The Intercultural Communication Course Blog
Authors: Kelsey Palmisano (Roanoke College), Aaron Vieira (RWU), Danielle Turnbull (UConn)
We have been traveling almost every weekend since we got to Florence:
from Italian cities and villages, to the nearby Croatia, up north, to Germany and the Swiss Alps, we have explored awe-inspiring countries.
Read about our picks!
Out of all the cities I have traveled to, London has by far been my favorite for many reasons. Firstly, it was so refreshing to be able to communicate with everyone in English and understand what they were saying to me (although their accents at times can be tough). London also felt familiar both with people and places. I was lucky to stay over with friends from home and shop from US retail chains (not available in Italy).
My favorite area in London was Camden Town with its lock market. This cosmopolitan city is incredible and the small pieces of home made it my special place!
Danielle Turnbull (UConn)
Every place I visited since being abroad had its uniqueness that made me fall in love over and over again. If though I have to choose one to call my favorite, I would definitely elect the Amalfi Coast. Even on an overcast, rainy, what would be described as a miserable day, Positano instead, came across with its full beauty. I went cliff jumping, swam inside grottos, and made my own pizza. Capri was so amazing that it brought me to tears. Whether I was walking around the town, taking the chairlift up to Anacapri, or simply sitting on the rocks down by the shoreline, every little part of my day in Capri was special. I enjoyed a guided tour of Pompeii, learning about the ruins and admiring ancient ceramics and mosaics. Sorrento’s downtown was a great place to adventure at night and I found a small restaurant that served fresh fish, catch of the day of local fishermen, and I ate the best “Spaghetti ai Frutti di Mare” (pasta with seafood sauce).
Kelsey Palmisano (Roanoke College)
Why I chose to study abroad wasn’t only so that I could learn about the culture and language of the country I would be studying in, it was also to travel and discover more about the different cultures of Europe. Berlin is my pick. I didn’t think that it would have been my favorite of all the places in Europe, but I was intrigued by its history, especially the days of WWII with the construction of the Berlin Wall. I would have never guessed that a country, once governed by one of the most evil men on earth, would own up to the mistakes of its past and feel the need to teach its children about the crimes committed to assure that it would not happen again.
My favorite part was definitely the East Side Gallery, an international memorial for freedom, created in 1990. It is a 1316 m long section of the Berlin Wall located near the centre of Berlin and the only part of it still in place. Drawn with over 106 graffiti by artists from all over the world, it is inspired by the themes of peace and the reasons behind the fall of the Wall.
Aaron Vieira (RWU)
As much as we all love Florence and all it has to offer, we have had some of the best experiences while traveling around Europe. Hopefully now that we have done all this exploring, as our study abroad experience comes to an end, we will spend our remaining weekends deepening our connection to Florence.