Bowdy’s study abroad trip

Monday-Wednesday were just thesis days as usual. Nothing much to add.

Thursday morning we went to Milan. Once we arrived we checked into our hotel (it was basically a hostel) and grabbed some lunch. After that we took the train to the center of the town and our professor had a scavenger hunt game for us to play. We split into 2 teams and had to go around the city and solve riddles in order to find certain famous landmarks and historical areas. That lasted a few hours, then we had dinner and went back to the hostel for the night.

Friday we had a contemporary architecture tour until around lunch. Milan has a lot more modern architecture than every other city we have been to so it was pretty interesting.

The Bosco Verticale, or Vertical Forest, in Milan is one of the world’s most famous examples of sustainable architecture. What makes them unique is the integration of more than 800 trees, 5,000 shrubs, and 15,000 perennials across their balconies, creating a living façade that changes color with the seasons. The vegetation helps absorb CO₂, produce oxygen, reduce noise, regulate temperature, and improve urban air quality. Each balcony was engineered to support the weight of mature trees and withstand wind loads. Beyond its visual impact, Bosco Verticale represents a new model for urban biodiversity and green living, inspiring similar “vertical forest” projects in cities around the world.

After that walking tour we had lunch and then had another tour of the Duomo and Terrace. The Duomo di Milano is a massive Gothic cathedral right in the heart of Milan that took almost 600 years to finish, and every inch of it is covered in crazy-detailed carvings and statues. It’s the largest cathedral in the country.

Saturday morning we went to Lake Como and rode E bikes for a couple hours. We ended up riding around 20 miles by the end of it. It was an awesome experience.

Saturday night we went to a soccer game. Inter Milan vs. Cremonese. I’ve never been to a soccer game before so it was amazing. The environment was awesome, there was a lot more energy in the crowd compared to sport events in the U.S. Inter Milan ended up winning.

We went back to the hotel for the night. Sunday we hung out at the hotel all day until our flight to Marrakesh, Morocco (Africa) for our fall break! So far it has been amazing. I’m currently sitting at our air bnb by the pool writing this blog. Our cook is making us lunch right now. We are definitely spoiled for the week. I will update about the Morocco trip next week.