June 6, 2013
Photos by Sarah Tustin and Courtney Kirk
DAY SEVEN – From the junior class:
Our last full day in Italy was extremely action-packed. We started it off by taking a short ferry ride to Bellagio-a small town located on Lake Como. Bellagio is easily one of the most beautiful places any of us had ever seen. We were lucky enough to roam around the town for about three hours. After about 30 minutes of some intense picture taking along the water, a few of us decided to check the “go swimming in the glacial waters of Italy” off of our bucket list. We created quite the spectacle once we jumped in, attracting the eyes of every nearby tourist. Afterward, everyone dispersed throughout Bellagio. Some of us chose to continue in our Italian food binge while others splurged on great Bellagio memorabilia. We took the ferry back to the town of Lake Como around 12:30.
After a quick turnaround at the hotel, most of us either headed to the gondola to gain a birds-eye-view of Lake Como or did some more shopping. Of those who took the gondola route, half rode the gondola up the mountain (like any normal individual would), while others decided to scale the Alps up to the gondola’s destination and past it to the lighthouse to gain the highest elevation possible. Yes, the views were breathtaking from the top, but I don’t think any of us had ever embarked on such a vertical climb before. It’s safe to say that those people who climbed to the top successfully worked off all of the pasta, pizza, and gelato they had eaten the previous week.
After everyone shopped and gained breathtaking views of Lake Como (whether leisurely or through an intensive calorie-burning workout), everyone met up at 6 p.m. for one final team gelato (of course). After scoring the highest on Leo’s quiz, Olivia was awarded a 16-scoop gelato. It should come as no surprise that she ate the entire thing herself and was annoyed by even the thought of sharing it with others (although that was the original intention). A little later, everyone headed to a suggested dinner spot along the lake. No one could have asked for a more picturesque end to the trip as we chowed down on one final Italian feast over the sunset on Lake Como.
Thank you to all those who made this trip so amazing. It is a week none of us will ever forget.
