If you have been reading my blog posts you know I have been interviewing international students that attend CUC. I wanted you to get a little insight on where they are from and to learn more about their culture and how it is different from ours.
Now I want to tell you about some of the beautiful countries that I got the privilege to visit, or to learn about. I decided to interview people that I have gotten to know on my adventures traveling. I hope you will become interested in visiting these places one day.
Let’s begin with ITALY!
As you know, I studied abroad in Italy my first semester of my Senior year. If you had the chance to read my blogs while I was overseas, I wrote about my experience and what it was like to live in another country. Now I want you to hear all about the amazing country I got to live in from a close friend that I made while abroad.
Chiara Verrecchia is a recent graduate student who has lived in Italy her entire life. We met when she helped teach my class Italian for required credits at her University. She knows multiple languages and has fallen in love with the Asian culture! She is a great friend and I am so grateful she was willing to take time out of her day to talk more about her wonderful country. 
To start, I asked Verrecchia what Italy was known for…
“Aside from the famous monuments like the Colosseum or the Duomo in Milan, you should visit Italian small towns, like Assisi or Capri. Old traditions are still strong in those places, there are lots of festivals and Christian celebrations…and you’ll also have the chance to see lots of medieval buildings and churches!”
Duomo is the Italian word for cathedral. The main religion in Italy is Catholic. They are very proud of their religion and visit the Duomo or other churches frequently. It is also known in Italy about Il Papa (the pope) to come out and give speeches to his audience. I was fortunate enough to listen to one of his speeches before leaving. I felt so close to him and the people around me. It was an amazing experience. And I CANNOT not talk about the amazing food. There is not a day that goes by where I miss my wonderful Italian pizza or pasta… mmmm and the gelato (ice cream)!
So what kind of food should you try?
“It depends on what part of Italy you’re visiting. If you’re visiting Naples, you should try pizza and sfogliatelle (typical Italian pastry). If you’re visiting Rome, you should try pasta alla carbonara, and so on.”
As I have said many times before, and will continue to say until someone proves me wrong the food in Italy is AMAZING. Anywhere you go you will not be disappointed. The service is wonderful and they treat you well. They do not rush you out of a restaurant instead, they want you to sit and relax and enjoy your time. If you are in a rush, I would suggest you ask for the check or else you will wait a while. It is also important to know they do not usually tip in Europe! Although they appreciate it, they are not expecting it.
To end the interview, I wanted to know a fun fact about Italy most people do not know….
“Maybe not everyone knows that the first University in the world is based in Italy: I’m talking about the University of Bologna. It was founded in 1088 and it was the first one to use the term “universitas” to define corporations of students.”
Thank you Chiara for not only taking the time to answer my questions about your beautiful country, but for also being a friend in a place I was an outsider in. I wish you all the best of luck in your future and have fun on your trips.
in bocca al lupo,
-H
