Tag Archives: stage

Travel Note: Piedmont Stage

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Fresh off the heels of a trip to Puglia, we will be away on stage again this week, this time to our home region of Piemonte! Unlike last time though, we will be returning home every night to sleep in our own beds (yay!) and use our own computers (double yay!). So, I expect to not be continuously whining about the lack of internet access.

Piedmont is well known for its rolling mountains, wines (Barolo) and chocolate (in Turin). A sample itinerary (for Thursday July 8th):

8:00 – Departure
9:00 – Arrival at the Saluzzo jail. Visit Pausa Caffè brewery: presentation of the project, see beer production
10:45 – Depart for Torino
12:15 – Domori chocolate factory production line (home of the Best Chocolate Ever)
13:15 – Lunch
14:00 – Presentation of the factory and its marketing strategy
15:00 – Departure for Coazze
16:00 – Arrival in Coazze, see the production process of Chevrin di Coazze artisanal goat cheese
18:00 – Depart for Bra
19:30 – Arrival in Bra

Unfortunately, I am missing Wednesday morning’s activities because I have to go to the Questura (immigration office) to register for a permesso di soggiorno (residency permit). This requires going out to Cuneo, then getting all digits fingerprinted by a gloved and lab-coated man. Um. And they say the US is a police state?

Travel Note: Puglia Stage

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An administrative note from the powers that be: we are traveling to Apulia for a stage (the Italian word for field trip) and will be staying there for the rest of the week. The UNISG program includes about a week’s worth of travel every month or so, where we go to another region of Italy or another country, and spend time learning about local products, meeting producers and sampling the specialties of the region. Puglia is well known for its olive oil, beaches and aggressive men. Ah, my first stint in southern Italy.

A sample itinerary (for Tuesday 6/15):

8:30 – Breakfast

9:00 – Departure to Terranova

10:00 – Visit a local farm that raises Murgese horses, free range pigs and produces Capocollo di Martina Franca

12:00 – Visit an artisanal butcher, Romanelli; lesson on the capocollo production process and tasting

14:00 Visit to Martina Franca

16:00 Visit the wine cooperative of Locorotondo

17:00 Visit to Alberobello

19:00 Departure for Cisternino

20:00 Arrival in Cisternino and dinner at Fornello Menga Restaurant

According to the website, the hotel has wifi in public areas, so hopefully I’ll have some internet access in between hanging out on the beach. Otherwise, my computer will be completely dead weight and I will catch you all on Friday night.