Florence Visit

-
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Florence Day!

We woke up, had breakfast… which was continental at the Holiday Inn Express and the BEST breakfast we have ever had!  Fresh, delicious croissants, coffee, and bread to make toast, ham and cheese! J




The biggest challenge we are facing is that there is no “mini-mart” or store inside the hotel; nothing with snacks, pop and water.  We’re so spoiled in the USA. 

We got on a train to Florence and planned to see “everything”!  Our main goals were written on a piece of paper that Cindy’s daughters gave her. Both of them have visited Italy in high school with their Italian classes. 

When we arrived in Florence at the train station (EVERYTHING is by train here!) we met a man who tried to sell us a private tour in his car for $40.  We declined…. At the end of our adventure we regretted it!  It was hard to navigate the city and see everything in the time we had before our train left.

Most importantly we wanted to see “the bridge” that Hitler spared, the place where you put a lock with the one you love and throw away the key, and taste gelato.  We did ALL of that!  We did not get to see the statue of David (too long of a wait and not enough time). We did shop and buy leather purses!!! We also saw the famous boar that you touch for good luck and try to drop a coin in.  We also stumbled upon the fountain of 7 tongues. 










At lunch time we met Eric who had just landed in Italy from Austria after flying from the USA. We met him and we ate… a lot!

On our train back to Reggio-Emilia was long, but a good time to rest.  We were all hungry.  Eric took a very quick shower and then we all walked to a nearby pizzeria. It was the cheapest but most fulfilling meal so far!  We had pizza, pasta, bread, wine, beer, and Eric caught up on ALL of the eating ordering almost every course.  When we got back to the hotel we all crashed.  It was a long and very busy day!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Simple Dessert Math!

-
Image
Creating meaningful, learning activities does not have to take weeks of planning and lots of supplies.  In fact, it can and should be flexible and impromptu!  As a teacher I tend to have things that most families don't have lying around the house, but that doesn't mean you NEED to have these materials to create a cool experience! For example, at my house we try to incorporate learning into little things.  So when I make something new for dinner we go around the table and rate it from 1-5.  This sounds silly, but it's a great conversation starter AND a way to incorporate math into the daily routine.  Yes, actually using a rating scale and rating a meal is math.  Children are developing sense of quantity and measurement by deciding what to rate food they ate!  Want to take it a step further and incorporate writing?  Record it on paper! The other day my niece was over and she doesn't like to try new foods.  I know this, so we had an imprompt...
Read more

COVID-19 Spring Break Day 1

-
COVID-19 #CoronaBreakDay1 As of yesterday, I am on a 3-week Spring Break mandated by the Ohio governor, Mike DeWine.  I brought home half of my 3 classes’ portfolios to work on, my computer to write lesson plans, and my 2 class pets:  one hedgehog and a rabbit.  I am in a great position because as a teacher, I am able to be home with my 3 children while we are all on our extended Spring Break.  My husband, however, will be working through the COVID-19 outbreak as he is a police officer.   I am also NOT in a great position as I have asthma, an underlying condition that professionals have advised to avoid contact with people during this pandemic.  As we all watch social media and new outlets for updates on how many cases there are and how many people are going to be tested, we are all trying to make sense of the unprecedented closures that continue to go on around us.  We’ve been at stores where shelves are bare, and people are wearin...
Read more

Scare Tactics: Kindergarten Orientation

-
As I close out another year of preschool and pre-kindergarten classes it is with great disappointment that I hear parents and families discussing the “dreaded kindergarten orientation” meetings they have or will have to attend.   It seems that with an increased focus on the common core curriculum, standardized testing and rigid academic expectations, teachers and administrators have created a meeting around fear and panic.   They outline the daunting year ahead for the five-year-olds and explain how “kindergarten has changed”.   How is this a positive way to begin a new adventure in education?   By explaining the high demands and expectations of FIVE YEAR OLDS, kindergartens in my area are scaring grown ups!   As far as I know there is still only one requirement to go to kindergarten… a child must be 5 years old.   That is it!   Meanwhile, kindergarten orientations are creating their own demands…        100 sight words by Dece...
Read more