Bowdy’s study abroad trip

Monday–Wednesday: Thesis Work

The first half of the week was the same as always, just thesis days in Urbino. I made a lot of progress this week. I finished my schedule, which is the last big milestone of thesis. I’m finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thesis is due November 10th, and we aren’t traveling this coming up weekend so I’m hoping to get as much done as possible this week, possibly even finish.

Thursday: Travel to Florence

Thursday morning started early as we loaded the buses and headed to Florence for the weekend. On the way, we stopped at the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista (a church). Once we arrived in Florence, we checked into our hostel and had some time to explore and grab lunch before meeting for our guided walking tour of the city. The guide walked us through some of Florence’s most famous spots and gave us insight into how the city became the heart of the Renaissance. It was cool to see Florence, but it was pouring rain the whole time which made it not near as enjoyable. We were all soaking wet by the end of the tour. The evening was free so we grabbed dinner and went back to the hostel. We ate at a steakhouse and it was amazing. It was nice to eat a good steak.

Friday: Jobsite Visit and Piazzale Michelangelo

Friday morning, we visited the Trevi Jobsite Office to learn about the high-speed rail project happening in Florence. It was cool to see such a massive infrastructure project up close and hear from the site manager about the challenges of working in such a historic and busy city. We learned about AGF and how they implement it into the project. Artificial ground freezing is a method used to stabilize soil and control groundwater during tunnel excavation. It works by circulating a super-cold brine or liquid nitrogen through pipes in the ground, freezing the surrounding soil into a solid, ice-like wall. This frozen barrier prevents water from seeping in and helps keep the tunnel face stable, ensuring safe excavation.

The rest of the afternoon was free to explore, then we all met up again to walk to Piazzale Michelangelo, where we caught sunset views of Florence. After that, we had dinner with our professors at a pizzeria.

Saturday: Duomo and Accademia Gallery

Saturday was another packed day. We started the morning by touring the Florence Duomo Complex, including Brunelleschi’s Dome, the Baptistery of St. John, and Giotto’s Bell Tower. We climbed up to the dome first thing in the morning. Later, we toured the Accademia Gallery, where we got to see Michelangelo’s statue of David. Afterward, we had free time to do whatever we wanted.

Sunday: Siena

Today we left Florence and traveled to Siena, one of Tuscany’s most well-preserved medieval cities. We started with a guided walking tour, where we learned about Siena’s history. The highlight was learning about the Palio di Siena, the city’s famous horse race held twice a year in the city square. Our guide explained how each of the city’s neighborhoods, or contrade, competes for the win, and how it’s not just a race- it’s a huge cultural tradition that defines Siena’s identity. We also toured the Siena Duomo and its library. We are now on the bus on the way back to Urbino.