We have had such a great time in Florence!  We arrived here after a full day of travel, but it didn’t take long for us to get caught up in the charm and beauty of this city. Our hotel is located close to the famous cathedral or Duomo,  Which Means it’s in the historical center of the city. We walked a few minutes to the restaurant Where we had a dinner reservation, and we could not have felt more welcome!  The friendly staff took care of our every need and fed the students very well.

The next day, our local guides met us at the hotel and took us to see the academia museum is mostly sculptures, the most famous one Michelangelo’s David

While in Florence, our classes were hard at work. English students were working hard to create dramatic presentations of the Shakespearean plays they are reading.  Our business class prepped for a test and then wrote it, with great success. Our history class began work on their culminating task. Students had time to explore in the evenings, and sometimes, this meant gelato! We are settling in to life in Italy!

We have had such a great time in Florence!  We arrived here after a full day of travel, but it didn’t take long for us to get caught up in the charm and beauty of this city. Our hotel is located close to the famous cathedral or Duomo,  Which Means it’s in the historical center of the city. We walked a few minutes to the restaurant Where we had a dinner reservation, and we could not have felt more welcome!  The friendly staff took care of our every need and fed the students very well.

The next day, our local guides met us at the hotel and took us to see the academia museum is mostly sculptures, the most famous one Michelangelo’s David

While in Florence, our classes were hard at work. English students were working hard to create dramatic presentations of the Shakespearean plays they are reading.  Our business class prepped for a test and then wrote it, with great success. Our history class began work on their culminating task. Students had time to explore in the evenings, and sometimes, this meant gelato! We are settling in to life in Italy!

We left Paris by high-speed train, and rode across France and Germany, to Munich, the capital of the German region of Bavaria. We arrived late in the evening, but a big dinner was ready for us at our hotel’s restaurant.

We are only here for 2 nights, but we are definitely making the most of our time here.

Our hotel is a 15-minute train ride from the historical center of the city, and after a big buffet breakfast, our group took the modern train to meet our guides for our city tour – by bike. For 2 hours, we pedalled through the beautiful back streets, along bike paths, and wound our way through the famous English Garden, which is the biggest public park in Europe, and twice the area of New York’s Central Park. We saw people strolling, sunbathing, meeting friends, and playing soccer. We made sure to stop to watch those who were surfing in the river!

After the tour, students had a few hours to explore the city, then class from 3:00pm-6:00pm. After dinner as a group, some students have gone back downtown in their groups of four, while others have stayed at the hotel to do schoolwork or laundry, or just relax.

We really did maximize our Munich time!

The famous “City of Light” has certainly been a highlight of our travels so far. The lively streets, helpful people, and impressive metro network made it easy for students to navigate their way around, despite the impressive size of the city. We mixed class time in our comfortable hotel with visits to iconic sights like the Louvre. Almost everywhere we looked, we saw signs of preparations for the upcoming Olympic games. Students had opportunities to practice their French and try a few new foods as well. At the end of the night, there was the chance to see the Eiffel Tower from our hotel terrace, sparkling in the darkness of the summer night. These moments are what travel is all about!

Diane
Program Manager
Grand Tour (Departure 1)

July 8 – This morning, students and teachers woke up early in order to have a good breakfast before we drove to the local train station and caught the train towards Paris. It was really wonderful to see how conscientious all of the students were. They tidied their rooms and packed their bags, and returned their room keys quickly and efficiently. They were operating like a well-oiled machine!

Our train was the famous French TGV (train à grand vitesse) and it certainly lives up to its name!  In our comfortable train car, we sped north through the Bordeaux region and into Paris.

After settling into their rooms and taking time to unpack, students had until dinnertime to explore the area. We are located close to the Eiffel Tower, in a beautiful part of the city. The students and staff on the Global Summers France program are also staying at our hotel, and so we coordinated a pizza dinner with them on the terrace. It was a great chance to meet even more people and to share a fun meal.

The next morning, we enjoyed a fantastic breakfast at our hotel, then set of to visit the most prominent landmark in Paris – the Eiffel Tower. Up the tower, the 360 degree views of the city were breathtaking.

Students had time for class, and then gathered again in the late afternoon for a guided walking tour of the Montmartre area. After 1 full day in Paris, we all agree that la vie est belle!

Diane
Program Manager
Grand Tour (Departure 1)

From Bilbao, we rode our private coach bus through the Pyrenees, into France.  Our new base, Biarritz, has turned out to offer the students some much-needed down time, as some light rain has led to more indoor activities.  Students found themselves with some extra work time for class projects, and a chance for many to sleep in, as it was a Saturday.

Other students gathered right after breakfast for the optional surfing excursion.  A private coach picked up the group and drove them to a long, sandy beach south outside of town. Students were given wet suits and surfboards, and 3 instructors gave them warm-ups and a lesson before they got to try to ride the board themselves. Perseverance was key in this activity, but 1 by 1, students started to get the hang of it.  As they worked to “catch a wave,” students splashed, laughed, and cheered each other on.  At the end of the morning, they returned to the hotel, tired but happy.  Surf’s up!

DianeProgram Manager

Grand Tour (Departure 1)

Yesterday, our group spent afternoon and early evening road tripping across northern Spain. We arrived in Bilboa in time to grab food quickly and settle in for the night. Even in our first hours here, it was clear from the beautiful mix of architecture styles and the small mountains that hug the city, that Bilbao was going to be a captivating place. When the sun rose the next morning, students also got up for breakfast, then classes. Bilbao’s centre is easily walkable, so students were able to find some good options for their lunch, before they returned for more class time, and (for some) time to do laundry.

In the late afternoon, we went as a team to the iconic Guggenheim Bilbao museum, where the students explored installations, sculptures and paintings from some of the art world’s most renowned names.

For dinner, students were each given a budget and were able to use it to have a local dinner of their choice.

Tomorrow, we’ll wave goodbye to this wonderful little city and drive north – to France!

Diane
Program Manager
Grand Tour (Departure 1)