Nine students and three staff members embarked upon an adventure of a lifetime - a weeklong tour of Italy. We stayed in the city of Fiesole, a comfortable residency in the mountains, overlooking the neighbouring city, Florence with the most breathtaking sunsets. We mostly used Fiesole as a hub to transport ourselves to Florence and then onward to the other cities on our itinerary.
After missing our train due to odd timetables and tiredness we stayed in Pisa before going onto Fiesole. Pisa is built around and ultimately thrives on the Leaning Tower of Pisa. This architectural flop was amazing to see, but essentially is the city. Another place of interest was the Cathedral, which consisted of amazing coloured patterns and marble, and also the wondrous street market, which proved to be a workout for my wallet.
After a wonderful nights sleep we went to Florence which proved to be full of sites and entertaining things to do. We visited the Galleria dell' Accademia to see Michelangelo's David sculpture, shopped like kings in the myriad of open markets and ate at a number of the fine gelaterias (Yum… ice cream)! Florence provided many resting spots to gaze in wild wonder at the beauty of this ancient city.
I can honestly say for the majority of us on this holiday, the Cinqueterre were amongst the favourites! The Cinqueterre is a hike through the beautiful paths of the awe striking mountains overlooking the baby blue Mediterranean Sea and takes you through five beautiful little Italian villages located high in the mountains.
We woke up early the next morning for a full day of exploring the famous canal-built city of Venice. The weather was a little dreary, but it did not stop our group from enjoying the sites of this romantic city. Some highlights were taking a gondola trip throughout the intricate waterways and relaxing in the Piazza San Marco with a cup of coffee in hand. The most amazing site and favourite tourist spot of Venice is no doubt the Basilica di San Marco.
On the fifth day of our holiday we went to Rome, a magnificent city and which is impossible to see in one day particularly because being very close to Easter Sunday, the city was very busy with anticipation of seeing the Pope. Most people in our group visited Vatican City, which hosts St. Peter's Basilica and the phenomenal square where we ate a quick lunch. We then headed off to see the Sistine Chapel with the fantastic Michelangelo painted ceiling completed in 1484 and the Coliseum. Lastly, our group visited the Trevi Fountain - one of Rome's most famous monuments. After a couple more days of sightseeing around Florence, we got back to London late Friday night very tired, but it was all so worth it. Everyone had a wonderful experience but hopes to never ride a train again.
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