Ciao from Torino, Italy! Time is flying by and I only have a little over two weeks left in my adventure in Europe.

The day after arriving in Torino I went to Rome and was blown away by the history and majesty of the city. From the Vatican to the Pantheon, Rome has something to offer everyone. The only disappointing thing was that the Trevi Fountain was under construction, and will be until 2017 apparently. Overall it was a fantastic weekend trip that I would definitely recommend.

When I got back to Torino it was time for classes to begin. I’m taking International Marketing and Finance. Marketing is a lot of work, but Finance is really interesting and I have learned a good amount in just a few weeks. The hardest thing about living in Torino is the language barrier for sure. Hardly anyone besides professors and fellow students speak English so you have to learn Italian as you go. I have managed to get by, and it helps having friends from UofL here with me.

I have made weekend trips to Lake Maggiore (near Lake Como), Venice and the Italian Riviera as well. Lake Maggiore was beautiful and I wish I could have spent more time there. The coolest place in the Riviera was Santa Margherita Ligure. It’s a nice little town near Portofino and isn’t nearly as crowded as Cinque Terre was. It’s got great seafood options and a decent beach so I would like to make a return trip. If you do go to Cinque Terre, Monterosso is the place to be since it has the only sandy beach. There’s nothing better than a relaxing day at the beach after a long week of class. Venice was a bit disappointing since it’s so easy to get lost and is so crowded, but with proper planning next time I think it could be a fun trip.

So far I have had an incredible experience and am looking forward to my last week here in Torino before heading off to London. Italy has so much to offer and I’m glad I chose Torino as my host site.

Ciao,
Andrew Schmidt