Home > Western Washington University - International Programs & Exchanges > WWU Faculty Led Program: Ecogastronomy and Food Cultures of Italy > Language and Food Study, Florence 2012

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A review on WWU Faculty Led Program: Ecogastronomy and Food Cultures of Italy

Reviewed by Camille Crocettistudent(Western Washington University) on

Language and Food Study, Florence 2012

I thought that the academic portion of this trip was average. I learned a lot of language, and the language professors were great, but when signing up for a food study, I was expecting more cooking and less lecturing. The lectures were interesting, but not exactly how I wanted to spend my two weeks in Florence. The home-stay was absolutely incredible -- the best part of the trip. If I could've paid to just take the language course and stay with the family I stayed with, I would do it in a heartbeat. Overall I had a great time, but the majority of my positive experiences came from the people (classmates, housemates, family, etc.) and the city, not from the poorly planned academic portion of the trip.

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Review Details

  • A-
    Academics

    The language classes were incredible, but the food portion of the class did not meet expectations.

  • A
    Program Administration

    No comment

  • A+
    Living Situation

    No comment

  • A
    Cultural Immersion

    I wish we had more time to explore the city and experience the culture, as opposed to being in class for 9 hours/day.

  • A+
    Food

    The food at our home was INCREDIBLE. Huge dinners every night and great company. We didn't once go out for dinner because we wanted to be home every night!

  • A
    Social Life

    Fun bars and clubs to go to, if you know where to go. Nightlife is a hug part of European culture and I am glad to have experienced it.

  • City Life

    Go to the top of Il Duomo. It stays open until 6:20 and from 5:30-on there is practically no line. Vivoli Gelateria has incredible rice pudding gelato. It is near Santa Croce. Shot Cafe has fun drinks and they take dollars 1:1. It is near Piazza San Marco and the Accademia (a few blocks away from Il Duomo).

Other Reviews on WWU Faculty Led Program: Ecogastronomy and Food Cultures of Italy

  • A
    WWU Faculty Led Program: Ecogastronomy and Food Cultures of Italy Excellence

    Reviewed by Whitney Macarty on .

    This course was excellent. It provided the necessary education beforehand and during the trip. It was an experience I am happy I was apart of. The stuff in charge deserve a standing "O".

  • A-
    WWU Faculty Led Program: Ecogastronomy and Food Cultures of Italy Incredible Experience Despite Course Misrepresentation

    Reviewed by Alison Leake on .

    This course was truly phenomenal from a cultural immersion perspective. Living with a Florentine family that spoke exclusively Italian and having daily three-hour Italian language classes guaranteed immersion. By the end of the two weeks, Florence felt like home, and Italian was rolling quite naturally from my tongue. However, based on the program literature, I expected the bulk of the course to be focused on ecogastonomic topics. The four lectures given by researchers from the University of Florence's sensory taste science department and the trip to the biodynamic farm in Toscana aligned more closely with my academic content expectations, but the vast majority of our class time was devoted to Italian language.

  • A
    WWU Faculty Led Program: Ecogastronomy and Food Cultures of Italy Program well thought out and executed

    Reviewed by David Swayne on .

    Program was truly life changing. My host family was a huge factor in the success of the immersion. They engaged all of the students staying with them and treated us like family. Gigi was a great professor and made possible many opportunities to meet and learn from people i didn't think possible.

  • A
    WWU Faculty Led Program: Ecogastronomy and Food Cultures of Italy A great experience in Florence with many learning trials.

    Reviewed by Melissa Juergens on .

    This program was amazing, and I would do it again in a second. The things that we learned while doin this study abroad really were unique and couldn't happen at any old University. I will forever treasure the memories I have from this trip and the many things I learned about ego-astronomy, bio-dynamic farming, and many other amazing topics.

  • A
    WWU Faculty Led Program: Ecogastronomy and Food Cultures of Italy Awesome experience

    Reviewed by dembera on .

    This class was great. It was a great way to see the city of Florence and the surrounding countryside, while learning about food culture. Many of the meals we had as a class on this trip just blew me away. Especially the trip to a bio-dynamic farm and the home cooked meal they served us there, was delicious beyond anything I have ever eaten, no exaggerating.

  • A+
    WWU Faculty Led Program: Ecogastronomy and Food Cultures of Italy Mmmmmmmmm, Italy

    Reviewed by Raymond Schwabacher on .

    Three perfect weeks. Thanks a million to Gigi and everyone else involved!