Bon Voyage! – ON TOUR European Experience

European Experience No Responses »
Aug 012011

Greetings from Nice, France!

Although we’re sad our trip is coming to an end, we’ve had an incredible last week together.  Here is what we’ve been doing on our final days. After our first night in Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast , the group awoke early to take a ferry to the beautiful island of Capri.  Our day began by exploring the island and admiring the beautiful sights.  We then hopped on two private boats to take us around the island.  Bari, Sarah M. and Madison M. took advantage of the time in the sun to improve their tans.  The boat then brought our group to the grottos where trip members had the opportunity to swim.   After our scenic swim, we were all glad to return to land and experience Sorrento by night.

The following morning our group was sea bound once again as we headed to the chic resort town of Positano.  Ben R., Zack L., Justin, Tyler, and Ben L. decided to conquer the mountain on the island.  Upon returning to Sorrento, the group enjoyed a traditional italian meal. No meal is complete unless it is followed by evening of karaoke.  Followed by David’s New York Groove, we were serenaded by Lori, Steph P, Sarah S, Danielle and Shelby.

After an incredible time in Sorrento, the group headed off to Florence. On the way, we made sure to celebrate the birthdays of Danielle and Will.  Dean, Adam B, Mike, and Ben F made comical speeches in Will’s honor on a bus filled with balloons and banners.  Upon arriving in Florence, the group went to dinner and put on their dancing shoes in preparation for Space Electronic Dance Club.

The following day Jason E., Jason S., Dean, and Bryan chose to get up earlier for the option to see a beautiful synagogue.  As a group, we then headed to the Duomo where we had the chance to climb old and narrow stairs to reach the top of the Dome. Although we thought the stairs would never end, it was definitely worthwhile for the view of Florence from the top! Before we left Italy,  we learned how to cook the food which we treasured over our stay. At cooking school, Rachel stood out as a chef to be by commanding her kitchen and making a delicious bruschetta.  Brandon and Carly Z. helped to create the cakes for our dessert.  After cooking, we were all glad to dig in to the masterpiece that we created.
With one more day in Florence, we went art hunting.  Steph B., Lisa, and Jon were amazed with the David’s lean physique and abs of stone at the Academia. Amanda, Carly F., Ben H., Madison Y., Alyssa, Kelly, Jess and Rachel roamed the masterpieces while others got gelato at a nearby cafe. For dinner, the group split between girls night out and boys night out for an evening of food and laughs.

Then we headed off for our two last days of adventure. On our way to Nice, we stopped to admire the Leaning Tower of Pisa and after a few more hours on the road stopped in Monte Carlo for dinner and evening activities. Alyssa, Dean, Sarah S, Danielle and Lori experienced an exotic foot massage by fish at the Fish Spa and Jason E., Richie, Brandon, Jullian and Matt raced in human hampster balls.

Today we’re celebrating Emily’s birthday and Ty, Cassidy Zack F. and Eric are excited to hang out at the beach, banana boating and tubing before a farewell banquet to celebrate our adventures.

We’re sad our trip is almost over but all good things must come to an end! Its been an amazing summer and we look forward to a Westcoast family reunion in the future!

Sincerely,

The ON TOUR European Experience

The Westcoast Blogger

Posted by wcc360summer at 11:32 AM Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

One Final Au Revoir – European Discovery

European Discovery No Responses »
Jul 282011

Bonjour encore!

In what seems like a flash, we have now arrived at our last stop, Nice, France….but before I tell you about the present, allow me to rewind back just one week ago where life literally gave us lemons in Sorrento, Italy.

Sorrento truly looked like a movie-set, lined with delicious looking restaurants and small, sophisticated boutiques. With hungry bellies, we headed for Fauno, an outstanding Italian restaurant which provided trip members like Sam, Gabe and Rob with the best homemade ravioli on this side of the Mediterranean. Eager to spend time with each other, we went back to the hotel to for a few Westcoast special programs, where trip members Brooke, Kim, and Michael seemed to enjoy the most with their belly laughs.

When we arose in the morning, we packed our sunscreen and headed for the famous island of Capri. Some trip members like Alex K., Natasha, and Rachel were eager to lay their eyes on the unbelievable scenery while others like Abby, Lauren W. and Jen hoped to see celebs…(and we did find out that Anne Hathaway was on a boat in Capri at the same time as us thanks to Liza!) Our boat-ride excursion led us to the majestic green grottos, where trip members like Stephen, Richard, Sam W. and Dylan couldn’t get enough of the water. Jacob W., Zach and Emily G. were completely enchanted by the experience, mesmerized by the sun which sparkled on the deep blue sea. 

The following day, we soaked up the sun a bit more in Positano, another beautiful town off of the Amalfi Coast. With freshly sun-kissed cheeks, we wandered through the town. Alex S., Anthony and Jacob W. played a little beach football while Marisa, Whitney and Jillian perused the towns many shops and restaurants.

In the blink of an eye, we arrived in Florence just in time for an unforgettable meal of homemade pastas and other traditional family recipes. Afterwards, we headed for the Piazza De La Republica where Brooke, Emily L., Allie, and Dani all reconnected with their childhood as they rode on the carousel.

The next day, we deepened our relationship with Firenze (Florence), with an exciting and educational guided walking tour. We witnessed the statue of David with our very own eyes, and Lauren B., Sam F. were truly astonished by his intricate structure. A few more sights brought us to a new episode of the Amazing Race, where trip members were asked to take a photographic scavenger hunt of the city. Allison’s team again reigned supreme (though everyone’s a winner!) Jake and Haley F. were particularly motivating for their teams, and Hailey D. and Max were resilient as can be, refusing to give up on each exciting task.  We enjoyed cooking school and of course our night out at Space Electronic Disco!

Fast forward about 12 hours after a quick stop at the Leaning Tower of Pisa and we are now in Nice, France…dreading the inevitable goodbye that comes in just one day.

In only one month, we have sailed the ocean blue, and swam in it, too…we’ve climbed hundreds of steps, overlooking great cities from dream-like views…we have retraced the footsteps of Roman gods and made wishes in fountains, despite the odds…we’ve traveled by train, by boat, by plane, we’ve bathed in the sun and we’ve danced in the rain. We’ve cooked our own food on piping hot stones, we’ve eaten croissants and gelato.

The past thirty days have proven to be much more than just a summer trip…they have been the time machine which has transformed us to young adults from kids…they have been the days where we laughed until we cried, the days where friendships have blossomed, the days where memories became engraved in our minds. We dread the goodbye that comes in just one day not just because it means that real-life must start again, but because this trip has truly changed our lives. Just thirty days ago, we came as strangers, and now we will leave as family, united. It is with much sadness that we say our final au revoir. But, instead of leaving with tears, we leave with much, much more: friendships to last a lifetime, memories to cherish for always, and a little piece of every place we’ve been to carry in our hearts forever.

With all of our love,

European Discovery

The Westcoast Blogger

Posted by wcc360summer at 3:30 PM Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Questa è la bella vita (This is the Good Life)! – Backpack Europe

Backpack Europe No Responses »
Jul 262011

Greetings Backpack Europe Friends and Family,

Sorrento has been a very popular destination amongst our trip members because of its abundance of water based activities, fresh “all natural” cuisine and exciting night life. Upon arrival at the hotel, we immediately jumped into the hotel pool and cooled off.  Alec and Mike got the group playing some popular aquatic games like colors and Marco Polo. Next it was on to Fauno Restaurant, where we were treated to a four course traditional Italian meal, seated on a beautiful outdoor patio that featured views of Piazza Tasso.

The next morning, we met Ernesto, our tour guide for our day on the Island of Capri. After a short ferry and then train ride (called the Funicular), we were amidst Capri, a town that Remi noted was built right into the side of the cliffs. As we walked around the town, Alex tried a fresh wild strawberry tart from the local bakery, while most trip members opted for the Capri version of granita (the slushy lemon drink takes on different qualities depending on which region you are in). Once we had fully explored the town, we boarded our own private boat and set out to explore the limestone cliffs and grottos that Capri is famous for. Jenny and Shayna enjoyed singing along to the eclectic tunes that our boat driver played for us. On the ferry ride back to Sorrento, Jeremy brought out his electronic trivia game (Sporkle) and Bennet and Aidan enjoyed testing out their pop-culture knowledge. We parted ways with our Capri guide Ernesto back in Sorrento and he remarked that we were the best group he has led all year!!

For our last day in Sorrento, we ventured out to the beach town of Positano. Sunny had been here earlier this year with her family and was a huge advocate for jumping into the clear blue waters and exploring the local art galleries. Emma appreciated having some rest and relaxation time because with two days left, we have a lot of exciting touring and activity ahead of us. At the moment we are en route to Rome and we have just stopped to visit the historic town of Pompeii. Mara was excited to visit because she watched a cool National Geographic documentary on Pompeii and she had a lot of good questions to ask our guide Maryse. The tour was very informative and Sam remarked that she was pleasantly surprised by the sights and artifacts, more so than she had anticipated.

We have Rome and Vatican City left on our itinerary but sadly, our trip is almost over. The summer has flown by but we have certainly made the most of it. It’s been the summer of a lifetime and we can’t wait to share pictures and stories with you all back at home!

See you soon and thanks for reading about our travels!

The Westcoast Blogger

Posted by wcc360summer at 5:30 PM Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ciao from Italy! – ON TOUR European Experience

European Experience No Responses »
Jul 262011

Upon arriving in the Adriatic seaside resort of Rimini, everyone was happy to get straight to the beach. Steph P., Shelby, Lori, Madison Y and Amanda tanned on their lounge chairs. Bari, Matt and Eric rented paddle boats and had fun going down the slide while Dean, Will, and Adam S. dived right into the water.  Jess also learned the easy lesson that the only thing better than gelato in Venice is gelato on the beach in Rimini.

After a great beach day, we headed out for a night on the town.  Armed with fresh tans, the group was ready to hit up our first Italian dance club.  Alex, Jon, and Jason S. showed Italy how Americans like to Dance. Rachel, Carly Z. and Lisa were the true dancing queens of the evening.  Ben L. was declared the king of the dance floor.

After a fun night, the group was ready to return to the beach for another day of rest and relaxation. The group then got ready for a fun evening surprise. David announced the surprise of mini-golf and gelato.  Adam S., Brandon, and Ben H. proved to be the Tiger Woods of the group with their golf skills.

With our beach days complete, the trip chariot headed off to Rome. When in Rome, it goes without saying that the best way to start off a stay is to have a traditional roman toga party.  Justin, Ben R., Zack L. and Tyler rocked the toga style and had a tough time readjusting to the 21st century after the party.  Emily even sang and danced with the waiters dressed as Roman warriors.   After a dinner back in time, we headed to the famous Trevi Fountain where Steph B., Cassidy, and Madison M. followed tradition by throwing coins and making a wish.

Our guided tour showed us all of what Rome had to offer. After a stop at the Pantheon, we went to the Colosseum with our beloved tour guide Mario.  Although we were about 2,000 years late for the gladiator fight, Adam B., Bryan, Ty, and Jason E. made sure to take advantage of the photo opportunities.  Danielle and Sarah S even took a picture with a man dressed as a gladiator.  The Roman experience continued with a dinner at Piazza Navona. Ben F., Julian, Richie, and Mike made sure to enjoy their Italian dinner, while Jess, Matt, and Zack L. appreciated their final serving of Roman gelato.

On the way down the Amalfi Coast to the town of  Sorrento we stopped at Pompeii for a tour of the ruins. Kelly, Alyssa, David, Jason S, Jason E and Richie were spotted taking pics on the mosaic sidewalks which were covered in ash after the eruption.

Today we had an amazing day on the Isle of Capri. We enjoyed some free time for lunch and exploring the beautiful gardens and views. In the afternoon we took a boat to circle the island and swim through the grottos. Cassidy, Jess and Zack F. were the first off the boat and kept jumping in for more at every stop. We’re having a great time traveling around Italy and can’t wait to visit Positano tomorrow!

Ciao for now,

The ON TOUR European Experience Staff

The Westcoast Blogger

Posted by wcc360summer at 3:49 PM Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Farewell from Rome – ON TOUR Backpack Italy

Backpack Italy No Responses »
Jul 242011

Hello families of Backpack Italy!

As quickly as it started, our magical Italian backpack adventure ends. We are writing moments before our final Roman dinner and amid a full day of touring the sights of Rome. Since we last wrote our tour members enjoyed the sun of the Amalfi coast and the highlights of the capital city of Rome!

We left Florence for the Amalfi coastal town of Sorrento for a few days of rest and relaxation before getting to Rome! While in Sorrento we enjoyed wonderful food, great adventures, dancing and doing karaoke and even a local fiesta in the main town square!

On our second day in Sorrento we had the amazing opportunity to explore the absolutely magnificent island of Capri. The highlight of this leg of our trip was certainly swimming in turquoise blue Mediterranean waters through grottos and caves. Seeing the smiles on the faces of Dana, Alanna, Austin, Alex, and Blaine, was absolutely incredible!

And so we find ourselves on our last evening in Rome with impending farewells upon us. We have asked our trip members every few days to share with each other their highlights of the day and something they are grateful for. Beyond what we have described as highlights of our trip, all trip members at some point along the way have expressed a highlight being the opportunity to meet each other this summer. Many have also expressed gratitude and appreciation for loved ones at home that have trusted them and have been supportive of this adventure.

We came, we backpacked, we experienced, and we conquered. We saw 6 cities, took 10 trains, ate pounds of pasta and pizza, saw Italy’s greatest monuments, experienced countless cultural experiences and made many great friends along the way.

Our highs are everything, our lows are nothing, and we are grateful for life!
Thank you for sharing your awesome teens with us for the last 2 weeks!

The Westcoast Blogger

Posted by wcc360summer at 9:40 AM Tagged with: , , , , , ,
Older Entries
© 2011 www.westcoastconnection.com Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha