The 2016 Italy Study Tour has finally commenced! Since we said our final goodbyes at Sydney airport, we’ve travelled two international flights in a whirlwind of excitement and sleep deprivation. We finally arrived in Rome on Sunday afternoon and we travelled by bus to our hotel accompanied by an Italian audio guide to begin our immersion into the Italian culture. We arrived at our hotel, San Giusto, conveniently located across the road from our school, which we would be attending every morning for the next 5 days.
After school, we quickly headed back to our rooms to prepare for our second half of the day – going to Il Colosseo. Originally, we thought that the 45-minute walk to the site would be long and difficult, but it was a great opportunity to look around Rome, and see the different parts of the city. When we arrived at the site, there was so much to take in. We had a tour guide who showed us around the ruins where we learnt about the history of that area.
A wonderful experience so far. We hope that all is well in Sydney.
DAY 3 & 4
The rooms in the Vatican museum with the fresco paintings were personal favourites. Created by Michelangelo, these artistic scenes celebrate the rise of Christianity and took 10 years to complete. The Gallery Of Maps was also a favourite, with the ceiling and walls of the room decorated with different maps of Italy – one map for every region. However, it was the Sistine Chapel that was truly breathtaking. We learnt that to create this masterpiece, Michelangelo spent 8-9 hours a day for 4 years, painting on the walls and ceiling of the chapel. In fact, he died at age 89 almost blinded from the chemicals.
The next stop, was La Basilica di San Pietro and the Cupola or ‘dome’. After 500 steps of steep, winding, narrow staircases, we were rewarded with a view of the inside of St Peter’s Basilica. A few more flights of stairs and we reached the very top of the Basilica and were amazed by the view of Rome. It’s safe to say it was worth the climb!
Day 6 was our final day in Rome!! Can you believe it!? We said goodbye to all of Rome’s great memories, including the “no later than 8am” breakfasts, the “strenuous” 1 minute daily walk to school, the deliciously authentic lunches from the local cafe` and the little pizzeria down the street. Today was not only the last day in Rome, but also the last day at the Dante Alighieri Language school. It was a really fun and enriching few days where we learnt many new concepts of the Italian language that some of us will not be learning until next year, so this is a nice advantage! As a farewell, the teachers at the language school organised a lovely morning tea for us with 2 one-metre long pizzas and some tasty Italian sweets. We really enjoyed going to the classes because it forced us to communicate in Italian as the teachers didn’t speak any English in class.
Once we left Rome we embarked on a two hour bus ride to Perugia, home to the Perugina Chocolate Factory (famously known for it’s Baci chocolates). Upon entrance, we began our tour of the factory, exploring the history of how chocolates were made, and how the Baci Kisses came to be. The best part of the tour was when we entered the tasting room, in which there were trays upon trays of free Perugina chocolates for all of us to try. Let me tell you all, we didn’t hold back. From 70% dark chocolate to pure white chocolate and everything in between, we were like children in Santa’s factory.
Following the irresistible consumption of the Perugina sweet treats, was an hour bus drive that welcomed us to the beautiful region of Tuscany. The highways were complemented by the varied touches of green trees, stunning agriculture, and little townhouses on the hills that overlooked lakes and accompanied an impeccable view. Thanks to our kind and generous bus driver, Massimo, we arrived in the small yet remarkable town of Siena. Tonight we have the opportunity to stay in one of the most gorgeous and piu` antichi hotels, Hotel Moderno, where the rooms, foyer, dining area and not to mention the view are truly spectacular!
We look forward to exploring Siena in the morning.
Day 7 & 8
Our visit to Siena on day 7 was full of wonders and new experiences. Walking along the cobblestones, we didn’t know what to expect, but when we made it to the top we were surrounded with luscious greenery and a spectacular view. The narrow lane ways leading to la Basilica di San Francesco added an extra special layer to the beauty of Siena. A grand building was seen in the distance and we were struck by the simplicity of its exterior. Then as we entered we were witnesses to the admirable and intricate architecture.
Already baffled by the beauty of this area, we knew there was so much more to see. Our next stop was Piazza del Campo a famous social gathering place, as well as the holder of the well-known event Il Palio. Il Palio is the most important event in Siena taking place on July 2nd and August 16th every year. The race includes the 17 Contrade (districts), each with their own emblem and colours to represent different areas of the city, then an individual from each Contrada races their horses to determine a winner. After hearing this information, groups of us took the initiative to climb the 400 steps of the Torre Mangia. The tiredness and pain from walking was certainly rewarding as the view from the top was indescribable; the beauty of the greenery mixed with the rustic buildings had us drawn from the moment we reached the top.
We then made our way to La Casa di Santa Caterina. An absolutely stunning area which contains a ton of history that interrelates with both our school motto of ‘Veritas’, ‘Dominican Values’ and St Dom himself. The house has been adapted and is now a series of chapels dedicated to Saint Catherine.
We then came to the final stop of La Basilica di San Domenico. To say it was beautiful sounds cliche but that is the only way to describe it. The intricate architecture was eye capturing and made us all take a step back and realise how lucky we are to be able to experience this. We all appreciated the beauty of San Domenico’s Basilica.
From Siena, we boarded our coach bound for Firenze. On day 8, after another bright and early wake up call from our teachers as well as a beautiful breakfast, consisting of le paste, le torte and of course lots of caffé, gave us the perfect start to our very busy day planned. We enjoyed a short morning walk to the Piazza Della Repubblica, where we met our tour guide Claudia, who led us through the buzzing streets of Florence, enriching us with its unique history and beauty. We were amazed by the breathtaking view from Ponte Vecchio, the most famous of the arched bridges overlooking the Arno River as well as the variety of architecture, which we were able to appreciate through the old and the new buildings of Florence.
Following our morning tour was a visit to la Galleria dell’Academia, home to Michelangelo’s masterpieces including St Matthew and of course his Statue of Davide. Carved from an abandoned piece of marble, this 17 foot statue left us all in awe as we admired the intricate details of the sculpture, especially the veins of his hands and arms. Michelangelo was only 26 years old when he consistently worked for 2 years to complete his masterpiece.
After our visit to la Galleria dell’Academia, it was time for a well-deserved lunch. We split off into our own small groups and navigated ourselves around La Piazza della Signoria. Most of us chose to grab a panino on the go whilst some of us chose the typical Italian way and indulged in a plate of pasta or pizza then continued exploring. We had the opportunity to put our haggling and bartering skills to the test when we went to the markets. Some of our favourite expressions would have to be Ma, dai! È troppo costoso! Ma stai scherzando? Most of us were extremely successful in our purchases and ended up saving lots of money on leather goods and souvenirs.
We regrouped outside la Galleria degli Uffizi for our tour of the gallery. We were able to see the works of artists such as Botticelli and Leonardo Da Vinci. The most exciting paintings that we saw were the Nascita di Venere (Birth of Venus) and Primavera (The Springtime). The Birth of Venus was painted in the 1480s by Botticelli and depicts the Goddess Venus having emerged from the seas as a re-born female. Another one of Botticelli’s famous artworks La Primavera, also known as Allegory of Spring was also equally as extraordinary and is considered one of the most popular paintings in Western Art. From floor to ceiling, everywhere we looked there was something to admire!
To put all of our hours of walking to an end, we stopped at Osteria dei Baroncelli for an amazing dinner and were able to relax after a vigorous day of exploring.
A domani!
Day 9 and 10
On the morning of day 9, we headed down to Florence’s central station to catch the train to Pisa where we were immediately relieved to realise the differences between the Rome metro and Italy’s regional train system. Although the station was chaotic with people heading to work in the morning, it was still a much more comfortable experience than the metro in Rome. We enjoyed the hour-long train ride through the lush Tuscan countryside and had a beautiful view of lakes and rivers, mountains and valleys and small towns. Once we arrived in Pisa, we ventured through the streets, watching the shop keepers draw open their windows to start their day. We finally got to the Piazza del Duomo of Pisa and were able to view the iconic Torre pendente di Pisa first-hand. To our surprise, the tower leaned more than we were expecting – we actually thought that it moved right in front of our eyes! We took an excessive amount of photos of each other attempting to hold up the tower, although many were unsuccessful.
We then made our way back to the Leaning Tower of Pisa and awaited our turn to climb it. Right before we went up, a lady informed us of the history of the tower which fascinated us all. Most importantly, the reason why the tower leans is due to the soft marshy earth in Pisa and we were surprised to learn that there are also other buildings in Pisa that lean. Initially, the walk to the top of the tower was quite difficult as the slope slowly inclined as we got higher, which felt like we were falling. It was almost 300 steps to the top, but it actually felt easy compared to all the other towers we had previously climbed, like the Dome of the Vatican and the Torre Mangia of Siena. The view over Pisa was beautiful, showing the typical Tuscan landscape.
We arrived back in Firenze where we had lunch before climbing the famous Tower of Giotto at the Duomo di Firenze. Wherever there is a tower promising an amazing view, you can be sure that most of our group will climb it! From here, we crossed over the Arno River to the other side of Florence, where we made a steep journey up a hill to reach the Piazzale Michelangelo. The journey was painful but the climb was well and truly worth it. The view of the whole of Florence was so breathtaking, we sat and admired it for at least an hour. No matter how many photos we took, they just did not do the spectacular view any justice. We feel so truly blessed to have been able to experience the amazing wonders of this incredible region and to learn about the features that are a part of it.
On day 10, we had an early departure from the luxurious wifi and decor of Hotel Arcadia in Florence, to our coach for Verona. After a four-hour ride through the scenic Tuscan countryside, we had arrived at our location – which we’d be exploring throughout the day. Our stay in Verona included: a traipse through its shop lined streets, iconic Piazza Bra and L’Arena di Verona, as well as a visit to La Casa di Giulietta. La Piazza Bra is thought to be the largest piazza in Italy. L’Arena di Veronawas built nearly 2000 years ago, and is still used for Operas and in entertaining contemporary audiences by being the venue of countless famous performers (e.g. Elton John, One Direction, Pink Floyd).
Juliet’s House is an early 14th century house that is accepted by many in the modern world as being the Capulet house, and inspiration for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The most noticeable aspect upon arrival were the walls of the entrance and surrounding street surfaces; covered in written promises of love directly graffitied onto stone or taped to the walls in paper notes. The outdoor courtyard could be described as charming, with a stone balcony and bronze incarnation of Juliet herself. We each had the opportunity to pose on Juliet’s famous stone balcony, and have our photos taken like most other tourists.
Following this, the group was given some free time to buy lunch and explore before heading to L’Arena di Verona. Finally, we re-boarded our coach bound for Venice. A boat transported us to the hotel from the coach stop, into the city of Venice. Once we had settled into our rooms, we spent some time enjoying the change of scenery and waterside culture, and dined at Ristorante Ai Scalzi in the evening. After dinner, we were able to enjoy the view of the ferries and gondolas passing by as the sun was setting, and treat ourselves to a gelato. The city lit up as the sky darkened, and we returned to our rooms – tired and ready for a good night’s rest.
Buonanotte a tutti!
Day 11 and 12
On day 11 we explored Venezia for the first time. We started the day with a vaporetto(ferry ride) to the Piazza San Marco where we were meeting our tour guide Luisa. While waiting in the Piazza, we sat between two columns – which we later found out was the location for many executions during the time of the Doge. Feeling a little superstitious, we decided as a group to not walk through these columns again whilst beginning our walking tour.
During our tour, we learnt that Venice is a truly amazing city. In the heart of Piazza San Marco lies a bell tower that was built in 1777 which later collapsed in 1902. Funnily enough, no humans were harmed or killed, only a black cat. We also found out the original Venetian Opera House burned down in its early days, only to be rebuilt across the road where two more fires would later occur. The new Opera House was called the Phoenix and coincidentally, it withstood both of the fires and is still standing today. We realised on our tour that San Marco, the patron saint of Venice, is very important to Venetians. After his death, Venetians hid his body in a basket so that they could keep him with them. His body still remains there to this day in La Basilica di San Marco, however, there is no way to know if it is actually his remains that they have but as Luisa told us, Venetians continue to believe in this story.
After our walking tour, we were given some free time for lunch. We discovered that Venice is a very easy city to get lost in and on numerous occasions had to pull out google maps or ask for directions. After lunch we boarded the ferry to Murano Island – the home of Italian glass. With an hour to spare (our punctuality was a little too good), we used the time to look in the shops. Coloured glass of all shapes and sizes filled every single store we walked into, and it was very difficult to choose what to buy. We then went to a workshop at a glassmaking school. Upon arrival, we were split into two groups and went into separate activities. We got to see glass being made in two different ways using the glass-blowing technique, which was fascinating to watch. The second activity was more hands-on, and involved us designing our own glass tile. After the activities, we watched a detailed documentary on the history of Murano glass and the traditional techniques that are still used today.
After the workshop, we had a quick gelato and boarded the ferry back to Venice. We sat down for dinner at a local pizzeria and tried to fit in as much Italian pizza as possible before we leave on Friday morning. Following dinner, we went for a quick passeggiata along the calm streets of Venice and were surprised with an evening treat at the Magnum Pleasure Store! Ecstatic, we raced across the bridge and lined up to order and design our very own Magnums. We sat by the canal and ate our gelati and then wandered back to the hotel and started to prepare for our last day in Italy.
We spent day 12 continuing to explore the city of Venice. Our first stop was Il Campanile di San Marco which is the bell tower of Saint Mark’s Basilica located in Piazza San Marco. The tower is one of the most recognisable icons of the city and is 98.6 metres tall. We were given the opportunity to climb it and appreciate the city from a different perspective. Much to our surprise, unlike other towers we have climbed, there were no working stairs only an ascensore, which let us kick back and take the lazy way up. The view from the top of the tower was astounding and we felt truly lucky to have been allowed to travel and experience a new country and culture different to our own.
Following our Tower climb, we headed to la fermata di San Marco to catch a traghettoto the island of Burano. The island of Burano is famous for its lacework and its small, brightly painted houses. With a population of only 4 thousand people, Burano relies on tourists in order to gain profits in their small businesses. After wandering around, exploring the different shops and being astounded by the different colours of the small houses, we made our way back to Murano where we went to pick up our glass tiles, which we had created in the workshop the day before. We were all happy with our creations.
After lunch, we had the most memorable experience of the day – a 30 minute gondola ride around the beautiful Venetian canals. Along the way we even encountered a woman who was being proposed to on the gondola ride! It was a lovely moment and made us feel just that extra bit happy to be in such an amazing place. Other memorable parts of the gondola ride were the beautiful voices of the gondoliers singing to us for parts of the trip and also the old and beautifully built bridges and buildings we passed along the way.
When we arrived back at the hotel after dinner, we were surprised with a fun last day activity. We were called into one of the rooms in the hotel to play a game of trivia based on general knowledge of the tour. The trivia questions allowed us to think about all the wonderful experiences we had, from language questions based on what we had learnt, to sightseeing facts and private jokes and it was a great way to bond as a group and finish off the tour.
Allora, Italy has been a long and crazy adventure that has enriched us with knowledge and memories that will last forever. From the crazy bus rides and early wakeup calls to the long walks and ridiculous amounts of food. We will forever cherish the experience of the Italy Study Tour 2016. Thank you to our teachers for putting up with us and all our demanding questions and complaints. You will always be our favourite seasonal travellers.
Arrivederci Italia!!
