The GoGlobal Blog

Author: Ian Frendreis

Why hello there! My name is Ian, and I am a Junior at Loyola who is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, Business, and Italian. I am so excited to be a blogger for the OIP, due to the fact that now, I can take you all along with me on my personal journey in Italy for this 2014-2015 academic year! Feel free to browse around all my blog posts and media, as they will be able to show you my personal experiences, commentary, and insight into Italian culture as an American abroad. -I
Modena: Italy’s Racing Heritage

Modena: Italy’s Racing Heritage

Ciao tutti-

Last weekend was a very exciting weekend for me, as it was the weekend of my 21st birthday. As part of my celebration, I decided to venture to Modena, a city in the Emilia-Romania region of Italy where the racing company Ferrari was born.

After a few hours of travel, I finally arrived to the city. What was unusual about this particular day, however, was the fact that there were several inches of snow on the ground. Although I am used to the snow from being from the Midwestern United States, this was an abnormal occurrence for the people in this city; as such, travel and walking was incredibly difficult. Nonetheless, I was ready to explore the town.

My first stop, of course, was for lunch. Because many restaurants were closed due to the snow, I was forced to eat at a hotel restaurant. Though a bit overpriced and not the best food I have had in Emilia-Romania, the food and service was still quite good.

Before I even ordered anything, the wait staff brought me a free glass of prosecco, some bread, and prosciutto cotto (aka bologna). For lunch, I ordered a piece of bruschetta alla Modenese, lasagne alle Bolognese, and some Chianti red wine. Although the lasagna that I had in Bologna last semester was much more flavorful, I still preferred this lasagna over the lasagna from our orientation trip, as I prefer lasagna with a meaty ragu sauce instead of a mostly tomato-based sauce. The bruschetta antipasto was very flavorful; it was a combination of rosemary, cheese, balsamic vinagrette, and parma ham. Overall, this was a very good restaurant for an otherwise rainy and snowy day.

After lunch, I ventured to the city’s main attraction, which was the Enzo Ferrari Museum. Once I got inside, I was warmly greeted by a hostess who gave me my ticket and showed me the entrance. Inside the main car exhibit floor, there were several models of Masseratis, Ferraris, and Fiats. In addition, there was a whole history of the Ferrari company, as well as how involved the town of Modena was in its production.

In addition, there was a side building, where there were more cars, as well as a historical account of the life of Enzo Ferrari, the master behind the “Prancing Horse.” In one exhibit, there was a letter that explained how Ferrari could have entered into a deal with Ford to build a supercar. However, Ferrari wanted to preserve the integrity of his brand, as well as keep the heritage of the company all Italian. Instead, Ford decided to merge with the British car company Shelby; so thanks for Ferrari, the Shelby Cobra supercar from Ford and Shelby was created. If Ferrari had accepted the deal, the history behind the Mustang would be much different.

I was very grateful to see this museum and visit the town of Modena, as I have a great appreciation and love for everything car related, as well as for the food of Emilia-Romania.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog, and I look forward to posting again soon!

A presto,

-I

Orientation Weekend in Campania

Orientation Weekend in Campania

Ciao tutti!

Last Friday at 7am, I went with the JFRC to Campania, the province adjacent to Lazio, the province that Rome is in. We drove for about 4 hours until we reached a cliffside restaurant near the town of Agropoli where we had lunch. For lunch, we had lasagna, followed by pork and potatoes. Although the lasagna was good, it was not my favorite, as I still prefer lasagna alla Bolognese. Unlike the ladder, this particular lasagna was more based on a tomato sauce instead of a meat sauce, and had a slightly sweet aftertaste. The pork and potatoes were cooked well, and the pork had a slightly peppery taste to it, which I really enjoyed.

After lunch, we departed for an archeological site in a nearby town.  There, we examined numerous ruins left by the Roman empire that were constructed in a Greco-Roman fashion.  In the middle of the site, there were numerous structures that appeared to look similar to the Parthenon.  Although I enjoyed the tour, it was raining that day, so we had to go under an open air shelter for a bit until the rain subsided.  After, we went to the museum adjacent to the site, where we examined paintings, mosaics, and other works of art excavated from the site that were on display for preservation purposes.

Once we finished at the site, we departed for our hotel in Vietri, a small town along the Amalfi Coast.  After checking in, we had a welcome celebration led by the student life team, followed by dinner.  For dinner, we had a pasta that contained both pork and a mushroom sauce.  Although it was very good, it was not my personal favorite, as I am not the largest fan of mushrooms.  Objectively, though, it was cooked well.  Following the pasta was the second course, which consisted of turkey and potatoes.  Similar to lunch, both were cooked nicely, and the turkey has a slight peppery taste to it.  Throughout the meal, we were served ample wine.  The wine we received was a medium-bodied red, and although it was not as robust as a Cabernet or a Sangiovese, there was still ample flavor.

The next morning, we were woken up very early by staff, after which, we had breakfast and then went to both a bufala mozzarella farm and a winery.  We toured both facilities, followed by a tasting from each.  The bufala mozzarella was served in a water bath, so that when you bit into it, you could taste the freshness and richness of the mozzarella cheese.  Unlike other types of cheese, this particular cheese contained 9 percent milk fat, which meant that it was incredibly flavorful.  After the farm, we went to the wine tasting, where we sampled both a white and a red.  As you can tell from my blog, I prefer red wine outright to white; this particular white, however, was very full-bodied and was not too harsh.  To me, it tasted like a more refined, smoother pinot grigio.  Additionally, the red tasted very good as well; however, unlike the wine tasting in Umbria, it was not nearly as robust in its strength.  However, there was still flavor, and although fruity, it was not overwhelming.

After the wine tasting and lunch, we went to the town of Agropoli, where we climbed to a fort at the highest point in town.  From there, we saw spectacular views of the Southern Amalfi Coast.  We got a couple of hours to freely explore the town, have coffee, and shop.  Although I chose not to participate in the community mass, many people did, and those that attended it got to go inside a church situated on a cliff.  Once it came time to go, we boarded the busses and went back to the hotel for dinner.

Once dinner was almost over, a musical group from near Vesuvius came out of nowhere.  All of a sudden, the room went from moderately loud chatter to a room filled with excitement, music, and dancing.  Almost immediately, I found myself being yanked up from my seat onto the dance floor, where I danced with a member of the band.  I was a bit intimidated at first, seeing as I am not the best dancer; however, I got into the rhythm of the music, and after a while felt much more relaxed.  After the dancing, we enjoyed the rest of the night with new friends looking out over the water.

Although very tired the next day, we were, yet again, woken up very early to eat breakfast, check out, and board the buses.  Our last sight that we visited was a monastery situated on top of a very large hill just north of Naples.  We toured the compound, which included a museum, and were able to spend time taking pictures, talking with friends, and reflecting on our experiences up to this point.  It was a very peaceful environment, as for the first time in almost two weeks, I was able to find a place where I could be in complete silence and think about the many thoughts and experiences I have.

We then left the monastery, went to lunch, and departed back to Rome.

I know this blog was longer than usual, but I felt that there was a lot to highlight from this experience.  Unfortunately, the wifi is very bad in Italy, so I do not have the pictures right now for this blog.  In the future, once I find a solution, I will make sure to add pictures to the site!

Grazie per leggere, e a presto!

-I

 

Sono ritornato a Roma

Sono ritornato a Roma

Ciao tutti!

As you can see from the title of this blog, I have returned back to Rome from a month break in the United States. Although I enjoyed spending time with old family and old friends, by the time the temperature dropped to close to -15 degrees Celsius, I was ready to return.

Upon returning to Rome, I found myself feeling many conflicted feelings about my return. On the one hand, I was returning to a world that I had once known: familiar teachers, co-workers, even many full-year students with whom I had been waiting to become reunited with. On the other hand, there were close to 200 new faces that I found myself in contact with, which, in-and-of itself, was more than 100 greater people than last semester’s population. So while my experience back to Rome was a return home, it was also the start of a new adventure.

This past week I had taken part in orientation, and although many events were the same, such as visiting the Colosseum, as well as exploring this vast city with a new group of friends, unlike last semester, we went into the mountains yesterday for a day excursion into Lazio. While on this excursion, we visited two mountain towns: the town of Bagnaia, which was close to Viterbo, as well as the town of Capararola. In the first town, we visited a large villa and some gardens. The villa had been in the town for centuries, even surviving the hardships of the Second World War.

After seeing the villa in Bagnaia, we had a community lunch in a mountain top park. For lunch, we had pasta cacio e pepe, roasted chicken with potatoes, as well as a liquor-saturated sponge cake. The pasta was very flavorful, albeit a bit al dente for my taste. The chicken and potatoes, on the other hand, were cooked perfectly. The chicken was moist, flavorful, and tasted of rosemary, while the potatoes were seasoned perfectly. In my opinion, the cake was the best part of the meal; it was a chocolate cake with a sponge-cake top that was saturated with a dolce liquor.

Once lunch was completed, we ventured to the town of Capararola, where we saw an old manor that at one point had been converted into a fort. This particular site had been around for centuries, and contained many different pieces of exquisite art work. Upon completion of visiting the site, we returned to Rome.

Well that is all I have for now. Over the next few weeks I will update you with my findings and observations as I continue to travel throughout Rome, Italy, Europe, and beyond!

Ciao per ‘ora,

-I

A Day Under the Tuscan Sun

A Day Under the Tuscan Sun

Because I had poorly timed my trip to Belgium, I had an extra day to spare over Thanksgiving break.  Therefore, I decided to not only vacation in Belgium Friday through Sunday, but also to take a day trip to Siena in Tuscany on Thanksgiving Day.  So I got up very early Thursday, boarded a fast train to Florence, and then took a regional train to Siena.

Although I was tired from travelling for three hours, I was very excited to arrive in Siena.  Even with the fog in the morning, there were some stunningly beautiful views from the top of the hill.  Overlooking a magnificent valley, it was very easy to see why people who went on my program’s study trip to Tuscany loved the town so much.

After mindlessly wandering the streets of Siena, I stumbled upon a café in the center of town where I decided to have lunch.  When the chef decided to give me a complementary stew before my meal, I thought the meal was going to be phenomenal, since the stew had so many flavors, herbs, and spices, as well as contained tomato and onion.  However, I was very disappointed with my steak; it was overdone, there was no red in the center, and it came with vegetables that were not that fresh.  I will make sure to remember this experience, however, since it reminds me that when I go on trips and culinary adventures, I should do a bit more research before going.

Once I finished my sub-par lunch, I decided to head over to the Duomo.  Since I had visited Florence the weekend prior, I was able to compare the two buildings.  Even though Florence’s Duomo is larger in stature, the Duomo in Siena is much more ornate on the inside; in fact, it even has a separate room full of art that was done in the same style as the Villa Borghese in Rome.

Upon finishing up at the Duomo, I decided that I wanted to try and stop back in Florence so that I could drink red wine, eat cured meats, and go to my favorite gelato place along the river.  So I boarded a regional train back to Florence, and in less than two hours, I ended up at a wine cellar just off the river in Florence.  There, for 10 euros, I got a glass of Chianti, a meat and cheese plate, as well as some other little snacks.  The wine, of course, was full-bodied, robust, and had hints of oak in it.  Afterwards, I got gelato by the river, walked around downtown Florence, and boarded a fast train back to Rome so that I could travel to Belgium the next day.

Ciao e buona giornata!

-I

Genoa: The Land of Pesto

Genoa: The Land of Pesto

When I flew into Genoa, I was absolutely stunned at the landscape.  The airport was located right next to both mountains and the downtown business district, which made for an absolutely gorgeous landing.

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Genoa’s Central Business District.

Upon arrival, I immediately headed to the center of town to eat lunch.  I decided to do a bit a research before travelling to Genoa, and I found that this city is not only the home to pesto, but they also have many fresh seafood dishes.  Of course, when I went to lunch, I got both of these types of dishes.  I went to a back alley kitchen called Trattoria dei Maria, where I was the only person who actually spoke English.  I ordered the pesto gnocchi, octopus stew, and of course, a half liter of red wine to wash it all down.  The pesto was creamy, unlike anything I have ever eaten before; it was almost like a pesto Alfredo sauce, which was topped on some of the freshest gnocchi I have ever eaten.  The seafood dish was different, but had many flavors, and it was like I had a Nonna (aka an Italian grandmother) cooking for me.

After lunch, I decided to do something different; seeing as though Genoa has an oriental art museum, one of just a few in Europe, I decided to go there.  The art collections mostly focused on Edo Japan, a time period in which there was a Renaissance in Japanese art and literature.  Because I have taken an East Asian History class recently, I was able to not only experience Japanese culture again, but also to experience Italy’s take on Japan, thus combining a pervious culture experience with a current cultural experience.

Once I finished up at the Oriental Art Museum, I looked at a map of Genoa to see if there were some interesting other attractions.  In the harbor of Genoa, I found that there was a rather large aquarium.  Although the ticket prices were steep at 24 euro a person, it was worth it to see examples of Mediterranean aquatic life.  Moreover, there were additional exhibits relating to both biodiversity in the Mediterranean, as well as the issues that face our environment today, specifically dealing with aquatic life.

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The Genoa Aquarium.

After experiencing the food and the aquarium, I noticed many parallels between Genoa and Monterrey, California.  Like Monterrey, Genoa is on the coast, has a mountainous backdrop, a very large aquarium, and a beautiful harbor.  As such, I will be revisiting Genoa next semester, since I not only loved the food, but also the city as a whole.

Ciao e buona giornata-

-I

La Bella Bologna

La Bella Bologna

Ciao da Roma!

This past weekend, I decided to be spontaneous and take a day trip to the beautiful city of Bologna, the home of spaghetti alla bolognese (aka spaghetti with meat sauce), some of the best red wine in Italy, and medieval architecture.  Upon going there, I did not know what to expect, as this beautiful city in the Emilia-Romagna province is one less traveled by Americans.  However, I thought I would take the plunge and check it out.

When I got off my fast train from Rome, I immediately went to a wonderful restaurant for lunch called the Ristorante Donatello.  For my meal, I ordered a glass of house red wine, lasagna, and tiramisu.  The red wine tasted very full bodied, almost like a cabernet, but with a bit of a fruitier after taste, which regardless, paired very well with my lasagna.  The pasta used in the lasagna was a spinach pasta, topped with a hearty, meaty ragu sauce.  The tiramisu, in my opinion, was the best part of the meal.  It was served in a martini glass, where the cake part was topped on top of a custard-like frosting.

After lunch, I decided to take a look at the central plaza, the Piazza Maggiore, where I found the central cathedral of Bologna.  As you can see from the featured picture, the Cathedral was absolutely massive, breath-taking, and an utter delight to visit.

Cathedral in the Piazza Maggiore.
Cathedral in the Piazza Maggiore.
The Piazza Maggiore in Bologna.
The Piazza Maggiore in Bologna.

Once I spent about half an hour inside the cathedral seeing the various alters (unfortunately cannot be pictured because photography was not allowed inside the cathedral), I ventured along a main street to Bologna’s most famous set of towers, Le Due Torre.  One of the towers had not been completed, as construction was forced to stop in the 12th century.  However, the other tower had been completed, and its inside is currently accessible to tourists.

Le Due Torre.
Le Due Torre.

For just three euros, I was able to make the hike to the top, which, if you decide to go there, is a hike.  Although I was out of breath once I got to the top, the views of the entire city of Bologna were incredible.

Incredible views of the city centre from the top.
Incredible views of the city center from the top.

For the next several hours, I decided to wander the streets of Bologna and visit the numerous parks and shops in the city.  Once I got tired, I went to a gastropub called Swinebar, where I was able to get another glass of red wine.  This time, I ordered a Sangiovese red, which was paired with some simple crackers and olives.  Since I had time to kill until my train back to Rome, I headed to another restaurant, Caffe Roberto, where I got a 7 euro aperitivo special.  For just 7 euros, I got a glass of house red wine, cured meats, cheeses, crackers with aole spread, tomato topping, and peppers.  The setting was very tranquil, as I was able to read my book, sip on wine, and relax in peace in the center of town.

All in all, this experience of traveling by myself and taking the chance of a new city was incredible.  Because I enjoyed myself so much, I decided to take another spontaneous day trip this coming weekend.  Tomorrow I head for Genoa, and I cannot wait to continue my travels.

Ciao per ora,

-I

Blogging on Hiatus

Blogging on Hiatus

Hey guys-

I know it has been awhile since I last posted.  Unfortunately, I have been caught up with midterms and mid-semester projects for the last two weeks, so I have been unable to keep y’all updated with the state of my journey.

Since I have a bit of time before I leave tomorrow for Fall Break, I thought I would offer a couple of thoughts that I have accumulated during my last few weeks of traveling and studying.  First off, I have visited both Munich and Stockholm since last blogging.  My initial reactions to both these cities were just how clean and colorful they both were.  Although both are modern cities with modern architecture, both incorporate classic European design, including rows of cute shops all painted different shades of pink, yellow, orange, and red.  At the same time, both cities tended to be much more “Americanized” than other cities that I have seen thus far in Italy.  By this, I mean that both Munich and Stockholm have numerous American fast food shops to eat in, convenient stores such as 7-Eleven (particularly in Stockholm), and are more likely to accept credit cards instead of cash, unlike Italy which is very much a cash country.  In fact, in Sweden, there were stores that only accepted credit cards instead of cash, since right now in Sweden, there is a push to go paperless in all consumer transactions.

Now that Fall Break is upon me, I will be traveling with other members of JFRC to Greece for a study trip.  This trip will not only include visiting several Greek islands, but also the archeological and historical sights around Athens and Greece.

Most likely, there will be another blog post in about two weeks, since I will be fully done with midterms and other examinations by then.

Ciao da Roma!

-I

 

Rome at Sunrise and the Papal Audience

Rome at Sunrise and the Papal Audience

Pope Francis converses with another Church leader right before the Audience begins.
Pope Francis converses with another Church leader right before the Audience begins.

So this past Wednesday I had the wonderful privilege and pleasure to attend my first Papal Audience in the Vatican; in fact, the professors at JFRC (the Rome Center) cancelled classes all day so that every single student would have the opportunity to go to this impressive event.

I began the day by waking up before 6am so that I could get into the event.  Although the projected start time was not until 10:30am, we were told to be there at around 7am so that we could guarantee ourselves the best seats.  As for myself, I completely lucked out, as I was able to get a seat just a few rows from where the Pope was speaking.

Taken a few hours before the start of the Papal Audience.
Taken a few hours before the start of the Papal Audience.
The Vatican right before the Audience begins.
The Vatican right before the Audience begins.

During the audience, it was an amazing experience for me.  Although I do not consider myself religious, there was a spiritual aura with just being able to sit back, listen to what the Pope had to say, and to literally feel the history of the Vatican all at once.  During this time, I really gained a sense of my purpose, not only with what my mission on this earth is, but also who I am and what I have to offer.  Because the Pope offered his blessing and reaffirmed a sense of faith, I was able to reaffirm a sense of my mission here.

Pope Francis delivers his address to everyone watching in the Vatican.
Pope Francis delivers his address to everyone watching in the Vatican.

Anyway, I felt that it was very important to give this unique experience its own entry.  If anyone reading this has the chance to go to Rome and experience a Papal Audience, do it!  You will not be disappointed, as it is an event of growth and self-discovery.

I will be posting again soon on my trip last weekend to Bari, a small coastal city on the Eastern shores of Italy.

Ciao per allora!

-I

First Blog Post: Bienvinuti Ragazzi al Mio Blog!

First Blog Post: Bienvinuti Ragazzi al Mio Blog!

Rural Umbrian village at high noon.
Rural Umbrian village at high noon.
Captured beauty of the Colosseum.
Captured beauty of the Colosseum.
Pantheon before dusk.
Pantheon before dusk.
Clouds move in to cover Mt. Vesuvius and the ancient city of Pompeii.
Clouds move in to cover Mt. Vesuvius and the ancient city of Pompeii.
View from the highest point of the island of Capri.
View from the highest point of the island of Capri.
The largest valley in the province of Umbria.
The largest valley in the province of Umbria.
Waves crash onto the island of Capri during a cloudy morning.
Waves crash onto the island of Capri during a cloudy morning.
Positano on the Amalfi Coast gets covered by shade on a sunny day.
Positano, a town on the Amalfi Coast, gets covered by shade on a sunny day.

Hey guys-

So I have finally gotten my access to my blog site, which means that now I will begin posting!  Again, I will be posting every two weeks (perhaps once every week), so keep up with everything as I take you along for my incredible journey through Italy, Europe, and beyond! Anyway, I thought for this first post that I would reflect on my initial impressions of Rome, as well as how they compare to the rest of Italy that I have seen thus far.

When I first arrived to Rome back in late August, I was filled with a number of emotions: fear of the unknown, excitement for my new endeavours, and the realization that yes, I actually left home behind to live 4000 miles away in a new country. Upon my arrival, there were several differences between American culture and Italian culture that were very prominent to me.  For one, it amazed me just how the architecture of Ancient Rome, Medieval Europe, Renaissance Italy, and Modern Italy all are in complete harmony and co-existence.  When I visited the Roman Forum, I was in awe that there were monuments and structures from thousands of years ago that one could still go up to and admire.  As for me, this experience was incredibly personal; since I have been to Rome twice before studying abroad, it was not only a journey where I was stepping back into Ancient Rome for an afternoon, but it was also an afternoon of personal reflection, as well as an afternoon where I could retrace my steps and say “oh yeah, I’ve been there before” or “oh, that palace looked a lot different since I was here in the fall and not the summer.”  Contrast this to the United States, you are not able to see structures from thousands of years ago; in fact, I believe there are only a handful of buildings in the United States that one could see on a daily basis that are more than 400 years old.  So unlike the United States, you not only read about history, but you can actually go to Ancient Roman sites and feel the historical significance.

Something else that I noticed about Rome was the fact that unlike any city that I have been to in the United States, there is a huge presence of graffiti, even on buildings in the more affluent neighborhoods.  In fact, the second I step out of JFRC onto Via Massimi, the first thing I will see is a trashcan and a wall with graffiti written all over them.  Even in neighborhoods that some might consider unsafe in Chicago, I have yet to see anything like this.  When I asked my professors about the presence of graffiti in Rome, many of their responses echoed the following idea: in many cases, graffiti use is a response to the presence and history surrounding (1) Facism in Italy and (2) the divide between several key regions in Italy in regards to culture, development, and other differences.  So in Italy, graffiti is more political, while in the United States, the use of graffiti symbolizes vandalism, disrespect of property, and the claim over territory in the case of gang-related activity.

In addition to differences between the United States and Italy, I’ve also noticed differences between the regions of Italy of Umbria, Rome, and Amalfi that I have visited thus far.  Because one of my minors is Italian, and because I am looking for a more authentic Italian experience, I am trying to practice my Italian as much as possible.  I found that particularly in the tourist traps of Rome and the region of Amalfi, it was very difficult for me to do so; when I practiced my Italian, locals would speak to me in English, and if I continued to speak in Italian, they would become visibly frustrated.  Contrast this to the region of Umbria, however, as in this region, not only was my knowledge of Italian welcome, but it was also encouraged, as the locals here had little to no experience with speaking English.  In addition, I found my experiences in Amalfi and Umbria to be much more laid back; in Rome, however, there is a bit more pressure to always be on the move, to always be doing something, to always have some sort of destination to get to.  In Umbria and Amalfi, one does not have to be at a set place at a set time, since the people there enjoy their time and really take the time to enjoy the people they are with.  While this is true throughout Italy, it is especially true in more remote regions.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my first post!  I know it does not describe every single fact and experience of Italian life, but I hope that it at least gives a brief snapshot, if anything.  I’ll try to post more often now that I have my site up and running, so stay tuned!  Also comment below if you enjoyed reading this, would like to hear more about a certain aspect, etc.  I am open to suggestions and am looking to constantly improve my commentary!

Ciao per allora,

-I