It is finally time to end our first travel trip of the semester. It has been a busy two weeks and such a fantastic time. This next trip from Marseille to Riva San Vitale will be the longest so far with Google Maps giving a six hour estimate without any stops. So at just a quarter past 8am we were off.
After about two hours on the road we stopped at a monastery called Le Thoronet Abbey. Most of us were still tired and a bit groggy and had absolutely no idea where we were. Hans gave us two hours to explore the grounds. Construction dates back to 1176. It is a very uniform style of architecture and austere. It is clean in the sense there is nothing luxurious or superfluous present. It was interesting to see but probably could have done without the stop.
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| Interior of main church |
We were on the road again shortly after noon. Even though it was a long drive it was the most beautiful drive that I have ever experienced. We drove along the coast in the South of France and then into the southwest of Italy. Most of the highway was elevated and went through many different tunnels. The mountains met the sea and created beautiful vistas all along the route. I was completely blown away many times along the way. We even passed by Monaco and saw it perched at the base of a mountain opening up to the sea. Following a couple stops for lunch and bathroom breaks and at the Italian-Swiss border we were finally in Riva San Vitale at about 8pm. Now was time to eat dinner, move in, and relax.
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| One of many picturesque views |
After a restful night and not having to set an alarm clock and not having to be anywhere it was time to explore my new home. Following brunch and a quick trip to the ATM I was ready to set off. Everyone had already left so I wandered around on my own a bit. It was some type of holiday in Riva so there was a market set up along the main street right outside the Villa Maderni where I am living. It was interesting to walk down and see almost the whole town there. I went to Lake Lugano which is only about a five minute walk away. This area is so beautiful and I'm gonna love living here. Today, Monday February 1, Hans gave us the day off to get everything together so Tuesday we start studio and get into a routine. My blog posts will be a lot less frequent and I'll probably only post if something interesting comes up. Look for more updates in the future!
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| Villa Maderni |
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| View out of the third floor window |
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| Lake Lugano |
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