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Visiting the Ruins of Pompeii

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Many have heard of the famous story of Pompeii, an ancient Roman city which was destroyed when the Volcano, Mt Vesuvius, erupted in 79 AD. Most inhabitants were killed when they were buried under 13 to 20 feet of volcanic ash. Today we visited the ruins of this city. We learned about their drainage and sewer systems, homesteads, and culture. We also visited what was once a real Agora, the city center where business, government and religion was practiced. Our tour guide, Roberto, a local from Pompeii helped us to understand what we were seeing. You can see some examples of how people and animals were buried instantly. After this tour, we enjoyed Napoli style pizza! (For what they call a light lunch).
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Flight Delayed

Our flight has been delayed in Zurich about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Be sure to check flight status and give us time to get through security before heading to airport. We’ll stay with the students until you pick them up from O hare. Ciao!
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Arrivederci Italia!

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We are checked in and ready to journey home. We said a prayer for a safe journey home and said goodbye to our Italian friend, Fabi! We will be boarding our flight to Zurich soon before connecting to our final flight. See everyone soon.
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Awards Night at Final Dinner

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It is a quiet tradition to have a nice dinner on the last night and recognize the gifts and talents that each member brings to the trip to make the trip successful and positive for all. Ms Deady and Mrs. Hybinette started the ceremony. Then we took a moment to thank the teachers, Ms. Deady and Mrs. Hybinette, our pastor Father Steve, Mr Accardi and our tour guide Fabi! It was a nice way to end the trip.
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Florence: The Birth Place of the Renaissance

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Ciao, Firenze! Today was our last day in Italy and we sure made the most of it, putting in over 22,000 steps according to most people’s smart phones. We started our morning early at Galleria dell Accademia to see Michangelo’s David. Yes, the work is certainly amazing. We then walked to the market for a bite to eat and do some shopping. We ran into Anna, an alumnus of our grade school, who is currently studying in Florence. Father Steve led us in prayer at the Cathedral, Santa Maria Del Fiore.  We walked to the leather market and then crossed the famous bridge, Ponte Vecchio, and headed to our last Mass at Basilica dello Santo Spirito. We then took a long leisurely stroll up the Florence hillside together to get a good view of the beautiful city from up high before boarding our 4 hour bus ride to Rome. We are exhausted physically, but inspired spiritually- certainly as St. Benedict would desire for us.
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Venice: The City Built in a Lagoon

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Today we took a high speed train from Florence to Venice and explored this unique city. Venice was built in a lagoon because it’s original inhabitants were searching for safety and security. They built a city with no roads, only boat canals.  Venice is home to many Catholic Churches including St Mark’s Basilica which took over 100 years to build and was completed in 1092. Today Venice is know for its Murano glass, leather goods, and many universities that specialize in the arts. Oh, and don’t forget the gondola rides!
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