Week of November 23rd

This past week we went to visit a parmesan cheese factory as well as a balsamic vinegar factory. This was a very interesting experience because we got to take a first hand look at the backgrounds of both of these traditional Tuscan foods. It was also a great experience to see these two factories since both parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar are prevalent in Florence. Not only did we get to see what goes on in both of these locations but we got to try multiple types of cheeses as well as many different balsamics. We also had our research papers due last week so this week in Peter Fischer's class we have been doing our presentations. It has been interesting to witness all of these presentations and to learn about everybody else's research topics. Last week was also Thanksgiving so it was a strange feeling to not be in America for this day. I definitely missed American food particularly last week. However, the Italian food has been amazing.  It is crazy to think that we only have two weeks left here in Florence. The semester flew by. This has truly been an amazing experience. I have learned so much in these classes and it has been a good experience to take classes in a subject outside of my major. I am a Human Development and Family Studies major back at UConn so I have loved having the opportunity to learn about the subject of Sustainable Food and Environmental systems. I have learned so much from working at both the Italian soup kitchen as well as the San Ambrogio market here in Florence. These experiences have been irreplaceable and they have taught me so much about the local food system of Florence. Traveling around Europe has also been a wonderful experience as it has taught me so much about other cultures and foods of other countries. My favorite part of this program has been the field trips and study tours that we have had. This hands-on learning style has been the most beneficial by far. This has been a great opportunity overall!