On April 6th, us, along with  ten other students departed Newark Airport on an eight-hour flight to Rome, Italy. We hit the ground running right after we landed by walking around the city and touring the Vatican and Sistine Chapel. While in Rome, we saw the Palatine Hill, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, Victor Emmanuel Monument, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Also, we had a pizza making lesson and learned how gelato is made at one of the oldest gelaterias in Rome. We left Monday morning and headed toward Florence.

Before arriving in Florence, we stopped in Assisi for lunch. We also saw St. Francis’ Basilica during our time there. Personally, we thought Assisi was really fun and beautiful. We got back on the bus and made it to Florence a few hours later. We dropped our bags off and quickly went to dinner. We then walked around the city before heading back to the hotel. The next morning, we got a guided tour of the entire city. We saw the Church of Santa Croce, Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, and Piazza San Lorenzo. We also learned about leather and jewelry in a local shop. Afterward, we were able to get into the Academia and see Michelangelo’s David. Then, we finally got to eat lunch and have some free time to ourselves. A few of us climbed Giotto’s Bell Tower, which was over 400 steps high, but completely worth it. The views were indescribable. We then spent some time walking around, shopping, and eating gelato and cannolis. 

On our way to Venice, we made a stop in Padua to see St. Anthony’s Basilica and eat lunch. We finally arrived at our hotel in Mestre, where we could freshen up before taking a boat to the island of Venice. Upon arriving, we saw St. Mark’s Square. Then, we took a 30-minute gondola ride through the canals of the city. It was incredibly calming and peaceful. Then, we got some time to shop and explore before eating dinner together. The next day, we toured Doge’s Palace, the Correr Museum, and ascended another bell tower. It was chilly and raining, but we still made the most of our last day. There was absolutely no shortage of fun.

The trip ended with a one hour flight to Frankfurt, followed by a five-hour layover, then an eight and a half hour flight back to Newark. Every student and chaperone enjoyed the trip. There was never a dull or boring moment. Even though it may have been exhausting, we saw beautiful sites that not everyone gets to experience. Also, our tour guide, Joe, was amazing. He ensured we got to see everything we wanted to while also making it fun. All of the students learned things on this trip, whether it was more use of the Italian language or new parts of themselves.