For our first day back in Milan, we learned a lot about a company based in Milan called Velasca. Before lunch, we met with the marketing director of Velasca so she could give us an introduction to what the company does and tell us about their marketing strategies. Velasca is a shoemaking company that makes…

This morning we left Verona to return to Milan, but on the way, we stopped to visit two more companies, with a group lunch in the beautiful little town Borghetto. Borghetto is a tiny, medieval town in the middle of the countryside with the Mincio river running through it. It may have been the prettiest…

To start off our last day in Verona, we were given a free morning to explore and do what we want. I walked around, did a little shopping, and enjoyed going at my own pace and experiencing the beauty of Verona. At about two, we all met up and went to the bus station to…

This morning, we got up and took the train through the countryside to Venice. It looked about the same as the area around Milan until all of the sudden fields were replaced with a beautiful lagoon. Venice is made up of 120 small islands with waterways separating them and bridges connecting them. The lagoon also…

This morning, we woke up and left the city of Florence to go to Verona. Driving towards Verona, the countryside looked very similar to the countryside near Milan. It is very flat and filled with farmland. However, after we left the hotel and started walking further into the city, you could see a clear difference…

We started out our only full day in Florence with a visit to the Scuola del Cuoio, or the Florentine Leather School. The Scuola del Cuoio was founded shortly after World War 2 by the friars of the Monastery of Santa Croce, and the Gori and Casini families. It is still a family business today….

Today we left Milan to go to Florence for two nights. We made it to our hotel, Il Guelfo Bianco, which is beautiful. Then we met a new tour guide and headed out into the beautiful streets of Florence. We saw the Duomo, ancient sculptures and architecture on our way to the Uffizi Gallery. The…

To start off our fourth day in Italy, we got up early to make a trip to Lake Como and to visit a company called Mantero Seta. This company makes designs or full products like clothing and accessories for other companies. They weave their own richer fabrics, like silk, and buy some others in large…

To start off our day today, we took another trip on the metro to go to the Leonardo da Vinci museum. There we met another guide who gave us a tour of the museum. The museum is housed in what used to be a monastery, giving the whole thing an Italian feel. Many people think…

To start of our second day in Italy, we had a crash course in Italian lead by an actress to learn a few words and phrases. We did lots of acting exercises where we spoke and followed directions in Italian. We learned a wide range of things from numbers to the word for teleportation. Once we…

After lots of hours spent traveling, I got my first look at Italy from the plane window this morning, and the second I saw it I was amazed. There were fields upon fields dotted with little clusters of red tile-roofed homes, and it was flat as flat could be right up until the giant Alps…

Hi, my name is Ahlena Davies and I can’t wait to study abroad in Italy! I am planning on graduating from Pitt with a major in marketing, a minor in Spanish (not the right language for this trip, I know), and a certificate in international business. When I first learned about the Plus3 program while visiting…