HI HO HI HO it’s off to Zermatt we go!
Nothing beats a European heatwave than heading to the Swiss alps for some winter fun!
Zermatt was absolutely stunning and we admired the breathtaking views from our gondola ride to the top of the Matterhorn. After a sunny day skiing and exploring, we all had the chance to relax and indulge in Swiss hot chocolate. The smell of chocolate lingered in the air throughout the streets and one of our trip members was even invited into a local crêperie to make her own crêpe!
That evening, we gathered in the main square as some of our trip members broke out into a cheer off! Not only did this get our group pumped up but the people of Zermatt were loving our energy as they gathered around to watch.
We then headed to Italy where we spent a night in La Spezia enjoying a delicious Italian feast. Dinner was followed by gelato and our night ended with a heartwarming program in a local park.
We were up early the next day as we set off on a day trip to the picturesque beach town of Cinque Terre. We were ready to take on the town and try all of the local Italian delicacies (specifically the pesto) and search for cool souvenirs. We spent some time on the beach soaking up the sun and cooling off in the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
As we continued to make our way through Italy, we left the mainland behind for Venice. While the Mona Lisa’s home is back at the Louvre in France, our trip members were clearly missing her smile because they all bought matching t-shirts with the Mona Lisa dabbing! In case you don’t know, dabbing is the action in which one arm is bent at an angle across the chest while the other is fully extended parallel to the first arm, with the face turned towards the bent elbow.
This was followed by a group activity, where once again, the locals loved our energy and enthusiasm. This energy continued into the next day as the waiters at the restaurant we were at broke out into song and dance while singing along to Beyonce!
On the way to our next stop, Rimini, we divided the trip members into different teams. There are four teams: yellow, blue, green and red and they will be competing in a series of friendly competitions over the next few days.
We spent the majority of our time in Rimini relaxing on the beach. We played volleyball, soccer, got tattoos (temporary, of course), participated in a relay race, went to a massive aqua park, and explored the town.
We sang our hearts out at karaoke and showed the locals our fancy North American dance moves – they were very impressed.
When we arrived in Rome, we headed straight for the Trevi Fountain where we made sure to throw a coin with our RIGHT hand over our LEFT shoulder so that our wishes would come true. Then, we went to the Pantheon and later, enjoyed a delicious dinner and some more gelato.
Our second day in Rome was spent exploring the city and we also made our way to the Vatican for a guided tour. The night ended with a Roman-style toga party!
Until next time,
The Westcoast Blogger
Do you want to explore Switzerland and Italy? Check out our 22-day European Discovery teen tour! To browse all of our programs, click here.