Reuniting over pizza, gelato and Italian music

Thankyou to the McGeorge's for hosting our wonderful art tour reunion. We ate pizza and gelato while reminiscing over the highlights of our trip while watching fantastic photography and videos capturing the important landmarks on our journey. Looking forward to when we can do it all again!!!!

To our travellers, don't forget to send in your favourite photo and a statement of how it reminds you of your experiences in Italy.

Italy Art Tour Reunion

Keep this date!
Reunion now on at the McGeorges on Wednesday 16 March (not 9th) straight after school until 6pm. Parents invited from 5.30pm.
Pizza and gelato provided (just in case you are having withdrawal symptoms!)
Make sure you bring all your pics and wear your University tops!

Revisiting Italy & Dubai - Photographs and Quotes

"Burano was one of the most beautiful places we visited in Italy. It was full of vibrantly painted houses and is famous for its lace. It was definitely a highlight of our time in Venice."

From Georgie

Photo by Georgie

The island of Burano in Venice was characterised by brightly coloured buildings with flowerbox  windows, and picturesque canals. In some case, as Jenny pointed out, the daily washing took precedence and was hung wherever convenient, often at eye level, and with little regard for personal items, as shown in her photograph below.

Photo by Jenny

"To be surrounded with art, culture, and history was an amazing experience and I would love to visit Italy again!"

From Jess

Photo by Jess

"More is more is more in Italy. When one column just isn't enough........."

From Lizi

Photo by Lizi

"It was amazing to be inside this perfect, ancient space. I loved the whole trip - it was full of such contrasts and I think the light in this photo captures that!"

From Julie

Photo by Julie

"I love this photo. I just wanted to capture the intricate detail that was in every work of art - even something as ordinary as a foot becomes something beautiful and the artist's passion and commitment allows us to see it in a new way."

From Susie

Photo by Susie

"This is my favourite photo of the trip. It is from the lookout in Florence."

From Josh

Photo by Josh

To the rest of the tour group, find your favourite photo and send it in with a quote!

Thanks Delphine

The 2012 Italy Art tour group would like to pass on our sincerest thanks to Delphine Delhaise from Gullivers Sport Travel whose invaluable knowledge and expertise of the areas of Italy and Dubai was paramount to the successful organisation of our fantastic tour. Our flights with Emirates were fantastic as was our accommodation in each of the cities we visited. Each hotel reflected the atmosphere and characteristics of each place with very hospitable staff. We were well fed with our evening meals in Florence and Venice as the best. Our tour guides in each city had a fantastic knowledge in both history and culture, and the buses that transported us from Rome to Florence and then Florence to Venice, as well as in Dubai, were new, well equipped and extremely comfortable!
Thanks Delphine for an absolutely amazing experience!

Welcome Home: Dubai to Sydney

Twenty two weary travellers were very pleased to see Sydney airport six hours after expected arrival time. With a quicker flight time of just over 12 hours from Dubai due to jet streams, our luck disappeared 30 minutes before reaching Sydney when the pilot was informed that Sydney airport was closed due to heavy fog. We were diverted to Brisbane because the plane needed to refuel, but on arrival there a hour later, the A380 spot was occupied by a Qantas jet which also needed to refuel. So 2 hours later we left Brisbane airport to arrive in Sydney around 11.40am. At least a volcano didn't erupt like in the last art tour! Thankyou to the very patient parents, friends and family members who waited out the 6 hour diversion to greet our tired and sleep deprived group!

We return highly valuing the amazing experience and knowledge we have all gained on the Italy/Dubai art tour. Even when weary on the last hours of our journey, we were still excitedly talking about the adventures we have had.

Viva Italia!!

Dubai: History, Souks and a Desert Adventure

We arrived at our hotel in Dubai this morning at 3am, much, much later than expected. Our flight from Venice was delayed an hour, and the organisers in Dubai took us to the wrong hotel after unpacking all our luggage. once back on the road we finally checked into the Ibis Al Barsha Hotel at 3 am. So because of this, no blog was entered for that day! Sorry! The longer wait at Venice airport gave everyone the last chance to eat Italian food and Jonathon made up for it with his giant pizza slice. Our transport from The Lido to the airport was by water taxi - quite an experience arriving at the terminal by boat - but that's Venice!

 

After getting to sleep sometime after 3 am this morning, we had to be up and ready for our morning walking tour at 9 am. While most made it to breakfast and the lobby by the set time, others were still in deep slumber in their beds! It was all a very big ask!

Our tour guide took us by bus to the cane of the city so we could see the Burj Al Khalifa, recently the worlds tallest building, up close. Most impressive! We then visited the old quarter of Dubai visiting a historical house and a museum on the camel before walking through a textile souk. We caught a traditional boat to the other side of Dubai Creek to visit the gold and spice souks. It was very warm, around 38 degrees but a dry heat.

 

We were dropped at the Mall of the Emirates at the conclusion of our tour to exchange money and have some lunch as well as see the second largest shopping centre in the world. A major attraction of the centre is its ski park with proper t-bar ski run, toboggan slides and plenty of snow! Unfortunately we only had an hour to spare, so could not fully explore the famed shopping centre.

 

In the afternoon, four 4 wheel drive cars and drivers came to pick us up and take us on our desert adventure. We drove 45 minutes into the desert outside of Dubai, with other tourists enjoying the same experience. Our first stop was watching a falcon and his owner and be informed of the history of the use of falcons as hunting birds in the desert. We then got back into the 4WDs and surfed the dunes with very capable drivers, spinning through the sand, climbing dunes and descending steep slopes much like riding a roller coaster, and wondering when the car would roll over! They never did! A very exhilarating experience!

Our last stop w at the Bedouin camp where. Camel rides, henna painting and a banquet meal awaited us. We sat like bedouins on large cushions around low tables in traditional tent canopies. It was a fabulous way to spend our last night in Dubai and our last major experience of the journey. Every place had is own special characteristics and left us all wanting for more!!!!!!

 

Up for any early start in the morning, leaving for Dubai Airport at 7.15am. Hopefully we will all get a well deserved sleep tonight before the long haul home. See you in Sydney!!!!!!

 

Farewell Venezia and The Lido

This morning we will leave Venice to head to Dubai - from cool and crisp to hot and dry. A new adventure for us all. We farewell Mr and Mrs Watson as they head off to England with their son Fabian. We had a lovely evening with all the students presenting Pat, Tania and myself cards and gifts in appreciation of the great time they have had on the trip. It was a very memorable and moving moment! Thanks, you are a great bunch and we would travel the planet with you anytime!

A mention should be made about the wonderful service from the staff here at The Rigel, particularly the waiter. Think Faulty Towers and Manuel. His is very busy and goes about his work with seriousness, trying to understand the requests from all the different nationalities of guests. Although we don't know his name, we have tagged him Manuel! Si!

 

Murano and Burano: The Islands of Glass and Lace

"Venice was a great end to our time in Italy. We were grateful as we got the best weather in the city of sparkling water. Murano was a unique, special place away from the main island of Venice. It is an isolated island filled with craftsmen, who blow and create magnificent glass forms. We were really lucky to have the opportunity to witness glass blowing in action. It was amazing because all the glass blowing was kept to a family tradition where each father passed on his skills to his son.

The surrounds of the island of Burano were very humble compared to the majesty of Rome and Florence. The brightly coloured homes, painted in complementary colours, added a surreal atmosphere to this quaint island village, almost like a setting in a theme park, yet locals carried on behind closed doors with the normal routine of life."

From Helena and Imogen

We returned to the main island of Venice to explore the narrow lane ways, bridges and piazza's from one side of the island to the other ending up in San Marco Piazza. Here we gathered our last souvenirs for Italy before we head off to Dubai tomorrow. On the ferry ride back, we sat at the front of the vaporetto, and with wind blowing through our hair and waves lapping at the edge of our boat, we contemplated the amazing experience we have had in Venice and the other major cities.

 

 

Unfortunately we have to say arriverderci to Venice and Italy for a wonderful, enriched experience of art and culture, and look forward to a time when we can return - we have to because we all threw a euro into the Trevi Fountain and made a wish!

On return to our hotel, The Rigel, we all donned our sloppy joes bought at either Rome, Florence or Venice as a memento of where we have been.

 

 

Quote of the day on our journey through Italy: "we have not only traveled through space but also time" from Julie

 

 

Bella Venezia! St Marks, Klimt and Peggy Guggenheim Museum

What a stunning city! So much beauty and character in one place! We started our day with a vaporetto ride from The Lido back to the city. Arriving at Piazza da San Marco we saw the Doges Palace and the Bridge of Sighs so named because prisoners were walked across it to meet their doom! The Piazza was full of people and pigeons! We went inside the Basilica of St Mark to see the beautiful mosaics but they appeared tarnished and dull after we saw San Vitale's mosaics yesterday. We stopped for a minute to take a group photo Just as a Hugh ocean liner passed by the Piazza. We then headed off to see an exhibition on the artist Gustav Klimt at the other end of the piazza.

 

We wandered through the narrow lane ways and connecting bridges past picture perfect vistas and gondeliers (for the rich at 280 euros for one hour!) to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art where we saw many famous artworks from the 20th century. Our lengthy stay at the Guggenheim prevented us from seeing the Accademia which closed early.

 

We wandered back through the narrow streets of Venice stopping to appreciate the work of local glassmakers and see a range of venetian masks, all of which tell a story.

We boarded a vaporetto to do the loop of the Grand Canal to see the restored palaces and majestic homes of the wealthy, some of which have now been converted into hotels and museums. Our sunny, warm balmy day, which started off misty and overcast, came to an end with a downpour of rain from threatening looking clouds. Off to the islands tomorrow to see glassmaking on Murano and the beautifully coloured buildings of Burano before coming back to the city to investigate the Rialto Bridge area.