Final days...

Visiting Venice!

Farewell Florence!

Tonight is our final night in Florence. We have really had a great stay in this city! We got to see some of the most famous Renaissance artistic masterpieces of all time... We learned to barter in markets… We shopped till we dropped… We ate at several fantastic restaurants… We visited multiple beautiful churches… and more!

Particularly special was that our stay in Florence coincided with an important holiday/festival: Italian Independence Day (the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy). Today was the official holiday, and starting yesterday evening, the entire city was transformed into a festive playground with marching bands parading through the streets, live musical performances, street performers, a hot air balloon spectacle, green white and red flags, banners, balloons, and other decorations, and more! What a fun way to bid farewell to the forever fantastic city of Firenze :)

Off to VENICE in the am!!!!

Farewell Florence!

Tonight is our final night in Florence. We have really had a great stay in this city! We got to see some of the most famous Renaissance artistic masterpieces of all time... We learned to barter in markets… We shopped till we dropped… We ate at several fantastic restaurants… We visited multiple beautiful churches… and more!

Particularly special was that our stay in Florence coincided with an important holiday/festival: Italian Independence Day (the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy). Today was the official holiday, and starting yesterday evening, the entire city was transformed into a festive playground with marching bands parading through the streets, live musical performances, street performers, a hot air balloon spectacle, green white and red flags, banners, balloons, and other decorations, and more! What a fun way to bid farewell to the forever fantastic city of Firenze :)

Off to VENICE in the am!!!!

SIENA & SAN GIMIGNANO

Our day-long excursion to the lovely medieval towns of Siena and San Gimignano was thoroughly enjoyable! Both these Tuscan towns were as picturesque as could be with narrow winding cobblestone streets and offered beautiful views of the rolling hills that make up the typical Tuscan countryside. We had a great tour in Siena where we visited the beautiful Duomo and learned all about the famous Palio horse races. In San Gimignano we saw the trademark towers, did some souvenir shopping, and of course, indulged in some first-class gelato!

Florence (Firenze)!

It’s been slightly rainier than anticipated here, but we are still taking in all the great sights, sounds, and flavors of Italy. Florence is proving to be a great city filled with fantastic art, architecture… and of course shopping! Today we had a wonderful guided walking tour of the city where we saw the Duomo (Cathedral) and the baptistry, the church of San Lorenzo (where the Medici tombs carved by Michelangeo are), the San Lorenzo leather market, Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio (the famous bridge where the gold market is), and the church of Santa Croce. Here are some pictures of us at some of these beautiful sites:

Tomorrow we are off for a day-long excursion to Siena and San Gimignano. More to come on that soon! :)

Assisi...

Yesterday we visited the picturesque town of Assisi en route from Rome to Florence. We had a great tour of the Basilica and learned all about St. Francis. Especially impressive were the beautiful fresco paintings by Giotto, which depicted scenes from the life of St. Francis. We got some great photos of the beautiful church and the cobblestone town:

Mass, Piazza Navona, Pantheon

Today was a rainy day in Rome... but that didn't stop us!

We started our day off by attending a beautiful Sunday morning mass at the magnificent Santa Maria Maggiore church (just a down the street from our hotel).

We had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of riding local Roman transportation today, as we travelled by bus to Piazza Navona---a lovely square that features one of Rome's most iconic fountains by the great sculptor Bernini. We shopped for some souvenirs here, and had a delicious lunch.

From Piazza Navona, we walked to the Pantheon. This ancient temple turned church (120 AD) was really something too see (especially on a rainy day), as glistening raindrops fell through the oculus (the open round hole intended to allow light and air to pass through), allowing the rain to enter through the massive concrete dome which stands 142 ft tall, and onto the marble floors, where it is carried away through drains. A truly impressive display of early engineering!

Tonight, as we bid farewell to Roma, we made sure to visit the Trevi Fountain one last time, and do the traditional coin toss into the fountain that is said to ensure that we will one day return to Rome!

Tomorrow morning it's off to Florence, with an en route stop in Assisi :)

Vatican City & Ancient Rome

Sorry we didn't post yesterday... but you will understand better once we tell you about our jam-packed and totally awesome day of sight seeing. :)

The day started off with a visit to Vatican City. We had a wonderful guided tour of the Vatican Museums (including the Raphael Rooms where the famous "School of Athens" painting is, and of course, the magnificent Sistine Chapel--what a sight!!). The second part of our Vatican tour was focused on St. Peter's basilica. Our tour guide took us down below the church to see the tombs of past popes, which was quite a moving experience. Inside the basilica itself, we learned fascinating details about the construction of this amazing structure, as well as the many artistic treasures inside of it. We were blown away by the massive scale and the beautifully ornate decor of St. Peter's!

Just when we thought we had seen it all, the afternoon portion of our tour took us to the incredible Roman Forum and Colosseum! Here we saw what remains of the original ancient city, and even got to see the very spot where Julius Caesar himself was buried! The Colosseum was awesome too. It was incredible to be able to walk through this ancient stadium/amphitheatre and see where the gladiator battles took place and imagine what a spectacle it must have been.

Here are some pictures of us at the Vatican and the Forum:

Roaming Rome!

Hello to everyone back home!

We have arrived in ROMA safe & sound.

The plane touched-down just as we watched the sunrise. Despite the jet-lag, we immediately hit the cobblestone streets of this ancient city to get our first taste of Rome. Since our arrival we have already seen several wonderful sights! We snapped some photos at Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza Barberini, ate roasted chestnuts at the Spanish Steps, had gelato at the Trevi Fountain, and strolled through a typical Roman open-air market!

Check out the photo evidence below!

(Oh ya, and it's a lovely12 degrees and sunny here)

Ciao for now!

:)

Pack those suitcases!!!

Hi everyone!

This is just a short note to make sure you are all as excited as I am for our upcoming trip to Italy!

Can you say: pizza, pasta, gelato, art, architecture, history, beauty, and all-around amazingness....?

Pack those suitcases and grab your passports.

Italy---here we come!!!

See you all Thursday at the airport!!

Sincerely,

Alessandra

(Your Georgia Hardy Tours Rep)

St. Joan of Arc

Rome, Florence & Venice: March 10-19, 2011

Rome, the magnificent capital city of Italy, is where you'll soak up the hustle and bustle that defines Italian life.  Explore the Spanish Steps, Piazza di Trevi with its spectacular fountain, the Piazza Colonna, the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona.

Vatican City is the heart of Papal Rome and consists of 109 acres in the centre of the city.  A guided tour will show you St. Peter's Basilica, one of the world's most majestic buildings.  Visit the Sistine Chapel to view Michelangelo's famous ceiling and explore the treasures of the Vatican museum.  

Journey north to Umbria and Assisi, home to St. Francis.  Winding, stone-paved streets lead from the base of the town to the beautiful monastery and historical headquarters of the Franciscan Order. 

Florence is world-renowned as the capital of the Renaissance. Explore the art and architecture of the city that inspired the geniuses of the Middle Ages.  Marvel at The Duomo, see Michelangelo's tomb in Santa Croce Cathedral and walk the Ponte Vecchio.

No trip to Florence would be complete without a journey into the Tuscan countryside.  Visit the quintessential hill town of San Gimignano and Siena, a remarkably well preserved medieval town anchored by the Piazza del Campo, home of the annual Palio horse race. 

Finally, journey to Venice.  Travel down the Grand Canal via water taxi and linger in St. Mark's Square!  A guided walking tour will lead you along the canals and the labyrinth of alleys and bridges that traverse the city.  Explore the Rialto Bridge, the markets, Ghetto and Guggenheim Museum.

Bid "Ciao" to Italia and return home to Canada!

Ready, Set, Go!

Get ready -- 38 people from St. Joan of Arc are going to Italy!  This trip is going to be an amazing introduction to Italy and includes Rome, Florence and Venice.  

Alessandra is the escort and she is thrilled to show participants all the highlights of Italia!

Gearing up for an incredible March Break!

Here at Georgia Hardy Tours, we are in the midst of making sure all the last details are taken care of before our school clients depart on trips that will be educational, fun and create memories that will last a lifetime!!

Trip escort and leaders will be updating the posts so that parents and friends can follow the fun!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us at info@ghardytours.com.

Happy March Break!

Georgia Hardy