Florence Summer Abroad: Week 2 in Florence

Some of the most memorable experiences of our time in Italy were the several different excursions we had the opportunity to attend. We certainly were able to really explore the whole country and see all the different extravagances it has to offer. Our travels started our first week, when we had off of class on the second day for the "Festa de Republica." To celebrate we took a short trip to the small town of Fiesole, right up a mountain overlooking the city of Florence. After a short, hilly walk up from the town square, we were able to look at yet another breathtaking view, seeing Florence from a whole different perspective.




From there, we walked to the San Francisco Monastery, a 14th century Franciscan monastery with a small museum section displaying ancient relics. This tied in nicely with our study of the saints, in particular Saint Francis. Afterwards we headed back down to the town square where there was a farmers market, where we shopped around and ate lunch. From there, we finished our trip by walking around some of the ancient ruins at the Roman theater and museum.

We ended our first week in Florence by taking another day trip to the beautiful city of Venice. Being entirely built on water, their only means of transportation was through canal by gondola. After arriving to Venice early Saturday morning, we boarded a gondola and explored the city by riding through the gorgeous Grand Canal. 

Afterwards we took a walking tour of the city and were able to see some of the most notable and historic features of Venice including St. Marks Square, the Bridge of Sighs, and a glass-blowing demonstration.
Even though it was short, our visit to Venice was truly memorable, and I'm so glad we had the opportunity to experience this beautiful city!






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