I have had the good fortune in my life to do a fair bit of traveling both domestically and internationally. Some highlights from my passport include England, Scotland, Wales, Mexico, California, Washington, Nevada, Dominican Republic, France and Italy. There are still many places left on my bucket list such as Germany, Hungary and Greece. I thought that I would share with you some of my favourite travel memories from France and Italy.
This trip was very different than any I had taken before because it was a school trip with my students in March/April 2015. It was an incredible experience to be able to share this experience with them; especially considering that for some it was either their first time on a plane or their first time travelling outside Canada.
As a Social Studies and Art teacher this was the ultimate chance to bring history to life. Being so young they were up for the fast paced adventure and were hungry to explore every inch of these countries. We spent three days in France and the balance of the trip in Italy. Going through the thousand photos I took; I reluctantly narrowed them down for this post. It would have been very easy to write about every second of the trip as it is still fresh in my mind, even though it was three years ago.
Louvre
I definitely need to go back; it is said that The Louvre, “…is so big that it is humanly impossible to see all the museum has to offer in one visit. [However, if you ever have 100 days to spare, you could probably squeeze in every piece of art, but you could only spend 30 seconds on each piece,” (The List Love, May 12, 2015). Half an afternoon was NOT enough, however I tried to my best to see as much as I possibly could.
Eiffel Tower
We walked everywhere on this trip; we excitedly accepted the challenge to walk up the 669 stairs of the Eiffel Tower to take in the breathtaking views of the city. Unfortunately we were unable to talk the elevator to the very top because of time constraints.
Palace of Versailles
I was most excited about this stop on the tour because of the historical significance of one of the world’s largest palaces. Versailles of course is a symbol of the power and corruption of the absolute monarchy of France; and for me the French Revolution is my favourite part of Social 20. I was eager to walk the extensive gardens, see the fountains and to marvel at the Hall of Mirrors where the Treaty of Versailles was signed to end The Great War.
Florence: Duomo & Uffizi Gallery
The Eiffel Tower and the Spanish Steps were not the only stairs we climbed. We climbed over 400 steps to reach the top of the Campanile of the Florence Cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo. I had longed to see this since teaching my Social 8 class about the architectural feats of this Cathedral in our Renaissance unit. After our guided walking tour of this fabulous city and learning about the Medici family; we had some free time; I spent mine with a few students exploring the Uffizi Gallery and for me it was just as wonderful as the Louvre.
Rome: Colosseum & Vatican City
“Rome will exist as long as the Coliseum does; when the Coliseum falls, so will Rome; when Rome falls, so will the world.” I never quite understood this quote until I took in the Coliseum in all is greatness.
In addition to being home to the Pope the Vatican was a trove of iconic art and architecture that I was so honoured to have seen.
Venice
From the Doge’s Palace to Basilica di San Marco to the Grand Canal to Rialto Bridge to the Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista; Venice did not disappoint.
We also spent time in Sorrento, Pompeii and Capri; and MANY other places along the way. I look forward to sharing them with you in another post.