#VarsityRome: Day 5

Varsity White

Today #VarsityWhite had an experience of a lifetime visiting the Coliseum and Roman Forum. Did you know that the Coliseum is 12-15 stories high!? This massive structure, built in the heart of Ancient Rome, is absolutely breathtaking. We continued our day exploring the Roman Forum, where we paused to take photos at every picturesque turn. Believe it our not, there really is no place like Rome!

Once our tour concluded, we ventured out into the city for food and shopping. We’ve found that gelato, pizza and souvenirs are some of our favorites! Needless to say, #VarsityWhite had a fun filled day that we will never forget. Now we are off to our New Year’s Eve celebration to dance the night away, and bring in the New Year. See you tomorrow for parade day; let the countdown begin!

Varsity Blue

Today we took on a new city! Varsity Blue hopped on the train this morning to catch a ride to Florence. The train runs at about 150 miles per hour! Equipped with a snack car and comfy seats, we sat back and enjoyed the ride full of views of the Italian countryside.

Upon arrival in Florence, the crew took the short walk to the Duomo. It. Was. INCREDIBLE. the structure was massive and had so many beautiful details its hard to believe construction started on it in 1296. This iconic landmark represents the middle point of the city.

We then had some time to spare before our tickets for Galleria dell’Accademia, so we grabbed snacks and checked out some of the surrounding area. At our specified meeting time we gathered up and headed to Galleria dell’Accademia. Don’t know what that is? Hint: it’s the home of Michelangelo’s most famous sculpture.

We once again had tickets that allowed us to jump to the front of the line— it wrapped around the building! We are so thankful for the incredible perks of the group tickets! There are several other paintings and sculptures in Galleria dell’Accademia we checked out- including a few other works by Michelangelo. The show stopper though? David. He took two years for Michelangelo to complete, finishing up in 1504. Originally placed in front of Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza Signoria, David represented the liberty and civic pride of the Florentine Republic.

After completing our self guided tour of dell’Academia, we had time to explore the city of Florence. From the Duomo, to Ponte Vecchio to local shops (famous for leather goods!) our day was full of new adventures! Tonight we’ll ring in the new year and get a good night’s rest for the big day tomorrow!

 

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