“No, I can’t. I have Italy class tonight.”

By: Kaitlin Pusateri, Contributor

This past spring break, I had the pleasure of traveling to Italy with Canisius’ Travel Photography class, FAS 142! This class began with an introduction to photography, allowing us to learn different methods of taking photos while exploring how to take creative and aesthetic photos of the world around us. The travel portion of this class involved spending our spring break in Italy to practice our photography skills while being immersed in a new culture and being exposed to new experiences. This trip was the first time I had ever been outside of the U.S. and Canada, and it was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had! 

My favorite part about this experience was that our professor, Tom Wolf, took us to places in Italy that are less well-known to tourists. This allowed us to get away from the tourist-targeted areas and fully experience what life is like in Italy. One of these places was a small medieval town called Guardia Sanframondi where we got to meet some of the town’s residents and explore a castle, and we even ended up making it in a local newspaper. We also spent a few nights in a less well-known town, Monopoli, where we got to stay during Festa del Papà, which is Italy’s Father’s Day. The town was full of people, live music, bonfires, food and drinks. It was so fun to be a part of this celebration and experience more of Italian culture! 

One of my favorite things we did was the Walk of the Gods, which is a beautiful hike along the Amalfi Coast, with breathtaking views of the mountains and the Tyrrhenian sea. After the hike, we got to explore the town of Positano and enjoy a delicious dinner on the beach. Overall, I think my favorite place we visited was the city of Napoli, where we spent several nights. The city was beautiful and there was so much to do and experience! 

I loved getting to meet new people on this trip. People were always very friendly and were a huge part of our experience in Italy, especially in less touristy places. The people we encountered loved meeting us, they learned from us just as much as we learned from them! Our bus driver, Francesco, also played a huge role in our trip. Not only did he drive us where we needed to go each day, but he even joined us for meals and activities, and helped us to learn more about life in Italy. 

One thing that I miss the most from Italy is the food. We had the opportunity to try a variety of different foods while experiencing what Italian dining is like. The pizza in Naples was amazing, and I tried some of the best pastas I’ve ever had! One of my favorite meals was at Cantine Foschini, a beautiful vineyard outside of Naples where we had the opportunity to learn about the process of wine making. Our visit ended with a home-cooked meal prepared by the Foschini family with ingredients from their own farm! This was a five-course meal beginning with a plate of appetizers, lasagna, meat and potatoes, and ended with a delicious slice of cheesecake. The Foschini family was incredibly friendly and loved having us at their vineyard, which truly added to the experience. Another one of my favorite meals was in the beautiful city of Matera. A small group of us went out to find a place to eat, and we found a little restaurant called “U ciddar,” which was owned by a couple who cooked for us right out of their own kitchen. The owners loved having us and it was some of the best food I’ve ever tasted! I also can’t forget to mention how much I loved gelato – I ate it every day! 

This trip was truly a life-changing and eye-opening experience! I learned a lot about myself and the world around me, and I am so incredibly grateful to have had this experience. I would love to go back to Italy someday, and this trip has encouraged me to travel more in the future and explore the world around me!