Day 1: We landed in Milan, Italy at approximately 8:45 am. Both flights were on time and great, but we didn't get much sleep, which is to be expected. It was cloudy and rainy, so we felt like we were still in Colorado when we landed. It really has been a rainy Colorado summer. We were all very excited when we landed, but after sitting at the airport for about 3 hours, my students started to topple over, literally. Our Tour Director, Photis, then took us to Merona. It was a nice break from the airport, but when we finally arrived in Merona, we only had 40 minutes to walk around. It was nice but was hardly enough time to do anything. We then drove back to the airport and waited another couple of hours for the last group to arrive. We weren't able to make it to Verona because the last group took a while joining our group. It was raining pretty hard, though, so most of the group was okay with the decision. The first day was pretty tough because we were the first group and had to wait over six hours for all of the groups to show up. Once our entire group was on the bus, we drove to Venice and had dinner at the hotel.

Day 2: Roaming around Venice was a great way to spend our first full day of sightseeing. We started the day watching a glass blowing demonstration that was very interesting. After that, we had lunch, and I had my first Italian pizza. We walked around Venice for a little bit and then went on a relaxing gondola ride for 20 Euro. We ended the day at Doge's Palace and saw something amazing around every corner. We could have easily spent more time there, as Doge's Palace was the seat of the government of Venice for centuries. Every room has a lot of history, so I would have liked to have taken my time walking through. The day just got away from us though. There are apparently underground jails as well, but one has to book a separate tour to visit them. I am glad I didn't book a tour since we barely had enough time to get through the rooms in the palace. I highly recommend visiting Doge's Palace and would definitely go back.

Day 3: It took us a while to get to Florence, approximately 5 hours, but the drive was beautiful. Once we made it to Florence, we had time for lunch, and I once again had pizza. We then took a guided tour of The Duomo, which was fascinating. The building of the dome over the cathedral was quite the ordeal. The town fathers of Florence realized that they needed to address the hole in their cathedral in 1418, as the sun and rain were causing a lot of damage. No one could figure out how to build a dome that needed to be "nearly 150 feet across, especially as it would have to start 180 feet above the ground, atop the existing walls" (Mueller). Eventually, Filippo Brunelleschi came up with a great plan where he would build two domes, one nested within the other, but it would take over 16 years to accomplish the task (Mueller). Luckily, the dome was completed, so I could walk around The Duomo and view the beautiful frescoes that never would have existed if it weren't for the dome.

Once we completed the guided tour of The Duomo, we jumped into a walking tour of the city. At this point, students were starting to hate all of the guided tours, which I completely understand. We had headphones, but if one were to fall behind, the guide would start to cut out. By the time we finished the walking tour, students really wanted to take a break and sit down somewhere. We found a cute gelato place and rested. We wanted to climb to the top of The Duomo, but it was closed by the time we made it back. Since we still had a lot of free time, we climbed to the top of Giotto's Bell Tower instead, which is right next to the Duomo. We climbed 417 steps, so the view was breathtaking and gave us a different perspective of the Duomo. Overall, we had a great day in Florence.

Day 4: We began our day by driving an hour to Pisa. Some say that visiting Pisa is too touristy, but it was by far one of my favorite stops. We had a lot of fun taking silly pictures since that is a requirement when visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Just Google "Leaning Tower of Pisa" and then click images, and one will find a ton of silly photos. Some people are trying to keep the tower from tipping over, while others are leaning on the tower or stepping on it. It is fun trying to take different pictures with the tower. My favorite picture is the one where I am hugging it. Once we took a few photos, we had a guided tour of the Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles), which includes the Leaning Tower of Pisa (i.e. the bell tower). Our tour began at the bell tower, and our guide explained that construction began in 1173 and that the tower was originally designed to stand 185 feet (8 stories). After only 3 stories, the uneven settling of the building's foundation became quite obvious, but because "war broke out between the Italian city-states, . . . construction was halted for almost a century. This pause allowed the tower's foundation to settle and likely prevented its early collapse" ("Leaning Tower of Pisa"). Once construction began again, Giovanni di Simone decided to compensate for the lean by making the short sides taller, but this only made the lean worse. The building continued and a lot of interruptions occurred, but it was eventually completed with bells and all. By the 20th century, though, the heavier bells were silenced in order to prevent further leaning, as it leaned 5.5 degrees (15 feet). Several straightening projects have taken place, but it wasn't until 1990 that real improvement was made since the earth was siphoned from underneath the foundation. Now, the lean is only 4 degrees (13.3 feet). ("Leaning Tower of Pisa"). The lean is pretty obvious, so it must have been crazy when it leaned 15 feet. After learning about the bell tower, our guide took us through the cathedral and the baptistery. We then had lunch, which was pizza once again, and then went back to Florence. We had a lot planned for Florence but ended up not doing very much. We tried to get into the Academy Gallery (Galleria Accademia), but the line was really long. I asked how long it might take to get in and was told that it could take anywhere from 3-4 hours. If one buys a reserve ticket, which can be purchased right across from the museum, one can stand in the priority line. We were told the priority line takes around an hour to get through, and since we had time, we decided to buy a reserve ticket and stand in line. Some students didn't want to stand in line, so we broke up only to find out that the reserve tickets were sold out. Apparently, if one really wants a reserve ticket, one has to buy it a few days ahead of time. So, we had to give up on seeing Michelangelo's David, which was a huge disappointment. I guess I will just have to go back to Italy someday. Instead of seeing David, we just relaxed and ate gelato.

Day 5: We started the day by having a great breakfast of kiwi, croissants, yogurt, and various cheeses and then drove to Assisi. When we arrived in Assisi, I had an amazing, leisurely lunch with four of my students at a restaurant that had just opened for the day, so we were their first customers. I decided to spend a little more money and get something besides pizza. At this point, we had had pizza every day. Not because we necessarily wanted to have pizza but because pizza was always the most affordable item on the menu. In fact, I found the pizza to be disappointing, probably because I am used to American pizza that is full of artificial ingredients. The pizza in Italy is very simple, so it doesn't have as much flavor. Since I was sick of pizza at this point, I decided to get tortellini in a red cream sauce, and it was worth it. Some of my students also ordered some deserts, so we truly enjoyed eating some great Italian food in a relaxing city. My students loved everything about Assisi, including the guided tour of St. Francis' Basilica. We had an amazing guide who explained the Giotto frescoes in great detail, which are based on stories of Saint Francis. The fifth of the 28 frescoes stood out the most to me. It is called "Renunciation of Worldly Goods" and shows Saint Francis distance himself from his previous life of wealth. In the painting, Saint Francis' father is obviously angry, as Francis has handed over the clothes he was wearing to illustrate his new life following his "Father, who art in heaven . . .", not his earthly father. His wealthy father then disowns him, and Francis spends the rest of his life in poverty. My mother grew up Catholic and always told me that St. Francis was her favorite saint, and I can see why. He was quite the guy! After our tour of St. Francis' Basilica, we jumped back on the bus and drove to Rome.

Day 6: Our day in Rome was by far the craziest day of the entire trip. We started the day at the Vatican. There was a really long line, but since we were in a group and already had tickets, we didn't have to wait in it. This is the number one bonus of going on an EF tour for sure. Our guide then took us through the Vatican, but because there were a ton of people, I spent more time trying to keep up with the guide than actually looking at everything around me. We made it to the Sistine Chapel, which was also super crowded. A student in our group actually started crying because she was super anxious and couldn't breathe with all of the people surrounding us. I was also getting pretty cramped at this point, but I was trying to stay positive. We then made our way to St. Peter's Basilica, which was really cool. I am really glad I got a chance to see the site where the first pope was crucified and buried. It was even more meaningful walking around St. Peter's Basilica after seeing the upside down crucifixion paintings in St. Francis' Basilica. The upside down crucifixion frescoes really stood out to me because I had never seen them before. I had no idea that St. Peter chose to be crucified upside down so as not to compare himself to Christ. I guess that is why EF calls their tours educational.

After walking around St. Peter's Basilica, we had time for lunch. We were searching for a good place to eat when a man on the street handed us some menus. We looked at the menu and decided the food seemed alright. We told him we would eat at his restaurant, and he guided us to the place. We kept walking and walking, though, around this corner and around that one, down this street and then another. We didn't have a ton of time and were a little freaked out that he was taking us so far away from where we had to meet later. Luckily, the restaurant really did exist. We had lunch and watched as other people from our group walked into the same restaurant. That man really knows how to herd hungry Americans.

We made it back to our meeting place and then headed to the Colosseum, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It is an epic structure, even though two thirds of it have been destroyed. We were then guided through the Roman Forum. What stood out to me during this guided tour was Julius Caesar's grave. Most believe that this grave marks where Julius Caesar was most likely cremated, but because our group was so big and the guide kept walking, I didn't actually get to see his grave. I only saw the entrance, but what could I do? I was pretty bummed since Julius Ceasar is one of my favorite Shakespearean plays. Oh well. At least I saw the entrance.

Once we left the Roman Forum, we stopped by The Pantheon before having dinner. We then had a few hours of free time, and everyone went off to do different things. Since we only had one day in Rome, which is absolutely crazy, I had to make the most out of it. I first ran to the Trevi fountain, which is under construction. I was in such a hurry, I didn't even throw my coin in properly. The original legend says that in order to return to Rome someday one must face away from the fountain and then throw a coin with the right hand over the left shoulder. Well, I did not do this, so I guess I will never return to Rome. I spent maybe two minutes at the fountain and tossed a coin in sideways with my right hand. Ooops! My camera was dead at this point, so I wasn't able to get any pictures. Since the fountain was under construction, it wasn't much to look at anyway. I then ran off to my next destination- the Spanish Steps.

The steps were built for the French as a beautiful staircase to the front on their church. I am really glad I had a chance to make it to the Spanish Steps, but I wish I had had more time to explore. Luckily, my camera worked for a few pictures, as the piazza really is a site to behold. After witnessing part of a wedding on the steps and taking a few pictures, I hurried back to our meeting place. I wish we had had another day in Rome because I really wanted to see the Catacombs of San Callisto and the Crypt of the Capuchins. Perhaps I will make it back to Rome someday, even if I didn't throw my coin into the Trevi Fountain properly.

By the time we all met up at our meeting place and drove to our hotel, it was about 11:30 pm. Thank goodness this was the only day like this. Sometimes I wonder how EF designs these trips. Are they designed to kill me? Perhaps...

Day 7: The next day we went to Pompeii, which was the place I was looking forward to seeing the most. I had really high expectations, which, of course, were not met. Our one hour tour of Pompeii was very rushed. One needs at least four hours to see Pompeii, and even with four hours, one will not see everything. We didn't even go to the Pompeii museum, which contains most of the body casts. We were also very close to Mt. Vesuvius, which is a super easy hike that would have taken an hour out of our day at most. I heard that it only takes about 20 minutes to hike to the top, so we could have hiked it. I would have been fine if we had at least made it to the museum, but we didn't really do much of anything in Pompeii. After our busy day in Rome, though, I am pretty sure I was the only person disappointed with our stop in Pompeii. I know it sounds super morbid, but I really wanted to see more body casts. I only saw three: one of a man, one of a child, and one of a dog. Our guide explained the process of the body casts, which was very fascinating. The most important thing to note is that the body casts are exactly that- casts of the victims when they died. They are not actual bodies. When excavators were digging through all of the volcanic debris, they noticed cavities in the lava. When the bodies and clothing began to decompose under the ash, voids were created that left an exact shell of their final moments. A plaster cast of the body is then constructed by pouring plaster into the void. The body cast is, therefore, a replica of the corpse. I was looking forward to viewing several body casts but was, unfortunately, limited to three that I could only view for a few seconds since our guide kept walking. One aspect of the tour I wasn't expecting was the "red light district." Our guide asked me if it was okay to take my students to the brothels, and I said it was fine. As we walked towards the brothels, our guide pointed to a stepping stone that had a phallus carved in it, pointing in the direction of the "red light district." We walked through one of the dimly-lit brothels, which I found to be super creepy. It was really small, containing only a few beds. I only spotted one erotic fresco while walking through, but I also wasn't searching for them. Our guide explained how Pompeii was a very immoral city, which explains why all of the vendors were selling phallic souvenirs. In fact, I was browsing the web, and a lot of religious sites believe Mt. Vesuvius erupted because of all of the sexual immorality in Pompeii- that God was ultimately punishing the people of Pompeii for their behavior. Overall, I am glad our guide took us through the "red light district" because it showed me a side of Pompeii I didn't know much about.

After our brief guided tour of Pompeii, we drove to Sorrento- a beautiful town, overlooking the Bay of Naples. We had a few hours of free time, so I walked down to the beach with some of my students. Some students jumped into the sea, even though I told them not to get all the way into the water. Jeez!! They never listen! I then went to Piazza Tasso for some shopping. The charming town sure does have a lot of great items to purchase. Sorrento is known for its lemons, so I had to make sure to buy some lemon candies for my stepfather who absolutely loves lemons. Lemon drops, lemon bars, or lemon meringue- it doesn't matter. He is sure to love it. Since Sorrento is known for its amazing lemons, I bought him some lemon drops and limoncello candies. I wish I had had more time to shop, but like always, my shopping spree was cut short. Overall, the day was much more relaxing than the day before.

Day 8: In the morning, we traveled to Bari to catch our overnight ferry to Greece. I had been dreading this part of the trip for months. I have never been on an overnight ferry, but I was certain it was going to be a disaster. I predicted that I would share a cabin with four people and would probably get sea sick. Luckily, I shared a cabin with only one person, did not get sick at all, and actually slept all night. In fact, I didn't mind the ferry at all, as it was a much needed break from site-seeing. Some students decided to sunbathe on the top deck, while others took naps. I sat out on the deck, reading a book, and then took a short nap before dinner. Dinner and breakfast were provided, and they were both really good! I will never worry about taking an overnight ferry again- as long as I have a cabin of course.

Works Cited

"Leaning Tower of Pisa." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. 29 Oct. 2014. Web. 16 July 2015.

Mueller, Tom. "Brunelleschi's Dome." National Geographic. National Geographic Society. Feb. 2014. Web. 16 July 2015.