Stonehill College Alumni Travel

We have truly enjoyed STELLAR weather through the first eight days of the trip.  Today's forecast was looking a little bleak to say the least, so we dug out our umbrellas, ponchos and raincoats and set off on the 90 minute journey from our hotel to San Gimignano. Upon arrival, we were pleasantly surprised to find comfortable temperatures and scarcely a rain drop in sight! San Gimignano is one of Italy's best preserved medieval villages known for its impressive skyline of 14 medieval towers. The town's historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The well preserved Romanesque and Gothic architecture, including churches, palaces, and the central Piazza della Cisterna were a sight to behold.  Nestled close to the Piazza is Gelateria Dondoli, a world champion gelato shop that features creative award-winning flavors such as Crema di Santa Fina (saffron and pine nut).  We spent a few hour exploring the sites and wonderful shopping in the town before boarding the bus for the...

This morning, after breakfast at the hotel, we headed to the quaint medieval town of Pistoia.  At the foot of the Tuscan mountains and 30 km from Florence, Pistoia is known for its history, art, and charm...and it did not disappoint on all three levels! Lia shared some history about the town and led us on a stroll past Sant'Andrea, a church which features the famous pulpit crafted by Giovanni Pisano.  Next up was the Ospedale del Ceppo, a hospital founded in 1277.  Once we arrived at the Piazza del Duomo, we were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves smack dab in the middle of the annual Medieval Festival, one of the town's biggest events of the year.  We had time to explore Pistoia on our own before heading out of the square and back to our bus, with just enough time to take in the festival parade, the capstone event of their celebratory weekend.   After departing Pistoia, we took a short drive to Fattoria Betti, a breathtaking farmhouse and vineyard span...

Today, after breakfast, we set off to explore Cinque Terre, a string of centuries-old seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline. Unreachable by bus, we hopped on the train to begin the journey to our first stop Manorola, a long winding village built into the hillside overlooking the sea. After some time to explore and shop in Manorola, we headed back to the train station and took a quick ride into Monterosso, a town known for having the best beaches of the Cinque Terre villages. Here, we enjoyed some time at leisure to grab a bite to eat for lunch and explored around coastal village.  Some were even brave enough to take a dip in the ocean. After departing Monterosso, we hopped back on the train into Vernazza for a look around the town, which has a natural pier with an amphitheater shape making it the most picturesque village of the Cinque Terre. As you might guess, shepherding a group of 42 people on and off of public transportation is not for the faint of heart, but...

Phew, today was a very busy, very HOT day, with temperatures nearing 90! After breakfast, we set off on the hour and a half drive to Siena, one of Italy's most beautiful cities.  On our way, our tour director Lia and our bus driver Antonio surprised us with a viewing of the Florence American Cemetery. Comprised of 70 acres of wooded hills, 4,392 American soldiers are buried there, most of whom died in the fighting that occurred after the capture of Rome in June 1944. Once back on the road, we continued our drive through Tuscany's low-lying hills and olive groves while Allyson Sheckler, our faculty host, gave us some wonderful insight into the "must see" items in Siena. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by our local guide Carlo who gave us a walking tour of the city.  The first stop was San Domenico Church, a vast brick church founded by the Dominicans in 1125 as part of their friary, the church contains precious relics of the St. Catherine of Siena.  St. Catherine dev...

Today, after breakfast at the hotel, we boarded the bus to travel to San Miniato for a guided truffle hunt.  Upon arrival at the hunt location, we were greeted by Massimo, Barbara and Marco, three licensed truffle hunters, as well as Mila and Biscia their adorable truffle hunting dogs. Before splitting off into teams, Massimo filled us in on the different truffles that grow in Tuscany as well as how to identify authentic truffle products.  We learned that there are only five proper truffle hunting locations in the world, four in Italy and one in France. Black truffles are harvested July through October, and the elusive and valuable white truffle is harvested in November. Premium "winter" white truffles can sell for as much as 9,000 euros per kilo (or $4090.00 per pound)!  We paired off into two teams, one with Massimo and Milo, and the other with Barbara, Marco and Biscia.  A little friendly competition ensued with Team Biscia outperforming Team Mila five truffles to...

We were up bright and early this morning to make the 80 minute drive into Florence. Known as the "Cradle of the Italian Renaissance", this beautiful city is home to the Piazza Del Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore (pictured).  Our first stop was to Misuri, a manufacturer of luxury handcrafted Italian leather. Here we learned about the Florentine art of leather gilding before Chris, Sharon and Jenn walked the runway showing off some of the magnificent Italian leather.  Next we were joined by a local guide who took the group on a tour of downtown Florence ending with a stop at the Accademia Museum. Founded in 1784, the museum hosts a collection of sculptures, picture galleries and paintings. One of the most important works on display at the museum is David by Michelangelo, which was completed around 1504.  The balance of the day was spent exploring Florence independently until we met up with our fellow travelers on the Piazza di Santa Croce....

Today was a free day to explore the town of Montecatini Terme. Most ventured into town for some dining, shopping and sightseeing, while others took full advantage of the beautiful weather by lounging by the pool, and others spent some time in the spa. In the evening, we met our guide Lia for the short walk to take a funicular ride up to Montecatini Alto.  Montecatini Alto, literally translated as Montecatini high, sits on a hill high above Montecatini Terme. This little town dates back to medieval times, and was a fortress that held its own during invasion attempts due to its strategic position.  There are several ways to reach the town, but perhaps the most popular is by jumping aboard the funicular.  Originally constructed in 1898 the funicular provides spectacular panoramic views across Montecatini Terme. Although it has been modernized a bit over the years, all the original workings are still visible and the red carriages are in original condition. Once we disembarked...

Today we embodied the "work hard, play hard" philosophy to the fullest. After a much needed rest and breakfast at our hotel, we boarded the bus for a short trip to Pisa. As some may know, busses are not able to navigate the roads leading to the piazza, so we disembarked the bus and boarded a vintage tram to make our way to this most impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Campo dei Miracoli is a walled area and one of the most stunning squares in the world.  Featuring lush green lawns the Piazza is home to three structures symbolizing the main stages of human life; the Pisa Baptistery (the largest of its kind in Italy), the Pisa Duomo, (a medieval Roman Cathedral and one of the most impressive in Tuscany), and the Camposanto (a cemetery built in 1277). Perhaps the most recognizable buildings in the Piazza is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, a free standing bell tower which is actually part of the cathedral. After enjoying some free time to explore the area on our own, we boarded...

  Buona sera! We landed at the Florence airport at 10 a.m. local time after about 15 hours of travel.  We were greeted at the airport by our lovely guide Lia, who escorted us to our private motor coach and introduce us to Antonio, our driver for the duration of the trip. We set off for Montecatini and arrived at the hotel in time to put our feet up for a bit and enjoy some lunch.  After checking in and getting a little R & R, we set out on a walking orientation tour of the quaint town of Montecatini-Terme. With a rich history of restorative waters and baths dating back to Roman times, Montecatini-Terme is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. After a very busy travel day, we were able to relax and unwind with a delicious private welcome dinner our hotel restaurant (see photos below!). Tomorrow, we will set out early to explore Pisa with an evening visit to an "agriturismo" farm for a wine and olive oil tasting followed by a traditional home-cooked dinner. ...