Classics

Dear J-Term Participants,

We thought we should pass on what may be helpful hints and provisos for our fabulous trip to Italy next January. Students who have followed our suggestions, have had a more enjoyable experience.

What do you bring?

Although winters in Italy tend to be more temperate than our winters in Wisconsin, you will experience a variety of temperatures and conditions. It depends on the season, and lately winters have been as strange in Europe as they have been here. We will be travelling primarily in Central and Northern Italy. During the winter months, Italy has its rainy season. When it snows, it is mostly in the mountains and rarely in Rome or Naples. On bright, sunny days, it can be colder than the rainy days. When we cross mountains or are at higher elevations, it will be colder. Italy is not as warm as Greece but freezing weather is unusual. Rome occupies about the same latitude as New York.

• Dress in layers
• Bring the following:
• hat, gloves, scarf; no baseball caps.
• good winter jacket.
• sturdy walking/hiking shoes; if you buy new shoes, wear them here in the States first to make sure they are right for you.
• warm sweaters or sweatshirts, sweater vests, etc.
• warm socks
• tights and/or thermal underwear. Ladies, tights are lighter and not as bulky as thermal undergarments.
• small packs of Kleenex (can be bought in Italy) - very useful as most public facilities do not always have toilet paper.
• backpacks
• a mini flashlight, for we will be visiting tombs and catacombs
• film (film is cheaper in the U.S.)
• camera equipment (including batteries)
• notepaper/journal-notebook/clipboard
• sunscreen/block if you have sensitive skin but not really necessary.
• umbrella or some sort of protection from inclement weather (a must for Italy - the whole time I taught in Italy, I carried my umbrella and it only rained once when we were outside. Umbrellas are great apotropaic devices.
• a battery-operated alarm clock!!! We will not be waking you up-you are adults.

Most of your clothing should be wash-and-wear because we will not be in any one place long enough for dry cleaning. Bring some powder detergent to wash things in the sink; you can also pick up detergent in Italy. The larger cities do have laundry facilities but they are not easy to find, especially in the historical centere, where we stay, or in the winter when there are fewer tourists. Laundry at hotels can be very expensive.

Medications

If you are taking prescription drugs, make sure you bring enough with you in the bottles in which they were dispensed. We will be out of the country from January 11-January 30. If you suffer from asthma, make sure you have enough inhalers and that you have them on you at all times. Some of your days will be physically strenuous. We also recommend that you have a note from your doctor describing your condition and the medications you are taking. Although there are certain medicines that one can obtain over the counter in Italy, that is not always the case.

If you have a chronic medical condition, you need to take charge of your own health and well-being. The tour leaders and guides are not qualified to handle such problems, no matter how good their language skills are. We will help you when we can, but be proactive.

If you are hypo or hyperglycemic, you should be aware that we will be doing a lot of hiking and walking, and so you may deplete your blood sugar more rapidly. To provide for that contingency, we suggest that you bring what you need to adjust your blood sugar levels. For instance, you may wish to carry cookies or candy or juice with you. Juice is readily available in small containers in Italy, as is chocolate. We do expect, however, that we will have 3 regular meals a day. At times, however, we will have a late lunch, as we need to make use of the daylight hours to visit places. All archaeological zones and museums close earlier in the winter. Italy has newspaper stands, where you can buy different items, including bus passes and drinks. Small stores abound (like the old neighborhood stores). alimentari, or local grocery stores, sell drinks much more cheaply than do the vendors on the street.

Conditioning

As we have already mentioned, we will be doing a good bit of hiking and walking. To reduce the risk of injury and overly sore muscles, we strongly recommend that you work out over the break. Walk every day with a loaded backpack and climb stairs. The latter is good for the gluteals; they get a real workout clambering about Italy.

Personal Safety:
In Greece and Turkey, crime is a rarity In Italy, petty crime (theft) is all too common. Therefore we recommend that you obtain a passport/money protector and wear it under your coat. Do not, we repeat, do not put your wallet in your back pockets! In fact, do not put any valuables in your pockets! Trust me, you won't know when a pick-pocket has picked your pocket. (Try saying that three times, very fast.) Ladies, if you carry a purse, make sure it is securely closed and put it against you the the building. Fanny packs are best, and they are so common today. Mugging is very rare except in Naples and Palermo. In fact, you should use common sense and comport yourselves as you would in any large American city.

Behavior

Drinking

In Italy, the Italians drink (wine) with their meals or have after dinner aperitifs (sambuca, grappa, etc.) at a café, that is they are social drinkers. In all of our travels to Italy, we have never seen inebriated Italians. In American colleges, however, we have the problem of drinking at inappropriate times or places and binge drinking. We want you to know that we will not tolerate binge drinking, vandalism, rowdy behavior at hotels or elsewhere. We are guests in Italy and do not want to create the image of the 'ugly' American who flouts the customs of the host country. (Hotels are not "dorms overseas" and we are sharing these places with other travellers.) In spite of having stressed the last bit, we have had problems in the past. You have to remember that you are part of a group, and any action on your part affects the reputation of the group and groups to come. Drinking to excess, staying out very late and then not being able to function in the morning will not be tolerated. You will be given your ticket and told to find your own way back to the States. A certain level of maturity and responsibility is expected from all members of the group.

To repeat, any behavior that violates these expectations will result in the participant being sent home at his/her own expense. No second chances. Any extra costs incurred will be the responsibility of the student. Please see the waiver form you have to sign in the Registrar before you can go on the trip.

Visiting Sacred Places

When we visit active churches/monasteries, we will encounter people who are either attending a service or praying. At all times we should display our respect through silence and non-obtrusive movements. Women no longer have to cover their heads in Catholic churches but men cannot wear hats in churches (or in restaurants for that matter), and so, gentlemen, you will need to remove your hats.

Visiting Archaeological Sites

At archaeological sites, the standard practice is to stay on the paths provided and to not walk on the walls. We cannot stress the latter enough. Although most walls have been restored/re-consolidated, etc., they cannot take the stress of people climbing, running, or walking on them. In fact, we could be asked to leave a site if we are perceived as mistreating or abusing the remains in any way. On occasion, guards at sites go on strike, so do not be disappointed if we go to a site and cannot get in. However, strikes at sites are not common, especially off-season.

Keywords for the Trip.

• maintain a sense of humor
• address any issues you may have with us in a positive and productive manner. Do not let problems fester
• be adaptable and flexible, or "go with the flow"
• enjoy yourself and the experience