ST DUNSTANS TOUR TO ITALY ~ APRIL 2005
16 April 2005 Buon viaggio!
An excited, if somewhat apprehensive group gathered at Johannesburg International to embark on the tour to Italy. The Duty Manager at Air France facilitated the booking in procedure and issued ever yone with boarding passes from Johannesburg to Paris, as well as from Paris to Milan. After passing through passport control, they had a short time to look at the shops before boarding their flight to Charles de Gaulle. They were all so excited, so apparently not much sleep was had!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
17 April 2005 Welcome to Milan
An early arrival in Paris and then they remained in transit for their connecting flight to Milan. The Casterbridge Tour representative was there to meet them and will accompany the group throughout the tour. She is a well experienced guide and I have no doubt that she will be an excellent companion. No one is able to book into an hotel iin Europe before the afternoon, so they immediately set out to do a tour of Milan--- exhausting, but at least they have youth on their side and they were guaranteed to sleep well in their 4 star hotel that evening!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
18 April 2005 Milan to Venice
Thanks to Alana Evans and some parents, I am able to tell you that your children are having the most wonderful time! They left their 4 * hotel in Milan (with some reluctance!) and continued on to lake Garda. The weather was superb and perfect for a picnic. They then continued on to Verona, where they saw Juliet's balcony, the arena and the market. Then the joy of arriving in Venice, where they were given free time to shop, before settling in to their hotel, which is right on the beach! All are safe and very happy!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
19 April 2005 An amazing day in Venice
Today they enjoyed a walking tour of Venice and I received an excited sms from Mrs Evans to say that they were all standing at the top of the bell tower in St Mark's Square when the bells rang to proclaim the new Pope, Benoit XV1. What an amazing experience this must have been for everyone! Vaporetto transport was a first for many and they thoroughly enjoyed whizzing around the Laguna Islands!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
20 April 2005 Onward to Assisi
Today they said a fond farewell to magical Venice and Lido di Jeselo. Fiona, the Casterbridge Tour Guide, advised against travelling the extra distance to Bologna. They chose instead to visit Cortona, which is a beautiful medieval village, before continuing on to Assisi. The trip seemed quite long and everyone looked forward to a relaxing evening and a good meal!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
21 April 2005 Crossing the Umbrian Hills
The group thoroughly enjoyed the guided tour of the Abbey of Monte Cassino and apparently Fiona is indispensable! Not only is she so knowledgeable, but she is also able to 'pull strings' where necessary! For example, they all felt very privileged as she arranged for permission to enter St Benedict's cell, which is not usually open to then public! The group will spend three nights in Sorrento and so will have some time to unpack, do some much needed washing and relax!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
23 April 2005 Pompeii and the Isle of Capri
Yesterday, they walked through Pompeii and they were not only in awe of this ancient city in ruins which dates back to AD 79, but also of the magnificent view over Naples from the top of Mt Versuvius. Today they took a relaxing boat trip to The Isle of Capri and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the island with their local guide.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
25 April 2005 Crowded Rome!
What struck everybody most about Rome, was how crowded it was and how much time was spent jostling tourists! Yet they managed to visit the Colosseum and the Forum Romanum yesterday, before continuing on to the Trevi Fountain, into which they inevitably threw coins to ensure their safe return to the 'Eternal City'! The group made an early start this morning and once again joined a long queue of tourists to view the Vatican City, after which they continue d on to the Jewel of the Renaissance, Florence
Written by: Jenny Peddle
27 April 2005 Homeward bound!
They thoroughly enjoyed their day in Florence yesterday, doing a walking tour in the morning and then having time to shop in the afternoon– their very best thing! And so dawned the last day of this wonderfully enriching tour and they departed for Milan after breakfast. En route, they visited Pisa, where they all had the famous picture taken propping up the Leaning Tower! Fond farewells will be said to Fiona and the bus driver, both of whom they have come to know so well. At 6.30pm. they will depart from Malpensa airport on flight AF 2015 and they will stay in transit at Paris, Charles de Gaulle airport until they board flight AF990 at 11.15pm tonight.They are scheduled to arrive at Johannesburg International at 9.40am tomorrow. So many months ago, Ryan Leach, contacted me on my website and asked me to orchestrate a tour to Italy. This tour is, therefore, a tribute to a young boy, who took the initiative and not only realized his own dream, but also enriched the lives of 30 other people.
Written by: Jenny Peddle