April 2011 – DEV – The Umbra Institute – Study Abroad in Italy

Umbra Institute is in the news again! This time, Umbra Institute receives attention in the regional newspaper La Nazione because of an interesting article published by its very own professor of history and coordinator of its new food studies program (to be launched in Fall 2011) Zachary Nowak. In the Diomede: Journal of Political and Cultural Studies, Nowak basically disproves what “every Perugian knows”: that the bread here is unsalted because of the Salt Wars of 1540. Instead he shows that this is basically an urban myth and that the tradition of unsalted bread dates back much further.

Which, of course, does not make unsalted bread taste any better!

Today is one of the Umbra Institute’s last days for the Spring 2011. Here are a few things to do before you leave…

5. Taste a Bacio .
Most of the Italian classes have toured the home of the world-famous chocolate and hazelnut baci this week, but if you missed out, drop by Ciao Ciao’s store and get one!

4. Relax by the shore of Lago Trasimeno.
The biggest lake in central and south Italy, Lago Trasimeno is only an hour away from the center of Perugia by train. There are several sleepy towns around the lake with gelato and docks for relaxing, but the Umbra staff suggests going to Castiglione del Lago for its impressive views and historic center.

3. Walk through the “underground city,” over the Roman acqueduct, and into the Duomo.

We walk past these landmarks around town everyday, but have you ever actually been inside? Perugia’s most interesting historical sites are all free and right here in the center: the Roman Acqueduct, the Etruscan Well, the Tempietto and Tower of Sant’Angelo, the Duomo, and the Rocca Paolina. Talk to Zach if you need help finding these spots.

2. Eat Pasta alla Norcina, Torta con Salsiccia ed Erba, and Hot Chocolate from Augusta Perusia! Pasta with Umbrian sausage and truffles, typical Umbria torta, and to-die-for hot chocolate… you can’t go home without trying these Perugia specialties.

1. Picnic in the grass on a sunny afternoon at San Francesco.
At the bottom of Via dei Priori you’ll find the church of San Francesco and the big grass lawn in front. Pick up sandwiches from Parma (another Perugia must-eat) and bring a blanket and your iPod.

Congrats to Kylie Bearse from CU-Boulder on her winning photo!

Just over a week ago, students were enjoying the sun in Sorrento, Capri, and Naples on the Umbra Institute’s Amalfi Coast trip. Planned during the nicest part of every semester, students started on with a noontime tour of the ancient city of Pompeii and then moved onto an afternoon of exploring and shopping in gorgeous Sorrento. After spending the night there, everyone got lucky with a picturesque day on Capri, which started off with an impromptu a cappella song during the ferry ride over. Finally, Sunday was spent in the historic center of Naples before heading back up to Perugia – now that’s a weekend.

Last night, Umbra students who participated in the UNICEF Pigotta project gathered along with the UNICEF volunteers from Perugia and the president of the Perugia UNICEF branch, Iva Catarinelli. During the aperitivo, Paola D’Amora (Umbra intern and head of the project from Umbra) conducted a video conference call with Joana Garceau, whoinvented the Pigotta project. Paola and participating students asked questions and learned more about the Pigotta project from its founder.

After the video call, the UNICEF volunteers and Umbra students exchanged videos that were filmed during the workshops and Signora Luisa Blasi (Perugia UNICEF volunteer) spoke about how much the Umbra students’ help had meant to her. It was always a goal of hers, she said, to bridge the gap between the young and the elderly through this wonderful cause. She encouraged the students to bring the Pigotta project back to the states with them and create their own initiatives as she has done here in Perugia. After speaking about this, she presented each Umbra volunteer with a small gift from Perugia so as to remember their time with her and the touching evening came to a close.

Keep your eyes out for the videos! Soon to be available on Umbra’s youtube.com channel (umbraviews) and Umbra’s Facebook page!

Nicole Visovsky, junior at Penn State University and organizer of Tom’s One Day Without Shoes (subject of article below) here at Umbra, made a video of how it is for students in Perugia (Americans and Italians alike!) to walk not in someone else’s shoes, but without shoes for a day in Italy. Brava, Nicole!

For most Third World children, every day is a day without shoes. To combat this, Tom’s Shoes started a unique project: for every pair of shoes that they sell, they donate one pair to a needy child ina developing country.

Umbra Institute student Nicole Visovsky publicized this day to her fellow students studying abroad in Italy, and third of the student body had no footwear.

The project culminated at 3:30pm, when the students took a picture in front of Perugia’s main fountain, then immediately thereafter had to field questions from scores of interested Italian schoolchildren.

Great job, Nicki! Visit www.toms.com

We all know that the Italian mamma is famous for sending her children food from afar, as does the woman in Southern Italy shown here, in this video from The Wall Street Journal. But are American “mamme” so different? While abroad many students get cravings for familar foods from home that just can’t be found here in Italy. Most American mothers won’t be Fed-Exing homemade salami or fried eggplant, they might be known to ship over a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

It won’t be long now, though. Be it a juicy burger, some spicy Tex-Mex or Mom’s homemade pot roast, in only twenty-nine short days students will be back home across the Atlantic–a world away from pasta, pizza and prosciutto.

Carpe diem, ragazzi!