Eighteen enthusiastic alumnae embarked on the inaugural Alpha Gam Adventures trip—a food and wine tour across Northern Italy. The traveling Alpha Gams represented 13 chapters and ranged in age from mid-late 20s to early 80s, blending generations and cultures in their shared journey.

From the bustling streets of Milan to the picturesque coastline of Cinque Terre and the culinary heart of Bologna, each day brought new sights, tastes and experiences as they deepened friendships and gained an enriched appreciation for Italian culture. Alumnae Engagement Manager Tara Prather, Theta KappaUniversity of Virginia, documented the journey.

Days 1 & 2

Overnight Travel/Arrival and Forging Friendships

We arrived safely in Milan on the afternoon of April 27, jetlagged, but ready to enjoy the trip. We transferred from Milan to the town of Turin, where we got to know each other at a cocktail welcome party followed by dinner. Four sisters from the Delta Eta Chapter at San Diego State University included Sylvia Goebel and sister-mother Laura Harris. They attended San Diego State after Connie Milam and Margaret Mayer graduated, but Connie was an advisor when Sylvia was a collegian, so they had met before. The group included seasoned travel buddies, Karen Hastings and Margie Wong, sisters from Epsilon Eta at Texas Christian University, who spent a few days in southern Italy before our tour began. Allyssa Kaiser and Veronika Folz are both from our Alpha Chapter at Syracuse University, but were in school in different decades. After getting to know each other and meeting our official tour mascot – Sergio the Squirrel, who was supplied by Veronika, our tour guide, Valeria, reviewed the itinerary for our stay in Turin.

Day 3

Turin and Italian History

On a guided walking tour of Turin, we learned the history of Italy and the Italian Royal family, which was based in Turin, from our entertaining and informative guide, Matteo. We visited the San Giovanni Battista Church (Turin Cathedral) to see a replica of the Shroud of Turin and learned the actual shroud is only on display when authorized by the Pope. The replica is a photograph printed on the same type of linen as the actual shroud. We enjoyed lunch at the Farmacia Del Cambio in Piazza Carignano and explored the city in the afternoon. Most of us opted for gelato! After shopping and a little rest, thanks to Veronika’s reservation planning, we sampled the fabulous food the region is known for with dinner at a Ristorante il Melograno. After another stop for gelato (yes, there is a theme), we returned to the hotel.

Day 4

Turin and Making Chocolate

This day was all about chocolate! After breakfast at the hotel, we boarded our private bus to La Palestra Del Cibo cooking school for a chocolate making class. Chef Sergio Maria Teutonico taught us how Italian Chocolate is made, and we made some of our own.

After a free afternoon, we met Matteo for a nighttime tour of Turin. We saw incredible panoramic vistas of the city at sunset from the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Monte dei Cappuccini, a 16th century church overlooking the city. After soaking in the incredible sunset, we visited two fountains considered magical in Turin. The Fontana Angelica represents the light side or “good” magic and Piazza Statuto Fountain, represents the dark side of magic.

Day 5

Italian Riviera, Museum of Wine, and Gelato

After breakfast we set out by bus for the town of Rapallo on the Italian Riviera. On the way, we stopped in the village of Barolo in the Langhe Region of Italy. Barolo is the home of the WiMu Museo del Vino (Museum of Wine), located in Castello Comunale Felletti, a 1,000 year old castle. We toured the WiMu and had some free time to shop and look around before heading to the Marchesi winery for a tour and a wine tasting lunch.

We then boarded our bus for the remainder of the ride to Rapallo. After checking into our hotel, we ventured out for dinner at local restaurants. The rooftop bar at the hotel offered stunning views and wonderful food. And, yes, there was gelato.

Day 6

Cinque Terre (Five Lands), Focaccia Tasting and a Dip in the Mediterranean

Cinque Terre, Italian for Five Lands, is a coastal area in the Liguria region, the Italian Riviera. We took a train from Rapallo to Monterosso and switched trains to Riomaggiore. Our lunch included focaccia tasting at the A Pie De Ma, an outdoor restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean coastline. We enjoyed free time before boarding a boat for the village of Vernazza, where we had an early dinner. Some had pizza, some climbed up the mountain for a mountain top experience and some took a dip in the Mediterranean! We boarded our last boat to head back to Monterosso, where we had more shopping and, you guessed it, gelato! We returned to Rapallo by train for an evening at our hotel’s rooftop bar.

Day 7

Travel to Bologna and Pasta Making

Our tour guide, Valeria, showed off her other employer, the Acetala Gambigliani Zoccoli, one of the few remaining vinegar factories that produce traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. The current owner is the fifth generation to own, live and work at the villa. We met his grandchildren, who also live at the villa and enjoyed a delicious lunch of cheeses, meats and their family recipe for risotto. Valeria put on her vinegar factory hat and gave a tour showing how they make balsamic vinegar. Full and happy, we boarded our bus to Bologna where, after checking into our hotel, we had a pasta making class at Podere San Giuliano in San Lazzaro di Savena (Bologna) with Chef Federica Frattini. We made our own pasta from scratch, learned how to make a ragu sauce, then ate what we made. We did a great job as the food was delicious!

Day 8

Shopping in Bologna and Sweet Treats

Our guide led us through the streets on an optional walking excursion where we sampled sweet treats and learned about all the great shopping spots.

Day 9 Back to Milan and Parmesan Reggiano Sampling

On our way back to Milan, we stopped at a Parmesan Reggiano producer – Bottega del Coduro. We learned about the entire process, from the arrival of the milk to the finished product. We then sampled two different aged parmesan cheeses made on site.

We boarded our bus to finish our trip to Milan and checked in for our final hotel stay. Following a farewell dinner at the hotel we said arrivederci and shared goodbye hugs. With full hearts and stomachs, the inaugural Alpha Gam Adventure wrapped up with cherished memories made in Italy's unforgettable landscape.

Join Alpha Gam Adventures for the 2027 trip to Ireland! Limited reservations are available. Learn more at https://alphagammadelta.org/alumnae-experience/alphagamadventures/