We've got just 2 days left in Bologna and have prepped the kids for a full day of walking through the streets (and bridges) of Venice tomorrow. Perhaps the most awaited visit of the trip, the students have been fantasizing about seeing this unique city since Italian 1. We are set to meet at the station at our normal 8 am start time, however with a strike of buses and trains scheduled for tomorrow (beginning at 9am), we have our fingers crossed that our train will be allow to finish it's trip (we start at 8:30) before it is brought to a halt. Then, unfortunately we will not be able to return on the 5:45 train, as the strike goes from 9am to 6 pm, so we'll just have to hang out in Venice into the night. What a bummer!
Saturday holds a few hours of class in the morning, a walk to the "church on the hill" above Bologna under that longest portico in the world, an afternoon free for last minute shopping and our goodbye party at night. It's hard to believe we are so close to the end of a journey that was so much time in the planning. It's been an incredible experience for all of us, and I am so proud of the growth I've seen in the students - both in their Italian language skills, and also in their maturity levels.
A few of their highs and lows...
Highs:
- Host families making us feel at home and welcomed
- the FOOD
- the COFFEE!
- picturesque cities and backdrops
- the Italian boys (and girls)
- Rich history

Not so favorite parts:
- Amount of smoke
- School: our students MUCH prefer KCHS to the style of classes they've attended in Bologna
- Graffiti: our students have been put off by the amount of graffiti on the buildings
- "dirty" old buildings: students have noticed a lot of trash on the ground and pollution caked onto the marble of the buildings, causing what once was white to be black
- Toilets... as many of you know, finding these, especially clean, can be a challenge



There will of course be many more reflections to come, as the students process all the ways their previous mentalities have been challenged by these experiences
Wendy Kessler
10/18/2013 12:15:16 am

What a joy to follow along on your trip. It is a wonderful gift to see Italy through the eyes and photos of students!

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