FSHN in Italy
This past summer, FSHN partnered with the UF Horticultural Sciences
Department and the Universities of
Palermo, Bologna, and Pisa to offer a
unique study abroad opportunity. “UF in
Italy” includes comprehensive guided
tours and field trips to help students better
understand food production, processing,
and culture in Italy.
Led by Dr. Charlie Sims (Interim
Chair and Professor), this year’s group included fourteen FSHN students: (Dietetics Senior), Molly Sims (BS, 2011; MS Student), and Brooke Stephen (Dietetics Junior). Other participants
were: two undergraduates from the UF Family, Youth, and Community Sciences major, Meghan Blanton and Amanda Smart; an undergraduate from UF’s College of Education, Madeline Snyder; and two students from Florida Atlantic University: Rachel Blythe and Meridith Wailes. The UF in Italy students arrived in Rome, and then moved on to Sicily the next day. There, they spent four days visiting facilities that process pistachios, bread and pasta, olives, olive oil, wine, and salt. From Sicily they traveled to Venice for a free day of sightseeing. In Bolzano, the group toured a botanical garden, apple distribution center, and the University of Bolzano. In Bologna, tour stops included a winery, vegetable gardens, the University of Bologna, cheese and Balsamic vinegar
factories, a Parma ham factory, the Lambrusco Winery, a supermarket, a castle, and the Ferrari Museum. From Bologna, the group moved on to Tuscany, where they visited a winery and vineyards as well as the Chianti Consortium. In Florence, our students
were given a free day to explore Renaissance art and culture. Upon arrival back in Rome, the UF
in Italy group visited the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) of the United Nations.
There, they learned more about food security,
nutrition, and world agriculture and trade. They also had a free afternoon to explore the sights in Rome. Everyone had their own favorite place in Italy. Dominique loved Rome because he got to explore it on his own terms. Molly loved Bolzano and Tuscany because of the beautiful scenery. Adriana was partial to Bologna because of the many manufacturing sites they got to visit
and because she loved the University of Bologna. Lordwige said one of her biggest
dreams was ride in a gondola in Venice, and she got to do that on this trip. And Kelsey was torn
between the food of Sicily and the mountains and apple orchards of Bolzano. Kelsey
added about Sicily: “The fact that a buttery brioche roll stuffed with creamy gelato constitutes lunch was enough to win me over.” We also asked the students what they considered the
best meal of the trip. The winner appears to be homemade pasta with a pistachio cream sauce served for dinner their second night in Italy. Dominique, Molly, and Kelsey all said it
was one of the best things they had ever eaten. The wines they sampled in Tuscany
also seemed very popular.
This year’s travelers also made some
recommendations to students considering this trip in summer 2012. Both Kelsey and Dominique said that bringing a self-filtering water bottle is a must, since bottled water
is expensive. Adriana, Molly, and Kelsey stressed the importance of
packing light, since students end up dragging and lifting their bags
every day, and bringing good walking shoes. Other suggestions
included a light jacket, a power converter, medication, bandages,
and a small bottle of laundry detergent. Adriana recommended using a
credit card for expenses, since her bank offered a better exchange rate than she
could find elsewhere. And Dominique recommended making arrangements with
a cell phone company before departure to facilitate making calls to and receiving
calls from the US. Kelsey summed the trip up nicely: “The mix of food production, food
science, culinary arts, history and horticulture made this trip truly one of the
highlights of my life!”
