Welcome to New York!

WE MADE IT BACK!!

To NYC, that is. 😊

We're on the bus now, heading back to Oneonta.  We should hopefully be in before midnight.

It's been a whirlwind adventure, and we all have two stamps in our passports for it.

Thank you for being a part of our adventure, and for making this a reality for everyone!
April & Karen

Last day in Rome

Hello everyone!
Today was the final day of our trip (excluding tomorrow, as it is our travel day home!)

April led us through Rome and sharing the history of the Forum, the Colosseum and other structures along the way.

The guys REALLY enjoyed the Colosseum! We walked around the perimeter, as well as the first, second and third levels. The "floor" was completely exposed; April explained the chambers were for gladiators, animals and even for running props and actors beneath the floor when the Colosseum was used for theatrical performances. It was truly stunning in daylight; some walked to it the night before and took beautiful pictures (the uplighting of the different monuments at night is incredible!)

Afterwards, April walked us to the Vatican, where we viewed numerous rooms and the Sistine Chapel. The amount of precious art and artifacts was truly mind blowing; it's almost overwhelming to take it all in.

Everyone was free to lunch wherever they wanted, and explore the city for the rest of the day and evening. Rome has been a huge hit with the guys!

Tomorrow, we head home. Although six hours ahead, we'll be cut a small break as Daylight Savings Time begins again. 😊

Thank you for following this blog; it's been an incredible adventure with these students!

Pictures from Pompeii

From Siracusa to Palermo, to Naples to Pompeii to Naples to Rome!

Hello everyone,

Our ferry didn't have Wi-Fi last night, but tonight we can share from the past couple days.

Yesterday we drove from Siracusa to Palermo, where our Sicily journey ended and our mainland Italy journey began, as we took an overnight ferry to Naples.

During our few hours before the ferry, we took in the sites of Palermo. Many visited the Cappucini Catacombs, which houses numerous mummified bodies from the 16th to the early 20th centuries (yes, it creeped about everyone out... And pictures weren't permitted. 😉)

Today, after departing the ferry and arriving at the train station, we took a ride up to Pompeii, which was absolutely stunning. April provided another wonderful lecture/guided tour about life in Pompeii, before the volcanic eruption.

We took the train back to Naples and took a short walk to THE BEST pizza in Naples... Some even said the best they've ever had (names shall not be shared, however they are from the NYC area! 😊)

Finally, we took the train from Naples up to Rome and checked into our hotel, which looks at the Pantheon.

Tomorrow, our last full day, will be filled with optional guided tours by April to the Colosseum and the Vatican.

Rome is an absolutely beautiful city; the juxtaposition of Roman architecture blended with modern is truly stunning. And, the gelato is deliciozo!

Wednesday in Siracusa!

Good evening everyone,

We departed Taormima and most of the rain this morning and drove to Siracusa; the trip took about an hour and a half. The roads in Taormima were incredibly narrow, so it was nice to have more breathing room on the highway. 😊 It still comes as a surprise to see motorists driving on the shoulders of highways if they're going slower than others (allowing others to pass); it almost creates s three lane highway out of two!

April booked us in a gorgeous five star hotel and spa which overlooks the Mediterranean. After checking in, she provided a lovely lecture about the significance of Siracusa in the medieval world. We then took a three minute walk to the Duomo di Siracusa, a beautiful church which started as an Athenian temple; Christians later built the church around the site, entombing the columns in the walls which are visible on the inside and outside.

Afterwards, everyone departed for a late lunch and enjoyed free time to explore the town.

Tomorrow, we depart for Palermo to see the sights and will take the evening/overnight ferry to Naples for Friday fun.