Kamehameha Schools Maui students departed for ten days in Europe, on Monday, March 12. Their schedule was full of sightseeing and experiencing what traveling abroad has to offer. Observing different cultures, trying new foods and learning about historical monuments were on the students’ agendas as they traveled through Switzerland and Italy.

“My favorite part of the trip was seeing all of the historical monuments we learned about in World History class, the gondola rides and bus rides. It was definitely something I will remember for the rest of my life,” junior Alyssa McAlinden said.

Students arrived in Los Angeles, California, on the morning of March 13. They took a tour through Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Venice Beach during their six-hour layover in California.

Then, after a ten-hour flight to Amsterdam, a six-hour layover, and a two-hour flight, they finally arrived at their destination — Zurich, Switzerland.

The students stayed in Switzerland for two days while visiting the town of Lucerne. Some students took an optional tour up to Mount Pilatus to view the town of Lucerne and more of Switzerland.

On March 16, the group traveled to Italy by bus. They took a lake cruise in the Italian Lakes region and enjoyed their first Italian meal near Como Lake.

The next day, students traveled to Venice, Italy, and took a guided tour. They visited St. Mark’s Square, the Grand Canal and the Doge’s Palace and watched a glass-blowing demonstration on a nearby island. The group also took gondola rides through the canals of Venice.

On the sixth and seventh days of their trip, students toured Florence. They took tours to the Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio and the Duomo. They also got to watch a leather-making demonstration, shop for souvenirs and enjoy gelato.

On March 20, they continued their travels to their last destination in Europe. Students traveled by bus from the city of Florence to a quick stop in Assisi to visit the Basilica of St. Francis and eat lunch. At the end of the day, the group reached Rome.

Their last day was nonstop and full of sightseeing in the city of Rome. Students visited historical monuments such as the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine and the Pantheon. They took a guided tour of Vatican City and visited the Sistine Chapel (where Michelangelo’s greatest works are) and St. Peter’s Basilica (the largest church in the world). They ate their last meal at a small restaurant in the city.

The group enjoyed their last night in Europe by taking a guided tour through the city of Rome at night as the street lights illuminated the cobblestone roads. They visited the Trevi Fountain and made wishes by throwing coins over their shoulders into the water.

“My favorite part was the food…it was different from the foods we have here on Maui. Also, the historical monuments we went to were very beautiful, and learning the history about it was incredible!” junior Jacilyn Lum Lung said.

The journey back to Maui took almost 24 hours and the students, along with the chaperones, had many stories to bring home from a country far away.