Day 8 - Homestay in Chieri begins

We started early today.

After a hearty breakfast we checked out of the hotel and went straight to the station. We said our farewells to Florence, a city that was a gracious host to us and which expanded our understanding of Italy, history and just what humans are capable of.

Our last minutes in the Machiavelli Palace Hotel

The departure lounge at Santa Maria Novella station in Florence

Boarding the train for Turin

A four and a bit hour train ride followed. Students read, slept, completed homework, laughed and talked their way as the train choo-chooed its way through the regions of Tuscany, Emiglia-Romagna, Lombardy and Piedmont regions. At Turin we changed trains for the last thirty minute journey to Chieri.

Porta Susa station in Turin

At the Chieri station, the boys' Italian families were ready to collect them. All were a little tentative in their greetings but there were smiles all around and the boys happily, if nervously, went off with their families.

Heading off to their Italian homes

It was a little bittersweet to watch as their teachers. On the one hand, it was great to see them embrace this opportunity to be immersed in Italian life and language, to be put in a situation outside their comfort zone and know that they would grow and become independent as a result. On the other hand, however, our little touring group has become quite close over the last eight days; we have shared so much, have had every meal together and have learned and laughed so much that we really are going to miss each and every one of these young men and their unique characters.

It's not like we won't see them, I know; we have a lot planned together in the coming week. We will be at school together, and have many excursions into Turin and Don Bosco territory; we will also come across them as we visit Chieri, attend midnight mass on Saturday night and Easter Mass on Sunday.

But still...

As a side note, our little blog chronicling the Italy trip has become international, with visitors from as far afield as the USA, Austria, Germany and Hong Kong. What a great world we live in.

(With all those views, there has still been only one comment left on the blog. Just saying...)

Check out the update to the INTERESTING ITALIANS page.