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s t u bl en ddentserv in i c e bulgari 125 years of italian design corri la vita montepulciano wines new fua travel book on southern tuscany g s cover photo by david andre weiss fresh o f he ft press n 21

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apicius fua at the james beard foundation by grace joh for the 5th consecutive year apicius and fua will present a tuscan dinner at the james beard foundation following previous editions focusing on the flavors of florence the greater tuscan region and ganzo the exciting highlight of this year s event takes participants into a little known wonderland in the deep south of tuscany called maremma chefs andrea trapani and desire boualy will execute a menu that s typical of the region including tortelli maremmani and wild boar preparations for 80 guests in an evening dedicated to the magic and enchanting call of an area in tuscany practically unknown to international tourism but sought by italians for its natural parks wild coastline and pristine waters unique wines such as supertuscans from bolgheri and morellino from scansano and the mystery that shrouds the strong archeological presence of the etruscan population also presented will be a new book on maremma produced by fua students with contributions by students from robert morris university in chicago reflections of maremma will take place at the james beard house in manhattan on october 23rd 2009 events several students were able to participate in a free tour that most people aren t accessible to and don t even know about in september 09 we gathered in piazza della signoria to begin the tour of the galleria degli uffizi this isn t the secret tour i m referring to after a 30-minute guided tour of the uffizi our group was lead by security to a hidden staircase which led us down into the vasarian corridor this kilometerlong hallway was the secret passageway for the medici family who used this to easily get from their offices at the uffizi to their home at the palazzo pitti and to escape from terrorists and danger when needed the corridor runs along the arno and over the ponte vecchio which features over 700 paintings of famous artists and their work a ticket for the public to purchase is 95 vasarian corridor by alyssa frediani the palazzo delle esposizioni in rome hosted a jewelry exhibition bulgari 1884-2009 between eternity and history from may 22 to september 13 of this year it featured a triumph of gold gems and astonishing designs the exhibition took place to honor the 125th anniversary of the italian maison whose founder was a greek goldsmith by the name of sotirio bulgari on display for visitors were over 400 pieces of jewelry presented so as to tell the story of the brand throughout the decades it began with early greek-style necklaces and bracelets through figurative jewels and pop-jewels finishing with the more contemporary pieces of today jewels on display were set up in luxurious black cases portraying their beauty as the sole focus of the exhibition the exhibit showed how in the past century the maison has been evolutionary and continuously creative while maintaining its distinguishing features as a matter of fact some say that a bulgari jewel is as recognizable as a chanel tailleur 125 years of italian design by valeria lasalvia fuori porta fieldtrips day trips of sightseeing cheap lunch and wine are one of the best parts of traveling in italy a beautiful day at the beach or an escapade to famous spots such as pisa can be some of the most enjoyable experiences in tuscany a 6,50 euros hour and a half train ride to pisa can give you a day s worth of adventure though most think there isn t much to see after the leaning tower and the cathedral you would be surprised for 10 euros a five-person bike is available for 50 minutes to go around pisa and see everything else my friends and i mostly enjoyed taking pictures of the tuscan town from all different angles while enjoying the perks of being a tourist not caring if you look ridiculous the best part was enjoying an inexpensive dinner complete with wine for 10 euros a person and a spectacular view of the leaning tower pisa fuori porta by kelsey liddy cinque terre 2 newsletter 21 by alyssa frediani photo by david andre weiss breaking news

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friday september 18th was a day filled with excitement exploring and extensive walking the five lands of the italian west coast most commonly known as cinque terre were some of the most spectacular and beautiful places i ve ever seen the fua-organized excursion began at 7:30am when about 40 students boarded the trenitalia from santa maria novella to monterosso the water in monterosso was a vivid teal blue and only about 50 feet from the train station apartments of peach green yellow and red color surrounded us as we came to the beach area 11:30am approached and it was time to start our 3 mile hike the grueling [but amazing hike through the steep rocky hills was well worth the sweat and thigh-burning sensation experienced the views we saw were more beautiful than anyone could imagine much more appealing than what you see on postcards we reached our destination vernazza and got a bite to eat at a small ristorante called gianni franzi right by the harbor there a swimming area provided huge rocks for tourists and locals to lie on and enjoy the sun and cool water students inphoto by alyssa frediani cluding me appreciated the refreshing water after hiking up and down the hills of cinque terre after a few hours an overpacked ferry took us to manarola where we started our walk down the via dell amore the path of love which leads to riomaggiore the last of the five lands maybe the writer could tie the article up cinque terre by alyssa frediani a transitory visit to the eternal city once you navigate your way out of the airport or train station and into the heart of the city you will find that although rome is inhabited by over 2.7 million people it is surprisingly simple to get around during my four-day stay i kept my map handy but found i rarely needed to open it because most of the major sites are within walking distance of one another for instance the pantheon the trevi fountain and the spanish steps are all less than fifteen minutes apart i highly recommend spending an entire afternooon in the vatican city it is well worth the 14 it costs to enter vaticana musei but be sure to take your time there is so much to see and the cappella sistina will be waiting for you at the end also according to many happy customers the world s best gelato can be found at giolitti on via uffi ci del vicario 40 north of the pantheon this ice cream shop founded in 1900 uses fresh and natural products and is a popular meeting place for locals and a must for visitors buon viaggio by melissa mitchell foodies in florence and across italy tourists and locals alike flock to gelaterias to enjoy the famous italian ice cream while there is nothing easier than finding gelato in florence finding good gelato can prove to be more difficult but there are a couple of visual cues that mark the difference between good and not-sogood gelato the first clue to look for are signs advertising gelato fatto en casa produzione propria or artiginale shops not making these claims sell mass produced gelato that usually isn t as delicious the color of the gelato also signals the product s quality the color should match the flavor so pistachio should be gray-green not bright green and banana should look gray not yellow the correct color shows that actual fruit was used for flavor other visual clues to look for are gelato stored in metal containers not plastic ones plastic containers are a sign of mass production additionally while the sculpturally mounded displays seen at many gelato shops look cool it is a sign that air has been used to fluff it with these visual clues finding a favorite gelateria should be easier but if the best gelato still seems elusive don t be afraid to ask a local where they like to go sometimes the best shops are the ones only the locals know about gelato by kelly brouse wine from montepulciano photo by david andre weiss 21 newsletter 3

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i don t know what you usually prefer doing on weekends in firenze but let me tell you that i recently spent an enjoyable saturday visiting the nearby towns of montepulciano montalcino and pienza they are outside of firenze however they are still in tuscany making for an easy day trip these towns are examples of places that are bigger than the area they stand on besides being beautiful towns they are famous for great wine and cheeses i couldn t just pass these towns by could i i tasted some particularly outstanding wine in montepulciano my favorite by far being `vino nobile di montepulciano yes it is noble i also gave `pecorino cheese a try i liked the strong aroma of this sheep s milk cheese from pienza and even brought some home along with a noble bottle from montepulciano i m not an expert yet on the art of pairing wine and cheeses but this pair might be my personal favorite for quite some time find yours saluti a tuscan delicacy lardo di colonnata is exactly what the first word translates to lard taken from the back of a pig it is sliced thin and put inside special marble containers mined from the famous marble quarries of carrara the marble is rubbed with garlic and the layers of lard are alternated with layers of spices creating an array of flavors that trigger happy memories of warm comfort while allowing you to explore a world of new tastes and smells whatever your first impression may be of eating something usually associated with grease or anything else unhealthy this delicious treat is a must to truly experience tuscany s exciting tastes start with slicing some traditional tuscan bread and heat it a little then lay a slice of the meat across the bread the warmth will cause the meat to melt so that it now resembles gooey cheese rather than silky milk-colored meat take a bite sit quietly for a moment and savor it you can also top it with olives tomatoes and a little olive oil but first try it alone so that you can taste the wonderful flavors of the meat itself wine from montepulciano cheese from pienza by onur bektas lardo di colonnata by karah sutton wine news il vino is an important aspect of the culture of italy like a first date he can prove to be as transparent as a wine glass or unexpectedly profound in his depth a trip to visit the vineyard in montelpulciano a hill town in the southern part of tuscany introduces what is behind a glass of wine moreover the process of how bunches of purple grapes with a bit of white power transform into bottles of wine montepulciano is well-known for its grape variety the main grape in the vineyard salcheto is called sangiovese these purple pearls i tasted are not as acidic as i had imagined they would be they were sweet with only a slightly bitter and acidic edge to the skin with the original taste of the grapes in mind the highlight was to sample the wine with local food the welcoming bottle was salcheto rosato di toscana which complimented the primo piatto the home-made gnocchi with tomato sauce the following wines included rosso di montepulciano chianti colli senesi and vino nobile di montepulciano brought out the flavors of fresh prosciutto local salami and aged formaggi the perfect ending to this first date was bianco di toscana along with four delicate desserts ruminating on our experience we discussed the flavors we had photo by davis andre weiss sampled and chatted with one another outside surrounded by natural landscapes and enjoying the gentle sunshine and tender breeze everyone was satisfied smiling an aftertaste to remember a date with montepulciano by hsin-yu hsiao serena 4 newsletter 20

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wine picks from ganzo s lunch manager margot uncorked by apicius staff former apicius enology student margot cesarie manages the lunch service at ganzo here are her suggestions for tasting and enjoying her favorite picks i love studying wine because it is always changing it is impossible to ever reach a point where you ve learned enough it is impossible to ever fully grasp or understand it all so the thrill of the chase is always there so to speak i took my bachelor s degree in philosophy and loved studying that for the same reason not to mention that i am continually fascinated by the bittersweet fact that any bottle you open will never be the same again wine changes every day and you can never have the same bottle twice because it grows and breathes just like we do it s hard to pick favorite wines because what i like to drink depends on my mood my company the food and the weather i tend to agree with giampiero that the best bottles of wine are the ones that you drink with good friends and finish them without even noticing that said i have a particular affection for the beachy taste of vermentino in general and vermentino di gallura specifically it was the grape/wine that really sparked my passion for wine somehow the one that originally got me into this wine was cantina del vermentino s 2006 funtanaliras vermentino di gallura that i had several years ago in rome vermentino is usually simple but it s beautiful with spaghetti alle vongole that s probably my favorite pairing other fave pairings sweet botrytised wines with various cheeses simple chianti with crostini toscana prosecco with fried veggies and prosciutto and i am a big lover of champagne and franciacortas with the whole meal classic method sparklers are fantastic with almost any food especially champagne with sushi another one of my absolute favorite pairings i ve also recently become a bit enamored of german wine and love sampling different german rieslings with thai food at least when i m in the states and its more available i don t eat much meat other than seafood but when i do i can t argue with the beauty of a young but earthy brunello with something like braised beef or bistecca community flash killing two evils with one stone-laziness and breast cancer by melanie lucas-conwell breast cancer supporters gather each year for the corri la vita run/walk for a scenic tour of florence from the duomo to the chiesa di santo spirito past the boboli gardens and from the bardini museum back to piazza signoria for those who haven t seen the altr arno this is their pportunity the event benefits the new center for rehabilitation oncology co-managed by ispo institute for the study and prevention of cancer and lilt italian league for the fight against cancer the rest supports the activities of file italian foundation of lenitherapie for the first time ever more than 2,400 facebook friends got to choose the 7th annual run s theme color their pick orange for its energy vitality and radiates warmth each year a new color and design is chosen which salvatore ferragamo proudly sponsors piazza signoria via calzaiuoli chiesa di orsanmichele piazza duomo giro antiorario del duomo via dell oriuolo palazzo strozzi sacrati con adsi piazza san giovanni via roma piazza della repubblica via strozzi via della vigna nuova cortile di palazzo rucellai con adsi piazza goldoni ponte alla carraia lungarno guicciardini piazza degli scarlatti via dei geppi via santo spirito 4 giardino frescobaldi con adsi via santo spirito borgo s jacopo chiesa di san jacopo via guicciardini piazza pitti piazza s felice chiostro san pier martire via romana giardino corsi con adsi giardino di boboli ingresso di annalena via san leonardo costa san giorgio giardino bardini piazza dei mozzi museo bardini ponte alle grazie via dei benci via dei neri via della ninna piazza signoria the itinerary 20 newsletter 5

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italian culture let s try to read in italian da questo numero blending proporrà una selezione di frasi utili per tutte le occasioni un modo semplice e veloce per sentirsi a proprio agio anche lontano da casa inoltre un piccolo dizionario vi ricorderà i termini più utilizzati nei diversi contesti iniziamo questo mese con i ristoranti e gli acquisti al ristorante quale vino ci consiglia what wine would you recomend accettate prenotazioni do you take reservations mi può consigliare un piatto di stagione could you recommend a seasonal dish ha vino sfuso do you have loose leaf wine ci consiglia un bianco frizzante o uno fermo do you recommend a white wine that is fizzy or still posso pagare con la carta di credito may i pay with a credit card dove posso cambiare il denaro where can i change money avete qualche specialità di casa do you have any house specialties avete qualche specialità locale do you have any local specialties avete qualche specialità di casa do you have any local specialties sono vegetariano i am a vegetarian student voice student voice student voice at some point in life we all say there s no place like home but what is this `home is it a place a feeling a person to children `home means a house and family however maturity and intellect expand the meaning of home to a conglomerate of places feelings and people that make you who you are and become pieces of joy and comfort in your life i come from a culture and family that runs on high speed where leisure consists of frozen dinners followed by crashing on the couch after work or on the weekend such a life style has never appealed to me and drives to labor at any task to the point of exhaustion recently i have begun searching for a place or even people to slow my life down in order to uncover my `home i have found a piece of it during my stay in florence when i moved to this beautiful city with its enjoyment of daily life and appreciation for fulfillment of desire my soul was calmed and quenched by this culture of leisure and love for beauty rather than photo courtesy of florence campus simply seeing each day through i am learning that life must be felt and experienced every day when i leave florence i know that this lesson will not leave me it is now a part of who i am whenever `home feels far away i can click my heels and immediately come back in florence by lauren gillies as i walk through my new city whether it be aimlessly wandering or frantically rushing each of my five senses are enhanced by the constant companionship of my cherished and beloved ipod who i ironically christened florence upon our first encounter two years ago informally known as flo please do not misinterpret my message friends it is of utmost importance to experience every sight sound smell taste and tangible cosa that we encounter during our time abroad however i highly recommend that from time to time during a trek between via magliabechi and il centro s outer reaches you plug your earphones in and enjoy the experience of walking to the beat of your own mind for as the music slowly pervades your senses and tuning in to avoid tuning out by rachel boesenberg 6 newsletter 21

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and enjoy the experience of walking to the beat of your own mind for as the music slowly pervades your senses and seeps into every homework-riddled corner of your brain i wholeheartedly promise that even the most mundane street scene can transform itself into your imagination s wildest conjures here are a few suggestions yours to keep by teddybears sthlm toe jam by the bpa featuring dizzee rascal laisse tomber les filles by france gall burning by the whitest boy alive do s and don ts introduction while out on a stroll through florence my roommate and i came upon the walls of the city many students spend time planning trips to other countries in europe such as paris and amsterdam however they rarely venture to the outside the city limits my advice venture outside the city walls where there is much more to see than the touristy city center of florence don t be afraid to ask advice from the locals after all they do know their way around by sarah wojdyla go to the mercato centrale attempt to use italian with florentines even if you think your italian is terrible befriend florentines in bars cafés and ristoranti eat gelato daily go for long exploratory walks around the city take a map with you everywhere at least for the first few weeks bring your own bag to the grocery store to avoid getting charged go to the 99 cent store for everyday needs like toilet paper and even cooking spices enjoy an aperitivo try a caffe italian coffee is much better than any other go to the oil shop for a great sandwich or salad for lunch step out into the street without looking even with a `walk sign spend all your money on the fine leather right away limit yourself to american friends meet italians while you are here forget to get your train ticket validated or you will be fined eat too much cheese at once lauren gillies do s don ts shades of maremma is a travel guide that will take you to the magical world of maremma characterized by dreams and intense colors the perfect combination of the two is a travel experience demonstrated by colors stories and poetry describing this special area of tuscany little known by tourists and adored by italians maremma is a parallel world to be discovered in tuscany sharing much in common with the region that it belongs to but at the same time unique for its flavors local history and culture and intense contrasts between sea/coastline and mountains/plains the words and images that not only accompany the traveler who visits maremma but transforms him/her into a true albeit temporary inhabitant of the this magical area the book was researched by a group of fua students composed of studyabroaders and robert morris university students in the 2009 summer session it was published by ingorda for florence campus publishing which unites fua and apicius and will debut at the james beard foundation on october 23rd the guide will come out in florence on october 19th to purchase a copy please inquire at the front desks starting from the release date for information please contact publishing@florencecampus.it new travel book produced by fua students photo courtesy of florence campus 21 newsletter 7

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book event ganzo martedi 13 ottobre ore 12:00 book event ganzo tuesday october 13th 12pm www.florencecampus.it florence campus editore presenta una speciale guida divisa nelle varie sezioni del calcio storico gioco fiorentino riproposto ogni anno in piazza santa croce le quattrosquadresono caratterizzate dal col ore d el l e l oro l i v ree che rappresentano i diversi quartieri del centro parole ed immagini invitano i lettori a passeggiare per i quattro quartieri della città introduzione di luciano artusi presidente del calcio storico fiorentino via dei macci 85 rosso firenze r.s.v.p publishing@florencecampus.it created and published by the student editorial staff of the student services department student editing for this issue melissa mitchell lauren gillies melanie lucas-conwell

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