AAVE Trip BLOG » Bold Europe
July 27, 2010
Tri-Country Adventure! - Bold Europe 1B
Posted by the AAVE team in : Bold Europe, General AAVE Trip BLOG , add a comment
Ciao from Italy!
Since Sort we headed into Barcelona. Michael, Jamie and Aaron were
excited to buy their victorious Espana jerseys and helped the group
bargain for their own. Aaron and Michelle were lucky to buy Iniesta
jerseys before the soccer final craze started (he scored the World Cup
winning goal). Barcelona was an experience that we will never forget.
We cheered with everyone and got honked at as we walked in our red and
yellow. As Michael says, “It was amazing.”
From Spain, we traveled back into France to Mercantour and enjoyed a
night sleeping under the stars. The following morning we mountain
climbed Via Ferrata. It was a challenging rock climbing activity that
we all enjoyed. Even the hanging bridge…
The next day, we had another chance at canyoning. Starting with a
quick game of keep-away with Jake and water-dunking with Cassidy, the
day was so much fun! Sarah and Michelle brought up the rear with
Andrew, joking, laughing and wanting to feed him brisket.
There were also many jumps during the canyoning, which was a huge rush for everyone. We then went into the Maritime Mountains for our hike. Michael and Cassidy were strong
troopers for the hike, not feeling 100% but still persevering with few
complains. The view from the top made it all worthwhile. Talia and
Kris twirled at the top like a scene from the Sound of Music.
After our hike we went into Antibes, just a 30 minute drive from
Monaco. Our first night we had a delicious dinner at our amazing
hostel and a great night’s sleep. Our second day, we spent the morning
at the beach, swimming in the Mediterranean, getting our tan on. Then
we had our lunch at the hostel and drove into Monaco. We walked along
the water and the streets and soaked in the whole experience. It is
even up for debate if Matt Damon was spotted! After a great day, we
came back to the hostel for another great meal and look forward to our
time in Italy!
The drive to Italy wasn’t too long! After driving along the beautiful
coastline, we arrived in time to set up camp and have dinner. The next
morning, it was off to Siena, where we wandered the quaint cobblestone
streets and soaked in our surroundings. OF COURSE, we each had a taste
of real Italian gelato. Sawyer said it was the best he had tasted in
his life. Soon after, we drove to Pisa and took plenty of photos in
front of the infamous Leaning Tower. Sarah Levi encouraged us all to
check out parts of the historical University that has been associated
with some of the world’s most famous philosophers. Yesterday, we spent
a day in Florence where we all got a chance to do some gift shopping
and saw the Duomo and Ponte Vecchia. Today is biking through Tuscany
and tomorrow we will return to Florence and hopefully beat the line to
see a view of Michaelangelo’s David and venture into the Ufizzi
Gallery to see some of the world’s most beautiful artwork.
Ciao for now!
The Bold Europe 1B Team