Of course, Rome was AMAZING. And the group was so great and tolerant of the death marches - we covered in 24 hours more than what most people see in a week of visiting the city. They will be coming home with handouts labelling every spot we visited, just in case there has been tourist overload. :)
I wanted to personally thank each of you who were on the trip for an amazing experience this year. This was, by far, the best trip I've ever led, and it's all thanks to each of you for adding to it. Maddy, thank you for being so easy-going and always bringing your bright, smiling attitude to the group. Grace, I SO appreciate your patience and sense of humor - you're able to find the fun in every situation. Lauren, it was so nice to have those great chats together - thank you for being such a wonderful listener. Grace, I'm sure everyone in the group would join me in thanking you for your being the one person they can all turn to for help, whether in directions, in instructions, or just in common sense!!! Barbara, it was a treat to continue building our friendship on the trip, and I look forward to sharing our memories through the entire next year. Stephen, thank you for keeping me mindful of staying patient and understanding - you are always such a great example of how to keep peaceful stature in challenging situations. Thomas, your sense of adventure and willingness to explore is so admirable - you made this trip so much better because of your drive to check out new opportunities. And, Mark, you were amazing on this trip - you truly became an Italian during this experience - so much that you even fooled the locals!
Thank you to all of you for this experience. There are murmurs of a possible reunion, and I'm all there!!!
Hugs,
Laura :)
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Dolci Senesi
N.B. This morning, I typed a BRILLIANT entry, only to have had the network at the school crash before I could get it posted. I'm sure you may have heard from the kids about their lack of faith in the internet at the school, and the school is aware of this. When they hear ME complain about something, they know it's bad.
Wow - the last few days before we leave! What a time we've had this week! The kids have had the chance to enjoy things without my overbearing leadership (even though I'm always around for advice), and they're really enjoying the time to have with the city before our departure on Friday morning. Yesterday, several of the kiddos returned to the area near Rapolano Terme to visit those sulphur baths again (Thomas was totally prepared, in his woven straw hat, t-shirt, and swimtrunks - he looked like a young Jimmy Buffett). Thank goodness they met at the Mercato (large market in Siena every Wednesday AM) at the beginning of class today - let the market-goers enjoy the sulphur whiff!
Today, the kids experienced their last day of touring Tuscany by visiting San Gimignano. A cute little town up on a hill, it's most known for its towers (14 now, many fallen due to disrepair), and is a great place to stroll to get away from the madness of BIG CITY Siena. They also have the best Gelateria in THE WORLD, as far as I can tell (Gelateria Santa Fina - Sta. Fina is the patroness of San Gimignano, like Sta. Catherina of Siena). Perhaps the kids went up to the Rocca (their small fortress on the top of the hill) for some beautiful views, or perhaps they climbed the Torre Grosso? I also encouraged them to visit the Duomo of the city, where there are beautiful frescoes depicting the stories of the Old and New Testaments, plus the chapel where the remains of Sta. Fina are kept.
Did the title tease you? Certainly not! The Italians are very proud of their food - if a restaurant is open, it's not going to be bad - the locals wouldn't tolerate bad restaurants in their neighborhood (even in a large city like Rome). In Tuscany, some of the favorite foods are Pecorino cheese, Prosciutto al cinghiale (wild boar), and other smoked meats and sausages, hot and smoking on the plate. But, most of all, the Siennese are very proud of their sweets. Here are a few:
riciarelli - soft, crumbly cookies coated in a thin layer of powdered sugar. Often have a hint of orange or lemon zest.
Panforte (or its sister panpepato) - Italian ( = good) version of fruitcake, it is made with honey, candied fruits, and sliced almonds. YUM
cantucci - hard cookies, looking similar to small biscotti ("twice-baked" cookies), served soaked in vin santo, a local dessert wine. Not a pleasure to eat on their own (can break your teeth!).
I promise - I'll encourage your children to consider bringing one of these home for your sampling!
Tomorrow, we're headed for a stroll through town (not unlike our first one when we were learning about the town on our first day), then to the Fortezza for a time of sharing and journaling, before we all return home to pack and prepare for our Friday morning departure. How quickly time has flown - they're all hesitant and not looking forward to leaving (always my goal). What memories they're going to bring home to you - of their friends at school, of their homestay families, of their dining experiences, of their times in the Campo, of their MANY tours with me . . .
Again, I'll try to find time while we're in Rome to write, but it may just have to happen after we return!!!
un abbraccio,
Laura :)
P.S. Thank you, Moores, for letting me know your group size! Please, if you plan to join us for dinner on Friday or Saturday night, contact me so that I can include you on my counts! a piu tarde!!!
Wow - the last few days before we leave! What a time we've had this week! The kids have had the chance to enjoy things without my overbearing leadership (even though I'm always around for advice), and they're really enjoying the time to have with the city before our departure on Friday morning. Yesterday, several of the kiddos returned to the area near Rapolano Terme to visit those sulphur baths again (Thomas was totally prepared, in his woven straw hat, t-shirt, and swimtrunks - he looked like a young Jimmy Buffett). Thank goodness they met at the Mercato (large market in Siena every Wednesday AM) at the beginning of class today - let the market-goers enjoy the sulphur whiff!
Today, the kids experienced their last day of touring Tuscany by visiting San Gimignano. A cute little town up on a hill, it's most known for its towers (14 now, many fallen due to disrepair), and is a great place to stroll to get away from the madness of BIG CITY Siena. They also have the best Gelateria in THE WORLD, as far as I can tell (Gelateria Santa Fina - Sta. Fina is the patroness of San Gimignano, like Sta. Catherina of Siena). Perhaps the kids went up to the Rocca (their small fortress on the top of the hill) for some beautiful views, or perhaps they climbed the Torre Grosso? I also encouraged them to visit the Duomo of the city, where there are beautiful frescoes depicting the stories of the Old and New Testaments, plus the chapel where the remains of Sta. Fina are kept.
Did the title tease you? Certainly not! The Italians are very proud of their food - if a restaurant is open, it's not going to be bad - the locals wouldn't tolerate bad restaurants in their neighborhood (even in a large city like Rome). In Tuscany, some of the favorite foods are Pecorino cheese, Prosciutto al cinghiale (wild boar), and other smoked meats and sausages, hot and smoking on the plate. But, most of all, the Siennese are very proud of their sweets. Here are a few:
riciarelli - soft, crumbly cookies coated in a thin layer of powdered sugar. Often have a hint of orange or lemon zest.
Panforte (or its sister panpepato) - Italian ( = good) version of fruitcake, it is made with honey, candied fruits, and sliced almonds. YUM
cantucci - hard cookies, looking similar to small biscotti ("twice-baked" cookies), served soaked in vin santo, a local dessert wine. Not a pleasure to eat on their own (can break your teeth!).
I promise - I'll encourage your children to consider bringing one of these home for your sampling!
Tomorrow, we're headed for a stroll through town (not unlike our first one when we were learning about the town on our first day), then to the Fortezza for a time of sharing and journaling, before we all return home to pack and prepare for our Friday morning departure. How quickly time has flown - they're all hesitant and not looking forward to leaving (always my goal). What memories they're going to bring home to you - of their friends at school, of their homestay families, of their dining experiences, of their times in the Campo, of their MANY tours with me . . .
Again, I'll try to find time while we're in Rome to write, but it may just have to happen after we return!!!
un abbraccio,
Laura :)
P.S. Thank you, Moores, for letting me know your group size! Please, if you plan to join us for dinner on Friday or Saturday night, contact me so that I can include you on my counts! a piu tarde!!!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Sciopero
The word just gives me chills, as a tour guide. sciopero = strike. The Italians have a beautiful sense of this word. When in America, we hear the word "strike", it usually hints at "an indeterminable stoppage in productivity to prove the value of a service". It does have a similar idea here in Italy, but whereas a strike only ends when a union is appeased in America, groups have a strike day in Italy, then, when it's time to bargain, they show their effectiveness back on their giorno dello sciopero. Today is a transportation strike in Italy. Well, not for trains, but for all busses and metros. That means that at 9 PM last night, the metros in the major cities all stopped, and, after the morning and lunchtime rush hour (2 PM) today, the busses stopped. No real concern - they'll be going tomorrow, and we'll all be back in class and work, and the day will continue on. But they made their statement today.
This weekend was wonderful. On Saturday, some of us went to Arezzo to see the city. We visited the Chapel, the Duomo, the city park, the Fortezza, and viewed the frescoes of Piero del Francesco, which are infamous in the town. The weather was perfect for touring - clear, sunny day, but enough shade to keep comfortable. It was WAY fun for me - the first time to visit this very cute town. And there was an antiques market going on that day, which was fun for the kids. :)
Can I tell you how impressed I am with your kids' sense of adventure? Have I said it too many times? On Sunday, a group went out into the countryside and visited one of the many bath sites which are in Tuscany. In fact, they went to the SULPHUR baths. Took some bus travel and some walking, but they had a great time! This system is much like the baths at Hot Springs, but has the salutory aid which sulphur gives to your skin and pores. Needless to say, they all returned to their homestays on Sunday evening, only to all find their homestay families announce, "Yikes! You went to the sulphur baths!" And their classroom this morning did have a whiff of rotten eggs . . .
Because of the strike today, the kids didn't have any planned activity. Tomorrow is their last free day in Siena, where they can work on getting themselves together before our departure on Friday morning. All of the kids have been given a challenge for this week: They are to make a collection/collage of everything they are going to miss in Siena (whether by list, drawings, or digital camera). At dinner in Rome on Friday night, we'll present all of our collages, and vote on the best two, which I'll award with a treat on Saturday night. Considering the imagination of these kiddos, we'll have some great ones!
My husband has joined us for this week. He absolutely loves spending his one week off a year with the kids here in Italy, seeing how they have enjoyed the trip, and how they have become Italians. And I love having him here, getting to share this experience with him. Ah, the vacations of those married to teachers!
Wednesday will be the next blog entry. This week has various opportunities to the kids - it's the Chigiana (the music conservatory) music week, where they have concerts in various places throughout town; there are movies at the Fortezza every night; the Campo is beautiful as ever, and the weather perfect in the evenings. They're going to really enjoy their last few nights before our departure, and will have to make goodbyes with people with whom they have shared these past three weeks. What great memories we have from here!
a piu tarde,
Laura :)
This weekend was wonderful. On Saturday, some of us went to Arezzo to see the city. We visited the Chapel, the Duomo, the city park, the Fortezza, and viewed the frescoes of Piero del Francesco, which are infamous in the town. The weather was perfect for touring - clear, sunny day, but enough shade to keep comfortable. It was WAY fun for me - the first time to visit this very cute town. And there was an antiques market going on that day, which was fun for the kids. :)
Can I tell you how impressed I am with your kids' sense of adventure? Have I said it too many times? On Sunday, a group went out into the countryside and visited one of the many bath sites which are in Tuscany. In fact, they went to the SULPHUR baths. Took some bus travel and some walking, but they had a great time! This system is much like the baths at Hot Springs, but has the salutory aid which sulphur gives to your skin and pores. Needless to say, they all returned to their homestays on Sunday evening, only to all find their homestay families announce, "Yikes! You went to the sulphur baths!" And their classroom this morning did have a whiff of rotten eggs . . .
Because of the strike today, the kids didn't have any planned activity. Tomorrow is their last free day in Siena, where they can work on getting themselves together before our departure on Friday morning. All of the kids have been given a challenge for this week: They are to make a collection/collage of everything they are going to miss in Siena (whether by list, drawings, or digital camera). At dinner in Rome on Friday night, we'll present all of our collages, and vote on the best two, which I'll award with a treat on Saturday night. Considering the imagination of these kiddos, we'll have some great ones!
My husband has joined us for this week. He absolutely loves spending his one week off a year with the kids here in Italy, seeing how they have enjoyed the trip, and how they have become Italians. And I love having him here, getting to share this experience with him. Ah, the vacations of those married to teachers!
Wednesday will be the next blog entry. This week has various opportunities to the kids - it's the Chigiana (the music conservatory) music week, where they have concerts in various places throughout town; there are movies at the Fortezza every night; the Campo is beautiful as ever, and the weather perfect in the evenings. They're going to really enjoy their last few nights before our departure, and will have to make goodbyes with people with whom they have shared these past three weeks. What great memories we have from here!
a piu tarde,
Laura :)
Friday, July 4, 2008
In Rome - please e-mail if you're meeting us there
This may feel a little early, but things are CRAZY for us when we get into Rome. So, for those of you who plan to meet your child in Rome, here are our plans:
Arrive Friday around 1, drop off bags at hotel (we can't check in until later), and tour Ancient Rome stuff (Bocca della Verita to Colosseum, then view St. Clemente and St. Pietro in Vincoli). Return to hotel, tired and dusty, around 6:30 for showers, then head to Piazza Navona for self-chosen dinner location and team-based cultural scavenger hunt. Return to hotel around 11 PM.
Saturday: 7:45 Tour Medieval and Renaissance Rome (Mausoleum of Augustus, up to Piazza del Popolo, then down along a route which ends at lunchtime at Piazza Navona). Lunch on your own. Afternoon: Vatican Museums (if your preference), then later tour the Vatican together. Return to hotel for showers, then dinner at Pizzeria Montecarlo (located just west of the Piazza Navona) around 8 or 8:30. Spend an hour or two at Piazza Navona, then return to hotel to pack bags and sleep briefly.
Sunday: We catch our shuttle from the hotel at 6:30. Thus, checkout at 6 AM.
You can each choose how it would be best to hook up with us to transfer bags and child. The best way I have found in the past is to meet (with bags) at Pizzeria Montecarlo, so that we can all have our last dinner together. Some people choose to take bags back to their hotel that evening after dinner and a little time at the Piazza (i'm always happy to share my favorite Tartufo spot - Tre Scalini - if you want to join me for chocolate decadence). Some people choose to pick up their child with bags (or sometimes without bags) on Sunday morning at 5:30 AM before our departure. It's totally your call. You child will have a Romapass with them which will be valid for the entire day on Sunday, so they can use the Metro or city bus that day with that card.
Even if you want to get your child on Sunday morning, please consider joining us for dinner on Saturday night! It's really a fun, festive spot, with GREAT pizza. If you do plan to join us, please inform me before Thursday as to how many are in your party, so that when I make reservations on Friday morning, I'll have the right number. Also, if you want to share your hotel information and contact info (cell phone, perhaps?)with me by e-mail, I can keep all that on track, and can give you more information on easily meeting up with us (and maybe a few great spots near your hotel).
Grazie tanti!
L :)
Arrive Friday around 1, drop off bags at hotel (we can't check in until later), and tour Ancient Rome stuff (Bocca della Verita to Colosseum, then view St. Clemente and St. Pietro in Vincoli). Return to hotel, tired and dusty, around 6:30 for showers, then head to Piazza Navona for self-chosen dinner location and team-based cultural scavenger hunt. Return to hotel around 11 PM.
Saturday: 7:45 Tour Medieval and Renaissance Rome (Mausoleum of Augustus, up to Piazza del Popolo, then down along a route which ends at lunchtime at Piazza Navona). Lunch on your own. Afternoon: Vatican Museums (if your preference), then later tour the Vatican together. Return to hotel for showers, then dinner at Pizzeria Montecarlo (located just west of the Piazza Navona) around 8 or 8:30. Spend an hour or two at Piazza Navona, then return to hotel to pack bags and sleep briefly.
Sunday: We catch our shuttle from the hotel at 6:30. Thus, checkout at 6 AM.
You can each choose how it would be best to hook up with us to transfer bags and child. The best way I have found in the past is to meet (with bags) at Pizzeria Montecarlo, so that we can all have our last dinner together. Some people choose to take bags back to their hotel that evening after dinner and a little time at the Piazza (i'm always happy to share my favorite Tartufo spot - Tre Scalini - if you want to join me for chocolate decadence). Some people choose to pick up their child with bags (or sometimes without bags) on Sunday morning at 5:30 AM before our departure. It's totally your call. You child will have a Romapass with them which will be valid for the entire day on Sunday, so they can use the Metro or city bus that day with that card.
Even if you want to get your child on Sunday morning, please consider joining us for dinner on Saturday night! It's really a fun, festive spot, with GREAT pizza. If you do plan to join us, please inform me before Thursday as to how many are in your party, so that when I make reservations on Friday morning, I'll have the right number. Also, if you want to share your hotel information and contact info (cell phone, perhaps?)with me by e-mail, I can keep all that on track, and can give you more information on easily meeting up with us (and maybe a few great spots near your hotel).
Grazie tanti!
L :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)