Written By Dylan & Ruby
Since our last blog, we have completed our trek through the Via Francigena and made our way to Florence! The rest of our journey included a silent walk, as well as a beautiful riverside walk through Colle di Val d’Elsa. We finished with a day in Siena where we explored the cathedral and said our goodbyes to Lauren before continuing on to the first big city of the trip. We had an amazing time in Florence, starting with a guided tour with Luca, who took us to see Michelangelo’s David, as well as some must-see spots around the city. We had a couple of days of free time to explore the city ourselves, then ended with urban gardening, which included making our own tea and herb salt!
What were three of the top highlights this week?:
This week had many fun moments like having a ramen dinner together after going to a sunset overlook of the city, walking the beautiful trail of Sentierelsa, and enjoying live music on the bridge overlooking the Arno River.
What is something you or the group is challenged by this week?:
This week we had our first student leaders. It was an adjustment for the group to have less direction from the OE’s and more from their own peers. However, it is a great opportunity for us to practice communicating with each other and navigating bigger places.
🌎 What are you most grateful for this week?:
This week, we got to experience the most freedom we have so far. In a big city like Florence, we were able to explore on our own for longer periods of time and even got to establish routines. While we loved spending time together in more close spaces, our separation during the day made our group time even more special.
