Italy and the French Riviera

At Little Rock Christian we have a two week January Term after Christmas break that allows the students to choose from creative classes such as Greek cooking, exegesis, scrapbooking, and Japanese culture, or choose to do an internship for college, a mission trip, or an educational trip to places like France, Italy, and Ireland. This year I was able to go as a chaperone to Rome, Tuscany, and the French Riveria...a dream come true! (Teaching has its perks.) The trip went really well, and I experienced new pieces of history that I was not yet familiar with. The trip was both beautiful and powerful, and I can't wait to go back some day to explore on my own. Here were some of the highlights:

The Roman Colosseum (one of my favorite parts of the trip)

Little Rock Christian's three chaperones: two people who humble me with their knowledge of history! We had a great time together.

The Roman Forum: It was amazing to see the Senate, Julius Caesar's tomb, and ancient Roman temples.

Our group in Rome.

 The main square of Pompeii with Mt. Vesuvius in the background.

A gelatteria in Florence

I took lots of pictures of the houses in Florence; the architecture was beautiful. Plus, I recently bought a pair of old French shutters at an estate sale and was kind of obsessing on shutters the whole trip!

The old bridge in Florence during a morning walking tour of the city

Brunelleschi's dome

The view of Florence from the top of Brunelleschi's dome

The leaning Tower of Pisa! I was so surprised at how crooked it actually is.

We stumbled upon a park in Monacco overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. It was one of the most beautiful places that I have ever been.

The Oceanography Museum in Monacco