By Sam Cohen, University of Maryland | ISI Florence Spring 2026

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Winter Olympic Games and Carnevale in Venice. Both Milan and Venice provided different experiences, yet my weekend was unified by an intercultural spirit.

Friday – Olympics

On Friday morning, I woke up and took the train with several friends to Milan-Rho for a women’s ice hockey game. The preliminary match was between Japan and France. We stopped first at the merchandise booth, then made our way to the stadium.

As a longtime Winter Olympics fan – I grew up figure skating– entering the complex in Rho felt surreal. I was surrounded by the legendary rings with a distant view of the Dolomites. We walked with spectators from across the world, crew members and officials rushing past us, each playing a key role in the competition’s events.

We entered the arena and took our seats, excited to watch the game. The crowd ranged from Japanese and French fans to locals looking to catch a glimpse of the Olympics and other American study abroad students. The French and Japanese chants were unfamiliar to me, but I loved the solidarity and strength of each fanbase’s spirit. 

While I’m not a regular ice hockey spectator, I truly enjoyed the game and often sat on the edge of my seat, cheering for everyone. At one point, we did an arena-wide “wave,” a moment of solidarity among the crowd.

Japan won the game 3-2. Then, we took the metro to downtown Milan, and our first stop was the Starbucks Reserve. At first, it felt silly to get Starbucks in Italy – since arriving, I have stuck to authentic Italian coffee. However, we had just discussed the reserve in my Social Media, Social Food class, and I was intrigued enough to experience it myself. I ordered a pizza and a cold brew affogato. 

I distinctly remember telling my friends, “It’s comforting to know that Starbucks food is still Starbucks food wherever you go,” as I was underwhelmed by the pizza. However, the cold brew affogato was worth the pizza letdown, especially since it kept me fueled with an Italian twist.

For the remainder of the day, we explored downtown Milan. We returned to Florence later that evening, exhausted and ready for the next day’s adventures.

Saturday  – Venice Carnevale

On Saturday, I took the train with some friends to Venice for Carnevale, another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Venetian Carnevale is one of many celebrations throughout the world, such as New Orleans’ Mardi Gras and Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival, that serve as a time to indulge and party before the restrictions of Lent. 

One of my friends, Katarina Patzkowski, was set on attending Carnevale and even crafted her own dresses and outfits. As a person who reads a lot of fantasy books and sews fantasy-inspired outfits, she wanted to attend an event where she could dress up and feel like the truest, most whimsical version of herself.

Once we arrived, we walked around Venice and encountered many people dressed in everything from everyday outfits with masks to carefully crafted costumes. The entire island felt like a costume party, and Katarina got her fair share of pictures. We meandered through the streets and over bridges, admired others’ outfits, and popped in and out of shops. We heard live performances from a band in Piazza San Marco.

While in Venice, we were sure to try some local food. The first stop of the day was ham and mushroom pizza from Angolo Del Gusto, a great spot for a quick bite after the train station. I indulged in some mango and crema frittelle, fried dough pastries typically associated with Carnevale, from Pasticceria Bonifacio as per a professor’s recommendation. Later that evening, we got dinner at Pizzeria Birreria Barbanera, and I ate delicious sea bass spaghetti with tomato and basil. Our final stop of the evening was gelato at Gelateria Gallonetto. My personal choice of flavors was yogurt and cheesecake. 

Sunday  – Murano Carnevale & Ghetto Ebraico

On Sunday, my friends and I split up – some of them returned to Venice, while a few of us took a ferry to Murano. The ferry itself was a great way to get a different perspective of the islands. Our first stop was a cafe, but our breakfast was gleefully interrupted by children parading down Fondamenta dei Vetrai. 

I paid for my food, and my photojournalistic instincts took over, following people through the crowd in the hopes of capturing the true essence of Carnevale – the confetti, the candy, and the joy. 

There were boats on the river with speakers blasting music, including “YMCA,” K-pop songs by Demon Hunters, and Italian songs I learned by watching children and adults dance. The parade concluded in an open area with a giant chicken piñata. Children scrambled to pick up 

Next, my friends and I headed to Murano Glass Company for a glass-blowing demonstration. Murano is known as “the glass island” due to its tradition of glassmaking. We saw a glassmaker create a horse figurine and a vase within a matter of minutes. For the next hour, we walked in and out of glass shops with a newfound admiration for the intricacies of glassmaking. 

A local ferry took us back to Venice, and I visited another destination on my list – Ghetto Ebraico, the Jewish ghetto of Venice, and the world’s first ghetto established in 1516. I am taking ISI’s The History of the Jews of Italy this semester, and we recently learned about the Venetian ghetto. 

I walked around in awe of the history that had unfolded where I stood and was impressed by the site’s historical preservation. The Jewish ghetto of Florence was torn down and is now Piazza della Repubblica, but the Venetian ghetto remains an active Jewish community with various synagogues, Kosher restaurants, and businesses selling Jewish art and literature.

I walked through two of the historical synagogues – one for Levantine Jews and the other for Spanish Jews – considering the history that might have unfolded there. I truly enjoy Italian history, but the places I visit impact me the most when I can directly place myself in history, for if I had been in Venice from 1516 to 1797, I would have lived in the ghetto, attended one of the synagogues, and drank from the well in the center of the piazza. The ghetto was the perfect conclusion to my weekend, grounding me in my ethnoreligious past through exploring a place so full of history.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve visited many places in Italy – Parma, Bologna, Rome, San Gimignano, and now Milan and Venice. Each city and town has provided me with a unique understanding of Italian culture as a whole.