About three-forths of the time we will stay in the very small village of Coldigioco at the Osservatorio Geologico di Coldigioco (OGC). Coldigioco is a tiny town with a rich history. In Coldigioco there are a variety of facilities for lab work and report write-ups as well as student rooms, showers, laundry, a pub, bocci courts, pizza oven, piazza, and a small library. It is an excellent base for geological expeditions and is a nice peaceful place to come home to after adventures.

Accommodations

Most of the buildings in Coldigioco are renovated 300-400 year old buildings which are all beautiful in their own ways. There are five buildings which house students. Each room holds anywhere from two to four people. The rooms have a little personal space for each person - usually a shelf and a drawer plus storage space under the bed. Indoor privacy is limited, but there is always plenty of room in the Jurassic Pub or outdoors to relax and hang out.

Beds, sheets, and pillows are provided by OGC. On field trips we sleep in cabins; Sleeping bags will be needed . Towels are not provided, but are nice to have, especially for swimming in the Adriatic Sea or the local Reservoir.

Water, Showers and Laundry

In the spirit of Coldigioco, a high priority is set on conservation of water and electricity. Each building has a bathroom, but showers are taken in the bathhouse which is better equipped to handle multiple users. Water and electricity are expensive, so it is most appreciated if you take short showers. Small loads of laundry can be done using the laundry machines and detergent provided. And, like in most European households, clothes are line dried.

Computers and Work Materials

OGC has several computers that you can use to write papers and analyze data. OGC also has all the materials that you'll need to make maps, cross-sections, and other fun geologic things - colored pencils, light tables, tracing paper, stereonets, fancy pens, etc.

There is an Internet connection so you can send email using UVM's Webmail service (http://webmail.uvm.edu)

Mail

Mail comes once a day during the week. Letters from the U.S. take anywhere from 5 to 15 days to arrive, and letters back take about the same. There is a place to leave outgoing mail in Coldigioco, but you must purchase stamps in the nearby towns. 

The address in Coldigioco is:
Your Name
c/o Osservatorio Geologico di Coldigioco
62020 Frontale di Apiro
Italy

There is one phone in Coldigioco for all students to use located in the Schoolhouse rock prep room. You can either use a calling card or you can pay the OGC using a system you will learn when you get there. It is cheaper to call from the U.S., so you might consider asking people to call you. There is a fax machine should you need it.

Music
 

On the terrace of Villa K/T

There are a few radios which play tapes and there is a CD player that lives in Margolis (the kitchen and classroom building). There will probably be a weird collection of CDs waiting there for you, so any you bring along will be appreciated

If you have a small musical instrument which you'd like to bring, please do so. Homespun music is fun, and there are plenty of opportunities to play around in the quiet evenings or while traveling. Sandro is an awesome guitar and harmonica player and there are a few extra guitars around which you can use.
 

Books

The students from the varios programs which have visited the OGC began a library and each group since has added to the collection with their own books, so there is a small collection of novels and other books. However, we recommend that you bring a book (maybe add it to the collection!). You'll probably end up exchanging books with other people unless you like reading the same book over and over. There are many and varied textbooks on site, so don't feel the need to carry those across the ocean with you.

Exercise  

Expect to be doing a lot of hiking. You can also go running and bike riding. OGC provides bikes in various stages of repair that you are welcome to borrow for cruising around. Be warned that it is quite hilly, there are a lot of dirt roads, and "various stages of repair" should be taken most literally. Sometimes it is possible to organize a frisbee or soccer game in the sheep field next to Coldigioco. This is great except when the soccer ball rolls down the steep hill into the stream a half mile away. Fetching that ball is pretty good exercise, actually.

Food

One large room in Margolis, one of the first renovated buildings, serves as the classroom and dining room. In nice weather meals are eaten on the open walk-out terrace with a spectacular view of a nearby tower. It is especially nice to eat dinner on the terrace when the sun is setting and the wind cools things off a bit. A small kitchen in the building is used for cooking and washing dishes.

Usually we eat breakfast at 7:45am and dinner around 7:30pm or whenever we return from the field. Breakfast consists of fresh bread from the nearest bakery, yogurt, jam, espresso and cereal. Bread and yummy pasta (lots of it) are staples for dinner. A couple of times on the program we will go out for dinner at a restaurant, which is always lots of fun and extremely tasty.

On field day mornings everyone will pack a lunch of a sandwich, fruit and cookies to carry with them. Some people have found it useful to bring a Tupperware container along to avoid squished lunches. It is also necessary to bring a water bottle along during the day. You may choose to bring a Nalgene water bottle, but you can also use one of the store-bought water bottles which you will invariably acquire sometime during your travels in Italy.

In the nearby towns there are grocery stores, bars, and occasionally open markets where you can buy extra snacks and drinks if you like. Occasionally a few people will organize a trip to the store in the evening (before the stores close around six p.m.) or during the day if we are doing lab work in Coldigioco.

Money

There is an ATM machine in Apiro which accepts Visa debit cards and which can be used to withdraw momey in euros directly from your bank accounts in the US.  In general this is the best exchange rate - we will make occasional trps to Apiro during which a stop at the ATM is possible.You can also exchange traveler's checks in Apiro. American Express and Visa traveler's checks work well. Among credit cards, Visa is most widely accepted in Europe. The amount of money you choose to bring depends on what you think you'll do on your days off and how long you may opt to travel before and/or after the program.  Your expenditures while in Coldigioco will be nothing, travel and meals off site during days off will largely be your own - but good meals in Italy can be had for a very reasonable price.

Weather

Most of the time it is sunny and mostly dry in Coldigioco, which means wearing shorts and a T-shirt during the day, pants and a sweater for evenings.  While August is typically dry, a good yet lightweight raincoat will really make a difference if it is a rainy day (unless there is lightning we will still likely go out).

Field Trips

We will be taking an extended field trip to Tuscany, where students will work on small projects and we will make a number of stops to look at interesting outcrops and investigate local rocks, structures, and tectonic settings.  There are a fleet of cars which are used for caravanning to and from field trips. We stay at campgrounds and have a schedule similar to other days - including getting up around seven am, working in the field until about five pm, and eating dinner in the campground. We will likely make side trips to museums in Florence, and of course - if we convince someone, occasional visits at ice cream stands (gelateria).

Nearby Towns

• Frontale and Moscosi are the closest towns. Each is a nice walk of about 3km from Coldigioco.
• Moscosi has a bread bakery, a post office with weird hours, and a bar with gelato (ice cream) and beer and other drinks.
• Frontale is larger and has a couple of alimentaris (food markets) and other stores, including a place to get stamps.
• Pian dell'Elmo is near the top of Monte San Vicino (big mountain nearby) and has an incredible Pizzeria.
• Cupramontana is near the train station and has some excellent wineries, an alimentari, and is a nice, typical town.
• Apiro is the closest large town. This is where you can exchange money and get stuff not available in Frontale and Moscosi.
• Fabriano is the city with the closest movie theater. It is about an hour drive and most movies are dubbed in Italian. There's also a cool museum there, the Museo della Carta. They make lots of paper in Fabriano.
• Cingoli is a nice place to walk around in and has nice views. It also has an excellent gelatteria and an archaeological museum.
• San Severino is a beautiful city with a large central piazza - full of Italian nightlife.
• Macerata is another great nearby city. There are lots of cool shops and churches to see there.

Luggage

Most students in the past have packed in a large backpack of some kind and found it to be versatile and transportable. Keep in mind, however, that when packed to capacity, frame packs (internal and external) can be difficult to manage on trains and in crowded spaces. Your best bet is to keep your pack as small and light as possible. You will also need a daypack for fieldwork. This is nice to have as carry-on for the plane or when you go on short trips. Keep in mind that when you are traveling to and from Italy, especially on the trains, it is convenient to have everything in one bag, but you can always put the big pack on your back and the day pack on your front if need be. Another essential luggage-type item is a neck or waist pouch which can be worn underneath clothing to store essential items such as money, passports, and other forms of identification.

Identification

You will need a current passport to travel to Italy. While traveling in Italy you should keep it on you in case of trouble.  If you plan to drive in Italy you will need to get an international driver's license. These can be obtained from your local AAA office. You do not need to take a test to get this license, you just present your passport and U.S. license and they will issue you an international license.  

Insurance on cars in Italy works slightly differently than in the US - if you are at fault in an accident, the insurance for the car does NOT cover you or the car, but does cover your passengers and the passengers, car, property of anyone else involved.  Check with your insurance company on your coverage to be sure that if you drive and are the cause of an accident that you are covered!!

Personal

Clothes

It will be very hot sometimes (100deg F) and very cool other times (last summer I needed a fleece jacket).  The following is a list of recommendations.

• Boots for field work
• Sandals, Tennis Shoes and/or walking shoes: as few pairs as possible - shoes are bulky to carry.
• Socks for hiking and also for general wear
• T-shirts: 3-4
• Long sleeved shirts: 1-2
• Pants/Jeans: 1-2 pairs
• Shorts: 1-2 pairs
• Fleece/sweater/sweatshirt: 1-2
• Hats: 1 hat for warmth and a hat for protection from the sun
• Rain Gear
• Bathing suit
• A thin pair of gloves: optional but nice
• Sunglasses
• One nice set of clothes for evenings, occasions, looking hip, etc. It is true that Italians are snappy dressers and you might also feel the desire to look sharp.

• Towel: a small one is much more practical than a normal size one.
• Sunscreeen - sunscreen in Europe tends to be expensive and available at much lower SPF ratings - 15 is hard to find, most is at 4 or 8.
  
• Little stuff: soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, shaving equipment, tampons, pads, condoms, lotion, sunscreen, etc.
• Medicine: Aspirin/Tylenol/ibuprofen, motion-sickness medicine (for windy roads), and any prescription drugs. Be sure to know the generic names of any prescription drugs in case refills are needed.

Camping

The Sibillini Mountains seen from Monte San Vicino (view to the south)

• Sleeping bag: compact but warm. 
• Sleeping pad: optional, but the ground can be hard and cold.
• Tent: Bring one only if you are planning on camping after the program. During the program, you can borrow tents for camping during days off.  Campgrounds also tend to be located on the outskirts of town and can be hard to find. Staying in youth hostels is usually only slightly more expensive than camping.
• Flashlight: optional, but nice to have - especially a headlamp

• Water bottle: easiest to use the water bottles you get when you buy water. These are lightweight, disposable and available everywhere in Italy.
• Tupperware: for lunches in the field.
• Field book
• Colored pencils: optional.
• Hand lens
• Don't bring a rock hammer or a compass: the Osservatorio provides them.

• Camera
• Film: in Italy it tends to be more expensive
• Journal
• Travel alarm clock
• Frisbee, cards, hackeysack: optional but appreciated by all.
• Books: very nice.
• Music: optional. Coldigioco has both tape and CD players. Realize that your music will probably be shared, no matter what it is, so be prepared for wear and tear.

In the Airport

Most international flights arrive in Rome. When you get off the plane, follow the signs to get through the Passport check, baggage claim, and customs. The first thing you'll need to do when you get to the main terminal is get some money. You can go to any of the airport vendors which have a sign that says "Cambio," meaning currency exchange. They all have about the same rates in the airport, so don't worry about shopping around. However, the exchange rate tends to be bad at the airport.  ATMs are also located throughout the airport and are likely a good source of money exchange as well.

Next, go to the subway station. You can do this by following signs with pictures of little trains on them. It is easiest to get tickets at the ticket window in the subway station, but you can also get them from machines in the airport corridors. You want to get a ticket to Termini Station, the main train station in Rome.

At Termini Station (Rome center)

When you arrive at Termini station, buy a ticket to "Castelplanio/Cupramontana" (it should cost around 15-20 euro). Be ready! Castelplanio is not a common destination, so you may need to insist that it exists. It is on the line from Rome to Ancona, between Fabriano and Jesi ("Yay-zee"). If it is clear that you are not going to get a ticket to Castelplanio and you are about to give up, a ticket to Jesi will do, but that means that you will end up about an hour further away from Coldigioco (inconvenient for whomever is picking you up).

Once you have your ticket, the next thing you want to do is call the Osservatorio and let them know when you will be arriving so someone can meet you at the station. The number to call is 0733 618125. If no one answers, leave a message and be sure to let them know the date, time and place of your arrival and departure.

Departure platforms are called Binario, and you can find out which one your train is on by looking on the boards marked Partire (departing). Also, there are signs at the end of each Binario saying where the next train is going. The trains are usually at Termini well before departure, and you can get on whenever you want. However, it is important to make sure the train you're on is actually headed for Ancona (it never hurts to ask... "per Ancona?").  It is also important to validate your ticket - find the box and have your ticket validated before getting on - in Italy the train tickets are essentially open, you must time-stamp your ticket for the day you use it - if you do not do this, the conductor will likely fine you for failing this.

The class of the car is on a sign near the doors, right next to the sign for smoking or non-smoking. You probably have a second-class ticket. The ride takes around 3 hours, so you may want to get some water and/or food before departing Rome. You can either buy water at shops or vendors in the station or fill a water bottle at a water fountain. Watch out for sinks that are marked "non-potabile", meaning non-potable (undrinkable).

At some point during the train ride, a conductor will come around and collect tickets, at which time you can just hand yours over. If possible, stay awake through the ride, because it will help with jet lag. More importantly, you don't want to miss the stop since conductors won't make sure that you get off. Just to remind you, Castelplanio is a couple of stops after Fabriano.

Trains

Trenitalia is Italy's train system (http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html).  There are several types of trains: Locale (super-slow, stops everywhere), Diretto (normal speed, stops at large cities and towns),  I.C. (InterCity -super-fast, stop only at major cities, costs extra), and EuroStar (more expensive but more comfotable, generally stop only at bigger cities). You can either buy a ticket at the  station every time you ride the train or get a train pass - DO NOT get on the train without a ticket unless it is an emergency, fines for not having a ticket are very high (they will give you a ticket, for the ticket price plus 50+ euros! - while people have talked their way out of this do not expect to have s sympathetic conductor!)

There are two kinds of commonly-used passes: Italian-Rail passes (Kilometrica) and Eurail passes. The Kilometrica pass will work on Locale and Diretto trains, but you'll need to pay extra for I.C. trains. This pass has 3,000 kilometers on it - quite a bit. Get this pass in Italy (you can get them at any major train station). Most passes have a time limit, so you may or may not want to use it on your first trip to Coldigioco.  Eurail passes are more expensive but are valid in other parts of Europe. It is best to buy these from a travel agent in the U.S.. These passes have a time limit once they are activated, so think twice before using them to make the short and inexpensive trip to Coldigioco on your first day in Europe..

It is usually easiest just to buy the ticket (biglietto) for what you need - this can happen either at an automated booth (some with touchscreens, some with buttons - they are not too hard to figure out, and most take cash or credit card - but you definitely need to know the name of the stations you are traveling between!) or the ticket booth (biglietteria).  You can also buy tickets online prior to going (from Trenitalia, most of this is in English, but the window of times you ticket is valid is limited - this option is called ticketless - meaing your ticket is electronic, you have to bring a paper copy of the ticket code for the conductor)

You can check an electronic board for arrival (arrivi) and departure (partenzi) info to see what time your train is leaving and from what track (it is also good to note stations before and after your stop to prepare for departure or realize you missed your stop (don't panic, another train will be by).

IMPORTANT!! - train tickets purchased must be validated before getting on the train (they do not have dates on them, they need one to be valid) - there will be a small yellow box (see picture of one below) somewhere on or near the platform - find this and insert the ticket, which will get a time stamp to use it on that day - not doing this is regarding by most conductors as the same as not buying a ticket!  Sometimes the machines are broken, you may have to explain this (find the conductor as soon as you can and explain - most of them do speak some english)

Phones

There are public phones at the train stations and airports, as well as in towns, usually near the town square (Piazza); phone cards (skeda telefonica) are available at most newstands/ tobacco shops (tabaccheria) and some cafes - importantly you have to snap off a perforated corner of the card for it to be useable.  To use most public phones - lift the reciever, insert the card, dial the number, then press the button that says OK (or has a big phone symbol on it - for most public phones this button has to be pressed or the call will not be put in).

Food

The cheapest way to eat is to buy food at the grocery store (Alimentari). When buying food, you can get things in small portions. It is good to learn your italian numbers for this because things are sold by the kilo- a common amount to order something is an 'etto' which is 100 grams. It is important to know the hours of the Alimentaris. They are usually closed in the afternoons, between 1:00-3:00, and on Sundays. Be sure to have food before they close, otherwise you can get stuck paying a lot for a little food.    Getting produce is also a little different - you do not bag it yourself and take it to the register, rather there is a store employee who will bag it for you and put the price tag on for you so you can check it out at the register.

Restaurants

There are different types of restaurants: Ristorante (fancier, cost more), Trattoria (basic, family restaurant, medium cost), and Bars (really like cafes, they might have warm food, might not). Sometimes, there is a cover charge for sitting down. A glass of water usually costs money - you can get "naturale" (normal) or "minerale" (fizzy). It is easy to eat vegetarian. There is more variety than in the U.S., and most menus have the ingredients listed.

Lodging

Travel books are good sources for finding places to stay. Guidebooks have phone numbers and short descriptions. A good method for finding a place to stay is to look in the guidebook for an area with a few places. Once you arrive, take a look at the places in the book but also keep and eye out for hostels or rooms less well publicized, which tend to be cheaper and have more vacancies. If you want to make reservations, it is best to call ahead (usually from the train station) and communicate as best you can in Italian. International Youth Hostel cards are required at some hostels and/or may give discounts at others.

Pickpockets

Beware of pickpockets, especially in large cities such as Rome. Keep your money and valuables in a neck or waist pouch and be alert. Even cute little kids can rob you of your valuables. One may distract you while another reaches in your pocket. It happens.

Women

Traveling in Italy can be a little different than in the U.S.. Staying in groups at night and avoiding areas that seem scary are good measures to take. In general, it is not advisable to wear tank tops or short skirts.

The more problematic places are large cities and touristy places. Southern Italy (Rome, Naples) seems to have more trouble than northern Italy.

Beware on the subways - people are squished together, and sometimes men take advantage of that closeness to touch you. If possible, move away. Saying something sternly is often effective. A short, easy thing to say is "Basta" which means "enough". If someone makes you feel uncomfortable, just try to get away from them. You do not need to justify to anyone why you feel uncomfortable - "gut-feelings" often prove to be right on.

Avoiding dangerous or uncomfortable situations is your best defense. Keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings.

Italians in General

In general you will find that Italians are friendly, outgoing people, especially in rural areas. You may want to take advantage of opportunities to stumble through Italian conversations. People are usually surprised and delighted if you know even just a few words and show enthusiasm for the language or the country. In stores people will usually be patient with your language abilities and help you with what you need.

This web imformation was largely lifted from an archived Carleton College site, thanks to Dr. Dave Bice, Dr. Jenn Macalady for their hard work in assembling much of this information and for their shared experiences in conducting university field classes in Italy!!!