Extra Credit is video series that examines topics related to history in the Thunder Bay District and exploring that history.
This special episode takes us on a long voyage, across the ocean to Italy. For many years I have been leading student excursions to Europe, and after a long break due to Covid, we were able to complete our latest tour which took us around the central and northern part of Italy. Touching history allows us to experience events and historical places in a whole new light and perspective.
Buon Lunedì ragazzi (happy Monday kids)! I’m happy that it’s the Monday after the March break and I’m not at work, but also a little sad as it’s our last day before we head home tomorrow. We’re going to make the most of it as we continue to explore Florence and learn more about its history and culture. My fingers are crossed that the weather cooperates today and that the rain we had last night moves on. Walking around a city in the rain on tour is not fun…I know all about it.
Sitting on the bus now, with a little less than 3 hours to go until we get back to Rome. The sun is poking through the patchy clouds, almost like Italy is trying to give us some nice weather for our last bit of time in the country. Thankfully the rain held off today, which gave us a somewhat decent day in Florence. We dropped our luggage on the bus and power walked the 20 minutes into the city to meet our guide Alessandra.
Our tour started at the Piazza del Duomo and the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore and the Battistero di San Giovanni. I really enjoyed the explanations of the design and architecture of both structures. I do have an interest in Renaissance architecture, but not quite as much as my older brother who is an architect. From there we moved on to other places, such as the Piazza della Repubblica and the Piazza della Signoria. Our final destination was one the leather factories that Florence is famous for, where the kids had a quick demonstration and then were able to explore the shop.
We had another good chunk of free time again to explore the city and do some shopping. Since it was around lunch time, one of my first stops was at Antica Porchetteria Granieri 1916, where I had a nice porchetta sandwich. It was very tasty, but a bit dry as it could have used a little sauce, like an aioli. Afterwards, I picked up a few more gifts for my family and then I headed over to the cathedral where Mr. Marcon and myself waited for a short time in the queue to gain entry. These Italian churches never fail to impress, and it was quite the view in the inside as well.
Unfortunately 2:45 came rather quickly and we had to bid farewell to Florence and make our way back to the bus for the ride to Rome. It took us about 4 hours to finally arrive back at the same hotel we’d been at for the first few days, so it was like we had come full circle. Supper was here at the hotel, which consisted of salad, pasta and chicken. It wasn’t bad, and was certainly plentiful.
It will be an early morning tomorrow, as our bus will pick us up at 7:00 to transit to the airport. Sadly tonight we had to say goodbye to our driver, Salvatore, who needed to head back to his hometown of Naples in preparation for his next tour. He was a real trooper, and always calm, cool and collected. The kids absolutely loved him and I’m sure he, as we were, sorry that we had to part ways.
Anyway, I better get rolling. I have tidying to do in my suitcase, and it do need to rise early to ensure the group is ready to go tomorrow. Until then…
Florence, March 2023.Battistero di San Giovanni, March 2023.Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, March 2023.Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, March 2023.Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, March 2023.Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, March 2023.Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, March 2023.Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, March 2023.Florence, March 2023.Ponte Vecchio, March 2023.The gang, March 2023.
Buona domenica ragazzi (happy Sunday kids)! It’s another beautiful day in the neighbourhood…for now. There’s a potential for some showers later this afternoon when we get to Florence, or as the Italians say, Firenze. Presently, we’re on our way to Bologna, which is 1.5-1.75 hours away to the northwest on the “Autostrada.” The plan is stop for a couple of hours there, which will give us a chance to look around a bit. Then it is another similar drive from Bologna to Florence. Hopefully the weather cooperates and we can have an enjoyable day.
It’s been a long and busy day, so I’m just getting around to finishing this as I settle into my room before bed. Although our visit to Bologna was very brief, it was a very pretty and impressive city. We walked from the bus station to the Piazza Maggiore through what are known as the Arcades, which are covered walkways beside the streets. From there we had time to explore parts of the city centre. Our chaperone group first paid a visit to the Basilica di San Petronio, a large and beautiful gothic church.
I wish we had more time in Bologna, but we had to hit the road to get to Florence, which many were excited to visit. We did pause for a short break at a roadside travel plaza, where we were able to grab some food and snacks for the rest of the drive. From my experience on past trips, and also this one, I must say that these establishments in Europe are quite impressive and actually nice to visit. This one was pretty good, and it was really the least nice one we’ve stopped at.
The drive from Bologna to Florence was quite fascinating I must say. Our route took us over the Apennine Mountains again, or I should say correctly, through them in many places. The highway was full of tunnels that were bored through the hills and mountains, some stretching on for kilometres. It is rather impressive to see what they did, as the roads are rather flat in this area, compared to all the hills that can be found back home.
When we arrived in Firenze, we proceeded from our drop off point to the Piazza della Signoria, with Kent providing some interesting info along the way. He did not want to say too much as we will have a guided tour tomorrow morning. Anyway, once we arrived at the Piazza, we then had a few hours to again explore the city centre. Our group proceeded past the Basilica di San Lorenzo to the Mercato Centrale (Central Market) where we hoped to find some good buys for ourselves and our families.
Afterwards, we slowly worked our way back to the Piazza della Signoria, which took us past an absolutely impressive set of structures, the well-known Piazza del Duomo and the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. The cathedral dates back to the 13th century and is easily identifiable with its red tiled dome and coloured marble facade. I must say that I was speechless; I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a magnificent and unique church. I knew that this was a focal point in Florence, but I didn’t I’d be so awestruck by it.
Supper today was at La Vecchia Firenze, where we dined on spaghetti, salad and roast pork with potatoes. Dessert was a somewhat lacklustre ice cream something or other. It had started spitting before supper, and that continued as we left the restaurant for a 20 minute walk to our bus pick up location. Tonight we staying at the Hotel Grifone, which seems nice, but does not have a particularly great layout from a chaperone perspective. Hopefully the kids are tired and go to bed.
Tomorrow is our last day, so hopefully the weather clears up so we can make the most of it (it is raining right now). We will be leaving Florence around 3:00 for the 4 hour drive back to Rome for another night at the hotel we stayed at for the start of our tour. With that in mind, I better turn in and get some sleep so I can enjoy the final bit of Italy. Until then…
Sunrise at Rimini, March 2023.Basilica di San Petronio, March 2023.Basilica di San Petronio, March 2023.Florence, March 2023.Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, March 2023.Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, March 2023.Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, March 2023.Basilica di Santa Croce, March 2023.
Sorry, what? Well, depending on your knowledge of 70s rock music, particularly 70s Canadian rock music, some of you know exactly what I’m referring to. Unfortunately, while the iconic trio Rush produced some great hits, including “Fly by Night,” this is sadly not the topic of this post. It is a great song though.
Hey kids, it’s me again! As promised, I didn’t wait forever to write once more, as it’s only been a month and a half since my last blog post. I know, I’m being a little facetious here since there is a different impetus for returning to the keyboard so soon. If you read the January 19th entry, you’ll know that as reported in the title, I’m hopping an overseas flight presently. And when I say shortly, I mean in 3 days. But I don’t want to spoil all the fun details right away…I have to build the drama first!
Well, its March, which means that the school year is rapidly disappearing. We are more than a month into a new semester but it feels like yesterday that it just started. With the break coming up next week and spring around the corner, it won’t be long before it’s June. I know there’s still a lot of teaching that needs to happen between now and then, but it seems like every year things go by faster and faster.
Ironically in my last post, I neglected to mention the weather, which is a familiar gripe of mine. Surprisingly, there isn’t much to complain about since we have had a fairly decent winter. I know, I’m shocked as well. I guess since we had such an awful winter and early spring last year, maybe Mother Nature owes us. Now I shouldn’t speak too soon, since it snowed every week last year from mid-March to mid-April…I don’t want to jinx it!
Late winter, March 2023.
So, let’s dig into this trip business. After two years of delays, having to cancel, rebook and re-recruit for the trip twice and numerous headaches, we are in the final countdown for our adventure to Italy. I originally planned this trip in the spring of 2019 when we returned from the previous excursion that took us to Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. My older son, Ethan, who is coming on the trip, was in Grade 8 at the time. He’s now graduating from high school in June. I can’t believe it’s been four years! I certainly feel for all the students that have had to endure all the cancellations and especially for those who were not able to travel as their time at the school ended before the Covid restrictions were lifted. It’s been quite the ordeal.
St. Julien Memorial. March 2019.
It is an understatement to say that I am rather excited for this tour, since I have not been to Italy in a long time, like 30 years long time. My last trip was in March 1992, when I was but an 18-year-old high school student, myself on an EF tour. Actually, that was the first ever overseas excursion from the school; now I’m leading students back. It’s kinda like the line in Episode IV of Star Wars, a New Hope, when Vader says to Obi Wan, “The circle is now complete. When I left you I was but the learner. Now, I am the master!” I guess I am now the master, or leader I should say…sorry to get a little Star Wars geeky here.
Anyway, I guess I should describe this trip a little bit, shouldn’t I? The tour name is World War II and the Liberation of Italy, which is another history themed excursion (which we always do). We start our adventure in Rome, where we will be spending a number of days exploring places such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Vatican and many other places. On Day 5 we have a day trip to Anzio, the site of an American landing in 1943 (with a decidedly Canadian connection). The following day we leave Rome behind for the east coast of Italy, with a stop at Monte Cassino, the location of a Medieval monastery and one of the longest battles of the Italian Campaign. On the east side of the country, we first visit Ortona, where the Canadian Army battled the Germans in intense urban for control of the city over Christmas 1943. Then it’s on to Rimini and the San Marino area, followed by a stop in Florence, or Firenze as the Italians call it. At the end of Day 10 we return to Rome so we can board our flight home the following morning.
As I mentioned earlier, there is a great deal of excitement, especially since many of our group have been waiting four years for this to happen. Personally, it will be nice to visit Rome again, but seeing some new parts of Italy will be the best part for me. Experiencing it all with Ethan will be the icing on the cake. His 18th birthday falls midway through the trip, and part of me really wants to savour the moment, as I don’t know how many more times I’ll be able to travel with him like this. Sorry, sentimental dad moment.
Anywho, it’s time to get rolling. You already know you won’t have to wait long for the next check in, as it’s only a few day away. Until then…
Poverty, Agony, Distress & Want! 