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We woke up very early Friday morning to start our weekend excursion. I was so excited for this part of the trip because we got the opportunity to see more of what Italy had to offer and of course, getting some time to relax. We all loaded into the bus to start our long drive to Pompei. After about 3 hours we arrived and were greeted by a wonderful tour guide that showed us the town of Pompei. She said if we wanted to see the entire town it would take about 3 days, so we got to see as much as we could in 2 hours. I didn’t realize how big it really was, but it was so cool to be able to walk on the original road and see some of the places where these people lived.
After our tour we made a quick pitstop for lunch and then proceeded to the city of Naples. As soon as we arrived I quickly got the impression that Naples is the New York City of Italy. There were people and stores everywhere you looked. We walked around the city and we got to see The Veiled Christ which is a sculpture made entirely of marble. Because of its significance we were unable to take pictures. Afterwards we had some time to spare so we had about 2 hours to do whatever we wanted around the city. I went and bought some souvenirs while others did some big shopping. As I was walking around I was comparing Naples to Rome. Rome did not have as many people and was more focused around the history. Naples was a more modern city and had a lot of construction going on as in Rome there was none. After Naples we proceeded to our hotel in the town of Sorrento where we would be staying the next 2 nights. We were tired after driving all day and being on the go so we decided to call it a night to prepare for Saturday. Saturday was the day on our trip that I had been looking forward too since before we even left for Italy. We were going to the Isle of Capri. We got up early because we had to take a boat from Sorrento to the island and the first one left at 9 so we made sure we got on the first boat. Once we got on the boat we had the option of sitting inside or going up on the top where it was all open. It was a little chilly, but we were in Italy and we didn’t know when we would ever be able to go back so we decided to go on top. When the boat started moving we got to see 360-degree views of the Mediterranean Sea. After a 15-20-minute boat ride we had arrived at Capri. Walking off the dock I felt like I was looking at a puzzle with the amazing pictures of places you can travel to. The buildings were placed so perfectly on the hills and looked just like I pictured it would. Since it was winter time, the town was very empty and not many people were there. I can imagine the place in the summer full of people dressed in nautical outfits and concerts. We were hoping we would be able to go inside of the blue caves which are highly talked about in Capri, but we couldn’t go inside of them because of the high tide on the water. Instead we got to go on a boat tour around the entire island. We still got to see the caves and we got to go through the love arch which is a famous arch made of rock on the Mediterranean. It did get a little rocky on the water and we had some people get sick, but it was still one of the best things we had done on the trip thus far. Afterwards we took a bus to the top of the island where we ate lunch and got to do some shopping. Since it was winter most places were closed and weren’t open until spring time. We shopped and walked around the rest of the day before heading back to the boat to go back to Sorrento and our hotel where we had dinner and called it a night. Sunday morning, we checked out of our hotel and got back on the bus for a long bus ride back to Rome. We got to Rome around 6pm and that gave us time to grab dinner and do any last-minute sight seeing before heading to the airport the next morning. I took a walk with Christine and Katie to go see the Trevit fountain lit up at night because we had heard so many amazing things about it. it certainly did not disappoint. It was beautiful with the lights on the water and on the statues. It made our last night in Italy one to remember forever. We headed back to our hotel because we had to be up at 3am to load up our luggage and head to the airport. I have been home for 6 days now and this past week I have been reflecting on my trip. When I walked into my house Monday night my family made a huge welcome home sign for me surrounded with balloons and homemade peanut butter cookies (my favorite). We all sat around my family room and I gave them all my gifts I bought for them and showed them all of my souvenirs. You never realize how much you rely and love on your family until you are away from them for 19 days. I missed them so much and I can’t wait to take them to Italy so that they could experience the things I got to see and more. I am so thankful for the friends that I met in my cohort along with the teachers that went with us. They helped me when I needed ideas for lessons when we were at the school along with teaching us our ways around the big cities. I hope we can all stay close friends and we can talk about this memorable trip for as long as we can. There were many laughs and tears and even though we wish we were all still there, it is now a memory that we have that we can share with our friends and families for years to come.
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I’m a few days behind but I wanted to talk about my last day in Torremaggiore because it was so amazing. We didn’t have to teach on Thursday, so we had the early parts of the morning on our own. I went for a walk around the town before heading to the school to await our group outing for the day. We had the honor to go to see the Mayor of Torremaggiore at the town hall also known as the Municipal Building. We got to go into his office and take in the views of Torremaggiore. His office was huge with his desk and a large conference size table. The Mayor started by telling us that it was such an honor for us to be in their town and they have loved hosting us. He then showed us to the corner of his office which was renovated in 2002. He has a corner of his office dedicated to the relationship between Buffalo and Torremaggiore. For those that don’t know, Buffalo and Torremaggiore are sister cities. The high school in Torremaggiore works with Hutchinson Central Technical School in Buffalo and send students to attend school for the year. We got to see all of the signed certificates that the mayors of Buffalo and Torremaggiore have signed. In the office there were several documents and the students in our cohort got copies of the documents that created the relationship. After of chat with the mayor we had to go back to the school for a goodbye celebration. When we got back to the school we went into the principal’s office where the staff gave us t-shirts and hats that said San Giovanni Bosco on them. As we were in the school we could look out the window and see the children start going outside with their pom poms. Once all of the students were all outside we got to go out and say our final goodbyes. The students started cheering and waving at us. Right away I walked over to the third graders and they all came up to me and started a huge group hug. While I was hugging them, it hit me how much I was going to miss those kids. We all came back together to sing the “hello song” with the entire school except we changed it to goodbye. They all knew the words and clapped and smiled the entire time. We said our final goodbyes and the students began going back into their classrooms. While they were on their way inside they were coming up to all of us asking for our autographs and giving us a final hug goodbye. I was so sad to leave the quiet and quaint town. When you tell someone, you are travelling to Italy they automatically think you are going to the big, busy cities but it made me so happy to say that I was going to Torremaggiore because nobody had heard of it before. At first, I thought it was just a dot on a map but now I look at it as a place that has given me a new view on education and everyday living.
Following our journey in Torremaggiore, we travelled to Naples, Sorrento, Pompei, and the Isle of Capri. I will be posting a separate blog about the weekend to stay tuned!!!! Our days in Italy are coming to an end which means we are saying goodbye to all the students and teachers at the school. On Tuesday morning we went to the school and got to see an early childhood classroom. This class had about 20 students that were 3 and 4 years old. The music majors in our group had something planned for the class so I got to watch and help when needed. With students that small facial expressions are huge and really make a difference when teaching. Once the music teachers would start clapping, the students start smiling and clapping along. The most fascinating thing for me to watch was that a few of our teachers were in that classroom last week and did similar songs and on Tuesday they remembered almost everything that they did. Our music teachers lead a song that was about a scarf and she had one waving in her hands while she was singing. They were colorful and eye catching, and you could tell the students just wanted to touch it. The students got their wish and each student had their own scarf. As soon as the music teachers began the song the students mirrored exactly what the teachers were doing and not fooling around with them. After our teachers were done with their lesson the students teacher had them go into the hallway to sing for us. Even though we had no idea what they were singing because it was in Italian, it was amazing to see their happy faces while dancing and jumping up and down. After they sang for us it was time to day goodbye and walk over to the high school for their performance on Shakespeare. When we got to the high school we were guided to the auditorium and had the front row reserved for our group. The performance began with a student named Kevin who was introducing the play and telling us that it would be in English just for us. They performed same of Shakespeare’s most famous plays like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Macbeth”, and “The Tempest”. Some of the show they performed and other parts were previously recorded, so we watched them on a screen. Following the performance one of the teachers who was born in Boston gave us a tour of the school since she spoke fluent English. This school was similar to ones in America except this school had one thing that ours don’t have. Ping pong tables. Each of us took turns playing against some of the students at the school and they proved that they were better than us. Afterwards we went to lunch with the teachers from the elementary school. That might have been the most filling lunch since being here in Italy. We had pizza and it wasn’t just your typical cheese and pepperoni pizza. They brought out 7 different kinds of pizza and probably 4 of each kind. They started off with a simple cheese and pepperoni pizza but then it expanded to mushroom and ham, three cheese Gorgonzola, ham and potato, and finally a pizza with French fries and hot dog. That’s right you heard it right, French fries and hot dog. It was certainly a weird taste, but it was good. Tuesday night we went on a tour of the old churches here in Torremaggiore. Torremaggiore is famous for their churches so it was cool to be able to go into 3 of them. The first church we entered is dedicated for funerals and the other two hold regular masses. Its so amazing to see the history and the old ancient buildings that are still in great standing today and will probably be around for another hundred years. Today was our last day at the school and it was very sad to leave the children and the teachers. They have done so much for us these past 2 weeks and we can’t thank them enough. Angela and I went back into our third-grade classroom today because that is where we started. Walking into the classroom today we planned to just go in and observe the teacher Giovanna. She was teaching Italian and it brought back memories for me when I was learning Spanish. Making the charts and writing the words in singular, plural, masculine, and feminine tenses. Giovanna then had the class connect the words and their tenses to real life. They are reading a book in class about a seagull and a cat in Germany and she had them go through the book and circle the words in different tenses in different colors. Following the observation, we had the class write all their names in our book that we wrote as a souvenir for us to take back with us. We took a goodbye picture and all the kids gave me a hug goodbye. I hope the students English has improved because I have sure learned a lot from them and I am walking away with so many ideas for my future classes. Tonight, we are going to a Medieval dinner with some of the teachers. Tomorrow is our last day in Torremaggiore. We will be meeting the mayor and are going to the school for our final goodbyes. This weekend we will be travelling to the area of Naples and will be going to the Ruins of Pompeii, Sorrento, the Isle of Capri, and Caserta. I can’t wait to see the city because I have heard it is gorgeous, so I will be taking a lot of pictures. Arrivederci Torremaggiore!!! Sunday was our relaxing and resting day. We finally got to sleep in a little which was good because I needed it after being so busy last week. We had the option to take a bus trip to the coast and I obviously couldn’t turn that down. We got on a bus and took a half hour drive to the town of Lesina. It was a beautiful town because it was right on the water and is probably even more pretty in the summertime. Mario was our tour guide and showed us to the pier out on the water. When we walked out there we saw a statue of a cross in the middle of the water but didn’t know what it meant. As we got out there Mario explained to us that in 1910 there was an earthquake followed by a tsunami in the town and flooded most of it. The cross was in the middle of the lake to honor all the fisherman that had died during the storm. Behind the statue you could see through to the bottom of the water and see the foundation of the buildings that were once there one hundred years ago. It was so sad to think that this natural disaster happened, but it is amazing how much history is under the water. The lake is connected to the Adriatic Sea through a canal, so we got back on the bus to head towards the canal and grab a bite to eat. As we arrived at the canal it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere, but we got to eat a delicious meal and got to look at the canal where the fresh water from the lake and the salt water from the sea meet. The lake is known for their supply of eel and the restaurant owners showed us their technique on how they catch them. We took a walk around by the restaurant and they showed us their supply of rosemary. Apparently, it is some of the best rosemary around and I smelled so good that we brought some back to give to the chefs at the B&B. After our walking tour Mario asked us if we wanted to go see the Adriatic Sea. Of course, we had to because when are we going to be able to do that again. We got back on the bus and traveled to the Marina di Lesina and got to go see the Adriatic Sea. As soon as we got off the bus you could hear water roaring and we couldn’t wait to get down there. Its only 55 degrees here so I wasn’t going to go swimming, but I had to put my hand in. if I had known we were going to the sea I would’ve brought a bottle to bring some sand home. Following the sea, we headed back to the B&B to rest and take a small nap to get ready for our final week here in Torremaggiore. We only have a week left in Italy so stick around for our once in a lifetime adventures. On Thursday we had a break from going to the school, but we still had our opportunity to work with the children. We went to the castle in Torremaggiore where the fifth graders were, and we got to watch the music education majors from our cohort teach music to the children. There were about 80 students and that were all sitting in a circle. I got to sit behind the children which was great so that we could see their faces and reactions. Once everyone was settled the four music majors along with their professor Dr. Renzoni began their program. They started with the welcome song which has been the song we have all been singing to the children in all the grade levels. From there they transitioned into a song about Thanksgiving. 2 members from our group that are in the classroom teaching 5th grade so the children were already aware of the song. When they started singing it the children grasped right on and began singing as well. I really enjoyed listening to them sing in rounds because it all flowed together so easily, and the students were amazed that they were all singing at different points in the song, but it still sounded good. Following that song, they sang “This Land Is Your Land” which goes along to the book that I wrote. I didn’t get to read it, but the students still understood and enjoyed singing it. Finally, they closed it out with a goodbye song which is like the hello song. Once the singing was over everyone was picking up their belongings to leave but we got stopped. The children began swarming us like bees because they wanted our autographs. Let me tell you, I have never felt so famous in my life. These children were all prepared bringing their own pen and paper for us to sign. It started to get so out of hand I had to go into my own bookbag and grab one of my extra pens to use. As I was looking around at all the children I was giving autographs too I could tell that they really appreciate us coming to their school and teaching them. That night we got invited to a pizza place for dinner. We were invited by the members of the Torremaggiore–Buffalo association which is a relationship between the two sister cities that send students to the high schools in those cities. In Torremaggiore they send their students to Hutchinson Central Technical High School and the Buffalonians send their students to Liceo Ginnasio Statale N. Fiani. They wanted to meet us to welcome us to Torremaggiore. Students from the organization wrote us welcome letters and telling us all about their experiences from when they were in Buffalo. It was so cool to watch because it showed that it really is a small world that we live in. Once we got out of dinner (at 10:30 P.M.) we went for a walk with the students then made our way back to the B&B for the night. Friday came, and it was finally the day I was able to teach my lesson. They told me that I would be teaching second grade, so the Christine and Krissy could go do their winter lesson with the third graders since they were learning about winter. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect because I didn’t know what level they were on when it came to learning the English language since they don’t begin teaching it until third grade. When we walked in I realized right away that they weren’t as fluent as the third graders. We started learning the hello song and we then taught them our song “This Land Is Your Land”. Afterwards I read our book in English and their teacher read the Italian. After I finished each page I would have them repeat after me and say the vocabulary words aloud. I also brought a map of the United States so that I could show the students where places are on the map that are in the book which the kids really enjoyed. Following reading the book I decided to do a write aloud. I would write a sentence on the board leaving a blank in the sentence for the children to say the word. For example, I wrote “We live in B” I would sound out the B and the kids yelled out “Buffalo”. To make sure they understood the words I asked if someone would come up to the board to circle the word Buffalo. Right away the entire class jumped out of their seats and raised their hands to come up. It was so cool to watch the excitement on their faces. They were getting loud and the teachers kept telling them to be quiet, but it wasn’t working. It did get to the point where the teacher pulled a joke and brought out a wooden stick and it actually worked. They were silent and raised their hand quietly. Being apart of the magical experience has taught me so much about what it takes to become an educator. We are only in the school one more day next week and I will be sad to leave the kids, but I know that us working with them has strongly improved their English. Saturday night will certainly be a night I will never forget. We got to go to San Severo which is the town next to Torremaggiore. We got to go visit a wine cellar and see the process of making wine. The owners specialize in sparkling wine, so it was a different process than making regular wine. Following the tour, we got to go eat dinner in the wine cellar along with watching a special concert. There were so many people there and we realized after that they were all there just to see us! It was amazing to see these people gather together to hang out with Americans. Dinner and the wine were amazing, and we got to enjoy a wonderful night of dancing and having fun with our cohort. Next week is our last week in Torremaggiore and we will be having be going on tours of the town, going to see a play at the local high school, and of course eating delicious Italian food. I will admit I do miss American food and have a list of the foods I want when I get home. Stay tuned for more updates!
Ciao for now!! What a whirlwind the past two days have been. Tuesday was our first official day of being in the classroom. My partner Angela and I have been preparing this past semester by creating a book that goes along with a song, so we chose “This Land is Your Land” all about the landscapes and what America has to offer. So, on Tuesday we were preparing to go into the classroom and just observe to see how the classroom is organized and how their everyday classroom flows so that we could teach on Wednesday. But of course, that is not how it happened.
We walked into the classroom Tuesday morning and sat in the front of the classroom so that the students could do a little Q&A with us. They were asking questions about our age, what the weather is like in Buffalo and what we like about Italy. While they were asking their questions another third grade class came in to join ours so that we could have everyone together. The teacher named Elizabeth came up to us asking if we had an activity and we showed her the book we created, and she asked if we could read it. So, Angela and I took turns reading the English and switching every two pages. We would read the English and Elizabeth would read the Italian to the class. After we read the book Giovanna the other teacher pulled out a U.S. map and allowed us to show the kids where Buffalo is and places like New York City, California, and where the Grand Canyon is in Nevada. Katie W. also joined our group and she had her own separate book, so she read hers aloud to the class. Her book was about family and the teacher had the class draw their own family on a piece of paper. It was very interesting to watch the children use their artistic abilities to draw. When they were done they would walk up to each of us and present their families to us with their names and their relation to them. I tired repeating all of them but some were difficult to pronounce. Once the students were done drawing Angela introduced them to a song we have been learning in class. It is a hello song that begins in Italian telling the students hello and then we also sing it in English. The kids grasped on very quickly and began clapping and singing along while smiling from ear to ear. After that our day in the school was over and we went out to lunch with the teachers so that we could learn more about each other. It was not the day we expected but we were able to deliver what the teachers wanted us to do in an effective manner. Wednesday Angela and I were back in the classroom planning on elaborating our book after reading it yesterday. When we walked into the classroom Giovanna was showing us that they were learning about winter and they wanted us to help them teach what winter is like in Buffalo. The teachers saw that Christine and Krissy, another group from our cohort wrote their book about winter in Buffalo and wanted us to use it to teach it to the third graders. This was not in our plans, but we quickly came up with ideas in how we can use what we have for our book and relate it to a Buffalo winter. After reading the winter book in both Italian and English I pulled out my flashcards I had made for my book. I had words like river, lake, mountain, fishing, city, etc. I used those words to say that the rivers and lakes form ice and no boats can go on the water in winter. And of course, we had to talk about the snow. In Christine and Krissy’s book it talked about Snowvember and it included pictures, so I walked around and showed the class the pictures and all they kept saying was “wow”. For an activity we had the students draw their own Buffalo winter on a piece of paper. We drew an example on the board to give them an idea and it was interesting to observe what they came up with. On the top of the chalkboard the teacher wrote “Buffalo Winter” in red chalk and when the students went to write it on their paper they all wrote in red. It is fascinating for me to watch them do exactly as the teacher does and add a few extra touches. Following that Angela taught the kids some Christmas songs such as “Frosty the Snowman” and Dr. Renzoni helped teach “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” with the addition of sleigh bells. The kids were so excited. They would stand up and start dancing and singing and had a great time. Even though I haven’t been able to teach my lesson, yet I am still having a great time at the school. I am learning so much about classroom management and the Italian way to discipline the children when talking. I observed today that they use the method of put your hands in the air, put your hands on your head, shoulders, then put your finger over your lips to mean silence. I also observed that when they go to raise their hand the raise just one finger like they are showing the number 1. We will not be in the classroom tomorrow because we are going to the castle in town, but we will be back on Friday in hopes I can teach the kids about the landscapes of America. After a 4-hour bus ride we have made it to Torremaggiore. The drive felt like forever, but it was amazing to look out the window and see the breathtaking view of the mountains with the snowcaps on top and the small towns built on the sides of the mountains along with grapevines and olive trees. As we arrived in the quaint town of Torremaggiore you look around and everything is closed and there is not one person on the streets. We finally arrived at our Bed and Breakfast, B&B Cavour and were welcomed by a wonderful man who guided us to our rooms for the next 11 days. I am in a simple room with 3 twin beds with a bathroom off the bedroom. After we got settled in Dr. Ceprano wanted to show us the school where we will be teaching at for the next 2 weeks. As we are walking around the citizens of the town were staring at us like we were exotic animals in a zoo. Most of them have probably never seen Americans walking around their town before. We got to the school, San Giovanni Bosco, but it was difficult to take it all in because it was dark out. After our walk it was time for our first dinner in Torremaggiore which meant it was finally time for a true Italian meal. Our breakfast and dinner are made by the family that owns the B&B and is served by their daughter Paola who speaks fluent English. We sit at one long table as our first course arrives. We got bruschetta with mozzarella and olives. I don’t think I have ever had real mozzarella cheese before and I can tell you I was not disappointed. Next, they brought out a tortellini soup that were filled with cheese and sausage. After that I thought it was over, but they brought out tomatoes and mozzarella. At this point my stomach was full so I didn’t eat much of that. Last was dessert and in Italy it is common that they serve fruit for dessert. They served us apples, clementine’s, and plums that were all grown locally. After dinner it was time for bed to prepare for our first day at the school. We woke up early thinking we had to be at the school early, but we didn’t have to be there until 10:00. We went downstairs and were served toast, provolone cheese, salami, prosciutto, and pancetta. All delicious. Since we still had time before we needed to be at the school we walked down to the market that comes into town every Monday. It was like a flea market and had just about everything from fruits to vegetables, meats, cheese, clothes, shoes, makeup, blankets, and pillows. We didn’t have much time to explore so I look forward to going back next Monday. After the market it was time to walk to the school. As we were approaching we could see the students begin to walk out into the courtyard to greet us. We waited across the street to wait for everyone to come outside. Attached to the school gate was a sign that read “BENVENUTI” meaning welcome. As the children began to walk outside the little children were carrying red, white, and blue balloons and half of the older students made red, white, and blue pom poms. The other half had red, white, and green pom poms for the color of the Italian flag. The parents of the children started to arrive to meet us as well, so we knew that us being there was a big deal for this community. As we walked through the gate the children started waving and shaking their pom poms with smiles from ear to ear. It was very emotional for me because it felt like we were famous people that these people have always wanted to meet. Once we all waved and said our hello’s they played the Star-Spangled Banner that we sang and then they played the Italian National Anthem and all of the children started singing which was amazing to watch. Following the introductions, the kids sang us a welcome song that included Italian and English and they looked so excited to be singing to us. Following the parade, we went inside to get a tour of the school. The school was recently robbed so it was sad to see how much was lost and what they have to work with now. I will be teaching third grade and when I walked into the classroom the children all stood up to welcome us and when called on they would stand up and say, “hi, my name is” and how old they were and how long they have been in primary school all in English. That was awesome to see because it gave me a feel of how much they know for when it comes to teaching my lessons. Following our tour our day was over, and the rest of the day was ours. In Torremaggiore they have a siesta, which is when the entire city shuts down from 2-5. This allows families to enjoy quality time together eating lunch and taking a siesta (nap). I did take advantage of the siesta and it was nice, but I couldn’t see myself doing it every day. When I woke up the siesta was over, and everything had opened back up again for the night and all the people come back outside. We took a walk around just so that we can get a better feel for the town before dinner. On Sunday night they told us that they served us a light dinner, so we didn’t know what to expect on Monday. We sat down to begin our meal at 7:30 with a piece of bread with melted mozzarella, a cherry tomato, olive oil, and green leaves on it. Following that came the pasta. It was orecchiette with rapini on it. Rapini is a green vegetable like broccoli but with a more bitter taste. I was nervous to try it, but it wasn’t bad. We thought that was it until they brought out the next course. It was sausage with beans which I was not hungry for, so I only ate half of the sausage. Finally, they brought out the fruit, so we knew we were done. We finished up at 9:00 and then it was time to get ready for bed and prepare for our first official day in the classroom on Tuesday. I am looking forward to seeing what this experience has to offer. Most people here do not speak English, so it will be difficult to communicate but that is all part of the experience. I am hoping to learn a lot from the students just as much as I hope they will learn from me. They have many fun activities planned for us these next two weeks so stay tuned for updates!
Ciao for now!! All I can say after the first three days of being in Rome is WOW. The views of the city are so breathtaking and every corner I have turned just leaves me speechless because it is so beautiful. After what felt like the longest flight ever, we finally arrived at our hotel Thursday morning allowing us to have all afternoon exploring the city and recover from the jet lag. A group of 5 of us decided we wanted to go out and find the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. It was a true test for us because we had to use a paper map to figure out how to get there. In the beginning we had no idea what road we were on because we couldn’t find any street signs. But after some help we found out they are engraved on the sides of the buildings. After taking in these historic places we went to have our first true Italian meal. We went to a restaurant named Secchio where I ordered the daily special. The first course included noodles with sauce and a piece of lasagna. That was one of the best pieces of lasagna I have ever had, it was super cheesy. Then the second course came which was a piece of chicken with French fries and finally dessert, tiramisu. We were all so exhausted after traveling then walking around all day that we were all in bed by 9 P.M. Friday morning 9 of us woke up early to have breakfast before starting our day. At our hotel they have a rather small breakfast selection so all I had was cereal. Once breakfast was over we went to the train station where we purchased a 48 hour hop on hop off bus pass which was a tour of the important places around the city. We stopped at stop #6, Vatican City. As soon as we got off the bus we got offered to “skip the line” and walk right into the building for the Sistine Chapel. We had to take advantage because the line was long and was only letting people in for an hour because of the upcoming holiday, the Epiphany. It was so cool to be able to see the beautiful artwork on all the walls created by Michelangelo. We were in the crowded room for at least 30 minutes just admiring the amazing work created by a phenomenal artist. After taking it all in we went outside to go stand in line for St. Peter’s Basilica. When we first saw the line, it was very intimidating. It went in a circle around the entire square so that lead to a difficult decision. After talking with the group, we decided it was worth it to stand in line because we all didn’t know if we would ever have the opportunity to make it back again. Thankfully the line moved quickly, and we only waited an hour and a half. When taking my first steps into the basilica my jaw dropped right to the floor. There are no words to describe the beauty inside the church. In the background there was a choir rehearsing for the Epiphany mass the next day and it just made it that much better. I was surprised to see that there were no pews in the church. They had plastic chairs side by side where the people would sit. I went to the gift shop and purchased two beautiful rosaries and had the opportunity to bless them in the holy water. After all the walking around, we agreed it was time for dinner, so we got back on the bus and headed towards the Colosseum. We found a restaurant called Royal which was located directly across the street from the historical building. I ordered spaghetti with bacon on it and had to have a glass of wine with it of course. As we were sitting there eating the sun was setting and the lights turned on inside the arches of the Colosseum. It was absolutely gorgeous, so we had to go outside and take pictures. After a relaxing walk home, it was time for bed and prepare for Saturday. Saturday, we woke up and headed back to the bus stop to head back to the Colosseum to visit during the day. We signed up for a guided tour of the Colosseum that was given by a woman named Fume. She showed us so many amazing details and artifacts that the Colosseum has to offer. At the end of the tour she brought us to the inside of the stadium which was a breathtaking experience because it allowed to vision what was happening in the first century. After our tour we had a small miscommunication with the tour guide and couldn’t find her. After walking around, we were able to find her, and we got to take a tour of the Roman forum and Palatine Hill. Honestly before being in Rome I had no idea this place existed but after being there with a tour guide I learned so much and can take away stories I can use when I am a teacher. Overall, Rome did not disappoint, and I am already excited to come back the day before we leave. Now we are onto Torremaggiore where I will be teaching third grade English. I am nervous but excited to continue on this journey. Ciao for now!!! P.S. Stay tuned for pictures they will be downloaded soon!! Well this is it. Tomorrow I depart on an adventure of a lifetime and I cannot believe it is finally here. I feel like I have to pinch myself when I say I am going to Italy. There are so many things that cross through my mind and most of them make me nervous and scared but I just have to tell myself that this will be something I will never forget.
I have been going through every checklist possible to make sure I am not forgetting anything. I have only cried 3 times today due to nerves and saying goodbye to close family and friends. This has been the longest I or anyone in my family has been away so I think I have a good reason to be nervous. I keep telling myself that once I make it on the plane I will create memories that will last a lifetime. So stick around because it is going to be a fun ride. I cannot wait to take pictures and learn about the Italian culture. And of course the most important part of the trip is obviously going to be the food!! |
AuthorI am a Junior and a student of the Exceptional Education Department. I am also the Vice President of Best Buddies on campus. I currently work at the before and after school program for the West Seneca School District where I hope to grow and achieve a teaching position in the district. I am excited to travel to Italy because I have never traveled internationally and I hope to learn a lot about the culture and education. ArchivesCategories |