Inside Student Blogs Matt Prokosch 
Siena, Fall 2011
Matt's Posts
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Arrivederci Siena…..For Now
I have fallen so in love with the Italian culture that I have to go back again for an extended period of time. Plus, the one goal that I did not meet while abroad was marrying a beautiful Italian girl, so I have to go back.
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Italia Photojournalism Project: Part Tre
From day one in Italy, I decided to create a project that would emphasize the culture of Italians. Most of these pictures portray the “everyday life” of Italians as well as occasionally emphasizing the stereotypes of Italy that are often times true.
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Italia Photojournalism Project: Part Due
From day one in Italy, I decided to create a project that would emphasize the culture of Italians. Most of these pictures portray the “everyday life” of Italians as well as occasionally emphasizing the stereotypes of Italy that are often times true. I will post the pictures in three posts.
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Italia Photojournalism Project: Part Uno
From day one in Italy, I decided to create a project that would emphasize the culture of Italians. Most of these pictures portray the “everyday life” of Italians as well as occasionally emphasizing the stereotypes of Italy….that are often times true. I will post the pictures in three posts.
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Roma
On a much cooler note, I managed slip past the Swiss Guard (I felt like Jason Bourne for about 3.5 seconds) to attend Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica and receive Communion from a Cardinal. It was one of the most inspiring moments of my life.
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Switzerland: Part Due
We then frolicked down the mountain. Yes, I did indeed frolic down a mountain.
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Switzerland: Part Uno
Wow Switzerland, can you stop being so beautiful?
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Field Studies: AKA Class Field Trips to Beautiful Tuscan Cities!
Pope Pius II (Enea Silvio Piccolomini) essentially built this city with the extra cash he had laying around Saint Peter’s Basilica and named it after himself and the city he was born in, Siena.
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Tortellini fatte a mano: Bologna Cultural Trip!
“I realized that if the whole teaching history thing doesn’t work out for me, forming tortellini by hand is NOT a job for me.”
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The World’s Greatest Pizza (now that’s a title to hold)
Well to make a long story of trying to communicate to Napolitani (people who live in Naples) tailors who do not speak any form of “Italian” I can vaguely understand short, I only purchased a sport coat.
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History Meets the Present: The Sienese Contrade
The contrade were originally military units that helped defend Siena against the evil and imperialist Florentines (I know, I’m biased). In the present, the contrade compete in the Palio that takes place on July 2 and August 16 each year.
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Bellisima Cinque Terre and Typical Italian Transportation
“Some of the best travel stories come in the course of transportation . . . Luckily you weren’t in France; you would have been shut down for nearly a week.”
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First Post from Siena!
Whenever he asked a question to a local, he always started with Italian first. He noticed that the locals are much more likely to help you if you show an effort to communicate in their language. Or they don’t want you butchering their gorgeous language. Maybe both.
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Pre-Departure – Italia: Here I Come!
I sort of did think about it and the result was me bringing my suitcases out of the closet and blindly chucking clothes into them. Then I realized it was too much and I proceeded to throw it back in my closet and give up. Hey, baby steps first, right?
