Today, we started the day early. Ostensibly, we got on the bus in Castiligone-Fiorentino at 7:15. In reality, everyone got up there at 7:10 and then decided they needed breakfast. The end result was that we finally left Castiglion-Fiorentino for the last time at 7:30.
On the bus, most of us slept. We've all been running pretty hard, so the long bus ride was a welcomed break, even though the seats were terrible uncomfortable. We made a quick lunch stop at the Auto-Grill, which was essentially an expensive Italian subway, and then continued on our way. After 2 more hours, we finally arrived in Venice.
The first thing you need to know about Venice is that whereas the average city has a bus system or a subway system, Venice has a boat system. Luke went and got us a water taxi which took the entire group and our luggage to the hotel. We are staying in the Hotel Cristallo, which is in Lido, a sort of suburb of Venice.
After checking in, we caught a boat and went to the Plazza of St. Mark's. There we took a tour through the Doge's Palace, and some of Venice's streets while being serenaded by the musical talents of our tour guide. The Doge's Palace was very interesting, with weapons, torture chambers, and the world's largest canvas painting. After the end of our tour, we broke up for dinner. Our group went to a place recommended by the tour guide, but the Qatar contingent+Kevin wanted to go to this Halal Kabab place down the street. We separated and agreed to meet back at a gelato place.
When we finally met back up later, Kevin came running up and said "Guys! This creepy guy took me in a dark alley and showed me this thing." Talal followed up by saying "We should have taken pictures." It took us several minutes to discern that Kevin had not in fact been molested, but found an interesting building. Kevin then insisted that we all go see the thing this guy showed them.
Five minutes later, we were standing in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa's little brother, complete with a spiral staircase and several arcades. It turns out Kevin's creepy man had been one of the engineers working on the restoration. Otherwise, we would never have found this.
After that, we went to the Rialto bridge in Venice. We watched the sunset over Venice, and then caught a boat back to Lido. Of course, we kind of pushed the timing. The end result was that Talal left his backpack on the dock, along with Mohyman, Kevyn, John, and Taylor who were too slow to catch the ferry. Fortunately, the next boat left only five minutes later, but took them another half hour to get back, since they missed the express. Now we are all chilling in the hotel, waiting for our first free day in Venice tomorrow. Pictures will be up later.
By PFM and Pipe Andrew
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Assisi & Cortona Photos
Erin taking in the scenery in tranquil Assisi.
A view from atop Cortona. At the far back of the photo the shores of Lake Trasimeno are barely visible.
Megan and Allison pose just in front of the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi.
Several of the boys goof around after their swordfights with their newly purchased wooden swords.
Jake, Chris, Megan, Allison, Alex, John, and David enjoying Cortona. The Last Supper
Today was a somewhat sad day for us all as we packed our belongings away and cleaned our rooms in preparation for tomorrow morning, when we leave Santa Chiara. This morning we were all a bit confused as to the time and location of our first meeting, but eventually, we all gathered in the courtyard and listened to a rousing speech given by Mr. Altendorf on the subject of leadership. In small groups we discussed some of our strengths and weaknesses and how they relate to others. Next we roleplayed a situation in which a certain Dr. Miller (played by the lovely Taylor Orr) was up for reevaluation of her tenure at the university. After much dilberation, she was given a one year probation in order to increase her amount of research as well as better prepare her students for upper level chemistry courses.
After lunch we all had a period of free time in which we all did laundry and prepared our rooms for checkout. Some people had life-mapping sessions while others slept or went exploring the town for one last time.
Before dinner we gathered to discuss our exciting plans for Venice tomorrow. Most of us are not so excited about boarding the bus at 7:00 AM tomorrow. We also took a group photo in the courtyard (awwww...). For our "last supper" at the Center we enjoyed pasta with tomato sauce and mushrooms, meatballs, assorted vegetables, and watermelon for dessert.
After dinner, we all headed down to the Coco-Palm for one last cono/cuppetta of gelato, (which we shall all miss dearly once we leave Italy) and headed back to the center to watch a fabulous talent show put on by the students and faculty. Mr. Altendorf, "The Master Illusionist," opened with an excellent magic act that baffled us all. Leah performed a wonderful rendition of "Our Song" by Taylor Swift, followed by a hip-hop dance exhibition given by Mouheymen. The acts ranged all over the place, from classical piano music played by Alex, Meghan, and Tall Andrew to a capella rendition of "Say" by John Mayer. We were then given our spending money for Venice and told to get a good night's rest for the long day tomorrow. All in all, today was fairly uneventful, but we all look forward to the adventures we will no doubt be having in Venice in the days to come.
With Shallow Humor and Little Risk to Life and Limb,
David and Victoria
After lunch we all had a period of free time in which we all did laundry and prepared our rooms for checkout. Some people had life-mapping sessions while others slept or went exploring the town for one last time.
Before dinner we gathered to discuss our exciting plans for Venice tomorrow. Most of us are not so excited about boarding the bus at 7:00 AM tomorrow. We also took a group photo in the courtyard (awwww...). For our "last supper" at the Center we enjoyed pasta with tomato sauce and mushrooms, meatballs, assorted vegetables, and watermelon for dessert.
After dinner, we all headed down to the Coco-Palm for one last cono/cuppetta of gelato, (which we shall all miss dearly once we leave Italy) and headed back to the center to watch a fabulous talent show put on by the students and faculty. Mr. Altendorf, "The Master Illusionist," opened with an excellent magic act that baffled us all. Leah performed a wonderful rendition of "Our Song" by Taylor Swift, followed by a hip-hop dance exhibition given by Mouheymen. The acts ranged all over the place, from classical piano music played by Alex, Meghan, and Tall Andrew to a capella rendition of "Say" by John Mayer. We were then given our spending money for Venice and told to get a good night's rest for the long day tomorrow. All in all, today was fairly uneventful, but we all look forward to the adventures we will no doubt be having in Venice in the days to come.
With Shallow Humor and Little Risk to Life and Limb,
David and Victoria
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Cortona (yet more hills)
This morning we went to Cortona and toured yet another church with our friend Giovanni, our tour guide way back in Arezzo. It's ironic, because when we were in Arezzo he was complaining about the people in Cortona (which is actually his hometown) and today he was showing it off to us. He had many humorous quips, as usual, but we're too tired to remember them. We also walked through an Etruscan archaeological museum and dig site, where we saw lots of cool old stuff they've dug up from tombs. After that we had an hour of free time, where some of us got gelato and shopped around while others simply enjoyed the view from the piazza where the bus dropped us off. The view included a nice, brand new top of the line Corvette, which some adored and others hated. For the record, the one(s) who hated it (coughMasoncough) were wrong. (That's Jake talking.)
After we took the twenty minute bus ride back to Castiglion Fiorentino, we had a delicious lunch of ravioli and quiche, along with some Italian pigs-in-blankets and fruit (as usual. We miss our chocolate dessert). Then we listened to Tori talk about diversity and relationships, followed by Ryan's talk on the first two weeks of school. We played a team building game where we all stood on the steps in the courtyard and had to make it across to a tree on the other side without touching the ground (anyone remember "the floor is lava"? The best 10 years of my life were spent playing that game), using only a box of cardboard pieces, a towel, and a chair. Laura's group had an awesome time, since tall Chris was in our group and thought of a really cool idea - making shoes with pieces of cardboard bent up and tied underneath with our shoelaces. Two people put them on and carried the rest of us across. The next round we had to use the same towels and ripped up bits of cardboard to get across - but this time with no shoes and with all but one person having a handicap - one person in each group couldn't use their hands, one was blind, one couldn't talk, etc. The first time, Laura's group won, while my (Jake's) group won the second.
Then it was free time! A bunch of us played sardines, which is kind of like reverse hide and seek, where one person hides and allll the other people look for them. Everyone who finds the hiding spot has to hide there too, so you end up with a bunch of people crammed into a tiny space, trying not to laugh. It was awesome.
After about an hour of free time, life mapping sessions began. These were essentially interviews based on a questionnaire we filled out earlier regarding our plans for the next ten years of our lives. There'll be more tomorrow.
Soooo then we ate dinner, which was some kind of tomato-y soup with hominy and pasta in it, and some weird lemon chicken and spicy green beans. And fruit. Of course.
Then came the best part of the day: gelato! It's still totally worth the hike. We're kind of sad though, 'cause it's our second to last time to have it here at the Coco Palm! Except tomorrow we get it first, which makes it better. :D After gelato a lot of us went to play soccer at the local (tiny) field, with one native Italian named Miguel. Finally we came back to the dance party at Santa Chiara. Maybe more on that tomorrow, 'cause it's just getting started and we don't know what's going to happen yet.
Buona notte.
Jake and Laura
After we took the twenty minute bus ride back to Castiglion Fiorentino, we had a delicious lunch of ravioli and quiche, along with some Italian pigs-in-blankets and fruit (as usual. We miss our chocolate dessert). Then we listened to Tori talk about diversity and relationships, followed by Ryan's talk on the first two weeks of school. We played a team building game where we all stood on the steps in the courtyard and had to make it across to a tree on the other side without touching the ground (anyone remember "the floor is lava"? The best 10 years of my life were spent playing that game), using only a box of cardboard pieces, a towel, and a chair. Laura's group had an awesome time, since tall Chris was in our group and thought of a really cool idea - making shoes with pieces of cardboard bent up and tied underneath with our shoelaces. Two people put them on and carried the rest of us across. The next round we had to use the same towels and ripped up bits of cardboard to get across - but this time with no shoes and with all but one person having a handicap - one person in each group couldn't use their hands, one was blind, one couldn't talk, etc. The first time, Laura's group won, while my (Jake's) group won the second.
Then it was free time! A bunch of us played sardines, which is kind of like reverse hide and seek, where one person hides and allll the other people look for them. Everyone who finds the hiding spot has to hide there too, so you end up with a bunch of people crammed into a tiny space, trying not to laugh. It was awesome.
After about an hour of free time, life mapping sessions began. These were essentially interviews based on a questionnaire we filled out earlier regarding our plans for the next ten years of our lives. There'll be more tomorrow.
Soooo then we ate dinner, which was some kind of tomato-y soup with hominy and pasta in it, and some weird lemon chicken and spicy green beans. And fruit. Of course.
Then came the best part of the day: gelato! It's still totally worth the hike. We're kind of sad though, 'cause it's our second to last time to have it here at the Coco Palm! Except tomorrow we get it first, which makes it better. :D After gelato a lot of us went to play soccer at the local (tiny) field, with one native Italian named Miguel. Finally we came back to the dance party at Santa Chiara. Maybe more on that tomorrow, 'cause it's just getting started and we don't know what's going to happen yet.
Buona notte.
Jake and Laura
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Rome Photos
The following are a few photos taken from our recent excursion to Rome. Sorry again for the delay.
A photo covertly taken of the stunning Sistine Chapel. *No photo, No photo*
A true perspective on the incredible size of St. Peter's Basilica.
Bernini's saints looked over us on the hot day in St. Peter's Square.
Many students were excited to find Texas A&M carved into the Colosseum. Who knew the Romans were Aggies?
We had the opportunity to see several of the pillars and ruins located in the Roman Forum.
A postcard photo of the Colosseum.Special thanks to Andrew McNeill for capturing and editing these great photographs.
It Ain't Easy Touring Assisi
We woke up early this morning greeted by a blast of cold air blowing in through the window, a most effective wake up call and a nice change from the usually hot weather we have had here in Castiglion Fiorentino. We ran up to Hermes and ordered the usual, a cappuccino and a pastry, before heading back down to catch the bus that would be taking us to Assisi. After the two hour bus ride taking us out of Tuscany and into the region of Umbria, we first caught a glimpse of the Basilica of San Francesco spreading out over the hill, capturing the eye with its white and pink walls and long row of arches. Once inside the city walls, we were once again blessed to have Paolo as our tour guide. Always eager for students to ask him questions, Paolo expounded upon the Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance architecture that we would be seeing later that day and pointed out elements within church itself that were representative of those eras as we walked through the basilica. One of the highlights of our tour was seeing a series of panels painted by Giotto telling the story of St. Francis' life and his mission to found Franciscan order.
Similar to Castiglion Fiorentino, the city of Assisi is built into the hillside, so the streets are steep and narrow, and the buildings and shops seem to perch one on top of the other all the way up the hill. So after leaving the Basilica of San Francesco, we made our way through the narrow streets lined with colorful shops selling religious items, finally arriving at the Basilica of Santa Chiara. There we were able to see a beautiful crucifix in the chapel that was similar to one that we had seen in our own little Castiglion Fiorentino the day before.
Ready for lunch, we made our way to the restaurant and sat down to a lovely three course meal consisting of pasta, chicken cordon bleu with potatoes and salad and fruit for desert. After that, the group was free to explore Assisi. Some went shopping, many spending their euros on wooden swords (which proved very useful in a few skirmishes and mock epic battles that took place back at the center). Others visited the Temple of Minvera, built in the first century AD while a few decided to hike up the hill to a castle overlooking the city below. The incredible view from the castle was just one more striking reminder that we are actually in Italy and are truly experiencing all it has to offer. At four, the group reassembled and headed to the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels. The outside of the church was very large and impressive, but when we ventured inside, we saw a smaller, more humble building in the center of the basilica – yes, a church inside of a church! The smaller church was originally built by Saint Francis, but his followers later built the larger, more lavish church around it. After exploring this last basilica, we piled back onto the bus and arrived at the center in time for more delicious pasta and our nightly gelato. Right now, some are playing soccer with a few locals, while others are slaving away on the blog to inform our followers of our day. So goodbye for now, we're off to soak up more Italy!
Buona Sera,
Taylor Orr and Amanda Savage
Similar to Castiglion Fiorentino, the city of Assisi is built into the hillside, so the streets are steep and narrow, and the buildings and shops seem to perch one on top of the other all the way up the hill. So after leaving the Basilica of San Francesco, we made our way through the narrow streets lined with colorful shops selling religious items, finally arriving at the Basilica of Santa Chiara. There we were able to see a beautiful crucifix in the chapel that was similar to one that we had seen in our own little Castiglion Fiorentino the day before.
Ready for lunch, we made our way to the restaurant and sat down to a lovely three course meal consisting of pasta, chicken cordon bleu with potatoes and salad and fruit for desert. After that, the group was free to explore Assisi. Some went shopping, many spending their euros on wooden swords (which proved very useful in a few skirmishes and mock epic battles that took place back at the center). Others visited the Temple of Minvera, built in the first century AD while a few decided to hike up the hill to a castle overlooking the city below. The incredible view from the castle was just one more striking reminder that we are actually in Italy and are truly experiencing all it has to offer. At four, the group reassembled and headed to the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels. The outside of the church was very large and impressive, but when we ventured inside, we saw a smaller, more humble building in the center of the basilica – yes, a church inside of a church! The smaller church was originally built by Saint Francis, but his followers later built the larger, more lavish church around it. After exploring this last basilica, we piled back onto the bus and arrived at the center in time for more delicious pasta and our nightly gelato. Right now, some are playing soccer with a few locals, while others are slaving away on the blog to inform our followers of our day. So goodbye for now, we're off to soak up more Italy!
Buona Sera,
Taylor Orr and Amanda Savage
Monday, July 26, 2010
We Did A Lot But Yet So Little..
So at 10:00 am we finally set out to have our tour of Castiglion Fiorentino with Paolo himself. Paolo took us to see the nearby church and enlightened us about architecture and christian art in the Middle Ages. Then we went to the City Hall where the memoriam for all the fallen in WW1 was on display, it was depressing to see how many lost their lives in such a pointless war. Then we went to the museum where Paolo talked about art some more and showed us a magnificent cross that was made in the 13th Century, then he took us to the highest point of Castiglion Fiorentino and showed us the marvellous view. He presented to us a few ancient texts and music, and then we went underground to see some excavations. It was interesting.
We then had lunch at the Center, it was good.
After lunch we had some free time where some took naps and some played ping pong. Our free time was ended with a series of lectures on proffesionalism in which the Student Leaders discussed resumes, interviews, dining etiquette, ethics, and public speaking. We knew most of this stuff already, but to be polite we payed attention anyways. We then learned the Aggie War Hymn and then had some more free time.
After the tedious lectures we then proceded to the art gallery where our art was on display. Our art was beautiful, but even more spectacular was the art of Ricardo the art teacher whose art completely overshadowed ours.
Then we had Italian lessons, whe
re we learned to count in Italian. Uno duo tres and so on. We also learned how to order Pizza. The lessons were enlightening as well as practical.
Then we had dinner, like lunch it was also delicious. There was pasta and fried chicken with french fries. A real Italian meal.
Then we went to get gelato, it was delicious as always. Then we played soccer and Erin scored. Nathan was the goalie but could not hold against Erin's fierce offensive, despite the fact they were on the same team.
After that rousing experience we returned to the Center to hear a dude play the accordion. The accordion is an interesting instrument but he played it with the gracefullness of a swan. It was beautiful yet haunting. After that Erin and I came upstairs to write this blog entry. It was fun.
We are first in line for gelato tomorrow because of this. Thank you for giving us this oppurtunity. Tomorrow we head for Assisi, bye.
Erin and Talal
We then had lunch at the Center, it was good.
After lunch we had some free time where some took naps and some played ping pong. Our free time was ended with a series of lectures on proffesionalism in which the Student Leaders discussed resumes, interviews, dining etiquette, ethics, and public speaking. We knew most of this stuff already, but to be polite we payed attention anyways. We then learned the Aggie War Hymn and then had some more free time.
After the tedious lectures we then proceded to the art gallery where our art was on display. Our art was beautiful, but even more spectacular was the art of Ricardo the art teacher whose art completely overshadowed ours.
Then we had Italian lessons, whe
re we learned to count in Italian. Uno duo tres and so on. We also learned how to order Pizza. The lessons were enlightening as well as practical.
Then we had dinner, like lunch it was also delicious. There was pasta and fried chicken with french fries. A real Italian meal.
Then we went to get gelato, it was delicious as always. Then we played soccer and Erin scored. Nathan was the goalie but could not hold against Erin's fierce offensive, despite the fact they were on the same team.
After that rousing experience we returned to the Center to hear a dude play the accordion. The accordion is an interesting instrument but he played it with the gracefullness of a swan. It was beautiful yet haunting. After that Erin and I came upstairs to write this blog entry. It was fun.
We are first in line for gelato tomorrow because of this. Thank you for giving us this oppurtunity. Tomorrow we head for Assisi, bye.
Erin and Talal
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