#ipesorrento
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Sorrento Study Abroad Recap
It has been a couple days since my program ended and I still can’t believe it. These past months have been life changing in every way. From traveling, studying, and working, there has been so much to do. To sum up my experience abroad I wanted to leave you with a list of my favorite things and recommendations I wish I knew before coming to Sorrento.
Favorites During My Time in Italy
Clothing Store : Daphnes or any of the alley way stores
Food : Pasta alla Nerano or any Naples Pizza
Restaurants : Casa Mia (bit pricey but worth it) , Taverna Azzurra (salmon pasta or crab ravioli is to die for!)
Desserts: Lemon Delight (Amalfi Coast Staple) , Gelato - definitely try Raki’s (pistachio, coffee, salted caramel, orange mango, strawberry), David’s Gelateria (lemon sorbet)
Sandwiches : A’Marenna , Market IL Salumaio (located 5 min from the school!)
Groceries : Dodeca, Conad (for meat)
Beaches : Bagni Regina Giovanna, Ieranto Bay (a 45 min bus and 40 min hike but soo worth it!!)
Islands to Visit: Capri, Ischia
I also wanted to leave you with some tips before going to Sorrento!
Transportation: You can get from Naples to Sorrento by shuttle, taxi, or train. Because Sorrento is isolated, it can be tough to transport from one place to another especially since every time you go to the airport you need to take a shuttle (so be prepared and plan trips in advance). The trains from Sorrento to Naples are around 2.50 euros and bus tickets can be bought at the train station for 1.40 euro each. The trains can sometimes run a little late so make sure you leave 2-3 hrs of space if you are catching a train in Naples to your destination. While it seems scary, DO NOT be afraid to use public transportation. It has definitely taught me a lot more about the Campania area during my time abroad and I felt more like a local when using it! Also most bus drivers are willing to lead you in the right direction if you tell them where you want to go.
Healthcare : While the hospital in Sorrento is not the best, Sant’Anna does offer a doctor that comes in every week if you get sick or need medical assistance. Also most pharmacies are able to give you some medicine to help you if you walk in and explain what is wrong. My friend also had to go to a doctor and to get it covered by GeoBlue, she just registered her visit in the app.
Overall, studying abroad anywhere is an amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone. It has been great to experience Italian culture and even get accustomed to an Italian workplace. It was also great that I had time to travel around Italy and outside the country! These few months in Italy have taught me how to handle different cultures and be more flexible when dealing with people from other areas. It was also great to make new friends from UMich and other colleges. Thank you for keeping up with my Italian adventures this summer and I hope this will convince you to study abroad. Ciao ciao!
Josefia Frydenborg
Environmental Engineering
Engineering in Sorrento
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Last Week in Sorrento
These last few weeks have flown by and my time in Sorrento is coming to an end. Studying abroad in this town has been a great experience. From getting to know some locals and learning how to cook true Italian food, I would not have traded this program for any other one.
My last week started off with a bang as there would be fireworks for the Sant'Anna festival at Marina Grande. The Sant'Anna institute sets up a party with food and music so students can catch the show on the terrace. On the terrace you could see how packed the marina was on the final day of the festival. The firework show was amazing and they even had a part that coordinated with music!
The next day I had my last physics class. The professors, Gennaro and Paolo, made the class so fun! It was interesting to hear from them about Italian education and how different their college experiences are compared to the US. Later that night, the whole physics class went out for dinner with our professors to thank them and to commemorate the first physics class taught at Sant'Anna. We went to a place a little farther away from town called Ristorante 'da Filippo' and the food was so great!
I did some last minute souvenir shopping and of course had to stop by one of favorite clothing stores called Daphne. The ladies who work the store are so sweet and will alter any clothes that may not fit you quite well. I also stopped at Miele, a cute jewelry store, to buy a Cornicello necklace for some family. The horn (can also be a chili) is meant to give good luck to whoever wears it, but you can’t buy one for yourself or you will earn bad luck!
On Thursday, CIS abroad had organized a farewell party at Masseria. This amalfi style villa was stunning and it was so refreshing to get into a pool. We stayed there till late and then went out for one of our last nights in town.
Sant’Anna also organized another farewell party for everyone in the institute at Bagni Sant'Anna. It was so nice to take in the view of Vesuvius on our final night.
The next morning everyone was leaving for the airport. For CIS abroad students, transfers were organized depending on what time your flight was on. My friend and I had ours at 10 am so we grabbed our last iced cappuccino at our favorite bakery. We sat outside and took in the views of Sorrento one last time before leaving. I’ve definitely had some great memories here and am so sad to leave my summer home.
Arrivederci Sorrento :(
Josefia Frydenborg
Environmental Engineering
Engineering in Sorrento
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Sorrento Week 11: End of an Era
I can’t believe my study abroad experience has come to an end. These two months have been some of the most memorable in my life and although I am ready to go home, I will definitely miss all the fun times I had. I will also miss sharing my experiences with others through this blog. For this last post I want to give some final thoughts on my experience and advice for future study abroad students!
One of the main things I wanted to touch on in my final post was transportation in Sorrento. The buses and train systems may seem a bit daunting to navigate at first but they are truly helpful to travel around and relatively cheap. I remember in the first couple of weeks when I was in Sorrento I walked for 40 minutes to get somewhere when I could have just used a bus to get there in half the time. Also, most people are always willing to help so I would definitely recommend asking someone.
I also wanted to mention my experience with GeoBlue insurance since I did have to use it once. When I was in Milan for a weekend I got an infection in my ankle that needed immediate attention from a doctor. Emergency rooms in Italy are a mess with wait times over 4 hours often so I was unsure what to do but I was able to connect with an individual doctor through the GeoBlue app and he was able to give me an appointment for the next morning. In addition, the doctor happened to be an American living abroad which made my experience much smoother. After the appointment, the doctor’s office was able to file a claim for payment and I didn’t have to pay anything out of pocket except for the antibiotics which were only 20 euros. The appointment itself turned out to be 300 euros but since I was covered by GeoBlue (as required by IPE) it was very convenient. As a study abroad student, if you ever need medical attention I would recommend using the features offered on the GeoBlue app to find providers.
I also want to share some of my favorites in Sorrento/Italy throughout the time I’ve been here (credit to Reganne for the idea)
Favorite Restaurant: Taverna Azzurra - the salmon pasta is to die for
Favorite Desserts: Coffee gelato at Raki’s and strawberry + nutella crepes - I think I had gelato almost every day whether it was at Raki’s or David’s Gelateria and sometimes if I was feeling even more hungry I would get a crepe from this one place near the dorms (I don’t remember what it’s called)
Best Drink: Aperol Spritz - you either like it or hate it
Favorite City in Italy: Rome - you have to see the Colosseum
Most Beautiful Place: Capri - I really wanted to visit again after I saw it the first time but I unfortunately did not have enough time to.
Most Underrated: Ieranto Bay and Herculaneum - Ieranto Bay is about an hour bus ride from Sorrento and it seems like a lot of people don’t know about it since it is a bit secluded and you need to hike to get there. I highly recommend visiting if you’re visiting the Campania region. Herculaneum is an ancient city similar to Pompeii in that it was buried under ash during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius but it was preserved much better than Pompeii. I didn’t even know about it until I was in Sorrento but it is definitely worth visiting.
Honestly, I don’t think one blog post is enough to talk about all the amazing experiences I’ve had since I have been in Sorrento. There was so much to do and I feel like there is still more I would like to explore in Italy. I will definitely be returning in the future to see everything I missed. Most importantly, the exposure to new culture and lifestyles was definitely enriching and interesting to be a part of. There’s just so much to learn when traveling to a new place and I could not have asked for a better summer. And lastly, I made so many new friends (both from UofM and other universities) that I will cherish forever. Alla prossima!
Satwika Tattari
Space Sciences and Engineering
IPE: Engineering in Sorrento
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Sorrento Week 10: Last week in Sorrento!
I honestly can’t believe that I have already reached my last week in Sorrento! I feel like I have been here for an era but at the same time it feels like I just arrived last week. For my last week, I shopped for family and friends back home. I bought my dad a wine cork and a small Sorrento bowl for my sister. I also bought a Sorrento magnet for my fridge back home since my family always collects magnets when we visit a new place.
On Tuesday, our physics professors invited everyone in our class for dinner so we went to a local place they recommended. I got to try Panzanella (left pic) which is a dish that has bread soaked in water and then mixed with other ingredients - we had beans, tomatoes, and some other vegetables. I was surprised I hadn’t already had it while I was in Italy but it was really good. They even got a dessert board with a bunch of different cakes and other sweet treats. Also, our physics professors put umich stickers on their Vespas which was really funny to see.
My friend Marisa and I went to Ieranto bay for the last time where we went kayaking, snorkeling, and swimming again. This time I took a water-proof disposable camera so we got to take pictures underwater. There were so many fish in the water and the water was crystal clear. However, the current was much stronger this time so I was much more exhausted than when I snorkeled last time. I got to swim in the blue cave (first pic below) like last time and was able to show Marisa since she hadn’t been before. We also cleaned up the beach again since there was a lot of new trash washed up.
We had a farewell pool party held by CIS (study abroad third party program) which was also really fun. It was held at a beach club and we got to swim and have really good pizza. I will definitely miss the CIS on-site coordinator, Frankie, who was always a great help throughout the 10 weeks any time I needed something.
For our last night in Sorrento, we had a farewell event held by Sant’Anna Institute at a restaurant in Marina Grande that had a pretty view of the water and Mount Vesuvius. I took a lot of pictures with my friends and said bye to some of the staff who worked in Sant’Anna. I am definitely looking forward to going home but I will also miss all the fun times I had here.
Satwika Tattari
Space Sciences and Engineering
IPE: Engineering in Sorrento
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Sorrento Week 9: Work Experience in Punta Campanella
Hey everyone!
Since the second session for the 10 week study abroad started at the beginning of July, I have been participating in a practical work experience at the Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area. When I applied to study abroad in Sorrento I had the option to either take 11 credits or take 8 credits and participate in a work experience. I thought doing a work experience would be fun since I would get to work with people from different cultures and work styles.
Once I got into the Sorrento study abroad program I was contacted by the Sant’Anna Institute Internship coordinator who asked me about my interests and eventually matched me with the Punta Campanella MPA organization. It was only a 5 week program so I started during the second session (July). The work experience was twice a week for 5 hours but occasionally I worked extra hours if I had to miss a day.
The project I worked on had the goal of bridging the knowledge gap on fishing between the scientific community and locals in the Campania region in Italy. Since this region of Italy is on the coast, a lot of families depend on fishing for money but there are a lot of protected areas and endangered species that people aren’t aware of. To help this issue, two of the other interns and I worked on a template for a powerpoint that could be turned into a pamphlet to distribute to locals to inform them on local fish populations and types of fishing in relation to these fishes. There were other volunteers that worked with local fisherman to get data on their daily fishing which will eventually be used in the pamphlet. The project is still ongoing but I am glad I could contribute to the beginning of it.
The other part of my work experience was actually going to the Bay of Ieranto which is part of the marine protected area. The bay is an hour bus ride away from Sorrento but is definitely worth the journey. The bus takes you to Ieranto and then you have to hike for about 30-40 minutes to actually get to the bay. It is a protected area so most boats aren’t allowed and fishing is illegal. However, this does not stop a lot of people from still bringing their boats to fish for sea urchins and other species to sell for a huge profit. Because of this, there are always volunteers in kayaks monitoring to make sure boats don’t enter the bay unless authorized.
While I was there I got to explore the bay in a kayak, clean up the beaches which were unfortunately filled with washed up trash, go swimming, and even snorkel for some time! I got to see an underwater blue light cave which was definitely memorable. There was only some sunlight able to enter the cave which caused the water to look super blue/turquoise. I was definitely a bit scared to swim into the cave but it was worth it. I am so happy about my work experience and for anyone wanting to study abroad in Sorrento I recommend requesting to work here!
Satwika Tattari
Space Sciences and Engineering
IPE: Engineering in Sorrento
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Sorrento Reflections: An Unforgettable Summer
Ciao!
I wanted to spend some time reflecting on my time in Sorrento. After spending two and a half months here (crazy!) I wanted to leave with some of my favorites as well as advice for those studying abroad so this blog post is going to be long.
A Summary of My Favorites From My Time in Italy
Places in Sorrento: Raki for Gelato, Dodeca for groceries, A’Marenna for sandwiches, Nunu's Not Just Kebabs for non-Italian food
Gelato: Dark Chocolate or Salted Caramel from Raki, Crema Veneziana from Gelateria Gallonetto in Venice
Foods: Pizza Fritta, Margherita Pizza, Gnocchi alla Sorrentina, Cuoppa
Cities I Visited: Ischia, Venice, Naples, Rome
Museums: Museo Archaeological Natzionale di Napoli, Capitoline Museums in Rome, Basilica di San Clemente in Rome
Archaeological Sites: Herculaneum, Pompeii, Roman Forum
Some of my favorite photos from my time abroad
I have so much advice regarding studying abroad that I wanted to mention below. Some of these are more Sorrento specific, but I think they can be applied to any program.
Say YES to things! I wouldn’t have gotten to have so many cool experiences if I’d said no or talked myself out of things. While boundaries are very important, take advantage of all the things you have access to while abroad.
Don’t be Afraid to Explore on Your Own! It can be intimidating, but sometimes solo exploration was more fun for me. There are so many places I wouldn’t have seen if I’d tried to wait or follow a group and I have no regrets about the day trips I did on my own. Be safe and share your location with a friend.
Ask Your Professors/Staff for Advice! The professors and staff are super passionate about Southern Italy and also super knowledgeable, the vast majority of them were born and raised in the Sorrento area. I wouldn’t have considered trying Pizza Fritta without my Religions of the Classical Antiquity professor suggesting it, which was one of my favorite things in Italy.
Try ALL the Foods! As my one professor said, “Food and street food are the foundation of Neapolitan culture” so you have to try them while you’re here! It’s a really great way to explore local culture while also being super delicious. This goes for places outside of Naples/Sorrento but is especially true in Naples.
Take Time to Relax! While I definitely suggest getting out and exploring, it was also nice to just relax some days and stick around town or in the dorms. There are nice gardens you can sit in, streets to wander around, and absolutely stunning views of Vesuvius. It’s also exhausting to travel long distances every weekend.
Explore Beyond Instagram! While Instagram and TikTok are great for getting ideas about places to see, I highly recommend trying to explore more off the beaten path places as they’re often less crowded but just as interesting and pretty. I often used google maps to find places to eat and check for tourist traps.
Plan, but Don’t Over-Plan! I personally find that the only way to actually see everything that you want to see is to plan ahead. Have ideas of what places you want to visit but don’t hyperplan out every detail to allow for spontaneity. Definitely get boat or train tickets ahead of time and entry tickets to popular monuments like the Colosseum or museums to save time.
Explore Locally! While it’s tempting to be lured by far away cities, there is so much to see and do just around Naples and Sorrento. I really enjoyed getting to know Naples a little better and exploring all the archaeology sites around Mount Vesuvius. The only real regret I have is not trying to explore more of Naples and the Campania region.
Save Money by Cooking and Eating Street Food! I think the easiest way to save money for traveling is to cool your own meals. I found that I could get really good food at the grocery store often for around €50 a week and I cooked all my meals during the week (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). To not break the bank when eating out, try street food and takeaway meals as they’re often less than 10 euros a meal. I’ve gotten street food for less than 5 euros and it was so good plus it’s what the locals eat.
More of my favorite photos from studying abroad.
The best piece of advice I have is to study abroad! I seriously can’t explain just how much fun I’ve had and how many memories I’ve made that will last a lifetime. I‘ve not only gotten more confident in my ability to travel and navigate alone, but I’ve really learned so much about both American and Neapolitan culture. I think that this study abroad experience helped put my own life and experiences into perspective and I got to know myself better. Although it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, I’m sad about leaving Sorrento and Naples behind. I'm definitely considering studying abroad again, or at least looking for a job that allows for international travel.
Thanks for reading my blog posts!
Ciao!!!!
Reganne Watts
Aerospace Engineering
Engineering in Sorrento, Italy
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Sorrento Week 10: Exploring Naples and Wrapping Up
Ciao!
I can’t believe that my time in Sorrento has come to an end. I’m not gonna lie, at first I was hesitant to study abroad in Sorrento because I’d never never heard of the place and assumed there wouldn’t be that much to do. I was, however, completely wrong and there is so much you can see just in the areas near Sorrento! While traveling from Sorrento isn’t always the easiest (blame the Circumvesuviana) it’s still super doable as long as you plan ahead and factor in travel time.
Photos from various trips on the Circumvesuviana, far from the most glamorous train in the world, it does have great views of Vesuvius and the bay of Naples.
This past weekend I decided that I finally had the confidence to explore the city of Naples. I’ve heard travel bloggers describe it as “Beautiful Chaos” and honestly I completely agree. I’ve actually been to Naples twice now, once to visit the Archaeological Museum and once to visit the Ipogeo dei Cristallini as part of my class. While Rome and Venice are romanticized and try to hide their chaos, Naples embraces it. The first place I visited was Castel Sant’Elmo which is a castle with absolutely incredible panoramic views of Naples, Capri, Ischia, and the Sorrento coastline. I took the train to Naples and then hopped on the metro and used google maps to navigate to the castle itself. The best part was admission was only 3 euros but the views were incredible.
The castle had 360 degree panoramic views of Naples and the surrounding areas. The pictures don't do it justice as it was so pretty!
After Castel Sant’Elmo, I hopped back on the metro and headed to the monastery of Santa Chiara which is a beautiful monastery in Naples. Before getting there, I stopped and grabbed a Fanta and a Cuoppa, a traditional neapolitan street food of a paper cone filled with various fried foods, filled with mozzarella bites. I then spent some time walking around and exploring Spaccanapoli which is one of the famous streets of Naples. Here I really got to see the “beautiful chaos” of Naples with the narrow streets and street vendors. I really enjoyed wandering around and looking at all the stores. I also popped into a super beautiful church while I was wandering around that was beautiful and free.
Photos from the church I went into (top) and various photos from around Santa Chiara with its beautiful tiles and bathhouse ruins, included in the cost of entry (bottom)
One thing to know is that SSC Napoli is super big both in Naples and the surrounding areas. It’s also a huge deal because they won the most recent Italian championship (2022-23) which is only the 3rd one they’ve ever won. Hometown pride is huge in Italy, especially in Naples. Also everywhere in Naples there are photos of Diego Maradonna who is a famous Argentinian soccer player who led Naples to their first and second Italian championship in the late 1980s. I think it’s probably fair to say that while San Gennaro is the on-paper patron of Naples, but Diego Maradonna is the true patron of the city. I really love that Naples has this unique, vibrant character to it. Although it’s definitely not as glamorous as Venice or Rome, it’ll always have a special place in my heart and I highly recommend you get out there and experience it if you're in Italy.
The decorations in Sorrento from when I first arrived, they've been taken down now (top left). The rest are recent photos that I took around Naples showing the city pride in SSC Napoli and Diego Maradonna.
Besides adventures in Napoli, I had a bunch of assignments to get done during the week but also a ton of wrap-up dinners at various restaurants around Sorrento. One thing I’ve loved about studying abroad is how good (and relatively cheap) the food is here. If you’re willing to make your own meals, you can eat for less than 50 euros a week. Also when you get out of the touristy areas, the street food can get super cheap and you can spend less than 6 euros on a whole meal. I’m gonna miss all the amazing pizza, pasta, and bread I’ve had here when I go back to the US.
I’ll be back soon (aka tomorrow) with a wrap-up blog talking about my time and reflections on the experience.
Ciao,
Reganne Watts
Aerospace Engineering
Engineering in Sorrento, Italy
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Week 9 : The Start of GoodByes
Hi everyone, only one more week left! On Monday, I had a physics field trip to the research center of Cira. This is an aerospace research center that works with different public and private companies all over the world. We got to learn about their testing for materials that would be entering the atmosphere through space and other tests on composite materials. They even had this robot that threaded carbon fiber into a specific form!
Later during the week, we had a pizza making class through CIS at Frantoio Gargiulo. The class is held on a balcony with amazing views. You learn how to make the dough, put your toppings on, and put your pizza in the oven. I would definitely recommend this experience if you ever go to Sorrento. Their business focuses on making olive oil, so there are olive oil tours as well! It was a great night learning about pizza and Italian foods!
During this week, Sorrento had the festival of Sant’ Anna. The marina near the school was decorated with lights and vendors to celebrate the saint! Saint Anna is known as the Virgin Mary’s grandmother and the small fishing village of Marina Grande considers her as their patron saint. They have traditional games, songs, and food at the marina, which bring huge crowds at night. Around 8pm, there is a large procession where the statue of Sant’Anna is carried around Sorrento to Marina Grande.I will be looking forward to a firework show held next Tuesday commemorating the final day of the festival!
On Saturday, I had my final day at the Ieranto Bay for work! I will definitely miss swimming in this gorgeous bay. We helped clean the beaches and then spent some time snorkeling and exploring around. We even got to see this cave that glows blue during the day from the light. My work experience at Punta Campanella has been unforgettable. I got to meet volunteers from all around the world and have become confident in my professional skills. It was also interesting to learn about the science and social parts of conservation and trying to bridge them together. Our work supervisor, Domenico, also has made the experience great as he was willing to help whenever needed.
During my time in Italy, I started using my film camera. In Sorrento, there is this store called Photo Aminta that develops your pictures in a day for a decent price! I just got some of my pictures back and wanted to share with you some of my favorite moments on film:)
Josefia Frydenborg
Environmental Engineering
Engineering in Sorrento
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Sorrento Week 9: Field Trips Galore
Ciao!
I had a super busy week this week as I had three field trips and a pizza making class! I really love how Sant'Anna has these trips incorporated into their classes because they tend to connect really well with the class topics and its cool to draw those connections between the topics and the actual places. I also decided to explore some sites in Naples this weekend, but those details will be a different blog because I did so many things this week.
On Monday, I headed to Paestum which is an archaeological site famous for its well preserved Greek Temples about 2 hours south of Sorrento. Although the drive took 3 hours, the site itself was so fascinating and we even got to walk around inside one of the temples. It was cool to see how the Romans literally built on top of the remains of the Greek city and the museum had a bunch of graves from the Ancient Greeks and Lucanians that connected with the class content. The site itself wasn’t well marked so our tour guide was super helpful in explaining the details of what we were looking for. It was an unforgettable experience as these temples are some of the best preserved in the whole world. As someone who has always wanted to visit Athens, but hasn't gotten the chance, it was really cool to see all the Ancient Greek stuff they have in Italy.
Various photos from around Paestum including of the temples, the roman forum (bottom left), Lucanian tombs (bottom right), and the council chamber where the citizens met to vote (top right)
Tuesday my physics class headed to CIRA (Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali) to learn about their research. CIRA focuses on developing technologies and supplying testing facilities which are super cool to see up close! We also got to hear from the researchers themselves which, as someone who is interested in Aerospace Engineering, I found super fascinating. It also showed how international the Aerospace field is as they discussed the various companies and government agencies that used the facilities including NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Japanese Space Agency as well as companies in Israel. I really enjoyed learning more about aerospace and it made me excited for my upcoming classes.
Deployable wing structures (Top Left); Robot printing carbon fiber structures (Top Center); Various composite structures (Top Right), and some test facilities (bottom)
Wednesday meant that it was time for Pizza making with CIS Abroad! We went back to the farm where we did the Olive Oil making experience and learned how to make pizza dough. Because the dough had to rest for at least 3 hours, we then used pre-made dough to make our own Margherita pizzas. It was cool to learn how to make pizza dough and learn more about this staple of Naples. A fun fact is that the colors of a Margherita pizza (green basil, red tomato sauce, white mozzarella) correspond to the colors of the Italian flag because it was made for Queen Marget of Italy. The pizza was also super delicious and used fresh ingredients from the farm.
The beautiful views and delicious hand made pizza.
I was once again traveling on Thursday, this time for a field trip to Ipogeo dei Cristallini, which is an archaeological site focusing on Ancient Greek graves and located in Naples. We met our professor in Naples and took the metro to get to the site. It was so fascinating to see the Necropolis of Ancient Greece and how the Romans repurposed them as the city expanded as well as see the burial practices we were discussing in class. In the one tomb, the colors were still super vibrant even after thousands of years. After the tour, our professor took us to get Pizza Fritta and Fiocco di Neve which are two classic Neapolitan street foods. Pizza Fritta is an amazing fried pizza that, unlike most US fried foods, is light and airy and filled with fresh ingredients. It’s definitely one of my favorite foods I’ve had while I’ve been here. I actually liked it so much I forgot to take a photo of it, but trust me it was amazing. Fiocco di Neve is a cream filled brioche topped with powdered sugar which was also absolutely amazing.
Photos from around Ipogeo dei Cristallini. It's crazy to think that those decorations are over 2000 years old.
As this blog is getting long, I’m gonna wrap it up here. It’s crazy to think that I have only one more week left in Sorrento as it was finally starting to feel like home. I’m both excited to see my friends but also sad to leave Sorrento and my amazing professors I’ve had at Sant’Anna. I still have one more week and I plan to make the most of it! Especially because the weather has cooled down and you can actually go outside during the day without melting.
Until next time, Ciao!
Reganne Watts
Aerospace Engineering
Engineering in Sorrento, Italy
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Week 8: The One Where the Parents Visit!
Hi everyone! This week my parents came to visit and I was so excited to show them around Sorrento. The first day we went to visit Salerno. This is the southernmost city on the Amalfi coast. It was nice to explore this town with them, as I had never been there. Salerno seems to have more commercial stores and restaurants compared to Sorrento. Surprisingly, the town was definitely calmer than Sorrento as we walked down its main avenue. My parents' luggage was lost on the flight over to Italy, so we did some shopping and had some lunch. It was relaxing to be in a quiet town as it is peak tourist season in Sorrento.
On our way back from Salerno, we stopped at Piano di Sorrento for dinner. This town is right next to Sorrento and is where most locals live. We sat in a restaurant in a plaza and it was nice to see Italian families around us. We even saw some little kids playing soccer around the square!
This weekend we planned a trip to Rome. To get to Rome, we used the high speed train from Naples which takes around 1.5 hrs. From there we took the metro to go to our hotel. A 48 hour pass for the metro and bus costs around 13 euro. If you are planning to use the metro in Rome, be careful of pickpockets as my parents were almost pocketed three times when using the metro. I would recommend taking the bus around Rome instead!
The next day we had our tour of the Vatican. If you are planning to go see the Vatican, I would absolutely recommend booking a couple weeks in advance as the line to get tickets was extremely long even at 9 am. Our first stop was around the Vatican’s galleries. It was crazy how every gallery is covered in art from the floor to the ceiling. My favorite has to be Raphael’s Rooms. I learned about his art in my AP European History class and I loved seeing all of his pieces up close. Vatican city was pretty packed but I was surprised to actually see one of my friends on the tour!
After visiting the Sistine Chapel, we went to Saint Peter's Basilica. There is a direct path from the Sistine Chapel to the Basilica, so if you have a tour you do not need to wait in a long line to enter. The basilica is massive and breathtaking. We walked around and even got to see the beginning of a daily mass as we were leaving.
We had lunch at a local pizzeria and headed over to see the Pantheon. We did not go inside, but it still was cool to see its size from the outside. The next stop was the Spanish steps, and we stayed in this area for dinner. The Trevi Fountain was just a 20 minute walk away from the restaurant so we went to go see it. It was still packed with people, but it was cool to see how different the monument looks at night.
The next day we woke up early to see the Colosseum. We didn't buy tickets beforehand so we got up early to wait in line. We got there around 9 am and it took around 40 minutes to get our tickets. Our tickets were for 11:30 am so we took the chance to see the Roman Forum before going into the Colosseum. We got an audio guide for the Colosseum for 6 euros, but there is also an audio tour on Rick Steves Audio Guide App. The Colosseum has to be my favorite monument in Rome. It is incredible to think of the technology the Romans had and see its remains.
That night we went to a restaurant called Contrario. This was one of the best dinners I have had during my time in Italy! The staff was so friendly and the food was delicious!
We also visited the neighborhood of Monti near the Colosseum. We saw more locals in this area and they had many cute bars and restaurants. Overall, Rome was a great experience and I was glad to show my parents around. Only two weeks left!
Josefia Frydenborg
Environmental Engineering
Engineering in Sorrento
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Sorrento Week 8: Rome Once Again
Hey everyone! I went back to Rome again last weekend since my mom was visiting. Last time I went I didn’t get a chance to visit Vatican City (the smallest country in the world) and I also didn’t get to go inside the Colosseum which requires booking ahead of time or standing in a very long line. However, this time I booked a tour with my mom for the Colosseum and I also found a tour that took us through the Vatican Museums including the Sistine Chapel.
To get to Rome, I first got on a train from Sorrento train station to Napoli Garibaldi station. These trains run very often so you don’t need to buy a ticket ahead of time (they will never be sold out). Once dropped off at the Garibaldi station, I just walked upstairs to Napoli Centrale (the main train station for traveling to different parts of Italy) to get on my train to Rome. The ticket from Centrale to Rome does need to be bought ahead of time as they can be sold out. The tickets aren’t too expensive usually ranging from 19-30 euros depending on what time you are traveling.
I reached Rome around 5:30 pm and met up with my mom which was nice since I felt homesick. We decided to visit the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain since we didn’t have anything previously planned. It was definitely a lot more crowded than last time since it was July and also we didn’t go early in the morning like I had before.
On Saturday, we woke up at 5:30 am so that we could go to Vatican City and get in line to see St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world. We had a skip-the-line tour for the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel but not St. Peter’s Basilica so we would have to wait in line to get in. These lines can get really long later in the day so my mom and I decided to go right when it opens at 7 am. We got to the basilica around 6:30 am and thankfully there was barely anyone there. Inside there was so much to see with different paintings hanging on some walls and the ceilings were also covered in art. There were also some cool sculptures and overall the basilica was huge. We also were able to buy a ticket for 8 euros to walk up to the top of the dome (entrance to the basilica was free). From the top of the dome we could see Rome in the distance with the Colosseum and Vittoriano which was amazing. After visiting the basilica, we decided to go back to Rome before our tour of the Vatican since we had a lot of time. My mom and I decided to go to the Pantheon and stood in line for a ticket. The wait wasn’t too long and the ticket to get in was only 5 euros.
Soon it was time for our tour of the Vatican Museums. I booked this tour through a third party website - GetYourGuide. I would recommend booking tours early since almost everything gets sold out in the summer. We met up with our tour group and walked to the Vatican together. We didn’t need to wait in a line but did have to go through security which didn’t take long. For the tour, we were given an audio device to hear the tour guide better. There was so much to see inside the Vatican but I don’t want to spoil everything so I’ll just say that my favorite parts were the School of Athens fresco and the ceiling in the Gallery of Maps.
On Sunday, my mom and I had our Colosseum tour at 9:30 am (booked on Trip Advisor). This was also skip-the-line so it was fairly easy to get in and then our tour guide told us about the history of the Colosseum which was built around 70-72 AD. It was cool to learn that the inside used to be all white marble until it was all taken out to be used for other buildings in later centuries.
After the tour we also had tickets to see the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill so we headed there to see more ruins from around the 8th century BCE. I still can’t believe I was able to see something so old. After this, we walked to Vittoriano which is a monument built to honor Victor Emmanuel ll. From the top of the monument you can see a nice view of Rome and there is also a cool museum inside. My second trip to Rome was amazing and I was glad to meet my mom. I think this is probably my favorite city in Italy and highly recommend anyone to visit if you are studying abroad in Italy!
Satwika Tattari
Space Sciences and Engineering
IPE: Engineering in Sorrento
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Sorrento Week 8: Pasta Making and Visiting Rome (again!)
Ciao!
I’m back with another blog post. I'm starting to wrap up my time here in Sorrento (only two weeks left), so this is my last planned weekend trip away.
On Tuesday night, I went to a pasta making class as part of Sant'Anna where we learned how to make Gnocchi alla sorrentina which is gnocchi with red sauce, mozzarella, and parmigiano. They had premade the sauce for us, but we got to make the actual Gnocchi. It was so cool to learn how to make a pasta I eat at least once a week and it's something I want to try to do when I get back to the US as it's actually a super simple process. The dish itself was absolutely incredible and some of the best Gnocchi I've had while I've been here.
Various photos from the Gnocchi making process including the amazing final product.
The Trevi Fountain doesn't lie because I headed back to Rome on Friday to meet up with my friend who goes to school in the Netherlands. That night we got Peruvian food for dinner and headed to the grocery store to grab some breakfast items. We then got up earlyish the next day so we could get to the Roman Forum when it opened. This was a fantastic idea because we got an amazing overlook all to ourselves and we got to see a lot of the Forum before it got too hot out. We grabbed a quick, cheap, and delicious pizza lunch nearby before heading to the Colosseum for out entry time slot.
Photos overlooking the Forum. The overlook was empty when we got there but later on we saw it was extremely crowded.
The Colosseum was so cool but very crowded. One of my favorite parts were the various models they had which showed how it changed over time as well as how the trap doors and stuff worked. It was so cool to see this famous monument up close and it fulfilled a childhood dream of mine. One thing I will say is that if you're planning to visit the Forum and Colosseum, you have to book tickets ahead of time and, unless you get there early, expect there to be crowds. Also bring plenty of water or a reusable water bottle because it gets hot walking around the monuments.
Various photos from around the Colosseum and the different levels you can go on. It was so crowded though with all the tour groups.
While I was in Rome, I hit three different museums, each of which were absolutely amazing. The first one was Basilica di San Clemente which is a 14th century church built on top of the ruins of an 8th century church built on top of the ruins of a 1st century AD roman temple and house. Although pictures aren't allowed inside the older layers, this museum really showed how Rome was built in layers over time and had some cool frescos. The next set of museums we went to were the Capitoline Museums which span two different palaces, are some of the oldest museums in the word, and are absolutely packed with ancient statues and monuments. It was so incredible to see all the stuff packed together and to see the famous She-Wolf statue. It was truly one of the best museums I've gone to this trip because it had a huge variety of stuff (renaissance paintings, sculptures, ceramics, you name it, they had it). The last museum we visited was the Museo Ebraico, the Jewish Museum, which discussed the history of the Jewish community in Rome. This museum was fascinating but also heartbreaking as you learned about all the discrimination they faced throughout the years. It included a tour of the Synagogue which was absolutely stunning inside and taught me a lot about Jewish customs and the lives of Jewish people within the historically very Catholic city of Rome.
14th Century part of the Basilica di San Clemente (Top Left), the synagogue attached to the Museo Ebraico (Top Right), Various sculpture rooms from the Capitoline Museums (bottom)
Overall, this trip to Rome was super fun! I really enjoyed getting to see all the museums and monuments I wanted to see last time but didn't get to. It definitely was super hot, so if you go in the summer bring plenty of water, sun screen, bug spray, and a hat to help beat the heat. Also Roman pizza, which is a type of flatbread, can be a super cheap meal and is very delicious. Literally every meal we ate out, we ate pizza and it was all super good. I do, however, prefer Neapolitan pizza because I love a simple Margherita pizza.
A view from the Capitoline Museums of the Forum and Colosseum (left) and one of the various delicious pizzas I ate in Rome (right)
Stay tuned because I have three field trips planned week so I will be very busy. Also it's my last weekend in Sorrento so I'm planning on seeing some sites around Naples this weekend as I procrastinate studying for my physics final.
Until next time, Ciao!
Reganne Watts
Aerospace Engineering
Engineering in Sorrento, Italy
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Week 7 : Final Trip to Milan
Ciao! This comes a bit later than usual, but this week brought some fun experiences. I kayaked around the Ieranto Bay for my work experience and I went to Milan during the weekend!
During my work experience, I had to visit the Ieranto Bay. This is a bay near the town of Nerano around 40 minutes away by bus. The hike takes around 40-45 minutes (a little longer on the way back up). Another intern and I were given a tour of the bay and helped sample algae. The hike up was difficult with the heat, but definitely worth it!
This weekend was my only visit to Northern Italy and I was interested to see how different it is from the south. You can get to Milan by train or by plane, but we decided to go by plane as it takes less time and is around the same price.
Our first night in Milan, we got to see the Duomo at night and walk around the city. The city is a bit more modern than others I have been to in Italy, but there is an older part of the city as well.
Our second day in Milan, we went to take pictures in front of the Duomo and visit the Galleria. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is one of the oldest malls and has various designer stores such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Gucci. While I definitely did not do any shopping there, it was still gorgeous to see! We also visited the Starbucks Roastery in Milan and grabbed a coffee.
We then went to the Santuario di San Bernardino alle Ossa, just near the duomo, and headed for lunch. We ate at the Terrazza Aperol, which has a beautiful view of the Duomo. Be prepared to pay a lot for your drink if you go here! I had a smoked salmon salad which was pretty refreshing to have after so much pasta!
To move around the city we used the metro. It is pretty simple to use and you can get a three day pass for just 13 euros. After our lunch, we went to the Sforzesco Castle and walked through Parco Sempione. If you walk all the way through the park you will reach the Arco della Pace. It was intriguing to see how it was very similar to the arc that we had visited in Barcelona.
Later, we went to the Naviglio Grande, a smaller area near a canal. There were a lot cute stores and boutiques to look out. We took the metro back and got ready for dinner. That night we ate at Osteria Da Fortunata. This restaurant is known for its freshly made pasta and it was delicious! I had the Fettuccine Al Rago, but I would also recommend the gnocchi.
The next morning, we got tickets to go inside the Duomo and its terrace. The view of Milan from the terrace was so nice. The city looks never ending from the top of the Duomo! We then took the metro to the Milan Central Station and got on a shuttle to the airport from there. As this was our last trip of our time abroad, we were a bit sad to leave as we wish we could’ve explored around Northern Italy more.
Only three more weeks left!
Josefia Frydenborg
Environmental Engineering
Engineering in Sorrento
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Sorrento Week 7: Weekend in Milan
Ciao :)
Unfortunately, this marks the last weekend trip I will be going on with my friends while studying abroad. We decided to go to Milan for the weekend and booked plane tickets since a train ride would be around over 8 hours. Similar to when I traveled to Barcelona, we took a shuttle from Sorrento train station to the Naples airport and from there flew to Milan Malpensa airport. Our airbnb was an hour away so we took an uber which wasn’t too expensive.
On Saturday, I first visited the Duomo di Milano with one of my friends. We didn’t go inside or to the rooftop since our tickets were for Sunday; however, we did take a lot of pictures and saw so many pigeons (idk why there were so many). It was a majestic building with so many carvings and windows. After that, we walked to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II which is an extravagant shopping mall with many designer stores including the original Prada. It didn’t take long since the mall is right next to the Duomo. My favorite part was the center of the mall which had a huge dome and paintings on the sides. It was an amazing sight that I could not imagine seeing anywhere else.
Near the mall was a Starbucks roastery so we decided to stop by and I am glad we did. Inside we could see how coffee beans are roasted and different steps in making coffee. Moreover, the roastery had many unique Starbucks drinks you couldn’t get anywhere else. I decided to get a caffe gelato shake and my friend, Josie, got a drink with double espresso and hazelnut milk. The drinks were amazing and I wish they were available at other Starbucks. In addition, a nice girl sitting next to me decided to share her coffee plate with me since she got too much. I was really happy with the whole experience and suggest anyone visiting Milan to definitely go to the roastery.
We had to walk a bit further to get to our next destination - San Bernardino Alle Ossa. This is a church that is known for its ossuary which stores hundreds of human skulls placed behind a transparent frame. The chamber also has beautiful art on the ceilings but I didn’t stay for too long since the skulls were a bit scary.
For the rest of the day I walked around and saw other monuments such as the Arco della Pace and the Sforzesco Castle. Both were really cool and the day went by really fast from all the walking. Josie and I had a late lunch at Terrazza Aperol, a restaurant overlooking the Duomo. Of course, I got an Aperol Spritz and a salmon sandwich. The food and the view were great and I didn’t want to leave at all but we had one more place to visit. We wanted to go to the Navigli District where there was a nice canal. Since it was a bit farther to walk, we used the metro which got us there much faster. After walking by the canal and taking pictures, we came back to the airbnb before going out to dinner at Osteria da Fortunata where I got amazing spicy pasta!
On Sunday, we didn’t have much time since we had to catch a flight back to Naples but we were able to go inside the Duomo since we previously purchased tickets. I also got to walk up a long spiral of stairs to get the rooftop where I could see a mesmerizing view of the city. We then headed to the airport for our flight. It was a great last trip with my friends and I am glad I got to visit Milan before leaving Italy. Until next time!
Satwika Tattari
Space Sciences and Engineering
IPE: Engineering in Sorrento
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Sorrento Weeks 6 & 7: Food, Relaxation, and Museums
Ciao!
I’m back with another blog post. I’ve decided to combine weeks six and seven into one blog post because I got sick with a cold for most of the week and didn’t do a whole lot other than relax and recover. It’s also been so hot that doing things after class is getting difficult.
To celebrate the fourth of July, my friends and I did an “American Dinner” complete with burgers, potato salad, coleslaw, watermelon, and brownies! I decided to make potato salad and coleslaw because I was really craving potato salad. It was a fun experience trying to find all the ingredients as mustard and pickles aren’t really a thing in Italy. I was luckily able to find some in Dodeca, the largest grocery store in Sorrento, but it took some hunting. I’m super proud of how they turned out and it definitely satisfied my cravings. I think it’s important to note that Italian grocery stores are much, much smaller than American ones and things don’t last as long (especially bread and fruit) so I often end up shopping nearly every day. That being said, groceries are also super cheap here. I cook most of my meals and have been able to spend about 50-60 euros a week on groceries which includes my splurges on things like candies or interesting ice cream. The key is to try and think of dishes ahead of time and know what you have so you don’t buy duplicates.
Some hamburger buns I found at Dodeca with very Americanized packaging (left) and our Fourth of July Dinner (right)
I spent most of my time these last few weeks relaxing and recovering from two weekends of heavy travel as well as a cold I caught. It’s also starting to get to the time of year where going outside after like 1pm is a miserable experience so I spend a lot of time reading (I’ve been enjoying checking out ebooks from my local library) or watching TV just to beat the heat. The dorms, luckily, have great AC so you don’t have to worry about it being too hot inside. Some tips I have, besides just avoiding the sun, are to wear a hat to help shade your face, drink plenty of water, and try your best to avoid shopping at midday (try to go in the evenings or mornings). CIS Abroad planned a beach day one day where they reserved some lounge chairs at one of the beach clubs which was a fun and relaxing experience. Beach clubs are expensive (but come with sun loungers and umbrellas) so it was nice to not have to pay extra to go to one and enjoy the breeze as it was cooler than on the streets.
Photos from the beach day
This weekend, I decided to go to the Naples Archaeology Museum because it’s where many of the famous frescos and statues from Pompeii are held. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve always been interested in Ancient Greek and Roman history and savor every museum I visit. It’s also a great activity because it’s out of the blazing sun. I bought tickets ahead of time to see both the museum and the Magna Grecia special exhibition. Getting to the museum was super easy as I just rode the train to Naples and hopped on the metro line 1 and got off at the Museo stop which put me right at the Archaeology Museum. The museum itself was so cool! I had all the original mosaics, frescos, and statues from Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as some artifacts from Ancient Egypt and many pieces of Greek pottery. A lot of the museum was focused on the history of settlements in the Campania religion which was really interesting to learn about. I spent four hours just wandering around and seeing all it had to offer. It was also nice because it was inside and out of the heat. It's definitely worth a visit just to see all the splendor of Ancient Rome.
Various photos from around the museums including some amazing frescos, beautiful architecture, and a gladiator helmet.
I’m excited because I’m headed to Rome to meet my friend next weekend and I have a bunch of field trips planned next week. I’m also sad that my time in Sorrento is coming to an end as it’s been a really great experience.
Ciao!
Reganne Watts
Aerospace Engineering
Engineering in Sorrento, Italy
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Sorrento Week 6: International Travel From Sorrento
Last weekend I went on my first international trip since studying abroad in Italy! I flew to Barcelona with a couple friends and stayed there from Friday night to Monday evening. This was the first time I was flying somewhere while studying abroad (all the other times I took trains). The airport we flew out of was Naples-Capodichino International Airport which is roughly 1.5 hours from Sorrento. The cheapest way to get to the airport is by catching a shuttle from the train station which is a 15-min walk from the Sant’Anna dorms. It cost me about 10 euros for the trip which is much cheaper than trying to take a taxi (below is a pic of the view on the way to Naples airport). We got to the airport around 3 hours before the flight so we had plenty of time to get through security and find our gate. Also, we all had to carry our passports which they only checked when we were scanning our boarding passes to get on the plane. The flight to Barcelona was only around 2 hours long and we landed in Barcelona around 11 pm. Luckily, transportation to our airbnb was provided by the company we booked with so we had no issues getting to our apartment.
While in Barcelona, we walked around to a lot of places and went sightseeing, but I think the highlight of the trip was seeing the Sagrada Familia. This is a Catholic church that is still being built after 140 years! It’s huge with 18 towers (once construction is finished) and lots of carvings depicting different parts of the Bible. We got tickets to go inside and I am really happy we did because the architecture inside was so beautiful. There were a lot of stained glass windows that shined in the sunlight. It was a great experience and I would highly recommend buying tickets to go inside if you’re visiting.
I also got to visit Park Güell which also has a lot of cool architecture by Antoni Gaudi. He also designed the Sagrada Familia and Casa Batlló, a famous house in Barcelona. I got to visit all these and my appreciation for Gaudi grew a lot since everything he designed looks so unique compared to what I usually see.
Of course, I can’t end this blog post without talking about food. I honestly had some of the best food while in Barcelona. It was nice to have a break from pasta :) On Saturday, I got some smoked salmon toast that has avocado, mango, and arugula. It was probably the best toast I’ve ever had. I also had paella since it is a classic Spanish dish. Essentially, it’s rice with saffron and meat/seafood served in a large pan. I got seafood paella and split it with one of my friends since the serving was too big for one person. Every meal I had in Barcelona is one I will never forget because they were all that good! I hope I can go back soon to experience everything again. Bye!
Satwika Tattari
Space Sciences and Engineering
IPE: Engineering in Sorrento
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