June 17, 2019
2019 Italy #COBGlobal: Un viaggio di momenti
An ECUCOB, Study Abroad Travel Log By Andy Curliss
Our journey to Italy has been about moments – fleeting and profound; delightful and insightful; some anticipated for months, but many upon us in an instant.
As our time in Italy comes to an end, we have begun to stitch these moments into lasting memories of our experience in Italy. Our trip has provided us foremost with a deeper understanding of Italian and European Union approaches to business, particularly through a focus on food and agricultural systems, though also by diving into broad approaches to marketing.
We have traveled more than 6,000 miles by air, bus, train, subway and… foot. We’ve been sustained with conversations, meetings, presentations, lectures and wonderful, breathtaking tours that have punctuated the inevitable humdrum of daily life that goes on while traveling, such as washing clothes in a laundry off a hazy side street in Bologna late into the evening.
We have met new friends, even in some instances only through smiles and gestures when words wouldn’t suffice.
We were lucky to capture some of these moments by camera. It would have been easy to focus all of them on landmarks and attractions. And, to be sure, we stood in awe of the world’s best-known sculpture, Michelangelo’s David, in Florence. We gazed at the massive cathedral in Milan at night. We stood beside the ancient Colosseum in Rome as dusk settled upon the city. We tossed coins into the Trevi Fountain. We saw world-class museums. We gazed up at majestic and historic cathedrals and basilicas. And, we spun around in ancient piazzas.
But we also turned our attention – and our camera – away from those places, finding slices of life and insights in corners all along the way.
Here, then, are ten such examples that help to show our journey to Italy has been about more than monuments. It’s truly been about momenti.
A special cheese is born
In the countryside near Modena, the farm was beautiful in the early morning light. So was the moment when two cheesemakers lifted a spongy mass of curds from the cauldron, giving birth to what will age into authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. This cheese will be shaped, salted, soaked, stored and occasionally turned for a minimum of one year – likely more – before it is eaten and savored.
“This day may change your life!”
When Antonello Fusetti bounced onto the small stage before us, it was impossible not to sit up and lean in. Fusetti is president of the first school of design in Milan, Scuola Politecnica di Design (SPD). He teamed with a professor to give an outstanding lecture on the importance of design thinking, with a focus on its application in business. Fusetti began with no hint of an overstatement: “This day may change your life.” All forms of business, he said, need managers who know “design thinking.” “And we need designers who know management thinking.” For the next hour or so, they backed it up with a rich, varied and memorable presentation. It was one of many we received on the trip, covering deep and broad aspects of business management, strategy, finance and marketing.
A kiss is just a kiss
At left is one of the most famous paintings of a kiss in all of history, by the Italian artist Francesco Hayez. It hangs in a Milan museum gallery. The photo at right was taken while crossing a street in Turin, though it could have been in Milan or Bologna or Florence or Rome, for this was a more frequent-than-expected encounter – sweet and tender moments that played out in piazzas, around fountains, at train stations. And under the moon.
Reflecting with prayers
The central door of the cathedral in Milan includes stunning bronze carvings on panels that depict stories from the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Look closer, and a few panels have clear, bright areas where hundreds upon hundreds of thousands – likely millions – have touched in a personal moment of reflection. One panel depicts Mary and Jesus holding hands, for the last time. Watching hands reach to rub the door in prayer was a moving experience.
A leather maker at work
Walter Moretti’s grandfather was a leather maker. So was his father. So is his son. Mr. Moretti wore an apron of leather, and his worn, thick hands bore the trademarks of a craftsman. We met by chance, late in the day, in a corner of Florence’s city center. By then, our group had been to the famous leather market, with its dozens upon dozens of stalls and shops filled with crafted Italian leather products. We’d visited a prestigious leather school, housed in a monastery, and learned much about the business and trade. And, at this moment, late in the day, the goal of the moment was different – to reach the hilltop Piazzale Michelangelo to take in what promised to be a stunning sunset over all of Florence. But Mr. Moretti stood deep in the back of his shop, working on the final tasks of the day. He smiled. And, slowly, a pleasant conversation would unfold. The sunset would have to wait.
The grand Grand Canal
On a free day, venturing to Venice yielded quiet moments in narrow passageways and courtyards, chance encounters with painters and churchgoers, and stunning panoramas. The return train, bound for Bologna, arrived soon enough. Too soon. But there was time for one last snapshot. This was it.
Cibo delizioso (delicious food)
In Italy, food is life – and another topic altogether. And while we enjoyed delicious meals worthy of attention from foodies across the planet, just as memorable were the simple “salami and cheese” paninis. Perfect for “take away.”
Shadows falling in Rome
The bells were tolling for evening Mass at a basilica dedicated to St. John the Baptist in central Rome. In the distance, across the Tiber River, were the Vatican and St. Peter’s, and crowds. But here, we’re quietly settled across a plaza bounded by the church and an apartment building. Look up. The setting sun was casting shadows, and slowly moving the church statuary.
Fountains for all
We enjoyed public fountains in several cities – and Rome’s stood out. The city has more than 2,550 of them. These fountains provide a steady flow of good, clear, clean and fresh drinking water that is a credit to the ancient aqueducts (of which we viewed a portion of one). And the refreshment was often needed, as June temperatures reached well into the 90s throughout. It turns out, these fountains are for more than humans, too, as the polizia made clear.
Red, white and…green
There are moments when your eye is drawn to the flag. There are no stars; there is no blue. One look and, in an instant, you are reminded that you are seeing anew… that you are abroad.
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