Day 6
Jesolo, Italy
Today we had wake-up at 7:00, Room Checks at 7:30, breakfast from 7:45 – 8:15 and then load the bus by 8:15. Once again our ambassadors were right on time and ready to go. We dumbfounding Bernhard, he has not ever had a group as responsible as this, he is a bit worried I think he is worried about what might be coming.... We assure him, what you see is what you get, this is a great group of young people.
It was a good breakfast; bread (as usual), meats, fruit, juice, etc. Coffee of course.
Our first stop will be Jesolo. It will be about an hour ride but we hit a traffic jam so we were a bit late. But finally made it. Jesolo is a beautiful city.
Hop on your bus and head for Florence, Italy's city of the arts!
So far it looks like a great trip to Europe would be to fly into Venice, drive to Florence, Jesolo and then on to Voltera. :)
Pay a visit to the Academia Gallery, which houses Michelangelo's colossal statue, David.
Our first stop was, of course, Academia Gallery, in Florence, Italy and were able to see sooooo many great works of art, including David, which it too, I believe, Michelangelo 24 years to do. We had a guide for the gallery but she was a bit difficult to understand. So this was not so successful but it was just amazing to be standing in the area of such historical art work. One could spend days in here exploring and we had a such a short amount of time. The guide took us to some other sites and then we ended up in this large square.
After this we had a bit of time to shop, some hit an ATM and other walked down to a river. I bought a belt, Tracy and Greg bought a purses, sometime we will have to talk about that!!! :)
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.
1:00 PM
After this tour we went to our restaurant for. Luigi did a good job of getting us there today. Sometimes Luigi is a bit unreliable. Our meal was great. We had something that was a bit like Spanish rice, which was then followed up with Chicken and Potatoes. Of course we had a desert
Today's lunch will be served at the restaurant La Vecchia Firenze.
Continue your journey to Jesolo!
Now we are our way to Jesolo, a quick walk to the bus, fast pace, quite hot again today. Once again blessed with great weather, have not had any rain to date, hate to say that, probably jinx us. Loaded the bus and heading on the Jesolo, close to Venice.
6:30 PM
Savor your pizza at one of the best Pizzerias in Jesolo.
Tonight we ate at a Pizzerias, fantastic food. Tonight we had a choice as to what we wanted to eat, which we did quite often, it seemed. That was nice. Although it didn't always turn out like we wanted but still a nice idea anyway. But tonight we could pick from: Pizza Margarita, Lasagna, Salad buffet and one other type of Pizza. I think they were all great.
After dinner we headed back to the hotel. Many wanted to hit the beach because we were like 100 yards from the North Sea. Lets head swimming. Everyone changed and we headed for the beach. Of course Roger was first down, not in but as they say, “On Guard”. Everyone was soooooo excited. It was late so we didn't have a lot of time but how wonderful!!! The hotel people were very nice and it was a great hotel. Almost like an efficiency apartment; had kitchen stove, refrigerator, etc. All you need really to make your own food.
The place we stayed also had camping areas closer to the beach, cabin areas, etc. It was a huge place. Down by the beach was a restaurant, bar, pool, etc. Almost like a resort, a great family retreat area; kid friendly.
Take some time together to learn about your upcoming home-stay. Ask questions and understand expectations for the next days with your European families.
We will spend some time tomorrow night talking about our home-stays coming up.
As Tracy would say and said many times on this journey, “Another day in Paradise.”
Room checks as usual.
Florence
Florence (“Firenze”), cradle of the Renaissance, is renowned for its wealth of art and architecture. Most sights lie north of the River Arno – including the Uffizi Gallery, the Duomo, Giotto's tower, and the baptistery, with its magnificent bronze doors. Another cluster of sites is formed by the Bargello Museum withits stunning collection of renaissance sculpture, the medieval Palazzo Vecchio, and the statue-adorned church of Orsanmichele. The church of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels, housing Michelangelo's heroic sculptures of “Day”, “Night”, “Dawn”, and “Dusk” aren't too far from here. Further artistic riches are to be found in the church of Santa maria Novella. Be sure to visit the Accademia Gallery which contains Michelangelo's “David”.
Duomo – Cathedral of Florence
The Duomo, begun in 1294, was crowned in the 15th century with a splendid dome by Brunellischi – one of the most famous Renaissance masterpieces, and the largest of its time. It is well worth climbing to the top so see the construction technique as well as the view. The rest of the exterior is beautifully decorated in colored marble. The cathedrals' interior exhibits works by Luca della Robbia, Paolo Uccello, and Andrea Castagno; as well as, first-class stained glass in the drum of the dome, exquisitely carved sacristy cupboards, and excavations of the earlier churches on this site.
Palazzo Vecchio
The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence (“Firenze”), begun in 1299, with rooms (including the “Salone dei Cinquecento” and the “Studiolo”) decorated under the direction of Giorgio Vasari at the end of the 16th century, and a chapel with frescoes by Agnolo Bronzino. The older rooms of the palace have ceilings and doorways by Giuliano da Maiano and frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio. Donatello's statue of “Judith and Holofernes” and Verrocchio's “Putto with a Dolphin” are also kept here.
Accademia Gallery
The Accademia Gallery (“Galleria dell' Addademia”) contains a superb collection of sculptures by Michelandelo, including his all-too-famous marble “David”, carved at the age of 29 for “Piazza della Signoria”, which established him as the greatest sculptor of his day. This colossal nude figure, atypical of Michelangelo's works, is perhaps the best known single work of art in Europe. The “Four Prisoners” (or Slaves) and “Saint Matthew” are masterpieces of his “non finto” - style. The gallery also has an important collection of Florentine paintings.
Ponte Vecchio
The Ponte Vecchio (literally “old bridge”) is the famous picturesque bridge across the river Arno, lined with quaint jewelers' shops. Although there has been ab ridge here since the 11th century, the present construction dates back to 1345. A corridor, with round windows, built by Vasari, runs above the shops. From the center of the bridge there is a good view of the beautifully proportioned “Ponte Santa Trinita” by Ammannati (1567).
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