#josefiafrydenborg

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Sorrento Study Abroad Recap

It has been a couple days since my program ended and I still can’t believe it. These past months have been life changing in every way. From traveling, studying, and working, there has been so much to do. To sum up my experience abroad I wanted to leave you with a list of my favorite things and recommendations I wish I knew before coming to Sorrento. 

Favorites During My Time in Italy 

Clothing Store : Daphnes or any of the alley way stores 

Food : Pasta alla Nerano or any Naples Pizza 

Restaurants : Casa Mia (bit pricey but worth it) , Taverna Azzurra (salmon pasta or crab ravioli is to die for!)

Desserts: Lemon Delight (Amalfi Coast Staple) , Gelato - definitely try Raki’s (pistachio, coffee, salted caramel, orange mango, strawberry), David’s Gelateria (lemon sorbet) 

Sandwiches : A’Marenna , Market IL Salumaio (located 5 min from the school!)

Groceries : Dodeca, Conad (for meat)

Beaches :  Bagni Regina Giovanna, Ieranto Bay (a 45 min bus and 40 min hike but soo worth it!!)

Islands to Visit: Capri, Ischia 

I also wanted to leave you with some tips before going to Sorrento! 

Transportation:  You can get from Naples to Sorrento by shuttle, taxi, or train. Because Sorrento is isolated, it can be tough to transport from one place to another especially since every time you go to the airport you need to take a shuttle (so be prepared and plan trips in advance). The trains from Sorrento to Naples are around 2.50 euros and bus tickets can be bought at the train station for 1.40 euro each. The trains can sometimes run a little late so make sure you leave 2-3 hrs of space if you are catching a train in Naples to your destination. While it seems scary, DO NOT be afraid to use public transportation. It has definitely taught me a lot more about the Campania area during my time abroad and I felt more like a local when using it! Also most bus drivers are willing to lead you in the right direction if you tell them where you want to go. 

Healthcare : While the hospital in Sorrento is not the best, Sant’Anna does offer a doctor that comes in every week if you get sick or need medical assistance. Also most pharmacies are able to give you some medicine to help you if you walk in and explain what is wrong. My friend also had to go to a doctor and to get it covered by GeoBlue, she just registered her visit in the app.

Overall, studying abroad anywhere is an amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone. It has been great to experience Italian culture and even get accustomed to an Italian workplace. It was also great that I had time to travel around Italy and outside the country! These few months in Italy have taught me how to handle different cultures and be more flexible when dealing with people from other areas. It was also great to make new friends from UMich and other colleges. Thank you for keeping up with my Italian adventures this summer and I hope this will convince you to study abroad. Ciao ciao! 

Josefia Frydenborg

Environmental Engineering

Engineering in Sorrento

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Last Week in Sorrento

These last few weeks have flown by and my time in Sorrento is coming to an end. Studying abroad in this town has been a great experience. From getting to know some locals and learning how to cook true Italian food, I would not have traded this program for any other one. 

My last week started off with a bang as there would be fireworks for the Sant'Anna festival at Marina Grande. The Sant'Anna institute sets up a party with food and music so students can catch the show on the terrace. On the terrace you could see how packed the marina was on the final day of the festival. The firework show was amazing and they even had a part that coordinated with music! 

The next day I had my last physics class. The professors, Gennaro and Paolo, made the class so fun! It was interesting to hear from them about Italian education and how different their college experiences are compared to the US. Later that night, the whole physics class went out for dinner with our professors to thank them and to commemorate the first physics class taught at Sant'Anna. We went to a place a little farther away from town called Ristorante 'da Filippo' and the food was so great! 

I did some last minute souvenir shopping and of course had to stop by one of favorite clothing stores called Daphne. The ladies who work the store are so sweet and will alter any clothes that may not fit you quite well. I also stopped at Miele, a cute jewelry store, to buy a Cornicello necklace for some family. The horn (can also be a chili) is meant to give good luck to whoever wears it, but you can’t buy one for yourself or you will earn bad luck! 

On Thursday, CIS abroad had organized a farewell party at Masseria. This amalfi style villa was stunning and it was so refreshing to get into a pool. We stayed there till late and then went out for one of our last nights in town. 

Sant’Anna also organized another farewell party for everyone in the institute at Bagni Sant'Anna. It was so nice to take in the view of Vesuvius on our final night. 

The next morning everyone was leaving for the airport. For CIS abroad students, transfers were organized depending on what time your flight was on. My friend and I had ours at 10 am so we grabbed our last iced cappuccino at our favorite bakery. We sat outside and took in the views of Sorrento one last time before leaving. I’ve definitely had some great memories here and am so sad to leave my summer home. 

Arrivederci Sorrento :( 

Josefia Frydenborg

Environmental Engineering

Engineering in Sorrento

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Week 9 : The Start of GoodByes

Hi everyone, only one more week left! On Monday, I had a physics field trip to the research center of Cira. This is an aerospace research center that works with different public and private companies all over the world. We got to learn about their testing for materials that would be entering the atmosphere through space and other tests on composite materials. They even had this robot that threaded carbon fiber into a specific form! 

Later during the week, we had a pizza making class through CIS at Frantoio Gargiulo. The class is held on a balcony with amazing views. You learn how to make the dough, put your toppings on, and put your pizza in the oven. I would definitely recommend this experience if you ever go to Sorrento. Their business focuses on making olive oil, so there are olive oil tours as well! It was a great night learning about pizza and Italian foods! 

During this week, Sorrento had the festival of Sant’ Anna. The marina near the school was decorated with lights and vendors to celebrate the saint! Saint Anna is known as the Virgin Mary’s grandmother and the small fishing village of Marina Grande considers her as their patron saint. They have traditional games, songs, and food at the marina, which bring huge crowds at night. Around 8pm, there is a large procession where the statue of Sant’Anna is carried around Sorrento to Marina Grande.I will be looking forward to a firework show held next Tuesday commemorating the final day of the festival! 

On Saturday, I had my final day at the Ieranto Bay for work! I will definitely miss swimming in this gorgeous bay. We helped clean the beaches and then spent some time snorkeling and exploring around. We even got to see this cave that glows blue during the day from the light. My work experience at Punta Campanella has been unforgettable. I got to meet volunteers from all around the world and have become confident in my professional skills. It was also interesting to learn about the science and social parts of conservation and trying to bridge them together. Our work supervisor, Domenico, also has made the experience great as he was willing to help whenever needed. 

During my time in Italy, I started using my film camera. In Sorrento, there is this store called Photo Aminta that develops your pictures in a day for a decent price! I just got some of my pictures back and wanted to share with you some of my favorite moments on film:) 

Josefia Frydenborg

Environmental Engineering

Engineering in Sorrento

[umichenginabroad]

Week 8: The One Where the Parents Visit!

Hi everyone! This week my parents came to visit and I was so excited to show them around Sorrento. The first day we went to visit Salerno. This is the southernmost city on the Amalfi coast. It was nice to explore this town with them, as I had never been there. Salerno seems to have more commercial stores and restaurants compared to Sorrento. Surprisingly, the town was definitely calmer than Sorrento as we walked down its main avenue. My parents' luggage was lost on the flight over to Italy, so we did some shopping and had some lunch. It was relaxing to be in a quiet town as it is peak tourist season in Sorrento. 

On our way back from Salerno, we stopped at Piano di Sorrento for dinner. This town is right next to Sorrento and is where most locals live. We sat in a restaurant in a plaza and it was nice to see Italian families around us. We even saw some little kids playing soccer around the square! 

This weekend we planned a trip to Rome. To get to Rome, we used the high speed train from Naples which takes around 1.5 hrs. From there we took the metro to go to our hotel. A 48 hour pass for the metro and bus costs around 13 euro. If you are planning to use the metro in Rome, be careful of pickpockets as my parents were almost pocketed three times when using the metro. I would recommend taking the bus around Rome instead! 

The next day we had our tour of the Vatican. If you are planning to go see the Vatican, I would absolutely recommend booking a couple weeks in advance as the line to get tickets was extremely long even at 9 am. Our first stop was around the Vatican’s galleries. It was crazy how every gallery is covered in art from the floor to the ceiling. My favorite has to be Raphael’s Rooms. I learned about his art in my AP European History class and I loved seeing all of his pieces up close. Vatican city was pretty packed but I was surprised to actually see one of my friends on the tour!

After visiting the Sistine Chapel, we went to Saint Peter's Basilica. There is a direct path from the Sistine Chapel to the Basilica, so if you have a tour you do not need to wait in a long line to enter. The basilica is massive and breathtaking. We walked around and even got to see the beginning of a daily mass as we were leaving. 

We had lunch at a local pizzeria and headed over to see the Pantheon. We did not go inside, but it still was cool to see its size from the outside. The next stop was the Spanish steps, and we stayed in this area for dinner. The Trevi Fountain was just a 20 minute walk away from the restaurant so we went to go see it. It was still packed with people, but it was cool to see how different the monument looks at night. 

The next day we woke up early to see the Colosseum. We didn't buy tickets beforehand so we got up early to wait in line. We got there around 9 am and it took around 40 minutes to get our tickets. Our tickets were for 11:30 am so we took the chance to see the Roman Forum before going into the Colosseum. We got an audio guide for the Colosseum for 6 euros, but there is also an audio tour on Rick Steves Audio Guide App. The Colosseum has to be my favorite monument in Rome. It is incredible to think of the technology the Romans had and see its remains. 

That night we went to a restaurant called Contrario. This was one of the best dinners I have had during my time in Italy! The staff was so friendly and the food was delicious! 

We also visited the neighborhood of Monti near the Colosseum. We saw more locals in this area and they had many cute bars and restaurants. Overall, Rome was a great experience and I was glad to show my parents around. Only two weeks left!

Josefia Frydenborg

Environmental Engineering

Engineering in Sorrento

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Week 7 : Final Trip to Milan

Ciao! This comes a bit later than usual, but this week brought some fun experiences. I kayaked around the Ieranto Bay for my work experience and I went to Milan during the weekend! 

During my work experience, I had to visit the Ieranto Bay. This is a bay near the town of Nerano around 40 minutes away by bus. The hike takes around 40-45 minutes (a little longer on the way back up). Another intern and I were given a tour of the bay and helped sample algae. The hike up was difficult with the heat, but definitely worth it! 

This weekend was my only visit to Northern Italy and I was interested to see how different it is from the south. You can get to Milan by train or by plane, but we decided to go by plane as it takes less time and is around the same price.

Our first night in Milan, we got to see the Duomo at night and walk around the city. The city is a bit more modern than others I have been to in Italy, but there is an older part of the city as well. 

Our second day in Milan, we went to take pictures in front of the Duomo and visit the Galleria. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is one of the oldest malls and has various designer stores such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Gucci. While I definitely did not do any shopping there, it was still gorgeous to see! We also visited the Starbucks Roastery in Milan and grabbed a coffee.

We then went to the Santuario di San Bernardino alle Ossa, just near the duomo, and headed for lunch. We ate at the Terrazza Aperol, which has a beautiful view of the Duomo. Be prepared to pay a lot for your drink if you go here! I had a smoked salmon salad which was pretty refreshing to have after so much pasta! 

To move around the city we used the metro. It is pretty simple to use and you can get a three day pass for just 13 euros. After our lunch, we went to the Sforzesco Castle and walked through Parco Sempione. If you walk all the way through the park you will reach the Arco della Pace. It was intriguing to see how it was very similar to the arc that we had visited in Barcelona. 

Later, we went to the Naviglio Grande, a smaller area near a canal. There were a lot cute stores and boutiques to look out. We took the metro back and got ready for dinner. That night we ate at Osteria Da Fortunata. This restaurant is known for its freshly made pasta and it was delicious! I had the Fettuccine Al Rago, but I would also recommend the gnocchi.   

The next morning, we got tickets to go inside the Duomo and its terrace. The view of Milan from the terrace was so nice. The city looks never ending from the top of the Duomo! We then took the metro to the Milan Central Station and got on a shuttle to the airport from there. As this was our last trip of our time abroad, we were a bit sad to leave as we wish we could’ve explored around Northern Italy more.

Only three more weeks left!

Josefia Frydenborg

Environmental Engineering

Engineering in Sorrento

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Week 6: Hola Barcelona!

Hi everyone! This week I started my work experience with the Punta Campanella Marine Conservatory. Our first day consisted of an orientation and brief explanation of the park and what their projects are currently. Our job supervisor, Domenico, is understanding and so enthusiastic about our experience this summer. 

To get to work, we must take a bus ride to a town nearby called Massa Lubrense. The buses can be chaotic at times, but you get better at it as you go along. The bus ride is around 20-30 minutes which is nice compared to other friends who have to travel 1-2 hrs to reach their work experience in Naples. 

My actual first day on the job was on Thursday. I took the bus to a marina with two other interns to meet Domenico at the docks. Our job was to record information on what fishermen in the area were catching and document their price, weight, species, etc. It was nice to meet some of the locals in the area and learn more about the coastal environment around Sorrento. After this, we had a quick coffee break (it is common in Italian culture to have a coffee with your colleagues) and went to the office. In the office, we put all the information we collected in an excel sheet along with the pictures we took. We then went down to their visitor center and helped clean out some aquariums.  I am very excited for how this experience will go and next week I will be visiting the Ieranto Bay to do some research! 

This weekend my friends and I took a trip to Barcelona. As this is my only trip outside of Italy, I was pretty excited. I also have some family members in Barcelona so I was pretty happy to be able to meet them after not seeing them for a couple years. We booked our tickets through Student Universe( recommended if you are looking for cheap flights) and everything went smoothly. To get to the Naples airport, we took a 10 euro shuttle from Sorrento which took around 2 hours. The first night we arrived in Barcelona at around 12 am so we did not do much till the next day. 

Our first stop the next morning was to Park Guell. We grabbed some lunch and then used the metro to get to the park. The Barcelona metro is pretty simple to use and I would recommend getting the pass for 10 rides for 11 euros  if you are staying for multiple days. The tickets for the park were 10 euros and I would advise  to buy them in advance as they tend to sell out the day of.  After this we got lunch and headed to our  tour of the Sagrada Familia around 6pm. 

Going inside the Sagrada Familia was something I will never forget. It is so beautiful and going around the time the sun sets made the stained glass windows look absolutely magical. Most of us were left speechless and I could spend hours just looking around. It was interesting to learn about all the details the architect Antoni Gaudí had envisioned for the church and how they are still continuing its construction till this day.  After this, we went back to the airbnb, had dinner, and then headed out for the night! 

The next morning, I got to show my friends a great Venezuelan food place near where we were staying. I noticed that there were many Venezuelan restaurants in Barcelona, but this place had my favorite traditional dish, cachapas! We then caught the metro to a main street called Passeig de Gracia to see the houses of Gaudi, Casa Mila and Casa Batllo. Barcelona is filled with Gaudi’s creations and you can notice his influence in every aspect of architecture in Barcelona (even the lampposts!). 

For dinner, we had traditional food from Spain, paella and tapas. The seafood paella was so good and my favorite dish was the garlic shrimp! We also had sangria de cava which is a traditional wine from the area. That night we decided to go to the Dow Jones bar. This bar was so cool as it mimicked the stock market so prices for drinks would go up and down similar to stocks. There would also be a market crash every half hour where the drinks would go back to their baseline price. 

For our final day in Barcelona, we went to Parque de La Citadella in the morning. The park is located right near the Arc de Triomf and after I took the metro to have lunch with family who live nearby. After lunch, I met up with my friends at Las Ramblas and visited the Mercat de La Boqueria. This street market had the best fruit and juices I have ever had. They also had many sandwich places and different types of food. From here, we picked up our luggages and headed on our way back to Naples.

Barcelona was such a fun city to discover and there are so many things to do. It was definitely an enjoyable weekend and I can’t believe I am almost done with my study abroad. Until next time!   

Josefia Frydenborg

Environmental Engineering

Engineering in Sorrento

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Week 5: Venezia que bellissima! 

Ciao! This week officially marks the halfway point of my time here in Italy. It was sad to see some of my friends go, but I am excited to see what the second session brings. 

As a goodbye to some of our friends who are not doing the 10-week program, we decided to make brunch together. Each one of us made a dish and it was so nice to share time with one another. One of my friends made traditional Polish pierogi and I ended up making Venezuelan arepas. It is nice to be able to get together to cook and eat a meal in the dorms as you end up making some friends along the way! 

This weekend I was able to take a trip to Venice. This is my first trip outside of Southern Italy so I was very excited. While you can take flights to Venice, we ended up using a high-speed train to get there. It was fairly easy to find tickets and everything went smoothly. We left after our physics class on Friday around 1pm and got to Venice around 8 pm. The train from Sorrento to Naples takes around 1.5 hrs and our train to Venice took around 5-6 hrs.

 The next morning we woke up and started our journey. Many of the main attractions in Venice are pretty close to each other so it was easy to fit in everything in a day. We first went to a famous library called Acqua Alta. Here they had some stairs that are made of books stacked up on each other. Then, we went to get lunch at a pasta place called Pasta Go Espresso. You get to chose the type of pasta you want, the sauce, and what additional toppings. They give you it in a little to-go box and it was very delicious. I found that in Venice, the typical Italian three course meal isn’t as popular and there were many to-go places. 

When in Venice, it is imperative that you go on a Gondola! We booked a tour through trip advisor, but there are many ways to book a ride in person as well. We were given a brief walking tour about the history of gondolas and a 30 minute ride. It was very surprising to learn how our walking tour guide had never been on a gondola before as it is a tradition in Venice to only go on a gondola on your wedding day!

The ride on the gondola felt very serene. It’s so interesting how quiet it gets once you go a few streets away from the center of the town. 

After our tour, we visited St Mark's Square & Basilica and got gelato before going back to our airbnb. If you ever go to Venice, I recommend you try the gelato flavor called Crema Venezia that had orange, cream, and chocolate in it! I would also recommend trying to go into St Mark's Basilica as it is so beatiful from the outside, I can't even imagine how it looks inside.

We walked around Venice a little more before getting dinner and crepes as a late night treat. We actually walked by a concert in the square where Laura Pausini, a famous singer known in Italy, was performing!

On Sunday, we checked out of our airbnb and went to store our bags so we don't have to carry them during the day. We used an app called Bounce which gives you places where they will hold your bags for you for around 6 euros and it works in various cities across Europe (definitely recommend). We then went to see the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo and the view of Venice from the top was spectacular. We grabbed lunch and headed our way to a famous tiramisu place called I Tre Mercanti. They had many flavors of tiramisu including passion fruit, pistachio, and caramel. We took it to go as our train was at 2pm and started our journey home. 

Overall, Venice is such a beautiful city and it was a very relaxing trip. It is easy to walk around and I am so glad I was able to enjoy its sights! 

Till next time! 

Josefia Frydenborg

Environmental Engineering

Engineering in Sorrento

[umichenginabroad]

Week 4: Cooking, Ischia, & Beautiful Positano

Hi everyone! It was another great week on the Amalfi Coast! 

I wanted to start off this blog by talking about my cooking experiences in Sorrento. At Sant'Anna we are not provided with a meal plan, so we have to cook by ourselves. They provide us with a kitchen, fridge, and about every utensil you can think of for cooking. There are different kitchen stations assigned to a group of rooms equipped with four stovetops, cabinets, a sink, and an oven. The kitchens are kept nice and it has been fairly easy to make meals here.

There are a couple grocery stores nearby Sant’Anna, named Conad and Dodeca. There are also local shops around for produce and small snacks, but I mainly buy my groceries from the ones I named above. It is typical in Europe to buy groceries for only a few days here as most products don’t have preservatives and expire quicker than those in the US. Most produce will be around 1 euro and any meat is typically 3-5 euro.

I’ve enjoyed cooking here as it has been great practice for when I have to start cooking for myself at my apartment in Michigan. I also was able to find a specific flour used to make traditional Venezuelan arepas which made me feel more like home!

This week I got to visit Ischia, an island off the coast of Naples. We took a ferry early in the morning and returned on the last ferry out which was around 5pm. The first thing my friends and I visited was the Castello Aragonese d'Ischia. This castle is connected to the island through a bridge and has some amazing views of Ischia. 

After spending sometime wondering around the castle, we had lunch at a restaurant nearby. As Ischia is not as touristy as other places on the coast, the prices were cheaper and it was a lot less crowded. It was so nice to spend some time in an area not bustling with tourists and to actually get a good spot on the beach! 

I also got to visit the Ponteré farm on a field trip with my History of the Mafia class. The farm was located outside of Naples in an area that used to be owned by the mafia. At the farm, we learned about the history of the farm and the process of making fresh mozzarella from buffalo milk. We even got the chance to feed some calves grass!

While some of my friends went to Rome for the weekend, I stayed and decided to spend a night in Positano with a few other girls. We got on a ferry to Positano around 4:20 pm and walked to a well-known store called CB Positano. They have a large variety of quilted bags that are so unique because each one has different patterns. I ended up getting a new pencil case and after we walked to take pictures at a viewing point of the center of Positano. 

We got dinner at a lovely restaurant called Rada. The food was amazing and I especially recommend the Fusilli alla Nerano. This is a traditional dish that consists of pasta, fried zucchini, and provolone del Monaco. I am definitely looking forward to trying this in the actual city of Nerano as it is where my internship for next session is located!  

Getting back to Sorrento had turned out to be a bit trickier than we had thought. We had planned to take a taxi service back, but unfortunately they were all booked. We had to wait for a few hours for the next bus that finally took us back home. If you are planning to go to Positano, I urge you to either book a place to stay overnight or book a taxi cab in advance, otherwise you might encounter the same difficulties getting home. Nonetheless, I had a great experience visiting this famous Italian coastal city. See you next week!

Josefia Frydenborg

Environmental Engineering

Engineering in Sorrento