Goodbye Rome, hello Florence!

We departed Rome early today and headed to Florence. Our hotel is just a few blocks from the San Lorenzo markets and the celebrated Piazza del Duomo, the heart of the historic city center. Our hotel is different than those in Athens and Rome as we are in spacious loft apartments with kitchens in each room. We quickly unpacked and headed to the Accademia, the museum that is home to Michelango’s David. On our way home, we took an orientation walk through the streets of Florence and stopped at the grocery store so that students could buy food to make breakfast and lunch for the week. Everyone's pre-college budgeting skills were put to the test as they navigated the Italian super market using their apartment grocery stipends to buy fresh cheeses, fruits, veggies, pasta and the like for their daily family-style meals. For dinner, we enjoyed a catered meal from a local restaurant which included a delicious pesto lasagna (which has become a group favorite), caprese salad and crispy oven-baked potatoes. Later that night staff surprised the students (and their retention of Florentine history and Italian culture!) with a photo scavenger hunt competition which included items from the Medici Crest to cartwheels in front of the Duomo to chocolate gelato covered faces!