Europe for Middle School: Italy, Spain & Portugal

Our program begins in stunning Florence, the city most often referred to as an outdoor museum! Every turn in this beautiful city reveals a new statue, fountain or fresco. In the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance we’ll see Michelangelo’s famous “David,” explore the Duomo, and visit the Uffizi Museum, which houses the best collection of Italian Renaissance art in the world. However, art and culture are not all that are in store for us in Florence.

We’ll shop in the city’s famous markets and go to an exclusive event at one of the best leather shops in the city. We’ll enjoy the best pizzeria in the city and challenging ourselves to go all the way on TFT’s famous Gelato Tour! We’ll take a day trip from our base in Florence to the floating city of Venice! Wander the canals and enjoy the overall relaxed atmosphere of this quaint city.

Then it’s off to discover one of Italy’s hidden gems! Often referred to as the Italian Riviera, the Cinque Terre is home to five idyllic fishing villages with pastel colored houses perched on dramatic cliffs that plunge into the crystal-blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. We stay right in the center of one of the villages (Monterosso) just steps from the beach! In Monterosso we have established strong relationships with the locals from some of the service projects we have done there in the past, and you will see you are treated like family during your stay here!

The Cinque Terre is known for its spectacular hiking trails that connect the towns and we will have the opportunity to hike them for ourselves! On the hike we will enjoy stunning views of the sea and the vineyards that line the cliffs and be inspired by the natural beauty in this region. During our time here we will also sample local specialties like pesto and focaccia. We’ll dine on fresh seafood and relax on the beach in our seaside paradise.

Then it’s time to say “arrivederci Monterosso” and head towards Rome. On the way we will stop in the town of Montalcino, where we’ll stroll the quaint cobblestoned streets of the quaint Tuscan hill town.

We will visit a private vineyard just outside the town of Montalcino to experience the stunning Tuscan countryside in real Italian fashion. This day is a TFT favorite! We have an exclusive invitation to a family’s private Tuscan Estate. We will receive a hands-on tasty Italian cooking lesson using freshly harvested vegetables straight from their garden! Enjoy a special tour of the winery where they produce award-winning wine and receive an introduction to this important part of Italian culture.

Then it’s time to visit our final Italian destination: the Eternal City, where we will explore some of the most famous sites in Italy. Go inside the mighty Colosseum and get a vivid picture of what it was like when the gladiators were battling. Check out the Vatican Museums and stare in awe at the Sistine Chapel, and go inside St. Peter’s Basilica. In true Roman fashion, we will hang out at the Spanish steps and see the Trevi Fountain lit up at night — make sure you toss a coin in for good luck to insure your quick return to this gorgeous city!

Welcome to Europe!

We’ll begin our trip in Barcelona, where we’ll dive right into this funky city with lunch at the Boquería Market, a hip old-world marketplace that sells the freshest fruit juices, tastiest tapas, and the best meats and cheeses fresh from countryside farms. Learn how to make your own paella with our private cooking classes and shop along La Rambla, the main boulevard in the downtown area. We’ll take a fantastic bike tour around the city and see the home of FC Barcelona, the Camp Nou soccer stadium. A trip to Barcelona wouldn’t be complete without marveling at Gaudi’s masterpiece cathedral La Sagrada Familia, as well as a visit to Parc Guell, where the Cheetah Girls movie and America’s Next Top Model were filmed! We’ll finish our time in Barcelona with an amazing lights and colors show at a magnificent fountain in front of the Royal Palace.

We then cross the border to southern Spain and the region of Andalusia. Sunny Seville, a fantastically romantic city rife with history and culture, attracts thousands of study-abroad students a year for good reason – it typifies quintessential southern Spanish life. Visit Columbus’ tomb in the world’s third largest Cathedral, and take traditional Sevillanas dance classes! We’ll also see a spectacular flamenco show and enjoy tapas in a typical Spanish taberna.

While staying is Seville, we will take a day trip to beautiful Granada to explore the majestic Alhambra palace. We will learn about the history of the Moorish people who lived here for several centuries, and how they defended the city of Granada from the “reconquering” Spanish Catholics from this point. You’ll next have the chance to explore the Arab marketplace, where you can find all sorts of treasures, like spices, weavings, ornate lanterns, and carpets. This is just a preview of what the incredible Moroccan souks will be like! We’ll see the tomb of the Catholic Monarchs who united Spain, enjoy a wonderful tapas dinner at a bodega.

Our next stop is the fun resort town of Lagos in Portugal’s famed Algarve region. Here we’ll spend an afternoon snorkeling and soaking up the sun on the pristine beaches, as well as take a sea kayaking tour of the grottoes and caves of its stunning coastal cliffs. You can even hike up to the lighthouse!

Just a short bus ride away, Lisbon welcomes us with open arms, a vibrant culture, and a plate of delicious pastel de nata. We’ll visit the San Jorge Castle, from which you can see all of Lisbon; eat famous Portuguese pastries in the bakery that invented them (the recipe is still a secret); and explore the best shopping areas and nightlife of the city. We’ll listen to traditional Portuguese fado music as we dine on local specialties that include codfish, potatoes, and chicken. We will also visit the nearby mountain estate town of Sintra, where we will climb the Castle of the Moors and the Pena Palace for phenomenal views of the landscape and Atlantic ocean, and explore the gardens of a mansion that includes a spiral staircase leading into tunnels and lagoons. We’ll end our time in Lisbon with a trip to the beach and then head to Lagos! Finally, we’ll enjoy a fancy final dinner to end our unforgettable adventure.