Day 1: We're in Rome!

May 11^th Day 1 Rome:

Kristina's FitBit Information: 8.2 Miles walked & 20,367 Steps

Noelle indicated that she considered day one to be from the moment we all got to the airport on May 10^th, through our landing in Rome, until her head hit the pillow on May 11^th at Hotel Atlantico. She writes, “Needless to say, day one wasn’t like any other day; it was thirty-four hours of excitement and curiosity and exhaustion and I wouldn’t have had it any other way!”

When we first arrived in Rome, we immediately got on a bus to visit Borgo di Tragliata, a destination wedding venue! It was a beautiful and historic property, over seven hundred years old, set in rolling green hills of an organic farm and open terraces with a fabulous swimming pool area.

Magen wrote “even though we were all tired from our flight from Philly, when we walked into this place it was like we were brought to life and transported into a dream.  I could not have thought of a better way to start off our trip than going here.”

Taylor V. said that “this was hands down the most beautiful, magical place I’ve ever seen in my life. The views were breathtaking, the floral arrangements were unbelievable, and the staff was so warm and inviting."

The venue also was a hotel that could accommodate up to 145 guests for wedding parties, and had other spaces for corporate and social meeting events. We were escorted upstairs into a meeting space where the Director of Sales, Christina, gave us a presentation about Borgo di Tragliata. She explained to us that Borgo di Tragliata hosts various foreign weddings, up to 180 per year. Their number one market is Irish weddings followed by demand from the UK, US, Germany and the Netherlands. Christina explained that different nationalities demand different weddings. For example, Italian weddings are relatively short and they don’t drink very much and American weddings held here have different programs and activities like a cooking class or wine tasting.

Their marketing is mostly word of mouth in Ireland, however they have been trying more online marketing with their websites. They normally sell a three day wedding package and have about two groups per week. Christina described that this antique property has been family owned and operated for years. In the winter season, Borgo di Tragliata holds more business meetings and still functions as a regular hotel for non-groups and events. She also shared with us some of the marketing tools the venue uses to attract clients. One such tool is a video she made that highlights some of the key selling points of the property as well some footage of weddings, of all cultures, that have taken place there.

Taylor M. said that she really enjoyed the video "because the pictures were amazing and it was interesting to see different cultures utilize the same space and make it fit their theme.”

To Taylor V., this day "was like a dream come true, because right after I figured out my potential future career, it was lunchtime."

Our tour included lunch out on the open tables on the terrace. Our first SAI tour guide was there to join us and gave us some advice about the city of Rome: what to see and what to be mindful of. Our lunch was delicious; a multiple course meal starting out with roasted eggplant and peppers topped with tomato sauce, focaccia bread and wonderful semi-soft cheese accompanied with a sweet honey like apricot jam. We were also offered a taste of a 2013 Castello di Torre in Pietra white wine that went perfectly with everything we had for lunch. Along with bread, our second course was a pasta dish with ripe tomatoes and a creamier sauce complete with fresh cheese shredded on top. Beth said that this was the best pasta she had on the entire trip!

Our third course was roasted chicken with green and red peppers and baked yellow potato. And for dessert, we had a perfectly light cake with sweet sauce drizzled over it and dusted with white powdered sugar. We also had our taste of genuine Italian espresso! It was very strong! We all added a little sugar to it to drink it a little easier.

Magen noted that the "difference between American and Italian food is wild. Now I love my country, but you cannot compare the food in Italy.  Not only is the cuisine different, but the dining experience as a whole is completely different from the U.S.”  I think we all agree on this statement.

Melinda said that "we all learned a valuable lesson at that luncheon: don’t load up on the pasta dishes because there are more to come, and you’re sure to want to eat it!"

After stuffing ourselves almost to the point of discomfort (Victoria said that "this was a foreshadow of what the rest of our culinary experiences were going to be on this trip"), we hiked up the hill to look at the church and tour the farm around the inn; all the historic buildings were beautiful. This allows for a lot of amazing backdrops for wedding photos!

Taylor V. wrote that she still thinks about "this day nearly a month after the trip, and it may very well be one of my favorite days in my entire life."

We might have all been a tad loopy from our lack of sleep, but overall, we had a great time and Kelly said it was one of her favorite experiences of Rome.

“Are We There Yet?”

One bus ride later and we’re in the city of Rome. Getting into the heart of the city was a culture shock itself. It was like the city was made with no rules and everyone could just do whatever they wanted.The Hotel Atlantico was in a prime location. We were right up the road from the Coliseum and within a block of two metro stations that made it easy to get to any of the major attractions. We all took a little rest to get acclimated to our room and enjoy the beautiful view from all of our windows (even the bathroom had a great view!).

As our first night in Roma, with nothing scheduled, we decided to go out into the city and explore, particularly looking for the Trevi Fountain. Well, it turned into a much bigger adventure than we had anticipated! After two hour expedition around the massive city, we arrived at the fountain worn out. To put the cherry on top of this adventure, the Fountain was closed for renovations! In the end though, we couldn’t be too frustrated because we did finally find it and got to see a good amount of the city in the process. It was like a customized, self-led tour. It was a fun adventure in the end. We got our first taste of authentic Italian Gelato and saw a lot of this gorgeous city. However, the phrase “We’re almost there” is something we would rather not hear again for a while. 

Overall the night was wonderful and the perfect way to end our first day abroad! It was definitely eventful and put a good taste in our mouths, literally and figuratively, for what the rest of the trip was going to be like!

Kristina's FitBit Information: Rome Day 1: 8.2 Miles walked & 20,367 Steps

Flight to Rome

As part of a Stockton University faculty led study tour, 14 of us departed from Philadelphia International Airport to Rome, Italy to tour, study, wine and dine our way through the country.

With mixed emotions, the ladies arrived all wearing our matching Stockton University t-shirts purchased specifically for our travel.  

Kristina was first to arrive after a long drive from central New Jersey, Taylor V. had to console her crying mom (did we mention that today was Mother's Day?) when she was dropped off, and Tamera shared that Italy has been on the top of her bucket list for a long time. While the group grew at the terminal, some parents warned about avoiding gypsies and others helped with Italian phrases that they thought we should know.   

After the adventure of our group check-in (of which the $20 tip helped expedite), the trip finally started with a side of airport Chickie's and Pete's Crab Fries and plenty of excitement! Once on the plane, we settled in for our nine hour flight across the Atlantic. The gals watched movies, tried to sleep, played suduko, and consumed lots of plane provided food and snacks. 

This was Noelle's and Taylor V.'s first trip abroad.

All the girls agreed that the plane ride over was great. Jennie wrote that the plane landed like a feather and Victoria commented that the flight was "smooth and painless." Heather thought that "US Airways performed THE best and smoothest plan landing I have ever experienced! *applause*"

Noelle indicated that she considered day one to be from the moment we all got to the airport on May 10th, through our landing in Rome, until her head hit the pillow on May 11th at Hotel Atlantico. She writes "needless to say, day one wasn't like any other day; it was thirty-four hours of excitement and curiosity and exhaustion and I wouldn't have had it any other way!"