Day 10

Yesterday we did many things, which include browsing markets, and looking through art galleries such as the Galleria dell' Accademia and the Uffizi gallery. The best things about the day were looking through all the different types of art developed through the ages by well-known artists. We saw pieces such as the statue of David, La Primavera, and the Birth of Venus. Our first full day in Florence was interesting and fun.

Day 9

Day 8: Venice

Today, in Venice, we went- from our hotel to La Basilica di San Marco for Mass. After our Sunday Mass we enjoyed a gondola ride through the canals of the city.

Day 7: Verona

Day 5- Walking Tour of Milan

Walking Tour of Milan Today we visited the Castello Sforzesco, Piazza del Duomo, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper (il Cenacolo).

Day 4

Bergamo- Today we travelled by train to Bergamo and took the cable car to the Città Alta

Day 3

Day 2

Today was the first day of school at L’Accademia d’Italiano. The highlight was Ryan O’Hara explaining AFL football to his teacher, Lorenzo. At midday we headed to Teatro alla Scala, which is the major Opera House in Italy. We watched the stage crew preparing for the opening of Madame Butterfly. We were struck by the elegance and splendour of the theatre. The students also visited the museum where they saw statues of great opera composers such as Puccini, Rossini, Verdi, Bellini and Donizetti. We also visited la Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, where we witnessed a photo shoot of two classy, Italian models. The camera crew invited us to join the shoot as enthusiastic observers and some of us seized the opportunity for a selfie. Following two wonderful days, the stage has been set for another exciting adventure.

Lake Como- Day 1

After a big day of travel and many weary bodies, the excitement and enthusiasm was evident as the wheels of the Thai Airlines flight touched down in Milan. The students had already embraced the concept of developing their Italian communication skills, even before leaving Melbourne, as Italian became the primary language of all communication. Having arrived at the Language School in Milan and meeting their host families, the students were off for the night. The next morning they arrived at our meeting point with smiles and exciting tales of their first night’s experiences. Witnessing the students’ delight in having successfully conquered the challenge of public transport; not so daunting after all, combined with their recognition that they had already developed skills that would enable them to communicate with their host families, there appeared to be almost instant growth in confidence. Today we travelled to Lake Como. The weather was kind, no rain and no wind. We met the tour guide for the day and headed onto the water for a fascinating tour that included tales of the rich and famous along with a knowledge of the history of the area. Needless to say George Clooney’s three villas along with other residences used for films like Star Wars and more recently James Bond and the Nespresso commercials, just happened to get a mention, along with Lachlan Murdoch, Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Depp. Treasures like the thousand-year-old bridge built under the Roman Empire were abundant.

We have arrived!!!