Written by Italy & Greece Students, Lillybeth & Amery
Since the last blog post we have done and seen a LOT. It was the week of our trek so we started in Gambassi Terme where we met Luca, who showed us around his family’s bakery and taught us to make a delicious little bread snack! We stayed the night at a monastery and started our trek in the morning. Lauren, our guide on the walk, took us to a wine tasting and briefed us on how to smell/taste the wine! We spent the rest of the day walking through gorgeous hills/mountains until we got to San Gimignano, which we explored a little before turning in for the night at the “campsite.” The next day, we took a bus to Poggibonsi to see Il Cassero Della Fortezza Medicea- a medieval village that a group of archaeologists found and rebuilt and they now dress up as villagers and tell you about the village during that time period! It was so fun, Fillipio taught us how to spear throw and defend in a fight! Then we began our walk to the next town we were staying in, we decided to take a silent walk and it was very peaceful, the scenery was gorgeous and it only get better. The next day we met Claudia who took us on a foraging walk, she showed us a bunch of plants along the trail and told us all their uses/benefits/origins, it was so fascinating. The trail was along a river and we stopped for lunch and a swim at a waterfall- it was utterly STUNNING. The next day was the last of the trek, we ended in the beautiful Siena where we had time to check out local restaurants and shopping and go to the Duomo!
Our Highlights of the Week:
🥖 Our first highlight happened as soon as we got to Gambassi Terme, our leader Lauren introduced us to Luca and he taught us how to make this really scrumptious bread. We then ate some lunch there homemade by his family which is still said to be one of the best meals we’ve had so far. Comprised of focaccia, lasagna, prosciutto and cheese!
🥾 Another highlight was the first day of the trek. We walked into town and got coffee and pastries and then we headed for the vineyard where we tried two types of wine, one red and one white. While the group is still unsure if they will want to drink wine again, it was a great experience where we got to learn about the wine making process and how to smell and taste to break down all of the flavors.
🍷 After the vineyard we headed to San Gimignano, about a three hour walk through the rolling hills, which made it really feel like a trek. The small town consisted of many gelaterias, gift shops and vendors selling their art. The last highlight, many say the best part of the whole trek, was when we met Claudia. She was very knowledgeable about all of the wild plants that grew along the river and their many uses and benefits. The river was gorgeous and bright blue. We stopped at a big waterfall for lunch and some of us swam. The river was truly amazing and a beautiful sight to see.
But growth always comes with challenge … how did you grow this week?
There were a few challenges this week for everyone, individually and as a group. It was a long, physically demanding week and not all of us have experience hiking this much. The constant moving of accommodations and environments also caused stress to be higher.
What are you grateful for this week?
This opportunity of a lifetime has made me aware of how grateful I am to live in such a beautiful world with such diverse terrain and endless possibilities for learning. It has also shown me how grateful I am for my family and friends back home as I have experienced more homesickness than I thought I would. Nonetheless, our group continues to create stronger bonds throughout every opportunity we experience together, and we are becoming our own little family.
