing at first, everyone has started to master the routes and schedules.  It really is a quick and easy way to get from place to place. 

Last night we had a party at a local favorite, Velvet Pub.  A friend of the program, Diego, organized the get together for American students and Italian students--it was a night of fun, dancing, and getting to know one another.  Everyone had a great time and made a lot of new friends.  Velvet Pub is in the central part of Bergamo, Porto Nouva, not too far from the hostel.  Tonight many students will venture up to Citta Alta for a bite to eat and maybe some vino before our day off tomorrow.  With the first free day of the program, most students are looking into visiting Lake Como, Milan, or even Venice--all just a short train ride away.  Look for pictures to be posted soon on our ShutterFly website soon!  

Stay posted for more updates about class, Bergamo, and weekend travel!  Ciao!

First Day of School!

Ciao!

We are now at the University for our first day of classes! The students were on the buses to class at 7:30 am!

After arriving Sunday, the group went to dinner at a local restaurant for dinner sponsored by Mizzou. We enjoyed a meal of pasta and wine like true Italians.

Yesterday we went exploring in Bergamo. We went to Porta Nuova (downtown) and to Citta Alta (the high city) and had our first taste of REAL Italian Pizza!

Last night we had an orientation at the University where the professors introduced themselves and we had appetizers with the Italian students. After, we headed out to Citta Alta again to have dinner and enjoy the beautiful weather we are having at an outdoor bar.

Today we are at the University for a 3 hour class taught by an Mizzou professor and another 3 hour class taught by an Italian professor. It should be a loooooong day!

We arrived safely!

Ciao Everyone, we arrived in Italy safe and sound! It was a long journey, but well worth it. Everyone is settling in nicely and all of the students seem extremely happy to be here. We will be keeping this blog up to date so you can follow your students experience abroad.

Check back soon for picture and updates!