Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Day 6 - Siena and San Gimignano

As soon as I stop and call the students to assemble for a group photo, they all simultaneously cry out "for the blog!!!" so here are our photos of Siena and San Gimignano.

We spent an hour or so milling around the beautiful town of Siena, some students relaxing in the Campo, others shopping, some visiting the Cathedral and the more energetic ones climbed the 400 steps to the top of the town hall tower to admire the view. We ate lunch at Trattoria Gallo Nero, a medieval restaurant where the staff was dressed in medieval Sienese costumes. After sampling the local ice-cream, we headed back to the coach and after a 50 minute drive we arrived in San Gimignano, for more ice-cream! Some students just had to visit the torture museums while others strolled around the beautiful medieval town!and then relaxed in the quaint piazza. We were back on the bus late afternoon and after an hour\'s drive back in Florence. The evening was spent packing.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Florence - Day 5

Museo San Marco
Archaeological Lab


A full day starting with an early visit to Museo San Marco, the Domenican monastery and once the home of Beato Fra Angelico who decorated each cell with a beautiful mural depicting scenes of the life of Christ.

We headed towards SACI, an American school of fine art, design, conservation and restoration and after a short introduction to the school, the history students headed to the State Archaeological Laboratory while the Art students spent the morning learning different techniques in conservation and restoration: patching canvases, retouching, gilding, plastering and painting using the egg tempera medium.

The history students were shown round the archaelogical laboratory and saw archaeologists working on Etruscan tombs. They also saw other artifacts all being restored.

We the joined the art students for lunch back in the centre of town, after which we split up into the respective art and history groups. The history group visited the Museo do Galileo, while it was the Art students\' turn to visit the Archaeological lab.

Although exhausted from all the cultural events, they always seem to find new found resources of energy for a spot of shopping, most of the students ably assisted by the teachers making sure that the presents they\'re buying will be well received by their parents.

Back at the hostel for supper, games and a spot of dancing and day 5 ended with the students a bit more tired, more satisfied, and looking forward to our trip to Siena and San Gimignano tomorrow.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Florence - Day 4

Ice-cream treat

Posing in front of Ghiberti\'s doors of the Baptistry
In the baptistry
Piazza della Signoria
A typical evening at the Hostel




We started the day with 9am Mass at the Duomo, and as we had a few minutes to spare we all headed for a Grom ice-cream and this, not because breakfast is frugal, but because we are on holiday! After visiting the Baptistry we spent an hour relaxing around Piazza della Signoria admiring the stunning sculptures around the Piazza and La Loggia. The favourite is always Cellini

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Day 3 - Florence

Waffles and ice cream
Giardini Boboli



Lunch time
Campanile di Giotto

Another glorious day, we set off in sunshine and made our way towards the centre to visit the Cappelle Medici. The students were very impressed with the ornate reliquaries but not so much with the Saints’ bones, nails and skin!

Since the students still cannot get to sleep before 1 or 2am, we thought a climb up the Campanile

di Giotto may do the trick and once we were up there we could enjoy the magnificent view. After having burnt all those calories, we visited Piazza Santa Croce, where the traditional Florentine 'football' match is played annually. The students then spent some time spending some of their parents' hard earned money.

Lunch was next in yet another quaint tavern just off Piazza della Signoria.

A walk across Ponte Vecchio led us to the Giardini Boboli and after yet another steep walk to reach the top of the garden we all dashed for a well deserved waffle and ice-cream. The highlight of the day was the visit to the Galleria Accademia and the students were in awe when they saw Michelangelo's David! Not content with all this, some more intrepid ones then did a bit of shopping at San Lorenzo Market.

Supper and a few rounds of pool concluded our long, exhausting, yet wonderful day!


Friday, March 30, 2012

Day 2 - Rome and Orvieto

Orvieto

St Peter's Square
Vatican MuseumWe checked out of the campsite nice and early and set off for the Vatican museums where we met our guide who zipped us through the vast collection and St peter's Basilica. The kids were pretty impressed and showed an interest in everything they saw but after three hours were ready for a rest a pizza and lots to drink.

At 4pm we headed for Orvieto., arriving after a couple of hours with enough time to stroll around the medieval town, take photos in front of the impressive duomo and eat a simple but typical dinner of pasta sugo and roast pork.

Day 2 - Vatican City and Orvieto

We checked out of the campsite nice and early and set off for the Vatican museums where we met our guide who zipped us through the vast collection and St peter\'s Basilica. The kids were pretty impressed and showed an interest in everything they saw but after three hours were ready for a rest a pizza and lots to drink.

At 4pm were headed for Orvieto

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Day 1 - Rome

walking towards the Colosseum
Follow the funny hat!
Sampling ice-cream.
Gaby, our guide for the afternoon.
Happy people!
Enjoying our picnic lunch near the Colosseum
A glorious day in a gorgeous city. We walked all around the city, from the Colosseum to the Vittoriano and from Castel Sant' Angelo to Piazza Navona to Fontana di Trevi to Piazza di Spagna. We ate Italian ice cream, drank Italian cappuccino and haggled with street vendors, all in all a very enjoyable day. We arrived at the campsite at 7pm, exhausted but happy.