In Florence we continued our journey to discover the best of Tuscan culture. We started out last week with a trip to Pisa, about an hour from Florence on the high-speed train. Students were successfully able to stop the leaning tower from falling, marvelled at the Pisa Cathedral and enjoyed a lovely garden lunch. A number of students opted to stay back and complete essays and ISPs.
We left Rome and made our way through the lush hills of Tuscany towards the medieval hill town of San Gimignano, surrounded by fortified walls and full of small winding cobblestone streets. It is famous for saffron, Vernaccia wine, and beautiful vistas.
We checked out of our hotel in Fira, Santorini and traveled by plane to Rome, arriving in the evening around 6 pm, and were immediately struck by the heat - so different from Greece, which was more of a dry heat. Rome is humid!
We arrived safely in Rome last night and have settled in. So let me update you on our last 3 days in Greece having left the island of Paros for the island of Santorini. Santorini was simply stunning and a big hit with our students!
Our first island stop of the trip was Paros, located in the central Aegean Sea. This charming island's historic towns are the perfect backdrop to our studies, while the unique culture and rich traditions are visible as we explore as a group.
Our International Summers trip is off to Europe! We arrived in Athens on Saturday evening and quickly got everyone settled in their rooms. We met at the rooftop restaurant which had panorama views of Athens including views of the Acropolis.
Our final day abroad was spent in Nice, our home away from home while staying in France since the beginning of the week. This also marks the end of our travel journal on this year's inaugural March Break Abroad program.
We had another excellent day on the French Riveria on Wednesday. Our morning was spent visiting another seaside city on the Côte d'Azur with an utterly impressionable visit to the Picasso Museum in Antibes.
Today was our first official day touring the French Riviera as we boarded up the bus and headed up to the French hillsides of the Côte d'Azur. Staff and students ate breakfast and were then greeted by our two guides, Izabella and Natalie, who remained with us for the day on tour.
We arrived in Florence on Friday evening after a long day spent in Siena and San Gimignano. We made our way to the hotel with music in the background among the ever-glowing light of the city. Given Florence's safety and overall charm, students were given the privilege of exploring the Duomo in groups before signing in for the day ahead.
Students have been busy in and around Florence with great enthusiasm and a love for the city. We are pleased to share with you a travel journal from one of our very own Ottawa students, Lucas! Please click below to read more about his detailed experiences on Saturday with his group as they explored the many streets and piazzas that this enchanting city has to offer.
It was yet another busy travel day as we went from town to town in the Tuscan countryside to take in the views and reach new heights - literally. We departed Rome early this morning, equipped and ready for our next adventure on our comfortable, giant red bus. With bags packed and our luggage loaded, we embarked on our journey to Siena.
Today was yet another busy, adventure-filled day as we ventured into the heartbeat of Rome. Our morning began like any other with a standard Italian breakfast filled with one-half cakes and pastries, a spattering of fruits, and assorted meats and cheeses.
Blyth Academy students had a busy day traversing through the Italian capital, also commonly referred to as the Eternal City. With each step taken, we are transformed by various historical periods from the Renaissance to Antiquity.
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![International Summers: Beautiful Scenery and Beaches in Paros (Vol. 1)]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1689622256/blytheducationcom/mml5uw1j9jfjypef6gzi/IS2023_Paros_1.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1689622256/blytheducationcom/mml5uw1j9jfjypef6gzi/IS2023_Paros_1.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1689622256/blytheducationcom/mml5uw1j9jfjypef6gzi/IS2023_Paros_1.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1689622256/blytheducationcom/mml5uw1j9jfjypef6gzi/IS2023_Paros_1.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1689622256/blytheducationcom/mml5uw1j9jfjypef6gzi/IS2023_Paros_1.png","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1689622256/blytheducationcom/mml5uw1j9jfjypef6gzi/IS2023_Paros_1.png","width":1620}])
![International Summers: Geiá sou from Athens and Paros]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1689183808/blytheducationcom/x7a8ta6cbmdbsntjcaap/Blyth_Academy_International_Summers_Greece_Athens_1.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1689183808/blytheducationcom/x7a8ta6cbmdbsntjcaap/Blyth_Academy_International_Summers_Greece_Athens_1.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1689183808/blytheducationcom/x7a8ta6cbmdbsntjcaap/Blyth_Academy_International_Summers_Greece_Athens_1.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1689183808/blytheducationcom/x7a8ta6cbmdbsntjcaap/Blyth_Academy_International_Summers_Greece_Athens_1.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1689183808/blytheducationcom/x7a8ta6cbmdbsntjcaap/Blyth_Academy_International_Summers_Greece_Athens_1.png","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1689183808/blytheducationcom/x7a8ta6cbmdbsntjcaap/Blyth_Academy_International_Summers_Greece_Athens_1.png","width":1620}])
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