Intinerary

Our itinerary looks something like this:

Day 1 Flight

• · Overnight flight to Italy
• · Spend the night flying across the Atlantic.

Day 2 Rome

• · Arrival in Rome
• · Touch down in bella Roma, the Eternal City. Here, Charlemagne was crowned by the pope in A.D. 800. After clearing customs, you are greeted by your EF Tour Director, who will remain with you throughout your stay.

Day 3 Rome

• · Visit to Vatican City
• · Today, you will explore Vatican City, the world’s smallest country. Begin at the Vatican Museum, where elaborate galleries filled with one artistic masterpiece after another lead you directly to the Sistine Chapel. Between 1508 and 1512, Michelangelo painted some of the world’s finest pictorial images on the chapel’s ceiling. This was his first attempt at working in fresco, which he did by standing up and craning backward from a scaffold. Next, tour St. Peter’s Basilica, erected on the site where the saint was martyred. Enter the basilica under the watchful eyes of the brightly dressed Swiss Guard. Inside, admire Michelangelo’s Pietà, the only sculpture he ever signed.
• · Guided sightseeing of Rome
• · Get to know Imperial Rome on a panoramic tour. Then spend time exploring the mighty Colosseum, Rome’s largest amphitheater. Its elaborate construction spanned two emperors—building began between A.D. 70 and 72 under Vespasian and was completed in A.D. 80 under Titus. Originally built to accommodate nearly 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum played host to some of the most incredible spectacles of the day, including gladiatorial combat, mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions and even dramatic performances based on classical mythology. Later, pass by the Forum Romanum, once the heart of the Roman Empire.
• · Walking tour of Rome
• · As part of your walking tour of Rome, stop at the Trevi Fountain and make sure to toss in a coin to ensure your return to Rome. Then view the Pantheon, one of the best-preserved ancient buildings in the city, commissioned by the Emperor Hadrian around A.D. 120. This temple to “all the gods” features the second-widest dome in Rome. Then, during free time, continue to the Piazza Navona.
• · Experiential learning: Create your own pizza! Tonight, join a professional pizzaiolo at a nearby restaurant who will show you how authentic Italian pizza is made. Some members of the group will even don aprons and chefs’ hats and try their hand at making pizza. Afterward, you will all sit down to sample their creations for dinner!

Day 4 Rome

• · Free time in Rome
• · You’ll have free time to make your own discoveries of Rome—you might wish to focus on museums, cathedrals, or finding the perfect gelato.

Day 5 Rome • Florence

• · Transfer via Siena
• · En route to Florence, journey to Siena, in the heart of Italy’s Tuscan region. A longtime rival of nearby Florence, Siena also has its share of artistic masterpieces. The Piazza del Campo here plays host to Siena’s famed Palio (a thrilling bareback horse race) each summer.
• · Arrival in Florence
• · Arrive in Florence, birthplace of the Italian language, the Renaissance and opera.

Day 6 Florence

• · Guided sightseeing of Florence
• · Fall under the spell of the powerful Medici family on your guided tour. Pass the classical statues of the Piazza della Signoria, where Michelangelo’s David originally stood and now the site of an impressive replica. From behind the Uffizi Palace, you will see the Ponte Vecchio, one of the city’s only bridges to survive WWII and now one of its most photographed sites. The bridge provided the Medici easy access from the Pitti Palace to the Uffizi. Continue past the Chiesa di Santa Croce, final resting place of Michelangelo, Machiavelli and Galileo. Next, you will visit the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, better known as the Duomo, or dome, that dominates Florence’s skyline. The dome was sculptor and architect Brunelleschi’s finest work, and the nearby campanile (bell tower) was designed by the painter Giotto. Look for the famous bronzed doors—Ghiberti’s legendary Gates of Paradise—at the Baptistery opposite the Duomo. Later, watch artisans at work at a local leather-making demonstration.

Day 7 Florence • French Riviera

• · Transfer via Pisa
• · Journey to Pisa and the Field of Miracles, where you’ll see the 12thcentury
• · Leaning Tower, aslant ever since the third floor was built. This is where Galileo was said to have developed his laws of gravity. Be sure to visit the adjacent cathedral and baptistery, which contain exquisite marble pulpits carved in the Gothic style by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano.
• · Arrival on the French Riviera
• · Arrive at the spectacular coastline of the glamorous French Riviera, land of sparkling waters, waving palm trees and sun-drenched promenades.

Day 8 French Riviera

• · Excursion to Monaco
• · Follow the coastline of the Riviera to Monaco, a tiny principality that packs wealth, royalty, and the world’s most famous casino into just 0.8 square miles. The Grimaldi family has ruled Monaco since 1297, making them the longest-reigning family dynasty in Europe. See the royal palace, and pass by the Cathédrale de Monaco, site of Prince Rainier’s wedding to Grace Kelly in 1956. The cathedral is also the final resting place of the prince and Princess Grace, who was killed in a car accident in the hills of Monaco in 1982. Catch a glimpse of the stately Monte-Carlo Casino as you stroll the streets with your tour director. The casino was built in 1878 by Charles Garnier, who also designed the Paris Opéra.
• · Visit to Eze
• · En route back to Nice, stop in Eze, a small medieval town perched on a cliff high above the waters of the Mediterranean. Here you’ll enjoy a guided tour of a perfume factory.
• · Orientation tour of Nice
• · Acquaint yourself with the palm trees and promenades of this exclusive seaside resort. Walk in the footsteps of the rich and famous as you stroll through the Vieille Ville past whitewashed villas, and down the Promenade des Anglais. Nice’s spectacular scenery has inspired such artists as Renoir, Matisse and Toulouse-Lautrec.

Day 9 Home

• · Return home

Map of Our Trip

Here's a map of the places we'll be going:

The "Familymoon"

Just about a year ago I found myself throwing a coin with my right hand over my left shoulder with my friend, Alexis, to ensure our arrivederci Roma. Among the throngs of July tourists and cruisers on port of call it felt a little manufactured to be performing the ritual for the second time in my life. Plus it was pretty hard to do without hearing my father's voice in my head saying, "Why the hell are you gonna waste money like that. Those things are worth $1.74." According to legend throwing a coin in the Trevi Fountain ensures your return to Rome. I had no idea it would work so quickly for me, but I guess that's where the familymoon comes into play.

My mom coined this the familymoon back in October when I first decided to run a trip for students in the summer on my own, and my sister and her soon-to-be husband decided to come along. Of course I wasn't going to decide where to go without their input, so Italy and France was the decision, even though I has just returned from many of the same places about 2 months prior. Still, the trip promises to be a good one!

Tomorrow morning we'll embark on a 9 day trip with 8 adults from Philly to Rome. Once in Rome we'll meet up with two other groups, one from New York and another from Illinois, that are composed of both adults and students. Keep an eye on this blog often to check out our itinerary, progress, and pictures!