Reflection

I've been back home for a week now... long enough to start processing what I learned and experienced in Italy. Here are some of my observations/things that will stick with me:

• Beautiful buildings, artwork, and rolling hills
• Delicious, fresh food (especially tomatoes) that is thoughtfully prepared and presented
• Heat and humidity reminiscent of my time in Texas
• Lanes, turn signals, and speed limits all seem to be optional
• The 40-ish tunnels between Rome and Macerata
• The people don't acknowledge (smile/nod/greet) each other when they pass in the street - unless they genuinely know each other
• Once you've been introduced to someone, they are very warm, friendly and smiley
• They were very open about their strengths and weaknesses and open to questions
• Everything is smaller there: cars, rooms, roads, elevators, doors...
• Maybe not everything... the hills are pretty steep
• There's an attention to detail in everything they create (art, architecture, food) which far surpasses anything I experience on a daily basis
• The Mediterranean sun
• Olive trees and vineyards
• Solar farms
• Cities on hills with centuries of history layered on top of each other
• The amazing group of women with whom I shared this adventure
• The Adriatic Sea
• The clock tower
• The doors and door knockers
• Our university systems and government are very different, but we have a lot of the same issues

I learned more than I ever thought possible. I'm so appreciative of this opportunity, of the financial support I received, and for the new friends I made!

Macerata

I'm home, safe and sound. It was quite a trip... Our home base for this adventure was Macerata. We spent many days walking through the ancient city, exploring streets, stores, and restaurants. We also walked around outside of the wall (the viale). I took so many pictures, it's impossible to share them all. I've selected some of my favorites to share in this post.

This view was from one of the University of Macerata buildings. It was also the day we felt a tiny earthquake.

Senigallia

What a wonderful way to end the trip... SO relaxing! We drove to Senigallia and other than a quick look at the market and the short walk to the beach, this was my view:

We had lunch by the sea:

And then we bid farewell to the Adriatic. What a great group!

Italian Cooking Class

Y U M !
I have a whole new appreciation for authentic, hand-made food... The menu included:

• Ascolana Olives
  https://www.thespruceeats.com/stuffed-fried-ascolana-olives-recipe-2017689

• Crema Fritta
  https://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Crema-fritta.html

• Eggplant Parmesan (my favorite) - baked not fried

• Vegetarian Lasagna with a white sauce

• Lasagna with meat in a red sauce

• Tiramisu

There were six of us, plus the chef and another cook (and a translator). It still took about 2 hours to make everything. The chef made the pasta dough (but not the noodles) and prepped the eggplant... otherwise, we made everything else with him... and then we ate it!
At one point, the chef stepped out to the garden to pick fresh thyme, basil, and rosemary. I've never experienced food like what I have tasted in Italy... it is an EXPERIENCE. Food is grown locally and made fresh... It doesn't sit on a shelf or in a refrigerated truck... It is truly the most amazing food I've ever had... and nothing terribly difficult... I think the trick is to have the freshest ingredients and to make everything from scratch.

TIPS FOR MAKING LASAGNA PASTA:

• Have a master make the dough and roll it out impossibly thin ;)
• Cut into squares
• Boil squares in water for about 1 minute
• Place immediately into ice to cool
• Remove most of the water by hand and then place pasta in strainer (with bowl under to catch excess water)
• Layer pasta in lasagna dish and bake
• Enjoy!

Urbino

We visited Urbino (the city and the University). Urbino is built on a MASSIVE hill, in the mountains and it's an UNESCO World Heritage site. Other than screaming calf muscles :) the city was beautiful. We made it to the top of the hill - on a couple of sides - and were able to see the valleys and hills below and the mountains in the distance.

We also visited two amazing University of Urbino buildings - one is a former Pope's palace which the University is preserving. The University of Urbino is actually purchasing and repairing old buildings around town and turning them into functioning office spaces and classrooms. Another building we visited was an old church, remodeled in the 1970's - it also has stunning views!

I visited the home of Raphael.

You just need to watch your step in Urbino... the road will make a sudden descent (or ascent).

x

Group Internships & Classes

We learned SO much in the first week of the trip! Between the group internships and classes we have covered the basics of the Italian Higher Education system, a crash course in Italian (mainly how to order food and greetings), Italian History and Culture, and the UNIMC computer information systems (technology) set-up.

The Italian History and Culture class provided a great deal of insight into the reasoning behind the layout of the cities, such as curved streets to hinder line-of-sight in case of attacks.
Over the weekend, we visited the Macerata clock tower. We were able to go about halfway up, to where the mechanisms are located. The inner-workings were non-functioning for a very long time, but were replaced with working-replicas about 10 years ago. It turns out the planetary part (below the clock) is in honor of Matteo Ricci, who was an Italian priest from Macerata who brought both Christianity and a time-measurement machine (aka clock) to China. The stairs were very narrow and uneven - to trick enemies who sought to take over the tower.

We also visited the Palazzo Buonaccorsi Museum. It's another striking example of how Italy blends the old with the new. The basement contains an impressive carriage museum, The second floor contains old art and the third floor contains modern art. The view from the top story was amazing.

We were also able to visit the inside of the Sferisterio - where they hold summer opera concerts.

We were also incredibly lucky to be here at the same time the as the Coro Sibilla concert - two men's choruses (one from Macerata) gave a free performance in an upstairs room at the Sferisterio.
I also took the train up to Ancona. I saw the Adriatic Sea!