Friday, July 22 - on the way to Florence!

Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep beep. The alarm chirped at a bright and early 6:20 this morning, for those who chose to join Ms. Stokes’ morning swim! It was our last morning in Ravenna, and a few of us went out to the sea at 6:30 to get in one last swim. The sunrise was just peaking over the horizon as we stepped onto the beach. The air was cool and the water was calm. The first few steps were cold and hesitation was seen in the students, but the water became warmer and we walked towards the rocks. Our swimming journey ended however when not only dozens of crabs were seen, but I also spotted a jellyfish (or Medusa in Italian, as one of our Italian friends and hotel entertainer Antonio told us). Suddenly 3 or 4 more were spotted, and we decided that it might not be such a good idea to swim with the jellies. The group decided to take a stroll down the shoreline to start off the morning. It was gorgeous to watch the glistening reflection of the hot Ravenna sun pour across the sea’s surface. Around 7:30 we headed back to the hotel, and joined the rest of the group for breakfast! Bags were packed and brought down to the lobby at 8:45. It was now time to set off to Florence! We boarded the bus, and began our route. We stopped around 10:40 at an Autogrill, where we grabbed snacks and drinks for the rest of our trip. We arrived in beautiful Florence around 12:45, but most of our hotel rooms were not ready. We locked up our bags and the teachers took us to the Leather Market! Stands filled with bags and wallets, shoes and jackets, hand made scarves and belts. The students were given about an hour of free time to roam and shop. The town was filled with people in the main square, but a small town feeling was present. We met back up and headed back to the hotel for our guided tour scheduled at 3:00. Our tour guide Marco took us around to the two main Piazza’s in Florence, and mainly down the main streets. Leather, gold, silver, jewels; the shopping was AMAZING. After our tour, we were given more shopping time. The students explored and found amazing deals. We met back at 6:45, and headed to dinner at a tasty sit-down restaurant. We were served vegetarian lasagna as our first course, then sautéed potatoes and chicken. For dessert, the lights were dimmed and the group sang Happy Birthday to Steven! After a long day, we headed back to the hotel, where the rest of us got our rooms. We settled into our new digs, and students headed to bed after an exhausting day! It’s our last week here in Italy and we’re planning on making it a good one! Thanks for keeping updated! Ciao, Natalie Blake