Milestone #11...Italia!!

GCA's Senior Class of 2012 went to Florence and Rome, Italy for their senior trip!  I know, right??!!  How fun and exciting for them!!  Twenty-one of the 25 from their class went on the trip.  I've sort of been dreading this post, because there are SOOOOO many pictures to choose from and soooo much history I want to share, so I'm going to break it down into different posts.  This post is mainly pictures and an overview of the trip...the history will come later.  Lindsay didn't take very many pictures, so I'm relying on Facebook to "borrow" pictures from the trip.

The group left for Italy on Tuesday, April 10.  We all met at the school that morning, and the kids and chaperones were transported to the airport on a school bus.

Prayer before saying goodbye

Loading the bus

Bus ride to the airport

Their group departed DFW on Delta flight #2110 at 1:30 p.m.  They arrived in Atlanta at 4:30 p.m.  They departed Atlanta on Delta flight #238 at 5:30 p.m. headed to Amsterdam.  They arrived in Amsterdam on Wednesday, April 11 around 8:30 a.m. (1:30 a.m. CST).

In line at customs at the Amsterdam International Airport (I will probably get reprimanded for posting this picture!)

They departed Amsterdam around 10:30 a.m. on KLM flight #3413.  They were supposed to arrive in Florence, Italy around 12:15 p.m., but the weather was pretty nasty, so they landed in Pisa and were transported by bus to Florence.  Unfortunately, seven of the kids arrived without their luggage (which was delivered the following day).

On the plane ride from Amsterdam to Pisa, Lindsay sat next to a girl who was studying abroad in Italy.  She gave Lindsay many helpful "survival" tips, which she was able to take advantage of during her trip.


Headed to Hotel Eden in Florence

Almost there!

After dropping off their bags at the hotel, they had time to do some shopping, tour the city, eat dinner, and have some gelato.

Checking out Florence

They also met with their trip director, Dr. Phil Johnson, who was conducting their group tours and the leadership training for the kids.  The kids loved Dr. Phil (most of them, I think).  Here is a portion of Dr. Phil's Bio from his website www.globalnext.org:

"Dr. Phil Johnson is the founder of Global Next Research Group and Leadership Institute. He possesses a master’s degree in education and a Ph.D. in international relations. He is a former teacher, school administrator, and educational director for a statewide organization of schools and colleges. He has been involved in developing large educational conferences, designing a variety of educational programs, serving as the managing editor for Life@School magazine and creating the design and curriculum for Global Next Leadership Institute. In addition to his extensive first-hand research throughout Europe and the Middle East, Dr. Johnson is also an author and frequent speaker at domestic and international conferences."

First mini-leadership training at the steps of the Duomo

Baptistry of Florence (dedicated to John the Baptist), Duomo Dome, and Giotto's Bell-tower

Baptistry of Florence (view from the bell tower)

Gates of Paradise

Duomo....Cathedral of Florence

Wandering the streets of Florence

Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge)...a bridge so beautiful the Germans wouldn't even destroy it during WWII

Florence

Roaming the streets of Florence

GELATO!

Waiting in line to see the Statue of David

Statue of David (housed in the Galleria Academia)

View of Florence from the bell tower

Piazza della Repubblica (Republic Square)

The inscription over the arch reads:
L'ANTICO CENTRO DELLA CITTÀ
DA SECOLARE SQUALLORE
A VITA NUOVA RESTITUITO
(The ancient centre of the city/restored from age-old squalor/to new life)

Palazzo Vecchio (The Old Palace)

This is the incline Lindsay referred to as "death hill"...apparently it went on forever and they climbed to the top to view the city of Florence

I believe this photo was taken at the top of Michelangelo's Piazza (which provides a panoramic view of Florence)

beautiful outskirts of Florence

 

Overlooking Florence

The market area in Florence

Dinner in Florence

Moving on to Rome...

Lindsay is posing for someone else's camera higher up on the escalator

Hotel Waldorf...where they stayed in Rome

Streets of Rome

Roman architecture

Rome

Dinner in Rome

Spanish Steps (Scalinata della Trinita dei Monti)

Looking down the Spanish Steps into the Piazza di Spagna

The church of Trinita dei Monti at the top of the Spanish Steps...the church was built in 1502 by Louis XII, next to St. Francis di Paola's monastery

Trevi Fountain

Raining in Rome while sightseeing

By the Trevi Fountain

Colonna dell'Immacolata (Column of the Immaculate Conception)

Mazarinus (Mazarini's) House...refers to the Cardinal who had it built...Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio a Trevi (Saints Vincent and Anastasius at Trevi)...a Baroque church in Rome

Casa del Caffe...this place is supposed to have the BEST coffee in the world!
Lindsay brought some home and I even tried it, but I'm still NOT a fan of coffee!!

San Claudio...church near the Trevi Fountain

Capuchin Crypt_decorated with more than 4000 monks worth of bones as wall art

Lindsay and Hannah at the chaperones table....not sure what meal this is

GELATO!!!

The Colosseum

Closer view of the Colosseum

The Arch of Constantine (next to the Colosseum)

Inside the Colosseum

Inside the Colosseum

Inside the Colosseum

Inside the Colosseum

This cross stands in the Colosseum...for all of the Christians who died there

Arch of Constantine

Michelangelo's Statue of Moses...housed in the Church of San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains)

St. Peter's Chains in Rome...housed in San Pietro in Vincoli, a small basilica in Rome founded in the 5th century to house the chains that are believed to have bound St. Peter in Jerusalem

Altar in the Church of San Pietro in Vincoli

Pope Julius II Tomb, housed in the Church of San Pietro in Vincoli....Michelangelo sculpted Moses, Rachel (bottom left), and Leah (bottom right)

Ponte Sant'Angelo (Bridge of Angels)

Waiting in line at the Vatican

Vatican entrance

Part of the floor of the Vatican

one foot in Vatican City and one foot in Rome

Vatican

School of Athens (by Raphael)...in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican

Inside the Vatican

Egyptian mummy exhibit inside the Vatican

View of St. Peter's Square in Vatican City from the Dome of St. Peter's Basilica

View of St. Peter's Square, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Vatican Obelisk

St. Peter's Basilica

Pope's bedroom window...Pope lives in St. Peter's Basilica

Vatican guard

Sistine Chapel ceiling in the Vatican

The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant'Angelo (Castle of the Holy Angel), is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum.

Fountain of Neptune in Rome

In front of ancient Rome (Roman Forum)

Where Julius Caesar was cremated

In front of the place where Julius Caesar was cremated

flowers on the altar where Caesar was cremated

Roman Forum

ancient Rome

ancient Rome

ancient Rome

ancient Rome

in front of the Roman ruins

ancient Rome

ancient Rome

Arch of Titus

Arch of Titus

Mamertinum Prison....supposedly where Peter and Paul were held

The Pantheon

different view of the Pantheon

inside The Pantheon

inside the Pantheon

This ends the pictoral journey of Lindsay's trip to Italy.  I'm sure I missed some pictures along the way, but hopefully not too many.  Also, for those of you who check out this blog who actually went on the trip, I apologize if I mislabeled any pictures or got any out of order.  Please feel free to comment and I'll change any titles, if necessary.  I so enjoyed going through the pictures and learning a LOT of history along the way!!

ENJOY!!

Collette :)