Firenze and New Friends

Yesterday, we took the last of our three day trips, this time to another famous Italian city: Firenze! Both Carla and I studied abroad in Firenze (also called Florence in English), so we were very excited to share another city that we love with our students!

We hopped on the Frecciarossa, one of Italy's high-speed trains, and enjoyed the beautiful train ride through the regions of Lazio and Tuscany. Once we arrived in Firenze, we were led on a short walking tour around the city, during which we saw many famous landmarks: the church of Santa Maria Novella, Orsanmichele (a granary-turned-church with an interesting history), the Duono and bell tower, and the Palazzo Vecchio, once home to the Medici family. We then had a delicious lunch of antipasti, lasagna or farfalle, and cantuccini (almond cookies) for dessert. We made a quick pit stop after lunch to enjoy some gelato, and then made our way to the Galleria degli Uffizi, of the world's most famous art museums.

Once in the museum, our participants had the chance to be tour guides! Each student was assigned a painting, and they had to research the artist, year it was painted, and technique used. They also shared a fun fact about the painting or artist, along with their impression of the painting (see above for pictures of students with their paintings!) It was a great way to see 20 of the world's most famous paintings, by artists such as Michelangelo, Raffaelo, Da Vinci, and Caravaggio, while also allowing students to express their own thoughts about the art on display. After spending a few hours touring the museum, it was time to catch our train back to Rome! 

Today, the students had a very relaxing Sunday. We started the day off with some free time. One group went to the Trevi fountain, while another shopped around Piazza di Spagna and on Via del Corso, the most famous shopping street in Rome. Some of us also stopped in the Antico Caffè Greco, the oldest bar in Rome and the second oldest in all of Italy. It has been open since 1760 and has since served some of the most famous authors and artists throughout history, such as Mark Twain, Herman Melville, Lord Byron, Hans Christian Andersen, John Keats, to name just a few!

We spent the afternoon having a picnic lunch in Villa Doria Pamphili, the largest landscaped public park in Rome. Our group was joined once again by their new amici italiani, some local Italian high school students. The participants spent time socializing with their new friends, walking around the park, playing cards, listening to music, and even playing an Italy vs. USA soccer match!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post, as it is finally time for one of the most anticipated activites of our trip: our visit to the Piscina delle Rose, a pool located in the complex built for the 1960 Olympic games!