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July 28th - Flight Home

This is goodbye. Today we departed from Marco Polo Airport in Venice to return home to Canada. Although I was eager to get home and see my family, it almost feels like I’m leaving my pseudo family. I have lived alongside these people for the better part of three weeks, and experienced many new things alongside them. I made many new friends and saw many new things with them so it is a bittersweet goodbye. I really enjoyed this trip and I would do it again in a heartbeat given the opportunity. I’ll miss getting late night schwarma in Sulmona, listening to arguements in the hall about air conditioning and many other things. I’ll also miss having Mr Agostinelli as my teacher because I sure won’t find a more thorough editor of my work. Coming on this trip was a learning experience for me, literally and metaphorically. I was able to earn a credit, but also learned many life lessons along the way. I hope that this trip will continue to run for many years to come and maybe one day I can wave goodbye to my children as they walk into an AirTransat plane bound for Rome.

Signing off, Sean McCafferty

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July 24th - Pisa

Hello again!

Just as I was getting used to Florence, we had to leave. It’s a shame we couldn’t spend more time in the city as it was really interesting. On the bright side, we made a stop on the way to Abano Terme at the world famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was amazing to finally see the tower after hearing so much about it growing up. Let me tell you, whatever you’ve heard about the tower is certainly not exaggerated The first thing I thought when I saw it was “Is that thing really safe?”. It astounded me that people were walking to the top for pictures despite knowing that the building is currently tipping over. In the words of Isaac Newton, For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Because we had such a good time in Pisa, life had to present a couple negatives to balance it out. On the ride to Abano Terme, the place we’d be staying in for the rest of the trip, the second bus full of students broke down for the second time on this trip. While the first time was not that bad, this time the students also had their luggage’s to bring on. It was a tight fit, almost like sardines in a can, but we made it work. If anything, it brought everyone on the trip a little bit closer, both literally and as friends. In the end, we made it to our destination safe and sound. Is there really anything else you can ask for?

Until next time, Sean McCafferty

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July 23rd - Florence

Hello there!

As another day passes by, the realization that we do not have much time left in Italy is settling in. It is hard to believe that in only five days, I will be back home in my own bed rather than the one in Chieti or the guest house in Sulmona. But enough about that, we need to make the most of the time we do have left rather then lamenting about it. Today we toured the world famous Uffizi museum and were able to see priceless paintings that are hundreds of years old. After the tour, we were given several hours of free time to get lunch and shop in Florence before we departed the following day. While my friends and I were walking the streets of Florence, we encountered two men arguing quite loudly on the side of the road. From what I could piece together, the one man had a dog who he was neglecting in the Italian heat. The other man had come over to try and ensure the dog would get the hydration it needed to survive. While I was angry that someone could act apathetic to their own pet dying of thirst, the kind actions from the other man set an example for me and everyone else watching. Several people came forward and offered their bottled water to give to the dog, and as a group they were able to give the dog atleast 8 bottles of water. Stories like these are what inspire me to help out others even when it’s easier to just walk away. Tomorrow we leave Florence, and parting is such a sweet sorrow. Hopefully our next stop is as historically rich as the last.

Until next time, Sean McCafferty

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July 22nd - Florence

Hello there!

Our first full day in Florence was action packed, hearing about the fires in Dante Ahlighieri’s “Divine Comedy” as well as seeing a literal fire right in front of us. We began the day with a tour in order to find our bearings, going from attraction to attraction learning various lessons. Outside the Uffizi, we walked down a road with statues of famous Florentians including Dante Ahlighieri, the man we learned about in our second unit. Seeing his name and likeness reminded me of his works and all we learned about him in class. His name also reappeared later when we passed onto Via Dante Ahlighieri which is Italian for Dante Ahlighieri road. Life imitated Dante’s work as we walked away from our tour. Not even thirty seconds after our tour ended, I turned around to see multiple fire trucks barrelling down the street towards a large plume of smoke. I found it ironic that after hearing about the fires in “Dante’s Inferno”, we saw literal fire. Although it is probably just a coincidence, it inspired me to write today’s blog. Hopefully connections like this will appear magically on my exam just like they did today.

Until next time, Sean McCafferty

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July 21st - Assisi

Hello!

Sulmona is now behind us, as well as the fantastic schwarma we ate there. On the way to Firenze we made a stop at the city of Assisi. The city is famous because of the saint associated with it, Saint Francis of Assisi. We learned about Saint Francis and how holy of a person he was in life. I remembered that our current Pope chose Francis as his papal name, and after hearing about Saint Francis’ deeds I can appreciate the significance of the name. We also were able to visit where Saint Francis is said to have been buried. It was a place of quiet reflection, with many people surrounding the tomb to pray. I also “discovered” the Cathedrals gift shop where I purchased several postcards as well as vegetable soap as gifts. After Assisi, we settled into Firenze and went on a small walk to see the replica of the statue of David, one of Michelangelo’s greatest works. All in all, it was a busy day with a lot of travelling but I am glad we squeezed in the trip to Assisi.

Until next time, Sean McCafferty

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July 20th - Sulmona

Greetings!

Another day, another hike. Today we hiked up a mountain to the monestary of Pope Celestine the Fifth. While the monestary is not the one he lived in, it was built right above the cave he resided in. We learned that Pope Celestine was actually not Pope for very long, after he was chosen he resigned because of the corruption in Rome. It was interesting to hear his story because his name also came up earlier in the course when our class read Dante’s Inferno. The author placed Celestine in Hell despite all we were told about how spiritual and righteous he was. Dante placed Celestine in Hell for his inaction as Pope, with the idea that Celestine could have tried to fix the corruption in Rome rather than resign. It was an interesting interpretation but I understand the point Dante was tying to make. It was humbling to think that we were walking the same route Celestine must have walked when he was alive and the beautiful view didn’t hurt either. Today is our last day in Sulmona, so I’ll have to pick up a couple souvenirs before we set off for Florence tomorrow.

Until next time, Sean McCafferty

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July 19th - Sulmona

Hello!

Today was a tiring day, so I’ll try to condense this as much as possible. Today we visited the Abruzzo National Park for a hiking trip. As you could imagine, hiking for several hours has left us tired. Luckily it did not rain too hard and we were still able to enjoy our walk. The national park was beautiful, with tall trees and flowing rivers, the only downside being the scent of horse permeating the air. Because the area was a national park, that meant it was protected land and therefore cannot be developed on. This led me to appreciate the effort of the Italian people to preserve their beautiful scenery even if that meant giving up the opportunity to make a profit. Italy is a great place for tourists and it would have been a shame if they lost the scenery that makes them such a desirable vacation spot. Hopefully back home in Hamilton we can learn from this and ensure that our great, great, great grandchildren can refer to Hamilton as the city of waterfalls. Tomorrow we go on another hike to the monastery of Pope Celestine the Fifth so I need to get my rest in preparation for that.

Until next time, Sean McCafferty

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July 17th - Pompeii

Hello again!

Today we journeyed to the ruins of Pompeii for several hours before returning to Sulmona. As we neared the city of Pompeii, our guide pointed out Mount Vesuvius which was the volcano that buried Pompeii thousands of years ago. It was the first time I had ever seen a volcano in person and it was a little bit worrying to hear that Vesuvius was only semi dormant and would erupt again. That knowledge made our visit to Pompeii even more meaningful knowing that sooner than later Vesuvius will bury the city once again. As we toured Pompeii, the tour guide made sure to let us know that everything in the ruins was one hundred percent authentic, nothing was rebuilt. It is astounding to think that all those houses were completely buried and yet still remained intact during excavation! We were also able to see the bodies of a few people from the original eruption encased completely in shells of volcanic ash. Once the realization kicked in that I was standing in the equivalent of a graveyard, it was a bit creepy but nonetheless an enjoyable experience to visit a place so ancient. Hopefully tomorrow can live up to our experience today.

Until next time, Sean McCafferty

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July 16th - Sulmona

Hello!

Suitcases were not built to be bottomless, and because of that I have now run out of clean clothes to wear. Luckily, there is a laundromat around a five minute walk away from the hotel. Several friends and I gathered up all our dirty clothes and set out to wash them. For many people on the trip, it was actually their first time doing a load of laundry. While my parents may attempt to contest this, I do know how to do my own laundry and as such it was a little easier for me. While the clothes were in the wash, we wandered around and decided to catch up on some sightseeing and even stopped for a quick bite to eat. It was a fun experience, slightly dampened by the fact that someone’s load of laundry came out damp because they had not picked their wet clothes apart. It was a day of first experiences for many and I believe that they have learned things that will be useful for the remainder of their lives.

Buonna Notte, Sean McCafferty

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July 15th - Sulmona

Greetings!

Chieti is now a distant memory for us, we have now passed on into Sulmona. Other than a stop at a large mall, we travelled directly by bus to our destination. When we arrived, several people including me were informed that they had been selected to room in the guest house down the street. We were told that the hotel owns that property and they extend the offer to around a dozen students each year so we were all very humbled by the offer. While we do have to walk an extra 10 minutes to get to meals, it looks to be a unique experience that not many people on the trip get to experience and I was very grateful for the opportunity. Although we are accompanied by two teachers, rooming seperate from the main group brought a sense of responsibility and freedom, being trusted to stay outside of the main hotel. Some perks arise though, as we do not have to be in our rooms at room check, but rather a house check. Nobody can leave the property after 11:00 PM but we can sit in our friends rooms and talk. Hopefully the experience of living in seperate accommodations from the rest of the group is a fun one and we make the most of it.

Sincerely, Sean McCafferty

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July 14th - Pescara

Hello amigos!

Can’t remember if that’s Spanish or Italian but I’m sure you can roll with it either way. Today we embarked on a day trip to Pescara, which is a beautiful beachfront town. It was my first time seeing an Italian beach, so it was very different compared to what I’m used to. We were able to wander for several hours and see what it’s like to live in what I have dubbed, Italian Miami. Pescara was the polar opposite of quiet and calm Chieti, with hundreds of people occupying the beachfront wearing speedos, as you do in Italy. Another thing that I did for the first time today was take an Italian bus. It was a daunting experience, attempting to cram in dozens and dozens of people onto a single bus proved to be hard. Both on the way to Pescara, and on the way back, I was standing rather than sitting. It was amusing when the person next to me would bump into me and apologize, to which I would reply “that’s ok”, in what seemed like an endless loop. In the end, we all made it to our destinations safe and sound, with a new experience notched under our belts to boot. Hopefully we are able to take more day trips like this one, as it provides a short break from places like Chieti to try something new.

Arrivederci, Sean McCafferty

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July 13th - Chieti

Hello there!

Today was looking to pan out like normal, until our teacher revealed to us that we were to have an impromptu debate in today’s class. We debated for a couple hours on a variety of topics which taught us how to properly debate and connect ideas in order to strengthen our arguements. I think it was a great opportunity to actually experience a debate. Being able to structure your arguements properly is a useful skill that you can use throughout your entire life. It was also refreshing to be able to argue in a formal fashion, rather then arguing with my brother over who gets to use the T.V next. We also were able to have an Italian choir serenade us before dinner to get a feel for Italian culture. Tomorrow is our trip to the beach, so it should be interesting to see what Italian beaches are like compared to the rock covered ones I’ve encounter in Canada.

Buona Notte, Sean McCafferty

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July 12th - Chieti

Greetings!

Today was the most uneventful day of our trip so far. That being said, uneventful is not used as a replacement for bad. The day started as usual with an early morning lesson and then lunch. Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary happened and I spent most of the day working on an essay for my class. What time I did spend walking around Chieti, I found to be very quiet and tranquil. In the end, a day set aside for work is looking to be very beneficial as I am leaps and bounds ahead of schedule for my essay and it was nice to have a break from wandering Chieti. After all, it gets boring walking the same circuit around Chieti after a while, so a good work day revitalized my hatred for homework and allowed me to get back outside so I wouldn’t have to do anymore work. Technically this constitutes as work which is ironic but it must be done. We also climbed down a set of huge stairs which would normally be okay, but since the stairs were at a steep incline and because I have a fear of heights, it was a bit of a challenge to get down for me. But here I am, which means everything went fine.

Until next time, Sean McCafferty

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July 11th - Chieti

Hello!

I’ve officially run out of ways to say hello that I know of, so it’s back to English for now. Today was, in many ways, similar to yesterday with us waking up early in order to eat breakfast and get to our classes by ten o’ clock. After we had our heads stuffed full of knowledge, we walked to a somber monument in Chieti. This monument I refer to is a plaque honouring those that died in the Holocaust. I learned that Chieti was home to six concentration camps during the Holocaust which is why the people of Chieti feel great remorse for what occurred back in World War Two. Sadly, some individuals defaced the monument in 2011 which made me realize that even in a small town like Chieti, people are still capable of being filled with hatred. I am proud of the city of Chieti as a whole though, for commemorating the strength of the people who had to live through the horrors of the Holocaust. A quote from Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel comes to mind for me, “Always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor never the tormented.” This quote by Mr. Wiesel relates to the city of Chieti because I believe that the city is taking steps to not be neutral, but firmly showing their support against Anti Semitic acts. By showing support for the Jewish community as well as the assurance they will never allow something like the Holocaust to happen again, Chieti is doing exactly what Mr. Wiesel wanted. While it was sad to see what people are capable of, the city of Chieti as a whole makes up for the actions of a few. After all, one bad grape shouldn’t ruin the vineyard.

Sincerely, Sean McCafferty

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July 10th - Chieti

Ciao!

I am running out of ways to utter greetings in Italian but I’ll worry about that tomorrow. Today was our first actual class, sitting down in a room. It felt odd not to start off the day by walking a couple kilometres but we all adjusted quickly. Our lesson focused on the concept of existentialism and tying that to real life examples as well as our assigned reading, the play “No Exit” by Robert Sacre. After some free time and lunch, we watched the movie “Life is Beautiful” starring Roberto Benigni, directed by Roberto Benigni and co-written by Roberto Benigni. The movie showed the story of an Italian Jew named Guido and his selfless actions to keep his son safe in a concentration camp.

Unfortunately, Guido perished in the finale of the movie causing many in the room to shed a tear. Benigni managed to entertain the audience with his humorous actions while also managing to remind the audience at the conclusion of the movie that the Holocaust is still a dreary and sorrowful topic. On a happier note, we were treated to a concert by Signoire Settimio who played a set of Italian bagpipes which he personally made out of goatskin, cherry wood and olive wood. It was amazing to think of the ingenuity of our predecessors to create music from such an unlikely source. I’m glad I received the opportunity to hear an instrument that so few know how to play in this day and age. I came to realize that in my lifespan, instruments such as these may become extinct so to speak, never played or created again. It is unfortunate that something so beautiful could never be heard again but unless we share the things of our past they will only exist in the past.

Buona Sera, Sean McCafferty

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July 9th - Chieti

Salve!

The time has come, we departed from Rome today and set off to Chieti where we are staying for the next five days. The drive was nearly three hours but the beautiful vegetation and vast mountain ranges made it anything but boring. After settling in, we visited the Chieti Cathedral and the Teatro Marrucino. Upon the completion of our tour, we were given a couple hours of free time. We decided to be a little adventurous and wander around Chieti for a while and see where we would end up. Surprisingly, it was very calm and quiet compared to Rome and even Canada with very few people walking the streets. It was an odd feeling to be in a place so calm when you come from a place like Canada where everything seems so busy all the time. Hopefully Chieti will provide a nice break from the long walks and busy days we have had in Rome and give us time to relax and catch up on our coursework.

Buona Notte, Sean McCafferty

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July 8th - Vatican City

Buongiorno!

Another day finished in Europe, and what a day it was. I say Europe instead of Italy because we spent a fair amount of the day in the Vatican which I now know is a city state and because of that, it is technically not a part of Italy. While in the Vatican, we first visited rooms filled with various statues from Roman times and even a few Greek statues, some of which were even solid bronze which is quite rare. I was astounded to hear about how old these various relics were because of the fantastic conditions they were in. As an aspiring civil engineer, I am very lucky to get a chance to see the complex designs of statues, buildings and even paintings. The best part of my visit there was travelling inside Saint Peters Basilica. It was truly a humbling experience to be in such a sacred place in Catholicism and such an elaborate building. Looking back on my time in the Basilica, it is hard to imagine how anyone could begin to build a church so beautiful and complex without the technology we have today. Maybe one day, Canada could undertake a project of this size to attract people from all over the world. Ultimately, seeing Vatican City was a dream come true and quite humbling. Hopefully the next day in Rome is as interesting as today.

Arrivederci, Sean McCafferty