Fall arrives in Florence.

With the world cycling championships on Sunday September 29, it appeared Fall finally arrived.  The heavens opened and there was a deluge.  The event went well, despite the rain and by the time Monday morning came round, everything had been cleared away and it was if nothing had ever happened.

Riders start the descent from Fiesole on Sunday September 29 as part of the Road Cycling World Championships in Tuscany.

The ever wacky world of Italian Politics kicked off (again) with a certain Mr Berlusconi making mischief (again), threatening to upset the coalition government, currently led by Enrico Letta.  For the full details, it is explained well here, otherwise a crisis was overted (again) and all is well for the time being.

Sadly another emotive topic of Italian life was also in the news, with a boat carrying immigrants capsizing on Thursday, with the loss of hundreds of lives.  The accident happened off the coast of Lampedusa, a tiny island that is actually closer to Tunisia than it is to the Italian mainland.

The island has been in the news alot over the past couple of years, with people fleeing the troubles in North Africa, hoping for a better life in Europe.  The Pope visited the island in July and threw a wreath in the sea and condemned the "global indifference" to the plight of refugees. 

Latest news on the tragedy is available on the web:  BBC / Al Jazeera / CNN

A screen grab from Al Jazeera news shows a glimpse of the scale of this tragedy.

Back in Florence it is safe to say everyone has now settled in and are calling Florence home.  Courses have settled down, students have been taking part in language exchanges with local people and enjoying Italian life.  On Thursday all of the students went on a visit to the Uffizi where they were taken on a tour of the highlights.  All of our students have Amici degli Uffizi passes as part of the program, so they can return as many times as they like for free (we will be encouraging them to do so).

On Friday October 4 it was time to take all the students on a daytrip to Siena & San Gimignano.  Its always a favorite for students and staff and it is nice to get out of the city on a regular basis.

Piazza del Campo - Home of the Palio horse race held twice a year.

Nicole and Jordan from Chemeketa Community College in Oregon enjoy some Gelato in Siena.

After a guided tour of the city, the students enjoyed lunch and free time before we made our way Northwards to San Gimignano.  We passed by row upon row of vines, heavy with grapes, ready to be picked soon.

Some students ventured into the Torture Museum, others made a beeline for the Worlds best Gelato, everyone was happy strolling around and enjoying the view.

Jillian and Allison from Pasadena City College enjoy the view.

With the day coming to the end and dusk falling, we made our way back to Florence for the weekend to begin properly.

This week the students have the first match in the Inter School Soccer tournament they have signed up for, as well as a Cooking Class to enjoy.

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