Tuscany!!

We went to Tuscany last weekend and it was beyond beautiful! We stayed in Siena and I fell in love with the deep colors and uneven cobblestone that lined the city. It really took you back in time and made you appreciate the Italian culture. We went out to two amazing Italian style dinners with IES Abroad and it was a great bonding time for our program.

The second day we traveled to Montalcino, where we climbed a fortress and looked over the mountain tops of the Tuscan hills. The rolling vines made me think of my hometown. We also visited a monastery in Montalcino. We were supposed to hear an authentic Gregorian chant in the temple, but the monks decided to reschedule. However, they don’t speak to anyone so they left a note in Italian on the door to the church. We were still lucky enough to hear them practicing their chanting in the basement below the church, and it sounded amazing.

The last and final day we stopped in Pisa. They don’t lie when they say that the tower is the only thing in the town. It was mostly a giant tourist trap, but nonetheless I was glad IES Abroad took us to the little town because it was still another iconic Italian landmark checked off my list! And the view from the top of the tower was breathtaking!