EXCHANGE STUDENTS TO LICEO GIOTTO ULIVI, ITALY
23rd September – 15th October 2006.
Ihaka Waerea and Jason Tahi, together
with teacher Rosalyn Williamson (NARRATING PERSON) and her husband Jim, flew
away from Palmerston North airport on 23rd September bound for their
new school, Giotto Ulivi at Borgo San Lorenzo, di Mugello Valley, Italy. After
12 hours in the air we arrived at Singapore Airport then 4 hours later flew on
over northern India, Turkey, Greece and up the Amalfi coast of Italy where we
landed in the huge city of Rome. It was Autumn and we were definitely
in a new
land. The language was fast Italian and the scenes of homes with tiled roofs and
yellow plaster walls let us know that we were far from home.
After a one hour flight on Alitalia we landed in Florence where the exchange students were waiting to take us to our new homes. Ihaka and Jason were to spend the next three weeks living in Scarperia di Mugello with charming families who provided us with opportunities to see the great art and treasures of Florence, just one hour south by bus. I want to really mention their names because they were superb both at offering hospitality and at managing to organise things especially for the boys. They are the families of Niccolò Milani, Andrea Casati, Massimo Scarpelli and Leonardo Giovannini.
Giotto Ulivi is a modern school with
1200 pupils and 125 teachers. We enjoyed meeting the students and teachers and
renewing acquaintances with
last years’ exchange students. Paolo Badiali, the
video conferencing teacher, and a few other teachers, namely Paolo Borsotti,
Alberta Fabiani, Sandra Ranfagni and Maria Pascarella, enabled us to teach
their classes about New Zealand and the students were very keen to learn the
Haka and to have Jason and Ihaka sing to them. Students wear jeans and tops to
school and both girls and boys attend mixed classes. We found the scene so
different to our school uniform scene. Students enjoyed the DVD we had sent and
by means of maps and a book on NZ we showed them what our land is like. Many
desire to travel to New Zealand, even though the distance is so great and the
costs of flight quite high.
During
our time in Italy we were able to travel by fast train to Venice, travel down
the grand canal by water taxi and enjoy the sights and music in St Mark’s
Square. There were so many tourists seeing the wonderful architecture of the
churches and old palaces in the Piazza San Marco. The gondolas were being poled
along the canals and it was amusing to see that even Gondoliers have to have a
cell phone in one hand as they manoeuvred their boats through the maze of
canals. Venice is known for its hand blown glass and hand made lace. The shops
were full of beautiful examples of jewellery and fashion items. The day flew by
and we were soon on board the fast night train back to Florence.
On
another day we took a train from Florence to Pisa and the boys climbed the
wonderful leaning tower of Pisa and enjoyed seeing the magnificent architecture
of the churches in that area. Pisa is a charming old town and again the tourist
trade was very active.
Another day we took the bus to Siena, a
medieval town built around a maze of cobble stoned twisting streets which led up
and down over hills until we were utterly lost and needed help to get us back to
the bus stop. The colourings of this ancient town and its big Piazza del campo
where the annual horse racing event takes place contained spectacular
architecture and amazing opportunities for photography. Assisi was equally
as attractive but built of pale pink brick and marble. The Cathedral of St
Francis of Assisi was so magnificent with its arched ceilings and wonderful wall
and ceiling paintings. We went down into the crypt where St Francis bones lie
buried. We even saw the patched,
thread-bare,
brown garment that St Francis had worn during his life as a friar in this town.
So many people were there on Retreat or just having time out to rest from the
business of life.
The town is built on a small mountain and when it first comes into view it is an amazing sight because of its pale pink colouring and because of the medieval fortress on top of the mountain.
Florence was only 1 hour from our Italian homes so we learnt to catch the bus or take a ride with one of the parents to see the sights. They provided us with free tickets to see the Academia with its rooms of treasures including Michael Angelo statue of David and the great Art works gathered by the Medici families over centuries and now stored altogether.
We visited the Palazzo Vecchio, the
original Palace of the Medici family and viewed the amazing, spectacular
paintings on every wall and ceiling of every room in the gigantic salone de’
cinquecento . We crossed the Ponte Vecchio over the Arno River, It was the only Florentine bridge not bombed during the last war as not even Hitler could bring
himself to destroy something so historical. Every day in Florence was special.
The architecture and the art, the size of the magnificent Duomo made of green
and white marble, the huge Baptistery bronze door depicting scenes from the Bible
were all such amazing examples of work produced by the great artists such as
Michelangelo, Leonardo de Vinci, Giotto, Botticelli (all gathered together in
the Uffizi Gallery, arguably the most beautiful art museum of the world) and so
many other astounding artists who
lived centuries ago. (Giotto and Beato
Angelico were both born a few miles from where we were
lodged).
Our hosts knew people of importance who
worked in the Uffizi, the Palazzo Vecchio and the Academia so were able to
arrange entrance for us. The queues were reaching out of sight down narrow
streets. How astounding it was for us to be ushered into these places and
provided with English speaking educated guides who explained the art objects we
were to view. The miracles that were
bestowed
on us were unbelievable!
After 3 weeks of getting to know Florence we could walk wherever we wanted to go to despite the fact 400000 drivers were covering the same ground and attempting to park their cars or motor bikes in ever available space above or below ground! The traffic was so unbelievable, and of course everyone was driving on the wrong side of the road!
Finally we had to leave this most
beautiful town and take the train down to Rome. We were very fortunate in having
Fr Pat Breeze to show us the sights. The Vatican at night was a spectacular
sight with its lightening and Swiss guards. A meal in a trattoria with music
provided by piano accordion, double bass and drums was a sight like one sees in
magazines. We stayed in the charming Hotel Trevi right beside the Trevi
Fountain. It was a wonderful place to be. We could walk to the Colosseum, the
Forum, the Vatican, the river and through the great fashion centre of the world
where we viewed
Versace suits and outfits only the rich can think of owning.
Rome was an amazing sight by day and by night. We walked miles, climbing stairs
and even climbing down into the cell where St Peter and St Paul had been
imprisoned for their Christian beliefs. Our guides were wonderful. We wore
headphones and could listen to all the descriptions of the Sistine Chapel in
English as we were guided through the great halls of Tapestry, the Map Rooms,
the magnificent paintings of Michelangelo, Raphael and so many other artists who
lived long ago. We saw all we could possible see in 2 days then reluctantly
boarded the flight home on Singapore Airlines. 12 hours later we were in
Singapore, a modern, business centre of the world where we were lucky to spend a
day with friends who showed us around and invited us to their home until the
plane was ready to leave on its last leg
of the journey back home. We arrived
in Auckland at midday on Sunday 15th October and later flew on to
Palmerston North where we bumped about trying to land in rain and ferocious
wind. What a contrast to the 30 degrees of Singapore!
Our exchange was more successful than words can express. Our education was enhanced enormously by being able to see what one only can read about. Paolo Badiali had provided us with every opportunity every day to enhance our whole being. Our hosts were so kind and generous and so happy to know us, despite the fact that their English was only “piccolo inglese” as they would say to us. We thank each one of them for their generosity and welcome. We enjoyed the adventure so very much and look forward to repeating the exciting exchange again in 2007.
Rosalyn N. Williamson
HOD Music and Video Conferencing
October, 2007