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Background: Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime, corruption, high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and the low incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the prosperous north.

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By MURPHY32
October 25th 2007

day 6 Europe » Italy » Umbria

Day 6 A little overcast today and off we go again. first things first, get the car rental. actually it wasn't a painful process. they had our car ready but it was parked on a side street about 10 blocks away. its a good thing we had a gps system that we brought with us. We headed for SanMarino one of the highest hilltop towns in Marche. Managed to find our way up the mountain and find some parking. Then the walk, trust me when i say it was all up hill. It was a misty and light rain kind of [View Full Entry]

By Margaret Nigro
October 19th 2007

Florence last weekend, the chocolate festival, etc Europe » Italy » Umbria » Perugia

The duomo in Florence
Also a very pretty duomo

I'll write first about last weekend since I haven't done that yet. I went to Florence with my Renaissance Art class, or, rather, the other section of the Renaissance Art class since I missed my class's trip the weekend before to go to Tuscany. It was interesting being in Florence again; I think I'm getting pretty used to it. It's a nice town, but I think Perugia is a better place to study abroad. Julianna and I were both going, so we left together in the morning, and almost missed our train. Luckily, the train was 5 minutes late, so we [View Full Entry]

By Margaret Nigro
October 17th 2007

I should be studying for my last two mid-terms Europe » Italy » Umbria » Perugia

I'll try to update again tomorrow or Friday before fall break gets going, because I think this entry is going to be short. Sorry I haven't been doing a better job of this. This week has been pretty hectic. We've done lots of reviewing, I had two papers due, and three tests. My papers are now out of the way, and one of the tests. I'm glad it's just two exams left. I like the feeling of tests a lot better, because even if I procrastinate, I usually end up doing okay, and once it's over, it's over. The papers were [View Full Entry]

By farfalla
October 15th 2007

Eurochocolate!!! Europe » Italy » Umbria » Perugia

Chocolate Sculpture
I saw an old lady hit a kid with her purse to get a piece of chocolate chunk. People were crazy for chocolate.

The big event of the year in Perugia happend this week...EUROCHOCOLATE...actually midterms and Kirstens birthday consumed my life that I didn't go to any of the chocolate events until the end of the week. I just taste tested samples as I went to class and my apartment. I love chocolate though. I have to recommend any dark chocolate from Africa, especially Madagascar. What is tricky in America is that the FDA regulates that Dark chocolate has to have 30% or more coco to be considered dark chocolate. Milk chocolate has to have 10% or more to be considered milk chocolate. What [View Full Entry]

By World Drifter
October 14th 2007

Chocolate Chocolate Everywhere Europe » Italy » Umbria » Perugia

So yesterday was a lovely day indeed....we were surrounded by chocolate. We left Florence and arrived in Perugia the day before. After taking the wrong bus, ( which actually turned out to benefit us in the end because it showed us right where the Chocolate Festival would be taking place the next day) we finally got settled into our hostel, and went to the market for some food to make up some grub....we selected fresh pasta and broccoli....though very plain and simple, it was one of the best meals ever...I just get worn out going out to eat all the time. [View Full Entry]

By farfalla
October 13th 2007

Kirstens Birthday Europe » Italy » Umbria » Perugia

Dressing the Birthday Girl

Kirstens birthday became Kirstens birthday weekend. It was a lot of fun. A bunch of us went to a really good traditional Perugian restaurant. There were medieval weapons, armor and gnomes. Weird huh. I tried to get a truffle dish although I think they gave me the wrong meal. Oh well. I thought it was too confusing to explain in Italian and change it. Kirsten started her afternoon a shot every half an hour for her 21st. We went to La Tanna Del Orso pub which was extremely crowded. We almost went to some club that you had to be bused [View Full Entry]

How weird that they are all wearing white.

By NZ4ME
October 12th 2007

Oh Orvieto! Europe » Italy » Umbria » Orvieto

View from Umbria House
View from the patio

Monday, October 1, 2007 - Last day in Roma! Okay, let’s take stock and see what we HAVEN’T done here. The Appia Antica and catacombs and another outlet. And away we GO! Kevin and I expected the Catacombs to be like the ones in Paris, and they weren’t, at all. We only went into one, St. Sebastian, but it was very interesting to see the tomb rooms, and the burial niches, dating from the 3-4th Century. They were not hiding places for the Christians to escape persecution, but rather underground Christian cemeteries that were also safe havens as the Romans respected [View Full Entry]

By Margaret Nigro
October 11th 2007

Next week is the chocolate fest Europe » Italy » Umbria » Perugia

Not much of interest has happened as far as classes and my daily activities I feel. Today I talked to Ann on the phone for the first time; that was really nice. I went to a travel agency and bought tickets to go see her in November, the weekend of Thanksgiving in America. I'm taking an overnight train Thursday night the 22nd, and an overnight train Saturday night the 24th. It'll be a pretty quick trip, but I think it will be really good to see her, and I really don't want to miss my classes, so that's how it's going [View Full Entry]

By farfalla
October 10th 2007

Making friends in Italy Europe » Italy » Umbria » Perugia

Matteo, Carlo, and Palo

Randomly my friend Dana bumped into this group of Italian guys who we have been hanging out with a lot. They speak...well they are a lot better at English then I am with Italian. I am trying really hard to learn Italian. Hanging out with them I am actually picking up a lot of common phrases. They are big goof balls though. They like swearing in English and are extremely Euro. I have always heard the term Euro trash, and I fully understand the term now. These are pics of a dinner we all went to. Il bachi - the name [View Full Entry]

By Margaret Nigro
October 9th 2007

Things are getting busy Europe » Italy » Umbria » Perugia

Tuscan countryside
I think it looks pretty similar to Umbria . . . Stephanie disagrees.

I'm sorry again for not updating sooner. I know some of you check more frequently than I update, and I don't mean to leave you wanting. Fun fact about tonight: two of my roommates, Shannon and Julianna are on Italian TV right now. They're with their Culture and Society class in Rome apparently in the TV studio watching this political discussion show. It's all in Italian and I don't really understand it. I always feel like my Italian is getting so much better when I'm sitting in Italian class, but once I get out into the world, I don't really understand [View Full Entry]

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