Interview: Georgian students experience Europe

Places visited

Every year, students travel to different cities in Italy, France and Switzerland. In 2019 they visited:

• Rome
• Florence
• Bologna
• Lake Como
• Lugano
• Engelberg
• Basel
• Colmar
• Strasbourg
• Paris

Experiences

“We are there to discover the history, art, agriculture, food and culture of our ancestors,” says trip leader Anthony Borgo.

“We visit the Vatican for a guided tour of St. Peters and the Vatican Libraries; roman ruins, art museums, wineries, artisanal food purveyors and farmers in open markets.

We eat in a variety of restaurants in order to understand ‘taste of place’ and local cuisine.

We also explore business, trade and commerce, and take time to view art and learn about its cultural hold starting from the renaissance period.”

What interested you about attending the Euro Tour?

L: I love to travel and enjoy different experiences. The opportunity to travel to Europe on an organized tour where I could see as much as possible was amazing.

K: The places!! Always the places. I had never travelled further than Toronto and fell in love with the idea of seeing those places that everyone always talks about. Also, the culture. The people of other countries, and how nice they were.

What was your favourite location on the trip and why?

L: My favourite location was Florence, Italy. It was easy for tourists to find their way around in Italy and the food was fantastic, especially the cheese. We visited the leather market where I purchased two purses, a wallet and a belt at reasonable prices. All of these were gifts for my family.

K: My favourite place was Switzerland. It was so beautiful, and the weather was phenomenal. I would move to the mountains if I could.

What was your favourite experience on the trip and why?

L: My favourite experience was Lake Como in Italy because the landscape and scenery were stunning. I would go back in a heartbeat.

K: My favourite experience would have been seeing the champagne lights on the Eiffel tower at night. It was spectacular!

What was your most memorable meal?

L: I had my most memorable meal in Switzerland where we ate at a quaint family restaurant in the mountains. I had a fantastic pasta, salad and cinnamon ice cream.

K: My most memorable meal would have been the dinner at Anna Maria’s. It was the most memorable because of Anna Maria. She is the owner of the restaurant and is in at least her late 70s but full of life and super funny.

How did attending this trip improve or complement what you are studying at Georgian?

L: This trip allowed me to see how people live in other countries around the world. I think that any trip/experience provides us with an opportunity to grow and expand personally.

K: It complemented my DSW course because I now have more life experience and can use that to inform my decisions. I can also share my travel experiences with the individuals I’ll work with, as a DSW, if they are interested in travel.

What was the best thing about being in another part of the world? What was the hardest?

L: The best part of being in another part of the world was learning the culture. The most difficult thing was not understanding the language and trying to navigate in different communities. I have to admit that I got lost more than once.

K: The best part was seeing how other countries work – like the streets of Rome. When you “cross like a Roman” you don’t check both ways; you just walk. The cars will stop for you. If you stop to check traffic they’ll never stop and you won’t get anywhere. The hardest part would have been the language barrier, especially when trying to navigate public transit and not understanding the announcements.

What would you say to others who are considering attending this trip next year?

L: Do it! It may seem expensive, but what you experience and learn in a two week period is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you can’t put value on that. It also allowed me to create new friendships and connections.

K: GO!! Don’t hesitate, it’s worth it. You won’t regret a single thing. The teachers, the people and the places are amazing!!

Anything else you would like to share?

L: I want to say a huge thank you to faculty Karen Woods and Anthony Borgo. Both of them provided our group with personal safety in another country, lots of laughs, new experiences and many great memories.