The Bun Goes International

Annalise Puntorno, a Science, Letters, and Society major in the Verrazano Class of 2019, visited Florence in the summer of 2017.

The Bun Goes International

My famous bun has been my signature look from high school days to across the pond in Ireland and Scotland to finally Florence, Italy this summer. From the minute my friends and I touched down in Florence the magic of the beautiful city captured my heart.  There were kind faces and stunning architecture everywhere I looked. Music filled the air. I was fortunate enough to live close to the Duomo in the center of Florence, there was always liveliness around my street.

The food in Florence was amazing, so fresh and there was constantly a new combination to try. My favorite dish is hard to choose so my top three are: pear raviolis, spinach raviolis with avocado and pomegranate seeds and lastly tomato and basil pasta with fresh mozzarella. Each dish was better than the last. The real winner in Florence though is the gelato. It is to die for, every flavor was delicious and refreshing. My whole gelato fund was used wisely and happily spent. my daily gelato was frequently a highlight of the day, a great relief from the Tuscan sun.

Every day was a new adventure. Florence is filled with magnificent views of the city. The Piazza Michelangelo had the whole landscape of Florence filled with the famous buildings in perfect view.

The Duomo, the Bell Tower and the country side all in sight. Another spectacular view was climbing to the top of the Duomo. We climbed 465 steps to the top and I felt like I was on top on the world. So close to the tops of buildings, it was surreal. The views had to be one of my favorite adventures.

Another great gift of Florence was friendship and knowledge.  I travelled with my best friend and a new friend I met to be our roommate. But through this trip I gained a new friend that will be life long, and I rekindled old friendships with girls I haven’t spoken to in a long time. It was such a life changing experience to further our friendship and to grow closer to one another amongst a city we were dazzled by but lost in all at once. We overcame difficulties and we went on endless adventures. I learned how to be independent and free. I was able to find myself and experience that I would not be able to do at home. I also studied Italian which it greatly improved due to this trip. I learned so much about the language and culture. However, practice makes perfect and practice I must.

 

I experienced other areas of Italy like the Amalfi Coast and Capri which was one of my favorite trips. The beach was gorgeous but Capri was magical. The views, the food, and the hike up the mountain was definitely my favorite. Tuscany was a close second. The country side is stunning and makes you feel like you’re a part of nature. The wineries were intricate and the workers held so much pride in their work. It was nice to see such a united community. 

Overall my study abroad experience was a trip of a life time. It was filled with adventure, friendship and knowledge. I was able to get in touch with my culture and see how other parts of the world live. Which really isn’t that different from us. It was a beautiful experience that I would recommend to all and would definitely do again if given the opportunity. 

Arlinda Draga enjoys a feast of art and cuisine in Florence

Arlinda Draga, Verrazano Class of 2016, is studying Biology with a Biochemistry minor, but took advantage of a study abroad opportunity to travel abroad to Florence, Italy, in the winter of 2016, to feast on the arts and the cuisine.

Taking an art class in Florence

            I had an amazing experience on my study abroad trip to Florence, Italy this past winter. Florence was defiantly a huge culture shock for me.  I had the opportunity to live with three other students from New York on the top floor of an apartment next to Duomo di Firenze.  Duomo di Firenze is the main church of Florence and is considered to be one of the largest churches in the world.  Everyday my roommates and I would walk past the Duomo and get our cappuccinos before going to class.  I had the privilege of taking an introductory drawing class that was taught by an Italian artist who lived in Florence.  My professor taught us many different ways to draw and made us appreciate all the famous art work of Florence.  During class we would walk to museums and do sketches of famous paintings and sculptures.  We also had the privilege of drawing live nude models to help us practice for our final drawings.  For one of our final projects we were told to go to the top of Piazza Michelangelo and sketch a drawing of the view at the top of the hill.  We were also told to go to three famous areas of Italy and complete a drawing of our view.  My roommates and I went to the leaning tower of Pisa, the Coliseum in Rome and the top of the duomo in Florence and did three separate sketches of these breathtaking views.  This art class not only taught me how to draw, but it gave me the experience to travel Italy and see the real lifestyle of an Italian.

           

Throughout my trip, I tried some of the most amazing Tuscany dishes which included truffle pasta, T-bone steak, caprese salad, gelato and much more.  Florence is definitely an experience like no other.  Every other store down most of the blocks either sold wine, leather jackets or pizza.  During the night there were secret bakeries at different corners that would sell the freshest pastries.  The people of Florence would tell us to find the bakeries by following the smells in the streets of the pastries being prepared.  I believe that I adapted to the Italian culture very well on this trip.  I’m extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to travel to Florence at such a young age.  This humbling experience not only made me more open minded to different cultures but it made me want to travel all over the world.  

Yum!

Tayla Lugo (Class of 2017) received a Verrazano School Study Abroad Scholarship to take a class on the Medieval Renaissance in Florence, Italy. She spent a month extracting everything she could out of her experience, including traveling well beyond Florence.

My name is Tayla Lugo and I am a Verrazano Student and a double major in English Writing and Literature at the College of Staten Island. This summer I had the privilege to study abroad in one of the most amazing cities in the world: Florence, Italy. I went on a one month long Faculty-led program to learn about the Medieval Renaissance.

I learned about the Medici’s, who were one of the wealthiest families during the Renaissance period, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Donatello, Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Savonarola, Brunelleschi, and many other prominent figures. My class and I went on many site visits, which included the Academia, the Uffizi, Palazzo Vecchio, a city walk around Florence, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, the Horne Museum, and a visit to a Preschool in Florence. At the Academia I was able to view Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the David. The Uffizi, which is one of the oldest and most famous museum in the world, showcased Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus and The Primavera, as well as many other works by Raphael and Giotto. My favorite museum that we visited as a class was the Horne Museum because it is a secret treasure that is extremely undervalued. This museum once belonged to the Alberti and Corsi families and contains antique furniture and famous artworks.

Florence and beyond!

While in Italy I visited Pisa, Siena, Capri, Ana Capri, Sorrento, Positano, Cinque Terre, Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Venice, Murano, Burano, Rome, and Paris. Every city was different in its own way, which allowed me to have a greater appreciation for Italy. Studying abroad not only opened my eyes to the endless possibilities in the world, but has also allowed me to escape my comfort zone. I can honestly say that I have matured during this unique experience and my passion for traveling has awakened. I have made true, genuine friendships that will last a lifetime. Florence became my home in an instant and I cannot wait to someday return and maybe even study there again! I am forever grateful to the College of Staten Island for this amazing opportunity and for everyone who contributed to my dream of studying abroad. I hope that my experience will allow other students to inquire about studying abroad and open their minds to the many possibilities that are out there!

All roads lead to Rome. . .

Tayla Lugo (Class of 2017) reports from a very busy summer in Italy. While her course is based out of Florence, she has taken advantage of the opportunity to explore more of Italy with friends.

Ciao! My name is Tayla Lugo and I am studying abroad in Florence, Italy. This weekend ten of my friends and I traveled to Rome, Italy to discover the history of ancient Rome.

The first site my friends and I visited was the Trevi Fountain. Unfortunately, it is being restored but I was still able to throw some coins into the fountain and make a wish. Later on we went inside the Colosseum, which felt so surreal. I still cannot believe that I was there, standing in a huge stadium where gladiators once fought. My friends and I also visited the Pantheon, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican, and Sistine Chapel. When I walked into The Sistine Chapel my jaw dropped and I could not believe my eyes. After studying Michelangelo in class and learning about the Renaissance, it was a treasure and a gift to view Michelangelo’s work. I am so happy that it is forbidden to take pictures in the Sistine Chapel because no amount of pictures would ever be able to do his work justice. 

Tayla Lugo takes advantage of a summer study abroad class in
Florence to head further afield and explore Rome.

After our visit at the Vatican Museum, my friends and I watched a previous Mass by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square and took a plethora of pictures. We ate delicious pizza at Campo de Fiori and enjoyed each other’s company in Piazza Navona. I also raced my roommates up the Spanish Steps, which was a little hard considering there were over two thousand people there.

Rome was truly an unforgettable city where I was able to fulfill my goal of being in two countries at once: Italy and Vatican City. I am so thankful for this opportunity and for being able to travel all around Italy to places I always dreamt about when I was a little girl. I will always remember this amazing journey to Rome and all of the memories that were made here. As I write this blog I am realizing that I only have five more days in Italy. I plan on making the most of my time here while continuing to indulge in the Italian culture and cuisine!

Best,

Tayla Lugo

Bella Italia: Preparing For A Winter Intersession in Florence, Italy

Jennifer Giordano, Verrazano Class of 2017, has been awarded a Verrazano Study Abroad Scholarship to help support her winter study abroad experience in Florence, Italy this January.  Jennifer is a History major with a minor in Italian Studies.  Below, Jennifer shares why she decided to study abroad and how she hopes to grow through the experience.

Jennifer prepares to spend the winter in Florence, Italy.

For the past two years, I have been told the same phrase multiple times and although it was said by different people, it always sounded the same: “You will only grow when you step outside of your comfort zone.” I could not understand why everyone was under the impression that I needed to step outside of my comfort zone in order to grow. I have always disagreed with the implication that I needed to be uncomfortable in order to transform myself. I knew long before college that I wanted to study abroad. I had always been intrigued by the cultures of other countries and how people live their daily lives. I intended to travel to Italy in the most comfortable way I could possibly think of, and that was with a reputable program associated with my college with the company of a few of my good friends.

At first, I considered studying abroad for the whole semester. I tried to recruit as many people as I could. I brought it up so often I noticed people were starting to avoid me. I took this as an indication that most people weren’t as willing to leave their lives for a whole semester as I thought they would be. When I really thought about it and considered my own disposition, I realized that traveling for a whole semester wasn’t what I was comfortable with either. Now, naturally, I had this internal battle with the whole comfort zone situation. Was I limiting myself? Was I challenging myself enough? In the end, I decided that winter intersession was the perfect medium. I would feel comfortable enough to allow myself to be uncomfortable, because I had some great friends to travel with and a beautiful language and city to look forward to.

The winter intersession fits the profile of who I am and what I want to accomplish as a sophomore college student. After declaring history as my major and Italian as my minor, Italy was the perfect place to achieve exploring both of my passions. For the future, my experience in Florence, Italy will be transformative on a whole new level. Although I’ve been to Italy before, studying abroad is a very different type of experience. Traveling alone, studying alone, and being a part of the daily Italian lifestyle will provide me with a whole new outlook. Spending this winter abroad in Florence, Italy will be a truly wonderful experience. I intend to use this experience to fully explore myself, my studies, and to represent The Verrazano School Honors Program.