Dear Parents,

After a very successful and memorable month exploring and experiencing the cultural and natural wonders of seven countries (eight if you count going in and out of Austria several times on our way to Switzerland), our program has sadly come to its conclusion.

Final exams were held on Thursday morning, and by all accounts, students performed well and were confident they had ended their academic experience on a positive note. A celebratory banquet dinner was held in a beautiful restaurant off the Piazza Navona in Rome. Awards were given out to deserving students and we shared many memories and laughs from along the way.

At 7:30am Friday morning, we were on the bus and en route to the airport. However, no one seemed ready to go home just yet. They were having too much fun with all of their new friends. So much so that reunion gatherings are already being planned! Upon checking in, we made our way to the airport gates where we bid students extending their stay in Europe a fond farewell as staff and faculty accompanied the group through security.

Over the last 25 days together, student’s relationships blossomed. They learned to be patient, independent, responsible, and have become expert travellers!

We are a very close group, so please be prepared for lots of hugs and tears as they say their final good byes to each other upon our arrival in Toronto.

See you soon!

 

Dave D’Alberto
Program Manager
Global Summers Academy
Grand Tour Europe 2022

We are on the home stretch of our Grand Tour. We have arrived in Rome, Italy! The students visited the famous Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and Vatican City.

The students had a fantastic day exploring Sorrento, Capri and Positano. The incredible architecture and Italian sceneries were stunning!

This morning the students went up the mountain to the base of the famous Matterhorn. We then hiked down along the glacier on the boardwalk and into the town of Zermatt.

On our travels from Germany, we stopped in the little town of Vaduz, Liechtenstein for a walking tour around the city. Our guides were very informative and helpful.

In the morning we travelled from Paris to Munich, Germany via train. When arriving in Munich, we explored the city on a leisurely bike tour.

Today the students did a walking tour around the city. We started at the Pompidou Centre and visited Notre Dame, Shakespeare and Company, Luxembourg Gardens and many more scenic locations throughout Paris. Afterward, students joined the excursion to visit the iconic, Palace of Versailles.

We have arrived safely in Paris! Students had an action packed day with class in the morning, then we took the Metro to the top of the famous Eiffel Tower.  Afterward, we headed to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa!

Dear Parents, Family and Friends,

 

I visited the Grand Tour Europe program yesterday during its stay in Biarritz and was delighted to see a great group of students really enjoying themselves.

 

After three years away, it is particularly gratifying for all my staff and teachers to be back and to know that all the hard work in mounting Global Summers was worthwhile, judging by this program and others in Europe and Central America.

 

The Grand Tour is immensely well led by the Program Manager Dave D’Alberto and the faculty who have between them decades of experience doing this. Dave possesses a rare combination of calm, competence, and caring, which when brilliant teaching is added leads to transformational experiences for young people. This is why we do this at Global Summers.

 

The students have now been to Barcelona, San Sebastián, and Biarritz and are really finding their feet in Europe. Yesterday many went surfing while others explored, in their groups of four, this beautiful coastal resort tucked into Basque Country on the French/Spanish border. It was made popular by the English in the mid 19^th Century and again by Russians following the 1917 Revolution as its grand hotels and villas bear witness. The weather has been beautiful and happily not too hot.

 

Thank you for sending your children with us this summer.  You should be very proud of how well they are managing both the travel and the academic work.

 

Have a great summer.

 

Best wishes,

Sam Blyth

Chair,

Global Summers Academy