Wallace State Organizes Trip to Italy for May 2013

HANCEVILLE, AL– Wallace State Community College in Hanceville and The Evelyn Burrow Museum are planning a trip to Italy May 16-25, 2013, which is open to students and members of the community.

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Wallace State group takes a gondola ride during 2008 visit to Italy, which with approximately 40 participants, was the college’s largest tour to date.

The 10-day itinerary will include visits to Venice, Florence, Assisi, Rome, the Sorrento region and Pompeii with optional excursions to Pisa and Capri. Among the many attractions participants will visit are St. Mark’s Square, the Grand Canal and the Doges’ Palace in Venice; the Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, Chiesa di Santa Croce, and Gates of Paradise in Florence; the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi; and the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, Roman Forum, Piazza Venezia, Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain in Rome.
The cost of the trip ranges from $3,500, and includes roundtrip airfare from Birmingham, eight overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms, breakfast daily and five local dinners, a full-time bilingual local guide, ground transportation, guided tours, and admission costs for included attractions. Tour arrangements will be made through educational tour provider EF Tours. Monthly payment plans are available for those who want to take advantage of them.
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Map of Tour of Italy Destinations

 Itinerary:
Day 1: Fly overnight to Italy
Day 2: Arrive Milan, travel to Venice
Day 3: Venice – A guided tour of Venice. Visit to St. Mark’s Square, the Grand Canal, Doge’s Palace. See a glass-blowing demonstration.
Day 4: Travel to Florence
Day 5: Florence – A guided tour of Florence, including Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, Chiesa di Santa Croce, Gates of Paradise. Visit to the Duomo. See a leather-making demonstration. Optional excursion to Pisa: On this half-day excursion, participants will enjoy a guided tour of the city’s Field of Miracles, with a view of the 12th-century Leaning Tower, aslant ever since the third floor was built. This is where Galileo was said to have developed his laws of gravity. Also visit the adjacent cathedral and baptistery, which contain exquisite marble pulpits carved in the Gothic style.
Day 6: Assisi – Travel to Assisi and take a guided tour. Visit to the Basilica of St. Francis.
Day 7: Pompeii, Sorrento region – Travel to Pompeii and take a guided tour. Visit to the Roman ruins. Trip continues on to the Sorrento region.
Day 8: Sorrento region, Rome. Optional excursion to Capri: Enjoy stunning views of the Amalfi coastline on a ferry across the Bay of Naples to Capri, where a guided tour will introduce the group to the island’s timeless charm. Then, enjoy free time before taking in Capris spectacular coast by boat. Note: If weather conditions do not permit a cruise, participants will explore the towns of Capri and Anacapri with a guide before traveling with group to Rome.
Day 9: Rome – A guided tour of Vatican City, including a visit to the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. A guided tour of Rome with visits to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, followed by free time for visiting the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and Spanish Steps and other sites.
Day 10: Depart for home
Enrollment may be done online at eftours.com or by calling 800.873.2250 and referencing tour 1198178.
Wallace State’s 2014 trip is planned for China. Details and enrollment information for that tour as well as for the Italy trip are available at www.wallacestate.edu/abroad.
For more information, contact Kristen Holmes at 256.352.8118 or email kristen.holmes@wallacestate.edu.
This is Wallace State’s eighth annual educational tour abroad, pending approval by the State Board of Education. Previous tours visited Paris and Barcelona, England and Scotland, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Germany and the Alps, and France.
Pictures Colour Library
Colosseum in Rome

______________________________
Kristen Holmes
Director, Communications & Marketing
Wallace State Community College
P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville, AL 35077
1-866-350-9722 256-352-8118 direct
256-352-8314 fax 256-339-2519 cell
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu