My SYA Italy Adventure

It's always an adventure when we set out to Nonna's lakeside home for Sunday lunch. This past Sunday was no exception- it was a particular twist in the usual schedule that entertained me the rest of the day. After an incredible homemade lasagna and pork to die for, there were some household duties to take care of. Normally at this point, my host sister, host brother, and I go off and study while Nonna and my host mom take care of the things that need their attention. However, there was a particular chore in which they wanted my help. I heard a polite, "Corynne, vieni! Dobbiamo prendere le uova! " For those who don't speak Italian, my host brother insisted I help him go collect the fresh eggs from Nonna's new hens and help feed the chickens. Anyone who knows me knows I am certainly not a farm girl. Sure, I'm all for unique experiences, but the chicken coop is really not my favorite place to be. Nonetheless, Valerio grabbed my hand and we paraded through...

You've seen the photos - I'm sure of it. It's an UNESCO World Heritage site and National Park unlike any other in the world. It was probably the first destination I put on my bucket list. They are the prettiest cliffside towns imaginable. The Cinque Terre. I could not contain my excitement over the past couple of weeks leading up to our long weekend up in Liguria.  I was so stoked- who could ask for more than some fun hiking in the most beautiful place ever with some amazing friends? Saturday morning, nice and early, my friends and I got on a train from where we were staying in La Spezia to the closest town named Riomaggiore . There were little peeks of the ocean seen while the train went through a tunnel and there were collective gasps and yelps of excitement. Immediately upon exiting the train, the cameras were out and the fresh sea air was taken in. There was some random Asian woman who wanted a photo with me- but other than that odd distraction my eyes could...

Off to Florence we went! The whole school took a collective sigh on the bus ride to the beautiful heart of Tuscany, bracing ourselves for the last school trip. It was going to be an exhausting one in an urban environment, something we hadn't quite done before. One hotel and one city to explore- with a heck of a lot in store. Tuesday started things off with a bang as we checked in. Immediately we had an introductory tour of Florence (although everything is so concentrated I already knew how toget everywhere from my last 2 trips). Once we got oriented, we went to see La Chiesa di Santo Spirito  designed by Brunalleschi - a classic Florentine. The church tour only started there; in the evening we wound up at La Chiesa di Santa Croce . The only things I can actually share about that church (since it was closed...) is that it houses the tombs of many important Florentines like Galileo and Michelangelo, and even better it's close to one of the competitors for best gelato in all ...