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Bon Voyage! – ON TOUR European Experience

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

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

Crooked Structures

Backpack Europe, Eastern Expedition, European Discovery, European Escape, ON TOUR European Escapade No Responses »

Mar 022010

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the bell tower of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa.

Although designed to stand vertically, the tower began to lean shortly after construction began in 1173 due to a poorly laid foundation and unstable soil that allowed the foundation to shift. When the Pisans entered war, construction was stopped allowing the underlying soil to settle. If construction had continued, the tower would have toppled.

Construction started again over a century later. Engineers tried to compensate for the tilt by making upper floors taller on one side than the other. This made the tower lean in the other direction.

The tower is 183 feet from the ground on the lowest side and 186 feet from the ground on the highest side. At the base, the walls are 13 feet apart. At the top, the walls are 8 feet apart.

The tower has two staircases. The north-facing staircase has two fewer steps (294) than the south-facing staircase (296).

Prior to restoration work that was performed in 1990 and 2001, the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees. The tower now leans at about 3.99 degrees. This means that the tower is over 12 feet from where it would stand if the tower were perfectly vertical.

The scaffolding on the tower is there to help repair visual damage (mostly corrosion and blackening).

On January 7, 1990, the tower was closed to the public for fear that it would collapse. The bells were removed to relieve some weight and cables were tied around the third level and anchored several meters away. Apartments and houses in the path of the tower were vacated. In the end, 50 cubic yards of soil were removed from underneath the higher end. The tower was straightened, returning it to the exact position that it occupied in 1838. After a decade of corrective reconstruction and stabilization efforts, the tower was reopened on December 15, 2001. In May 2008, another 77 tons of earth were removed. For the first time the tower’ history, engineers declared the tower stable.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is no longer the world’s most lopsided building. That title was been taken by a German church steeple in Suurhusen which leans at 5.19 degrees.