Megan Deakins Reports from Italy

Ciao!

One hour into the first day of my four-week trip to Italy through the Duke Study Abroad Program, after enjoying a pistachio and chocolate gelato at nine o'clock in the morning, I knew that I was destined to love Italy. Little did I know that the four weeks ahead of me would provide so much more than delicious gelato, as I would have the opportunity to explore Rome, Florence, Siena, Cortina and the Pyrenees Mountains - enabling me to experience diverse aspects of Italian culture, art and cuisine.

The Duke Study Abroad Program was based in Venice, on the small island of San Servolo, just a vaporetto or water taxi away from the heart of Venice. The first few days were devoted to getting to know the city, which mostly involved, actually in an enjoyable way, getting lost. Venice is an endless network of side streets, bridges, and canals, many of which do not appear on a map and culminate as a dead end. Although the streets may not actually lead anywhere, there are pizzerias about every five meters, so it is impossible to get frustrated.

After finding my bearings in the city, I began to experience more of the arts and culture of Venice. One of my favorite nights in Venice included attending an opera at the famous theater La Fenice with some of my classmates. We left the opera and traversed back through the flooded St. Mark's Square. Fueled by gelato and the orchestral music of live groups performing at restaurants, wading back through the square was a fun adventure. On one of our final nights in Venice, our class attended an orchestra featuring works by Italian composer Vivaldi. I discovered a newfound love for classical music and hope to learn how to play the piano or pick up the violin again.

After traveling solely on a vaporetti of Venice, it was strange to return to the bustle of cars and the luxury of the sidewalk in Rome. While I was unable to meet up with Rhian in Rome, she gave me a list of sites to see and a well-researched synopsis on local gelaterias. The two highlights of my trip to Rome were unquestionably the Coliseum and the Vatican. We climbed, and even counted, all 445 stairs to the top of St. Peter's Basilica to enjoy a view of all of Rome.

As an avid runner and adventure enthusiast, I was able to find a nice balance in Italy of appreciating the arts and music while still catering to my thirst for adventure. One weekend I traveled to Cortina, a small town in the Alps on the border of Austria to run an 11.5 km race. Between running among fields of wild flowers, through mountain passes, and past turquoise lakes, I almost forgot that I was actually in a race. I also traveled to Catalonia, Spain for five days to bike in the Pyrenees Mountains. With high elevations and intense climbs, it was a challenging, but very enjoyable trip.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to be able to travel to Italy on a Duke program. Professor Rogerson, the Duke director and teacher who traveled with our group, played an integral role in the trip - serving as a guide, a teacher, a travel agent, a friend, and even a chef, his hard work enabled a memorable experience for us all. While I learned so much about Italian culture, I also learned how much I appreciate my friends, family, and teammates back at home. I can't wait to come back to Duke and share my experiences, photos, and maybe even some Italian chocolate with my teammates!