Day 17 Agenda - July 15, 2014; Rome, Italy

Day 17 agenda - July 15, 2014 Rome, Italy ACTIVITIES Some of Rome's most noteworthy highlights are waiting for you! Your guide will take you through the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. The city of Rome, with its antique monuments and religious sites, has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Day 18 - Vatican City, Italy

ACTIVITIES Visit the center of the Catholic Church and the world's smallest country, the Vatican! Go in the Vatican Museums and admire the frescos of the Sistine Chapel. Time allowing, you may even get the opportunity to go inside St. Peter's Basilica. Continue your adventure with a City Quest including famous sights like Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. Refresh yourself with some delicious ice cream at Mariotti's. Some say they have the best ice cream in town! It’s pure and natural, without any artificial food coloring. ACCOMMODATION Clelia Palace

Thursday Return!

Hard to believe, but the fantastic journey is almost at an end.  I only have access to the flight details for the Madison-area group, so here is their schedule.  

If anyone from the California groups has the relevant information, I will post it here.  Please send to:  charles.sackett@gmail.com.

Remember that you may track the flights via FlightAware.

Day 16 - Perugia, Italy - Full On!

Tomorrow's Agenda Day 16 Monday, July 14, 2014 Perugia, Italy ACTIVITIES Your experience with Full On will be full of overcoming fears, building confidence, and strengthening personal development. The day involves indoor and outdoor challenges, adventure learning, and the opportunity to abseil off a castle wall!

Day 15 Agenda - Sunday, July 13, 2014

ACTIVITIES Today, you will have the unique privilege to speak to a monk or a priest, who will tell you more about life in a monastery! Participate in an emotionally rewarding service project with physically and mentally challenged children. This is a true People to People moment and a unique chance to contribute to the community at the same time!

Learn more about Assisi.

Day 14 Agenda - July 12, 2014 - Florence, Italy

Florence, Italy  A center of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time Florence is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages. A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family, and numerous religious and republican revolutions. Today the historic center of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year. Due to Florence's artistic and architectural heritage, it has been ranked by Forbes as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and in 1982 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace, amongst others, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics. ACTIVITIES Pay a visit to the Accademia Gallery, which houses Michelangelo's colossal statue, David. Now your guide will take you for a walk through the city of Florence, you'll pass by the Duomo and the bronze doors to the Baptistery, known as the Gate to Paradise. Take some time on your own to take in the flair of the city. Your parents and friends would certainly enjoy receiving a postcard from Florence! One of Italy's most famous products is leather! You will have the opportunity to learn about the production and processing of leather at the Leonardo Leather Works. Become acquainted with the local Tuscan cuisine during a special meeting at an Italian "fattoria" and watch a pizza-making demonstration. Afterwards, put your knowledge into practice and produce your own authentic Tuscan meal! Buon appetito!

Day 13 Agenda for Friday, July 11

DAY 13 - FRIDAY, JULY 11 

Montecatini, Italy 

ACTIVITIES:     Say goodbye ("Ciao!") to home stay families and rejoin the delegation! After the walk, relax with some refreshing cool wind on the boat (which may be canceled due to the weather and we may be going by train instead). Continue from Porto Venere to Monterosso! Be inspired by some of the best examples of Romanesque architecture in the Italian city of Pisa. See one of Europe's most iconic buildings, the Leaning Tower. After a guided city walk with your Delegation Manager, explore Pisa on your own.

Days 11 and 12

Homestays continue Delegates explore La Spezia, Porto Verne, and Cinque Terre with their homestay families.

Thanks, Charlie!

Just no time or opportunity to do both!

Day 10 - Monaco Agenda

P2P Day 10 - Monaco Enjoy a guided orientation of Monaco, famous for its royal family, the Grimaldis, and its Grand Prix racetrack. Did you know that Monaco occupies an area smaller than that of New York's Central Park? Enjoy a city walk with your Delegation Manager through Eze, a favorite retreat of the famous philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Attend an educational meeting at the L'Usine Laboratoire of Fragonard. Learn more about the production of "parfum". A challenge is waiting for you: find out if you can smell and identify the different essences! Meet your home stay family...During the upcoming days, you will experience the real Italian way of life with them! Nights for July 11-13 with Homestay Families in La Spezia, Italy.

Photos from Facebook

Group Photo!

I've finally got some breathing room after the holiday weekend; but, I realized that copying and pasting all of the updates on the Facebook page would be an overwhelming task. 

I did save many of the photos from the past few days in an album, which I have stored in my Dropbox.  You can access these photos by clicking here, or on the photo, and you may view all of the images.  My apologies that they may not be in a chronological order and are without explanation.  Going forward, I hope to have the time to re-post the Leader updates from Facebook to the blog for those of you who do not have Facebook.

Thank you!

Charlie

Day 9 Agenda - Nice, France; July 7, 2014

Day 9 Agenda - July 7, 2014 Discover the beautiful French Riviera during a guided orientation of Cannes, famous for its film festival. Nice is the largest resort town on the Mediterranean coast. Enjoy our picnic Dinner at the Chocolate Factory Tour. Then have fun in the lovely Tourettes sur Loup. Get a good night's sleep as we leave early for Monaco the next morning!

Pictures coming!

For those of you who follow the blog and do not use Facebook, as soon as my day slows down, I will try to re-post the photos and descriptions that leaders have posted on Facebook (in order).  Thanks for your patience!

Charlie

In the meantime, enjoy this completely unrelated photo of an adorable baby hedgehog.

Day 8 Agenda - Cannes, France; July 6, 2014

Day 8 Agenda - Cannes, France Be welcomed by officials of the town of Draguignan. Visit the Rhone American Cemetery, the last resting place of 861 soldiers who were killed in 1944 during the surprise landing in southern France. We will have an Official Welcome from the director of the cemetery. Relax on the beaches of the beautiful Cote d'Azur (Blue Coast) or have some free time in the city of the famous Cannes film festival. Time to have some fun together! Let's go bowling

Day 7 - Avignon, France

Discover this old medieval town while having a guided orientation through the narrow streets. The movie "Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves" (1991) was filmed in Carcassonne. Since 1997 this Historic City has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit the Papal Palace, recognized as a World Heritage site by the UNESCO. The Papal Palace is the biggest Gothic palace in all of Europe (15,000 m2 of floor space, which is the equivalent of 4 Gothic cathedrals). Enjoy some time on your own in the beautiful city of Avignon.

Happy 4th of July from Perpignan, France!

Sadly, we did leave Spain this morning  - but happily, we arrived in France. After traveling for a few hours through some beautiful countryside, we arrived at our destination Tautavel. This is the very, very old archeological dig site. I think they said about 400,000 years old and they have been excavating for 50 years. Only a small portion is revealed, so this is a very long project. The climb to the site was a bit daunting. Many of us made it, not only to see the cave, but also the amazing view below and only imagine what it looked like when the cave was home to some of the first humans.After exploring the cave a lot of the students swam in the small lake below. A very refreshing way to spend the 4th of July a long way from home.

I think I can report that all of the students have made some great new friends and seen some amazing things already. The leaders can hardly remember who is from Wisconsin and who is from California! On to Avignon!

Day 6 - Travel Day to Perpignan, France

Happy 4th of July! Today, you will travel back in time. The Tautavel Man Cave (The Caune of Arago) is one of the biggest prehistoric sites of the world. You will have the chance to learn about the work of archeologists at this site. Once we have left Spain and traveled via bus for a few hours, we will arrive in France for lunch and the activity listed above. Check out the pictures on our Facebook account.

Day 5 - Barcelona, Spain - July 3, 2024

Today's Agenda: Today the delegates will Work in small groups and learn how to cook the most typical Spanish dish, "paella." This rice dish originated in Valencia, where it is traditionally eaten on Sundays and during the fall season. Be introduced to the work of Antonio Gaudi, Spain's most famous architect. First you'll admire one of the most interesting buildings ever conceived: La Sagrada Familia. Next, explore Gaudi's Parc Guell, a fantasy-like blend of architecture and nature. During your dinner experience the passion of the dance with a Flamenco show. in small groups and learn how to cook the most typical Spanish dish, "paella." This rice dish originated in Valencia, where it is traditionally eaten on Sundays and during the fall season. Be introduced to the work of Antonio Gaudi, Spain's most famous architect. First you'll admire one of the most interesting buildings ever conceived: La Sagrada Familia. Next, explore Gaudi's Parc Guell, a fantasy-like blend of architecture and nature. During your dinner experience the passion of the dance with a Flamenco show.

Farm at Zaragoza, Spain

Learning how to make butter and how to make lotion at the farm in Zaragoza, Spain.

Day 4 - Travel to Barcelona, Spain - July 2, 2014

With your Delegation Manager walk from the Maremagnum to the Gothic Quarter. Here, the Roman era remains alive alongside medieval buildings bringing Barcelona's colorful past to life. Shopping in Barcelona. Salmon for lunch and swordfish for dinner.

Educational Tour: at a company that makes tech software programs for the dissabled

Check out the Facebook page

P2P Mediterranean Traditions - Europe 2014

Learning about technology in Spain