Externship to Italy

[autumn]

Hi, my name is Autumn, I am currently attending the le cordon bleu culinary school in Portland. I am in my fourth week of school and I was advised to begin looking for my externship. I recently returned from Italy as an exchange student, and that is also what I would like to do for my externship. I have no idea how to get in contact with chefs or restaurant owners to make this happen. I could use some help, PLEASE!!!!
Autumn

[Nicko]

I was fortunate enough to work in Italy specifically in the Parma region and it was an excellent experience (except for the town getting flooded). They way I came upon this job was through the chef I worked for in France. He and the chef in Italy were good friends and the chef from Italy came to France to spend a week as a guest chef. After talking a bit I asked if I could come and work in his kitchen for a bit and he agreed. After spending some time working in Greece I just showed up on their doorstep and they gave me a place to stay and I worked with them for a month. It was a restaurant and a catering company and I learned quite a bit.

If you do not have any contacts in Italy what I would suggest is simply going to some of the resort towns in the Alps (Italian alps) and you will probably be able to find work in one of the restaurants there. This can easily lead to work in a better restaurant. For small a stage they usually don't bother you about work permits as I was working in Europe for almost two years without papers. Most people looking for work head to the Greek islands in the summer and then to the Alps and the ski resorts in winter.

Hope that helps.