Sorry no blog yesterday. Exhausted and no WiFi at our hotel in Sorrento. And this is going to be a short one... Seriously need to figure out how to fit 3 huge blocks of Parmesan cheese into my suitcase!
Sorrento was beyond belief and we all want to revisit the Amalfi Coast. It was crazy beautiful. We souvenir shopped in the town and got our daily gelato before going to our hotel. After only 45 minutes we were out again. Dinner was lovely and Massimiliano set up a fun pub spot to watch the big soccer final game. Unfortunately, Italia lost but we all had a blast anyway. I'll try to post a pic of all our boys with their Italia flags. They were all bleeding red, white and green last night!
Today, we set out for the island of Capri. Oh my goodness!! It is gorgeous. But I think you need to be very wealthy to spend more than a day here. Connor, David and Drew headed straight for the beach after visiting the fabulous blue grotto cave. I'll let the kids describe the blue grotto! You really need to see pics to describe it well and my iPad is full. But I think it was one of the highlights of the trip for the kids. Very exciting. Back to Capri.... Hunter, the girls and I went up to the town of Capri and to the gardens and to the other side of the island. Absolute amazing views. Then the kids all swam in the Mediterranean and enjoyed the beach for 2+ hrs. After walking and touring 11 cities in 11 days at about 5-7 miles per day, this was well deserved and and enjoyed by all.
And now, I shall get some sleep. Our wake up call is at 6:00 am and then we're off to the airport to return home to our families. It's been a wonderful experience and I can't wait for you to hear it all from your children. I know you'll be happy to have them home. And, although they've enjoyed it all, they too are ready to be home and sleep in their own beds again.
Isn't that the great thing about travelling? It's always great to return home.... And plan the next trip!
Ciao-
Monday, July 2, 2012
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Rome By Night and Day....
Roma! What an amazing city filled with ancient history. I think all 6 of your children are excited to take World History and I'm even hearing about how awesome AP History would be. Connor told the group how fun it will be when a teacher is teaching about Rome and he'll be able to say, "Yeah, I've been there and inside that place you're talking about.". I loved it.
We went to Assisi on our way to Rome which was a wonderful surprise of a small quiet city with an amazing basilica? Then To Rome where our began after a very quick hotel check-in. We walked for a couple hours before dinner and we saw the Vatican, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and countless ruins and government buildings that are still housed in ancient buildings. After dinner we continued with a gorgeous night tour of Rome. The lights were sensational and we were all awed. I think everyone most enjoyed the view overlooking the Forum all lit up with the Coliseum in the background. Or maybe it was the exquisite Vatican all lit up.... You'll have to ask your child when we get home in just a few more days.
David felt great today and he made it through this very hot and long day. Of course, Italy is having a unique and very long lasting heat wave, right while we're here. Rome was apparently over 100* today. We were walking for hours, much of it in the direct sunlight. There just isn't a lot of shade in the Coliseum or Forum! We began our day with an amazing tour of the Vatican with a great guide who knew every tiny interesting detail. The kids loved the Vatican. The Sistine Chapel was definitely a highlight. Then it was off to lunch followed by a tour of the Coliseum and the Forum. Then back to Piazza Navona for 3+ hrs of free time. It was an amazing day
Tomorrow we leave for Sorrento very early. All kids are exhausted and dead asleep....as I need to be! Enjoy a few quick pics while the wifi still works!
Ciao-
We went to Assisi on our way to Rome which was a wonderful surprise of a small quiet city with an amazing basilica? Then To Rome where our began after a very quick hotel check-in. We walked for a couple hours before dinner and we saw the Vatican, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and countless ruins and government buildings that are still housed in ancient buildings. After dinner we continued with a gorgeous night tour of Rome. The lights were sensational and we were all awed. I think everyone most enjoyed the view overlooking the Forum all lit up with the Coliseum in the background. Or maybe it was the exquisite Vatican all lit up.... You'll have to ask your child when we get home in just a few more days.
David felt great today and he made it through this very hot and long day. Of course, Italy is having a unique and very long lasting heat wave, right while we're here. Rome was apparently over 100* today. We were walking for hours, much of it in the direct sunlight. There just isn't a lot of shade in the Coliseum or Forum! We began our day with an amazing tour of the Vatican with a great guide who knew every tiny interesting detail. The kids loved the Vatican. The Sistine Chapel was definitely a highlight. Then it was off to lunch followed by a tour of the Coliseum and the Forum. Then back to Piazza Navona for 3+ hrs of free time. It was an amazing day
Tomorrow we leave for Sorrento very early. All kids are exhausted and dead asleep....as I need to be! Enjoy a few quick pics while the wifi still works!
Ciao-
Friday, June 29, 2012
Untitled
Short post again. It's 1:00 am. Amazing 1st day in Roma! Walked to all the main sights. I think Trevino Fountain and the colosseum by night amazed the kids the most.
David stayed at the hotel and slept. I think he's much better and hope he can make it tomorrow. It's going to be HOT HOT HOT tomorrow. Must get some sleep...6:30 wake up call! Kids were in bed at 12:30 but we had to make some room switches because David and Hunter's room had no working air conditioning.
And, I think the wifi here is better. I'll try to load some photos from Venice, Pisa and Florence. Rome pics tomorrow!
Ciao-
David stayed at the hotel and slept. I think he's much better and hope he can make it tomorrow. It's going to be HOT HOT HOT tomorrow. Must get some sleep...6:30 wake up call! Kids were in bed at 12:30 but we had to make some room switches because David and Hunter's room had no working air conditioning.
Ciao-
Sorry, can't figure out how to flip it!
Untitled
Just arrived Roma. No time for details other than Assisi was magnificent. Kids all blogged except for David who slept the whole way. He is still feeling I'll but will not eat or drink much. I've strongly suggested he eat some crackers I gave him and drink the Gatorade I got for him. We are going walking now and we all hope to see a stronger, happier, revived David in a couple of hours! Unil then, here are your children's ow, unedited words written during the last 3 hours. Ciao
SAMANTHA HORNYAK: We think it's day 6 today but we are not sure. I think that Ilast blogged on day 4. So a continuation of day 4. On our way to Florance we got to hit Piza. One word. Amazing. So hot but it was so cool to see the leaning tower in person. We also got to here the Echo in the Piza baptristy. So beautiful. We also got "attacked" by street venders( illegal by the way). They we selling sunglasses and "real" rolexes and Louis Vuitton purses. They were all very pushy and stubborn but they were really funny and nice. After Piza we drove to Florence. We hit a bus rest-stop. I was all "oh,no" but it was really nice inside. When we got into Florence we went to our hotel. It was really nice and better than the last one. But the mosquitoes are so bad because our window does not always close. And the power switches off at midnight every night apparently. But it is all good and a really good experience. After we unpacked, Mrs.Marvin had Jessica and I walk out to the street in front of the hotel and close our eyes. She walked us a few steps and then we could open our eyes. In front of us was the most magnificent building I have ever seen. It was so tall and intricate even on the outside. It was the Duomo. We went out to dinner at a really cool place. We had amazing handmade pizza. I will never eat American pizza again. Italian pizza has a really thin crust so it cooks in 30 seconds. It was so good. After dinner we were walking back to the hotel and some guy tried to sell us weed. Mrs. Marvin yelled at him. Really funny. Scary but funny. Day 5- we woke up early and went to a leather demonstration. It was short but interesting. They had a shop to but everything was crazy expensive. But the smell in there was amazing. Genuine leather smell. After that we took a walking tour of Florence. Pretty interesting. During free time we all went out to lunch at a little place off the main square. The food there was amazing. I had the best spaghetti in the world. It came out and I was a little skeptical at first because it looked like spaghetti and some ground meat on top. No sauce. But my first bite was amazing. The meat tasted like it was the sauce and it gushed tomatoe juice. Don't ask me how. But delicious. After lunch we went to the Uffizie( I think I spelled that wrong) it is the 2nd largest art collection. There were so many painting and sculptures. The guys weren'nt so interested so after a while they went back to the hotel and Jessica and I stayed. We had dinner and then the best gelato at a place called Grom (my second one that day). Then we went to an actual bar to watch the soccer match between Italy and Germany. It was actually very interesting( Italy won) at the bar Mrs. Marvin let us get drinks ( just Cokes, but did I scare you:). Day 6- we are now on our way to Rome. I am so excited. Tell you more later. I love you guys and will see you soon -Sammie
CONNOR SLOANE- So far this trip has been so much fun. We were just in Florence (Firenzé) and it was great. We found a great gelato place called Grom, which was sooo good. We also saw the Duomo, but didn't go in it. We went on a interesting guided tour of the city. We also went to the Uffizie museum. That is the Medici family's art collection. They had humdreds of sculptures and busts. They even had original Da Vinci and bochelli ( I'm not sure how to spell it). We also went to a leather demonstration. The guy didnt really show how the leather products are made, just how to tell real italian leather from the fake stuff from street vendors, who give good price. Last night we went to a bar and watched the Italy vs. Germany soccer match. The energy of at place when Italy scored was unreal. It was fun to see everyone go crazy once Italy won. Today is the 29th of June. On the 27th we went to Piza, it was cool because it was on the way to Florence from Venice so it wasn't even extra driving. We got to take pictures which I will show you of us holding up thhe leaning tower and we went in the chapel and baptistry. The baptistry was a huge echo room. One guy would sing and it sounded like a chorus of men singing. The hotel that we stayed at in Florence was a 5 star compared to the Hotel Venezia. This time we had air conditioning, an actual shower, a bathtub with jets, a TV, and even Wi-Fi that works. It was nice to sleep in a comfortable bed, not sharing with Drew like the hotel before. I am still tired every day though because we are up late every night and have to be up in the morning. I fell asleep at the bar on the couch last night, which was really noisy so I don't know how I did it. I can't fall asleep while on the bus though, but Drew has. I watch movies on my iPod and write this blog every time we are driving. Well I just read though the above and it will need some explaining when I'm home. See you the 3rd of July! Wow it's almost been a year of having braces. Time goes by fast. Tell Tango that I say hi. Mom- learn how to facetime, have dad show you how ok? Ok bye bye - Connor
HUNTER NORTMAN- I have had so much fun over the time of this vacation. I have made new friends and new experiences such as going to Florence and seeing the statues and art. At the hotel we go a lot of bugs bites because we left our window open on accident. We go good beds but Connor broke his on the second night. We also got a real shower not a build your own shower. We also got a bathtub with jets, and a kitchen. The food here was much better than the other hotel but we only ate breakfast there. At Florence we saw many statutes such as the David. I loved the gelato here, it was much better. I wish I could come back with Chase he would love the gelato but not the art, he might need to learn more about the art before he comes. I love you guys I can't wait to see you!!!!! P.S. a guy tried to sell us drugs.
SAMANTHA HORNYAK: We think it's day 6 today but we are not sure. I think that Ilast blogged on day 4. So a continuation of day 4. On our way to Florance we got to hit Piza. One word. Amazing. So hot but it was so cool to see the leaning tower in person. We also got to here the Echo in the Piza baptristy. So beautiful. We also got "attacked" by street venders( illegal by the way). They we selling sunglasses and "real" rolexes and Louis Vuitton purses. They were all very pushy and stubborn but they were really funny and nice. After Piza we drove to Florence. We hit a bus rest-stop. I was all "oh,no" but it was really nice inside. When we got into Florence we went to our hotel. It was really nice and better than the last one. But the mosquitoes are so bad because our window does not always close. And the power switches off at midnight every night apparently. But it is all good and a really good experience. After we unpacked, Mrs.Marvin had Jessica and I walk out to the street in front of the hotel and close our eyes. She walked us a few steps and then we could open our eyes. In front of us was the most magnificent building I have ever seen. It was so tall and intricate even on the outside. It was the Duomo. We went out to dinner at a really cool place. We had amazing handmade pizza. I will never eat American pizza again. Italian pizza has a really thin crust so it cooks in 30 seconds. It was so good. After dinner we were walking back to the hotel and some guy tried to sell us weed. Mrs. Marvin yelled at him. Really funny. Scary but funny. Day 5- we woke up early and went to a leather demonstration. It was short but interesting. They had a shop to but everything was crazy expensive. But the smell in there was amazing. Genuine leather smell. After that we took a walking tour of Florence. Pretty interesting. During free time we all went out to lunch at a little place off the main square. The food there was amazing. I had the best spaghetti in the world. It came out and I was a little skeptical at first because it looked like spaghetti and some ground meat on top. No sauce. But my first bite was amazing. The meat tasted like it was the sauce and it gushed tomatoe juice. Don't ask me how. But delicious. After lunch we went to the Uffizie( I think I spelled that wrong) it is the 2nd largest art collection. There were so many painting and sculptures. The guys weren'nt so interested so after a while they went back to the hotel and Jessica and I stayed. We had dinner and then the best gelato at a place called Grom (my second one that day). Then we went to an actual bar to watch the soccer match between Italy and Germany. It was actually very interesting( Italy won) at the bar Mrs. Marvin let us get drinks ( just Cokes, but did I scare you:). Day 6- we are now on our way to Rome. I am so excited. Tell you more later. I love you guys and will see you soon -Sammie
CONNOR SLOANE- So far this trip has been so much fun. We were just in Florence (Firenzé) and it was great. We found a great gelato place called Grom, which was sooo good. We also saw the Duomo, but didn't go in it. We went on a interesting guided tour of the city. We also went to the Uffizie museum. That is the Medici family's art collection. They had humdreds of sculptures and busts. They even had original Da Vinci and bochelli ( I'm not sure how to spell it). We also went to a leather demonstration. The guy didnt really show how the leather products are made, just how to tell real italian leather from the fake stuff from street vendors, who give good price. Last night we went to a bar and watched the Italy vs. Germany soccer match. The energy of at place when Italy scored was unreal. It was fun to see everyone go crazy once Italy won. Today is the 29th of June. On the 27th we went to Piza, it was cool because it was on the way to Florence from Venice so it wasn't even extra driving. We got to take pictures which I will show you of us holding up thhe leaning tower and we went in the chapel and baptistry. The baptistry was a huge echo room. One guy would sing and it sounded like a chorus of men singing. The hotel that we stayed at in Florence was a 5 star compared to the Hotel Venezia. This time we had air conditioning, an actual shower, a bathtub with jets, a TV, and even Wi-Fi that works. It was nice to sleep in a comfortable bed, not sharing with Drew like the hotel before. I am still tired every day though because we are up late every night and have to be up in the morning. I fell asleep at the bar on the couch last night, which was really noisy so I don't know how I did it. I can't fall asleep while on the bus though, but Drew has. I watch movies on my iPod and write this blog every time we are driving. Well I just read though the above and it will need some explaining when I'm home. See you the 3rd of July! Wow it's almost been a year of having braces. Time goes by fast. Tell Tango that I say hi. Mom- learn how to facetime, have dad show you how ok? Ok bye bye - Connor
HUNTER NORTMAN- I have had so much fun over the time of this vacation. I have made new friends and new experiences such as going to Florence and seeing the statues and art. At the hotel we go a lot of bugs bites because we left our window open on accident. We go good beds but Connor broke his on the second night. We also got a real shower not a build your own shower. We also got a bathtub with jets, and a kitchen. The food here was much better than the other hotel but we only ate breakfast there. At Florence we saw many statutes such as the David. I loved the gelato here, it was much better. I wish I could come back with Chase he would love the gelato but not the art, he might need to learn more about the art before he comes. I love you guys I can't wait to see you!!!!! P.S. a guy tried to sell us drugs.
DREW SLOANE- This vacation has been really amazing. There are so many things to see there is no way that in this amount of time we an truly see all Italy has to offer. I was petty surprised to find out we were going to Pisa, because previously I thought we weren't going. It was really cool there, and Connor and I took a picture of me pushing down the tower and him holding it up. There was also a huge chrurch and baptistry, with a mummified body on display in the church. All these African guys were selling cheap ray bans, purses, and watches. It was really fun bargaining with them, because they would surround us with all their stuff and try to sell to us. Connor and I got 2 pairs of these 'ray bans' from 25€ each to both for 15€. We did that for you, Grant. One thing I wish I have though are bug wipes, or some kind of repellent. There are so many mosquitos here, and I am getting chewed up. I think I have counted about 17 bites, all itchy, and there may be even more. Anyway, I'm also exhausted every day. I think I have adjusted to the time zone here, but I always sleep for most of the bus rides. The wake up calls are pretty early so we can make the most of the day. Maybe I'm still not caught up from all that studying I did for finals, staying up till 1 and all. Amazing trip though, Connor and I were able to FaceTime dad, which was pretty cool. We are on the bus for 6 hours today, from Florence to Assisi to Rome. So I'm looking forward to see everything else there is to see. Chao! Drew
JESSICA KEASBERRY- I've got about 10 mosqito bites, a sun burn on my back, and blistered and cut feet, but I'm not complaining. Right now we're traveling to Rome and looking forward to our next hotel (it has a pool!) Two days ago after arriving in Florence Mrs. Marvin had the idea if surprising Samantha and I with the view from our hotel. With our eyes closed, not knowing what to expect the result was a picture-perfect. The Duomo. The scene looked as it were a king and the dome was his crown, the entire majestic figure bearing down upon us, his commoners. Earlier that day we had stopped in Pisa, there we saw the leaning tower--you just have to wonder--HOW does that thing stand? Anyway after walking for a few hours in Florence we started to get a feel for the city and a feel for the burning sensation on the bottoms of our feet. By dinner we were pretty tired, which was proved when I kinda dozed off, prompting the waiter of our table to break into a verse of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star in the effort to wake me up for the main course. After waking up, came a nighttime walk in the city with just our group. We were able to see Florence's bridges illuminated with lights with the river running under, a brick palace, and a guy who tried to sell us weed (we didn't buy any--just ran). We also even tried searching for the best Gelato in town (gelato everyday twice a day). After another night of mosquito bites we went to the leather store and then took a walking tour around the city. (the headsets gave us the "tourist" signature look) Later we went to the Uffizie, but there the guys weren't very interested-- their loss, because it was amazing-- paintings, sculptures, and even the architecture. (I will come back) Our group broke up and Sam and I took our time at the exhibits, the entire time my head= ooooooooohhh, ahhhhhhhhh, oooooooooo. Then we walked over to a crowded bar to watch the soccer game between Italy vs. Germany. I was actually exciting--Italians are LOUD. Mrs. Marvin cheered for Germany-- the Italians at the bar didn't really seem to like that. Italy won and just as one guy began roaring with pride and using an Italian flag as a cape, we left to another night of mosquito bites.
See you when I get back-- Jessica
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Untitled
Florence was amazing! The history is remarkable and the kids were amazed with it all. They all have mosquito bites, poor things. I'll ask them to write to you while we're on the bus to Assissi and on to Roma today.
Bonus: we watched the soccer semi-final match between Germany and Italy in a pub (we were downstairs in the dining room are, not the bar area upstairs!) last night with our whole group!! Italians take their soccer VERY seriously. Italy won, the kids had a great and unique experience and we get to watch the finals while we're in Sorrento. Ciao!
Bonus: we watched the soccer semi-final match between Germany and Italy in a pub (we were downstairs in the dining room are, not the bar area upstairs!) last night with our whole group!! Italians take their soccer VERY seriously. Italy won, the kids had a great and unique experience and we get to watch the finals while we're in Sorrento. Ciao!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Pisa, a Drive through Tuscany and, Florence!!
Good morning! A moment of possible wifi... Here we go...
I've asked each student to write today's blog and they agreed to do it! I gave no direction other than to write a 2-3 paragraphs that would go directly onto our blog. They passed around my iPad while we drove to Pisa. I'm impressed with their thoughts and happy to see how much they're enjoying themselves and each other. They get closer to each other every day. No problems anywhere or with anyone, but I'm not surprised! Here is a view of the trip directly from you're child. By the way, this is completely unedited by me. I'm just the blog poster! (and remember that it takes some time to get accustomed to writing long texts on the iPad, plus we were driving on a big bus.). Enjoy!
FROM HUNTER NORTMAN:
Day 1I was so tired after the flights. The only thing I wanted to do was eat some good food and go to bed. We meet up with the other groups and waited for the last group. I was hungry so I want to a small expresso store. I ordered some toast but it had meat in it. It was good because I needed some protein. After the last group ate we all left for the bus. I don't remember a lot about the bus because I fell asleep. David woke me up because we went to our first stop,Verona. At Verona it was very quiet and peaceful. We went on a tour around the arena then had free time to get lunch. We had gelato for lunch, yum!!! We after about 2 hours of walking around and seeing Juliet's balcony we meet up at the arena to go to the bus. We all got into the bus and were heading o the hotel. At the hotel we had dinner, salad, bread, and pasta When we (Drew, Connor, David and I) got our room we took turns taking showers. After everyone was done we sleep like stones.
Day 2
After getting the best sleep I have ever had we went down to get breakfast. After everyone was up and had breakfast we piled into the bus. We headed to our second stop Venice. At Venice we went to a glass blowing factory. We saw them make a hoarse. We went into the show rooms were I bought a necklace and a penguin family. We then got into a water taxi and headed o San Marcos square. Form their we went on a guided tour of the Chappell. The ceilings were covered in real 24 carrot gold. After we spent hours in the Chappell we went on a gondola tour of the great channel. we then broke off into our school groups to get lunch. We got pizza and more gelato for lunch. We meet back at the water taxi and headed for the bus. When we got back we went to the beach were I felt something rubbery and oily like a sting ray I got very scared. We dried off and went to the hotel were we had dinner and sleep like stones again.
Day 3
To be continued...
FROM DREW SLOANE:
Day 1
We had a 9 hour flight from LAX to Amsterdam, then a 1.5 hour flight from Amsterdam to Milan. From there we met our guide, and waited for the other groups to arrive at the airport. I had my first Italian food at the airport, a slice of pizza heated under a lamp. Not too great. Then we had a 2 hour bus ride from Milan to Verona, a pit-stop from the airport to our hotel. We had a while to walk around and see the sights, and we were able to see the Romeo and Juliet balcony. There we had some gelato, I got raspberry and it was really good. Then we took the bus to the hotel Venezia. We were all really tired, so after dinner we immediately went to sleep and that concluded the first day in Italy.
Day 2
We rose early Monday morning, at 6am so we could get as much time as possible in Venice. Out of the hotel and on the bus by 7:45am, then a 20minute ride to the ferry which would take us the rest of the way to Venice. The first place we went to was called the Murano Glass Factory, where we saw a demonstration on blown-glass and checked out the gift shop. This factory was on a separate group of islands a few minutes away by boat from the main islands. Once on the main islands, it was actually a lot bigger than I was expecting. There were tons of bridges everywhere, and the buildings were coming straight out of the water through the canals. Our first attraction was a guided tour thorough a doge's palace (a guy elected by merchants). The building was huge, and sculptures and decorations were all over the outside and inside of the palace. The ceilings were very elaborate, with paintings and gold all over. The most amazing room was huge, almost the size of a soccer field. A 75 foot wide canvas was on the front wall, and almost every single inch of the walls was covered in art and gold, and same with the ceiling. After that tour, lines were too long to check out the church and bell tower, so we hadn4 hours of free time. We rode in a gondola through the canals, and that was really cool, but the gondolier didn't sing for us. We ate more gelato, looked through the shops, and took pictures at the bridge in the Grand Canal. Then we met the rest of our group at the meeting spot in San Marco square, got on the ferry, and went back to the hotel. Before dinner, we swam in the Mediterranean sea which was pretty warm, and after dinnner we walked around the streets around the hotel, then bed. And that is what we have done so far, much more to come!
FROM CONNOR SLOANE: The Italy trip has been very interesting so far. We have been surviving the weird and strange Hotel Venezia. It has the weirdest decorations and every room is different. Our room has a shower that accordions out of the wall in the middle of the room, between the sink and the toilet. There is a plastic garage door that rolls open to the balcony, which is big enough to fit one table and one chair. The food has been strange. We have eaten breakfast and dinner there for the two nights that we spent there. I have been eating balsamic vinegar and olive oil on rolls for both meals. Now all that will end while we are heading Florence and going to restaurants from now on. Both dinners we had to guess what type of meat was in the main course, it was chicken both times. The best food so far was pizza in Venice. It is called pizza margarhita, cheese pizza. When we were in Venice we visited the Morona glass blowing factory, took a ride on a gondola, and had gelato.
I will tell you guys everything when I get back. It is too much to explain properly right now. :)
- Connor
FROM SAMANTHA HORNYAK: Mi Familia (Buddy). I am in Italy on my way to Florence. It's crazy really that I am so far from home for the first time. I love you guys so much.
Day 1
Long flight. And I mean crazy long. I slept a little but mostly I listened to the same songs over and over again (Louis Armstrong and Kelly Clarkson).As we came into Amsterdam I was amazed at how green everything was. It was also so cool that the regular road went right under the runway. we had a short layover and came to Milian. Still in the plane I saw a kaleidoscope of fields and vineyards. So beautiful!
Day 2ish
Veroma. Quiet little city (250,000 population). We went and saw Romeo and Juliet's balcony. It was pretty but what i really liked was this gate of locks. Couples would write their names on a lock and then lock it on to the gate. After that we went by the opera stadium .Here I had my very first Italian gelato. I had dark chocolate ( 75%). The best ice creamish thing that I have ever had. Daddy I thought of you and how you would have loved it. 5:45 we went to our hotel in a little city about a 45 minute drive away from the ferry to take us the Venice. It was right on the water and so cool. Each room was different. Our room was the most normal. In other rooms there were hospital beds and accordion showers ( tell you when I get home) . From our balcony you could see the sea. After dinner we all crashed.
Day 3
We woke up at 6:00.Uggg. We had breakfast and went to the ferry. It was a short boat ride to a small island that had pretty much only glass factories. I cannot for the life of me remember what the name was. M something. There we watched a glass blowing demo. He made a horse and it looked like it just grew out of the glass. Amazing. We went to the showroom after and I got something( it's a secret). Then we went to Venice. So many waterways of course. We got to go to where the doges of the venetian republic lived. Did you know that they were a very successful country on their own. I didn't. The palace was beautiful and we saw the golden staircase. The bell tower was amazing and the pictures do not do it justice. We took a gondola around the city ( very cool)! After we got lunch ( amazing sausage on the pizza) and got some more gelato. I had Nutella gelato and Kit-Kat gelato. So good. We walked around for a while and then went back to the hotel. Then the beach. The water was so warm and it was wonderful. I wanted to swim to a raft about a fourth of a mile out but I was too chicken. After dinner at the hotel we went out and walked around. We got even more gelato( I will never eat American ice cream again) and this time I got coconut and "limon". Really good.
Day 4
Jessica and I woke up this morning late. We rushed to get ready and barely made it in time. But now we are on a bus to Florence. I am so excited.
I miss you guys so much. Sorry Livy I have not had Wi-Fi strong enough to call or text you. Ti Amo ( I love you) so much. I am never coming back though. Just kidding. I will see you in about a week.
-Sam
FROM JESSICA KEASBERRY:
After a long plane ride my new favorite place= Venice. We got to wander the streets + get lost a few times (mom you know how much I love that). The streets are so narrow and simply beautiful---someday I'll come back and wander around till there's nothing left to see and then come back to wander some more. The gondola was also amazing and not at all bumpy. Honestly the only thing you could get irritated with here would be the amount of smoke in the air.
The palace was EXTRAORDINARY (and I don't use that word often)--especially the room filled head to toe with paintings. The minute you step in there BAM, it's just too astonishing to take in so instead the power of it simply slaps you in the head and tells you to wake up.
The architecture is brilliant. On the top you have the aged windows and walls with paint that looks washed out. Then on the bottom you have newly placed shops with sleek huge windows, giving it the modernized look. It's like the swamp juice that we have in the refrigerator. After thinking about broccoli in juice you think you'll throw throw up but after tasting it you find out it's the perfect mix.
As we travel on bus we get to see the breath taking countryside that makes you feel so alive that you want so badly to just run around in one of the meadows.
Other differences here include the currency, language, restaurants, hotel rooms, and beaches. As for the currency I kind of like their system better. I can also now say that I have the very very very very basic Italian words down in memory. Also, with a gelato store at every block it looks like we'll be having gelato everyday twice a day. When it comes to the beaches there's the Adriatic Sea instead of the Pacific and with my very limited knowledge of the Adriatic I have to wonder what it's habitants are as I swim. Are there sea snakes? What about sharks? How much kelp is there? Should the murkiness scare me? These questions that run through my head may sound stupid to you but their important to me. On the upside the sand fees like flour and the water is a lot warmer and more comfortable here than CA. The hotel rooms here are definitely smaller, but that's not the weird part. Our windows open up like garage doors and some people's showers are completely folded in and open up like an accordion.
See you when I get back
~Jessica
FOM DAVID LEE:
It has been about one and a half days since we landed in Milan. From there we went to Verona for some sight seeing and stayed in a hotel in Venezia. After staying the night in our odd room we went to Venice. Venice looked almost exactly as it did in the games and just as crowded and hot. Other then the expensive tourist shops most of the things we saw were actually somewhat interesting. The houses and buildings are much closer together and there were almost no roads. However I don't expect this to be the case for every town.
Each thing was interesting to some extent. The food was good too. The most interesting thing I saw so far was the doge's palace. It reminded me of an oversized house museum with lots of gold paint. Everything looked really cool and exciting and I'm glad to have come to this trip. We also went to a place called Murano. It was an island glass factory where we saw a glass vase blown and a glass horse made. It was all very cool.
I've asked each student to write today's blog and they agreed to do it! I gave no direction other than to write a 2-3 paragraphs that would go directly onto our blog. They passed around my iPad while we drove to Pisa. I'm impressed with their thoughts and happy to see how much they're enjoying themselves and each other. They get closer to each other every day. No problems anywhere or with anyone, but I'm not surprised! Here is a view of the trip directly from you're child. By the way, this is completely unedited by me. I'm just the blog poster! (and remember that it takes some time to get accustomed to writing long texts on the iPad, plus we were driving on a big bus.). Enjoy!
FROM HUNTER NORTMAN:
Day 1I was so tired after the flights. The only thing I wanted to do was eat some good food and go to bed. We meet up with the other groups and waited for the last group. I was hungry so I want to a small expresso store. I ordered some toast but it had meat in it. It was good because I needed some protein. After the last group ate we all left for the bus. I don't remember a lot about the bus because I fell asleep. David woke me up because we went to our first stop,Verona. At Verona it was very quiet and peaceful. We went on a tour around the arena then had free time to get lunch. We had gelato for lunch, yum!!! We after about 2 hours of walking around and seeing Juliet's balcony we meet up at the arena to go to the bus. We all got into the bus and were heading o the hotel. At the hotel we had dinner, salad, bread, and pasta When we (Drew, Connor, David and I) got our room we took turns taking showers. After everyone was done we sleep like stones.
Day 2
After getting the best sleep I have ever had we went down to get breakfast. After everyone was up and had breakfast we piled into the bus. We headed to our second stop Venice. At Venice we went to a glass blowing factory. We saw them make a hoarse. We went into the show rooms were I bought a necklace and a penguin family. We then got into a water taxi and headed o San Marcos square. Form their we went on a guided tour of the Chappell. The ceilings were covered in real 24 carrot gold. After we spent hours in the Chappell we went on a gondola tour of the great channel. we then broke off into our school groups to get lunch. We got pizza and more gelato for lunch. We meet back at the water taxi and headed for the bus. When we got back we went to the beach were I felt something rubbery and oily like a sting ray I got very scared. We dried off and went to the hotel were we had dinner and sleep like stones again.
Day 3
To be continued...
FROM DREW SLOANE:
Day 1
We had a 9 hour flight from LAX to Amsterdam, then a 1.5 hour flight from Amsterdam to Milan. From there we met our guide, and waited for the other groups to arrive at the airport. I had my first Italian food at the airport, a slice of pizza heated under a lamp. Not too great. Then we had a 2 hour bus ride from Milan to Verona, a pit-stop from the airport to our hotel. We had a while to walk around and see the sights, and we were able to see the Romeo and Juliet balcony. There we had some gelato, I got raspberry and it was really good. Then we took the bus to the hotel Venezia. We were all really tired, so after dinner we immediately went to sleep and that concluded the first day in Italy.
Day 2
We rose early Monday morning, at 6am so we could get as much time as possible in Venice. Out of the hotel and on the bus by 7:45am, then a 20minute ride to the ferry which would take us the rest of the way to Venice. The first place we went to was called the Murano Glass Factory, where we saw a demonstration on blown-glass and checked out the gift shop. This factory was on a separate group of islands a few minutes away by boat from the main islands. Once on the main islands, it was actually a lot bigger than I was expecting. There were tons of bridges everywhere, and the buildings were coming straight out of the water through the canals. Our first attraction was a guided tour thorough a doge's palace (a guy elected by merchants). The building was huge, and sculptures and decorations were all over the outside and inside of the palace. The ceilings were very elaborate, with paintings and gold all over. The most amazing room was huge, almost the size of a soccer field. A 75 foot wide canvas was on the front wall, and almost every single inch of the walls was covered in art and gold, and same with the ceiling. After that tour, lines were too long to check out the church and bell tower, so we hadn4 hours of free time. We rode in a gondola through the canals, and that was really cool, but the gondolier didn't sing for us. We ate more gelato, looked through the shops, and took pictures at the bridge in the Grand Canal. Then we met the rest of our group at the meeting spot in San Marco square, got on the ferry, and went back to the hotel. Before dinner, we swam in the Mediterranean sea which was pretty warm, and after dinnner we walked around the streets around the hotel, then bed. And that is what we have done so far, much more to come!
FROM CONNOR SLOANE: The Italy trip has been very interesting so far. We have been surviving the weird and strange Hotel Venezia. It has the weirdest decorations and every room is different. Our room has a shower that accordions out of the wall in the middle of the room, between the sink and the toilet. There is a plastic garage door that rolls open to the balcony, which is big enough to fit one table and one chair. The food has been strange. We have eaten breakfast and dinner there for the two nights that we spent there. I have been eating balsamic vinegar and olive oil on rolls for both meals. Now all that will end while we are heading Florence and going to restaurants from now on. Both dinners we had to guess what type of meat was in the main course, it was chicken both times. The best food so far was pizza in Venice. It is called pizza margarhita, cheese pizza. When we were in Venice we visited the Morona glass blowing factory, took a ride on a gondola, and had gelato.
I will tell you guys everything when I get back. It is too much to explain properly right now. :)
- Connor
FROM SAMANTHA HORNYAK: Mi Familia (Buddy). I am in Italy on my way to Florence. It's crazy really that I am so far from home for the first time. I love you guys so much.
Day 1
Long flight. And I mean crazy long. I slept a little but mostly I listened to the same songs over and over again (Louis Armstrong and Kelly Clarkson).As we came into Amsterdam I was amazed at how green everything was. It was also so cool that the regular road went right under the runway. we had a short layover and came to Milian. Still in the plane I saw a kaleidoscope of fields and vineyards. So beautiful!
Day 2ish
Veroma. Quiet little city (250,000 population). We went and saw Romeo and Juliet's balcony. It was pretty but what i really liked was this gate of locks. Couples would write their names on a lock and then lock it on to the gate. After that we went by the opera stadium .Here I had my very first Italian gelato. I had dark chocolate ( 75%). The best ice creamish thing that I have ever had. Daddy I thought of you and how you would have loved it. 5:45 we went to our hotel in a little city about a 45 minute drive away from the ferry to take us the Venice. It was right on the water and so cool. Each room was different. Our room was the most normal. In other rooms there were hospital beds and accordion showers ( tell you when I get home) . From our balcony you could see the sea. After dinner we all crashed.
Day 3
We woke up at 6:00.Uggg. We had breakfast and went to the ferry. It was a short boat ride to a small island that had pretty much only glass factories. I cannot for the life of me remember what the name was. M something. There we watched a glass blowing demo. He made a horse and it looked like it just grew out of the glass. Amazing. We went to the showroom after and I got something( it's a secret). Then we went to Venice. So many waterways of course. We got to go to where the doges of the venetian republic lived. Did you know that they were a very successful country on their own. I didn't. The palace was beautiful and we saw the golden staircase. The bell tower was amazing and the pictures do not do it justice. We took a gondola around the city ( very cool)! After we got lunch ( amazing sausage on the pizza) and got some more gelato. I had Nutella gelato and Kit-Kat gelato. So good. We walked around for a while and then went back to the hotel. Then the beach. The water was so warm and it was wonderful. I wanted to swim to a raft about a fourth of a mile out but I was too chicken. After dinner at the hotel we went out and walked around. We got even more gelato( I will never eat American ice cream again) and this time I got coconut and "limon". Really good.
Day 4
Jessica and I woke up this morning late. We rushed to get ready and barely made it in time. But now we are on a bus to Florence. I am so excited.
I miss you guys so much. Sorry Livy I have not had Wi-Fi strong enough to call or text you. Ti Amo ( I love you) so much. I am never coming back though. Just kidding. I will see you in about a week.
-Sam
FROM JESSICA KEASBERRY:
After a long plane ride my new favorite place= Venice. We got to wander the streets + get lost a few times (mom you know how much I love that). The streets are so narrow and simply beautiful---someday I'll come back and wander around till there's nothing left to see and then come back to wander some more. The gondola was also amazing and not at all bumpy. Honestly the only thing you could get irritated with here would be the amount of smoke in the air.
The palace was EXTRAORDINARY (and I don't use that word often)--especially the room filled head to toe with paintings. The minute you step in there BAM, it's just too astonishing to take in so instead the power of it simply slaps you in the head and tells you to wake up.
The architecture is brilliant. On the top you have the aged windows and walls with paint that looks washed out. Then on the bottom you have newly placed shops with sleek huge windows, giving it the modernized look. It's like the swamp juice that we have in the refrigerator. After thinking about broccoli in juice you think you'll throw throw up but after tasting it you find out it's the perfect mix.
As we travel on bus we get to see the breath taking countryside that makes you feel so alive that you want so badly to just run around in one of the meadows.
Other differences here include the currency, language, restaurants, hotel rooms, and beaches. As for the currency I kind of like their system better. I can also now say that I have the very very very very basic Italian words down in memory. Also, with a gelato store at every block it looks like we'll be having gelato everyday twice a day. When it comes to the beaches there's the Adriatic Sea instead of the Pacific and with my very limited knowledge of the Adriatic I have to wonder what it's habitants are as I swim. Are there sea snakes? What about sharks? How much kelp is there? Should the murkiness scare me? These questions that run through my head may sound stupid to you but their important to me. On the upside the sand fees like flour and the water is a lot warmer and more comfortable here than CA. The hotel rooms here are definitely smaller, but that's not the weird part. Our windows open up like garage doors and some people's showers are completely folded in and open up like an accordion.
See you when I get back
~Jessica
FOM DAVID LEE:
It has been about one and a half days since we landed in Milan. From there we went to Verona for some sight seeing and stayed in a hotel in Venezia. After staying the night in our odd room we went to Venice. Venice looked almost exactly as it did in the games and just as crowded and hot. Other then the expensive tourist shops most of the things we saw were actually somewhat interesting. The houses and buildings are much closer together and there were almost no roads. However I don't expect this to be the case for every town.
Each thing was interesting to some extent. The food was good too. The most interesting thing I saw so far was the doge's palace. It reminded me of an oversized house museum with lots of gold paint. Everything looked really cool and exciting and I'm glad to have come to this trip. We also went to a place called Murano. It was an island glass factory where we saw a glass vase blown and a glass horse made. It was all very cool.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Venice, Swimming in the Adriatic Sea and....
Wow! Venice was beyond all expectations! David quietly took it all in until he finally woke up. I think he was just amazed he was actually here. Hunter's head was spinning as he tried to took it in. Ii think Hunter loved the boats as much as I did. David and Hunter loved the water taxis. Jessica and Samantha kept pinching themselves to make sure this wasn't just a dream. Connor and Drew had the biggest grins on their faces all day. Your kids loved loved loved Venice and so did I.
We went to Doges Palace and had a private tour. We all learned a a lot and loved every bit of the opulence, art and history. Then we were on our own, left to explore the islands of Venice. It was amazing indeed. We didn't get lost and I think we walked almost every street. (And our feet feel like we walked every street) We walked over countless bridges and took amazing photos at the Rialto bridge on the Grand Canal. I'm trying to add the pics to this post but pics take a long time to load due to lame WiFi at our hotel. Hunter is our de facto IT specialist and he says it has to do with how they've set up their Internet. (my last post was made from the top of the hotel but this time I'm actually sitting on the street on the patio enjoying a nice glass of Pinot Grigio while I write to you. Hunter told me what to do! (not the wine part, but the Internet part!). It's after midnight and your children are all asleep. Well, I'm concerned that Hunter may be a bit sleepless because he chose clark chocolate and coffee gelato and a Coca Cola at about 9:30 pm tonight as we walked the streets of Lido de Jesolo after dinner.... But I'm getting ahead of myself.....
So, back to Venice.... We frugally chose a shop selling panini and pizza for lunch which we enjoyed sitting on the steps of a little used bridge overlooking the canals of Venice. This was Jessica's idea and Jessica and Samantha led us down many streets until they settled on the lovely lunch spot. FYI- Venice is expensive!! But we are pretty savvy after one whole day in Italy and we did alright! We even avoided spending 1.20 Euro for the privilege of using a bathroom by going into a sandwich shop and purchasing a bottled water each for just 1E and using their facilities! Yeah, we're that good already. Hahaha. The kids were proud as we watched the lines for the WC and all the tourists paying to pee! Your kids are so much fun.
AHHHH, I bird walk again! Okay, so onward through Venice and up and down the winding streets. We wanted to find the famous BridgeRialto and followed the street name signs to success. We were rewarded with the most awesome sight and we were all thrilled with the amazing water scene below us! I think we stood there for 20 minutes just watching. You've never heard anyone say WOW so many times in your life. We all said we felt like James Bond was going to come flying by on a gorgeous speedboat at any moment. I took some great pics of your kids on the bridge overlooking the Grand Canal. They may be fit for framing.
We all took a gondola ride today too. All 6 kids filled one gondola and I went in another one. I got some darling pics of them in their boat and can't wait to upload them! We all agreed it was a whole different perspective to see Venice by water than by land so we're very glad we spent the 20E and did it.
When we got back to our hotel we were hot and tired so everyone put on their swimming suits and within 5 minutes they were all running into the warm, salty and waveless Adriatic Sea. I got some great pics again and marveled at how well they all get along and how much fun they're having. We all collected shells from the beach as a momento of their Adriatic swim and went to dinner at 8 pm. I could barely convince them to come in from the sea, they were so happy in the water, but the mere mention of missing dinner and having to spend Euros in a restaurant got them running! Dinner was horrible but they are all so polite and ate what they liked. All the boys ate about 12 bread rolls dipped into olive oil and balsamic vinegar! I'm not exaggerating by much. They inhaled the bread and swear its the best bread they've ever had. In fact, Connor and Drew ate bread in olive oil and balsamic vinegar for breakfast this morning!! All the girls raved about the salad and how much better the lettuce is in Italy.
Although we all enjoyed a triple scoop portion of amazing gelato in Venice, Connor took us on a Lido de Jesolo hunt for the cheapest but best gelato. He was so funny as he checked out about 8 gelato storefronts and finally made his choice. Drew kept shaking his head and laughing. David didn't have gelato- I think he was too full from the bread and pasta from dinner.
We walked the streets of Jesolo until 10:30 pm and then came back to the hotel. We took a tour of each others hotel rooms because they are all quite unique! The girls have a lovely and normal room with a balcony view of the sea but the boys are together in a funny room with a 'build your own shower'. They all have pics of the funny bathroom and crazy bright bedspreads. And I'm in what looks like a garage that has been refurbished. The kids all have lovely balconies and sneak peek views of the sea and Jesolo. I do not have even one window and your knees hit the wall when you're on the toilet.... Oh, and all the kids are so interested in the bidets that are common here and in their bathrooms. But it's all very European and funny and your kids are the best travelers as they take everything in stride and really concentrate on the good! As we keep saying, it's all a good and new experience! I think the hotels get better from here and we don't eat at anymore hotels so food should improve too. It's not terrible, just different! I promise.
Everyone is getting along brilliantly and I can almost watch them get closer and bond more with each new experience.
Well, it's very late and we have a 6:45 wake up call so we can leave for Florence by 8:00 am. Oh, and we are all going to Florence via Pisa! It was a group consensus of the whole 49 person group so it won't cost a dime and we get to see Pisa. The kids are really excited.
I have to warn you that your children are already speaking of studying abroad while in college. So you might want to start saving now!!
Off to bed and Pisa and Florence tomorrow. (sorry this post is sort of all over the place, it's exhaustion and the time, 1:00am. I promise it's not my glass of wine.....
See you in Florence- Ciao
We went to Doges Palace and had a private tour. We all learned a a lot and loved every bit of the opulence, art and history. Then we were on our own, left to explore the islands of Venice. It was amazing indeed. We didn't get lost and I think we walked almost every street. (And our feet feel like we walked every street) We walked over countless bridges and took amazing photos at the Rialto bridge on the Grand Canal. I'm trying to add the pics to this post but pics take a long time to load due to lame WiFi at our hotel. Hunter is our de facto IT specialist and he says it has to do with how they've set up their Internet. (my last post was made from the top of the hotel but this time I'm actually sitting on the street on the patio enjoying a nice glass of Pinot Grigio while I write to you. Hunter told me what to do! (not the wine part, but the Internet part!). It's after midnight and your children are all asleep. Well, I'm concerned that Hunter may be a bit sleepless because he chose clark chocolate and coffee gelato and a Coca Cola at about 9:30 pm tonight as we walked the streets of Lido de Jesolo after dinner.... But I'm getting ahead of myself.....
So, back to Venice.... We frugally chose a shop selling panini and pizza for lunch which we enjoyed sitting on the steps of a little used bridge overlooking the canals of Venice. This was Jessica's idea and Jessica and Samantha led us down many streets until they settled on the lovely lunch spot. FYI- Venice is expensive!! But we are pretty savvy after one whole day in Italy and we did alright! We even avoided spending 1.20 Euro for the privilege of using a bathroom by going into a sandwich shop and purchasing a bottled water each for just 1E and using their facilities! Yeah, we're that good already. Hahaha. The kids were proud as we watched the lines for the WC and all the tourists paying to pee! Your kids are so much fun.
AHHHH, I bird walk again! Okay, so onward through Venice and up and down the winding streets. We wanted to find the famous BridgeRialto and followed the street name signs to success. We were rewarded with the most awesome sight and we were all thrilled with the amazing water scene below us! I think we stood there for 20 minutes just watching. You've never heard anyone say WOW so many times in your life. We all said we felt like James Bond was going to come flying by on a gorgeous speedboat at any moment. I took some great pics of your kids on the bridge overlooking the Grand Canal. They may be fit for framing.
We all took a gondola ride today too. All 6 kids filled one gondola and I went in another one. I got some darling pics of them in their boat and can't wait to upload them! We all agreed it was a whole different perspective to see Venice by water than by land so we're very glad we spent the 20E and did it.
When we got back to our hotel we were hot and tired so everyone put on their swimming suits and within 5 minutes they were all running into the warm, salty and waveless Adriatic Sea. I got some great pics again and marveled at how well they all get along and how much fun they're having. We all collected shells from the beach as a momento of their Adriatic swim and went to dinner at 8 pm. I could barely convince them to come in from the sea, they were so happy in the water, but the mere mention of missing dinner and having to spend Euros in a restaurant got them running! Dinner was horrible but they are all so polite and ate what they liked. All the boys ate about 12 bread rolls dipped into olive oil and balsamic vinegar! I'm not exaggerating by much. They inhaled the bread and swear its the best bread they've ever had. In fact, Connor and Drew ate bread in olive oil and balsamic vinegar for breakfast this morning!! All the girls raved about the salad and how much better the lettuce is in Italy.
Although we all enjoyed a triple scoop portion of amazing gelato in Venice, Connor took us on a Lido de Jesolo hunt for the cheapest but best gelato. He was so funny as he checked out about 8 gelato storefronts and finally made his choice. Drew kept shaking his head and laughing. David didn't have gelato- I think he was too full from the bread and pasta from dinner.
Everyone is getting along brilliantly and I can almost watch them get closer and bond more with each new experience.
Well, it's very late and we have a 6:45 wake up call so we can leave for Florence by 8:00 am. Oh, and we are all going to Florence via Pisa! It was a group consensus of the whole 49 person group so it won't cost a dime and we get to see Pisa. The kids are really excited.
I have to warn you that your children are already speaking of studying abroad while in college. So you might want to start saving now!!
Off to bed and Pisa and Florence tomorrow. (sorry this post is sort of all over the place, it's exhaustion and the time, 1:00am. I promise it's not my glass of wine.....
See you in Florence- Ciao
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)