Aperitivo 101

Some say the ancient Egyptians started the tradition by drinking bitter drinks with finger foods. Others date the birth of this Italian evening activity to the 1920s and the popularity of vermouth in Milan. Whenever (and whenever) it started, the aperitivo is part of modern-day Italian culture. Starting from the belief that "L'appetito viene mangiando" (Appetite comes while you eat), Italians often get together in the evening, after work but before dinner, and have a small drink with snacks. Umbra students got together last night and learned about the aperitivo, both the theoretical and practical. After a short history of the aperitivo, students ordered some typical drinks (Campari soda, prosecco, and the famous Spritz) and enjoyed potato chips, tramezzini, olives, and other goodies. The Aperitivo 101 workshop will be repeated in two weeks - keep your eyes peeled for signups!

One Last Weekend of Summer Sun...

This past weekend thirty-eight Umbra students joined staff members Lindsey Thompson and Rachel Bethany for one last weekend in the sun around Naples and the Penisola Sorrentina, or Peninsula of Sorrento. We stopped first on Friday morning at Pompeii just outside Naples for a guided tour of the ruins, preserved by volcanic ash since the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Following the coast along the Bay of Naples, we proceeded to beautiful Sorrento on Friday afternoon, where the bright sun quickly made everyone forget that fall has already taken hold back in Perugia. Saturday morning we boarded the ferry at the port in Sorrento and rode 45 minutes over to beautiful Capri, where the weather was equally gorgeous and students were able to spend the day renting boats to ride around the island and swimming in the crystal-clear water (and window shopping!). Saturday night the weather started to look threatening, but Sunday morning the rain had passed and the sky was clear enough to see as far as the islands of Procida and Ischia during our tour of Naples. Our tour guide Paola, a native of Sorrento, gave us a fantastic overview of the history and sights of Naples, and pointed students in the direction of Pizzeria San Michele, mentioned in the recent novel Eat, Pray, Love. After everyone had a chance to sample the world-famous Neapolitan pizza we headed back up to Perugia, everyone having enjoyed one last weekend of summer before settling back into the fall academic semester.