Summer Trip to Mediterranean Coast an Adventure
A group of more than two dozen recent Huntington High School graduates and current students traveled to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea this past summer, visiting sites from Barcelona to Milan and Cinque Terre to Monaco and finally trekking through Nice.
Huntington photography teacher Pamela Piffard served as group leader. The traveling party included Camille Tedeschi, Erik Bruckbauer, Pete Crugnale, and Denise Piffard. The excursion was a completely private journey booked through EF Tours and not approved or subsidized by the Huntington School District in any way.
Pam Piffard has traveled extensively and she put her experience to good use, making sure everyone had an enjoyable experience. “We had the adventure of a lifetime,” she said. “We learned about tradition, heritage and art while exploring everything from the mountains to the beautiful beaches. It is so amazing to see our student travelers with a sense of awe and happiness in their eyes as they create memories and learn to appreciate the gift of travel.”
The teenagers on the trip included Jaclyn Bacik, Julianna Barca, Cristina Bateman, Zachary Burden, Samantha Carroll, Nina Cartwright, Emma DeGennaro, Brianna Echevarria, Justin Engelsher, Hailey Giordano, Timothy Gress, Andrew Gunthner, Isabelle Harman, Jeanne Kopstein, Jamie LaSorsa, Courtney Lawrence, Jillian Lentinello, Madison Lofaso, Hannah Lomele, Holly LoTurco, Meaghan McArthur, Christine Powers, Stephanie Powers, Lilibeth Quintanilla, Madeline Riggs, Emily Sager, Cara Sorrentino, Erica Thermidor and Brendan Wirth.
Ms. Piffard and Ms. Tedeschi have been traveling internationally with EF Tours for more than eight years. “We have traveled with over 400 students to 14 different countries,” Ms. Piffard said. A February 2015 trip to Peru is already sold out. Organizing for a journey to Greece and Turkey next summer is currently underway.
“The experience of the Mediterranean coast is truly an experience of a lifetime,” Ms. Tedeschi said about the recent trip. “Learning the ways of the people alongside their history is always interesting. Whether we were touring a museum, taking a leisurely stroll along a street or eating a gelato, this tour allowed travelers to experience life in and out of the city in a series of spectacular small towns and villages. Opening one’s eyes to new experiences allows for a deeper level of learning and an overall improved appreciation of life and what is has to offer to us.”
The traveling party soaked in all the sights and sounds along the way. “Being able to live in the moment and appreciate a specific place and time is truly a gift,” Ms. Tedeschi said. “On this tour whether we were in Spain, France, Monaco or Italy traditions were resilient and each area we visited came along with a distinct dialect and its own proud heritage. Students took away many personal memories and experiences that will influence their lives now and in the future. Not only do you experience the gift of travel while on tour, but it offers an opportunity to learn about one’s self in news ways and through a variety of lenses.”
The teenage travelers were amazed by what they came across in the foreign towns and cities. “This trip showed me how amazing these different cultures are,” Ms. Lawrence said. “It has given me the opportunity to go places I’ve always wanted to go to and it has inspired me to come back to these beautiful countries in the future.”
The Huntington group began its journey with a two day stay in Barcelona, where students had an opportunity to take a walking tour of the city, spend time at the beach, experience the famous Gaudi Park and Gaudi Cathedral and enjoy terrific views on the Montjuic funicular railway car. The travelers then boarded a flight to Milan where the teenagers enjoyed browsing through some of the world’s premiere fashion stores, sampled local delicacies and spent time at the historic Duomo di Milano Cathedral, which took almost 600 years to complete.
The group then traveled by bus to stunning Lake Como. “Boat tours of the lake and lunch in the square were some of the ways students took in the beauty of this area,” Mr. Bruckbauer said. “We then spent the next two days on the Italian Riviera. From our hotel in Lavagna, we took a train to explore Cinque Terre in its full splendor. From the warm people, gorgeous beaches and fabulous food, students were amazed the world could offer such wonder.”
The final segment of the trip featured an afternoon in Monte Carlo and two days in Nice on the French Riviera. “Our group took a guided bike tour of this famous city and spent an afternoon swimming in the Mediterranean Sea on some of the world’s most beautiful beaches,” Mr. Bruckbauer said. “This was a great trip that forged new friendships and memories to last for years.”
The teenagers on the trip marveled at the remarkable sights. “I really enjoyed looking out on all of the beautiful views, especially Cinque Terre and Lake Como and on the cable car above Barcelona and realizing how my problems and I are compared to the vastness of the world,” Ms. Kopstein said. “There’s so much beauty in the world that I have yet to see.”
After traveling to Europe and thoroughly enjoying her time there, Ms. DeGennaro concluded that a person should “take any opportunity to explore and experience things you might never be able to again.”
The Huntington teenagers found much to be amazed by over the course of the journey. “I loved the ride in the funicular railway up the mountain in Lake Como,” Mr. Gress said. “It was like a whole different world up the mountain. You would not experience that way of life anywhere else. Unbelievable”
The trip left each member of the traveling party looking forward to their next opportunity to explore a new land.