I learned that I will break out in a rash when I roll in hay. I found out that not all sunflowers lean towards the sun. I realized that sandals are not good walking shoes and can create enormous blisters. I noticed that heavy advertisement of an opera does not necessarily mean that the area of the performance is heavily populated. And I discovered that the most vivid memories are those that are unplanned, spent with people you love, and filled with the spirit of adventure.
The best weekend ever started on a Thursday. Taylor had mentioned his improbable desire to see an opera at some point in Italy. He had picked up a flyer that announced the events for the opera festival in Firenze, but we only had 1 day left before the end of our 3-week camp in Sesto. About 30 minutes later we found out that Taylor and Franzi (who were being sent to a camp in Crema) weren't leaving until Sunday -- Saturday is the usual ACLE travel day. We all decided right then that we would go see Don Giovanni on Saturday night as our last hoorah together.
We immediately went on the school's slow-paced internet and booked 4 tickets for Saturday's show using my credit card (Surprise, Dad!). The other 3 went out to start the water games with the campers while I printed off our tickets. I brought them outside to show that were were successful, when we realized that we should check where in Florence the play was being held. We asked Felicia, one of the camp's assistants, and she said that the play wasn't in Firenze at all! San Galgano was at least a 2 1/2 hr drive down South by car. The tutors started talking about what to do since the show was clearly not as close as we imagined and we had no way of getting there and back. Felicia said, "Oh no! You bought the tickets already!?" Cue panic mode. Felicia grabbed the tickets and tried for hours on end to have the box office cancel our tickets. But seeing as we are in Italy, canceling is impossible even if we had booked only 10 minutes before.
We began discussing what to do since we were all now 55 euro into the situation. We contemplated changing the date, selling to the campers' parents, or buying another ticket just to have someone drive us. All fell through, so we decided to talk it over during the group dinner that night.
We were sitting in the car at a gas station waiting for Elisabetta to come with Franzi. Taylor and I were in one car, Gabby in another. Taylor and I were saying how much we still wanted to go, but were afraid that Gabby and Franzi wouldn't want to spend more money to get ourselves down there and stay overnight. Right then, Gabrielle popped her head in the car window. The exhausted, befuddled, gung-ho look on her face was priceless. "You know what guys, let's just do it." And so it was decided.
The camp directors were such a big help planning everything. They told us which buses to take, found us a hostel in Siena, and got us a taxi ride after the show for 70 euro to take us 35 km to Siena. But as my intro paragraph might have foreshadowed, not everything went according to plan. But that made the experience 10x better.
Now on to trip! Saturday morning, woke up early to meet Taylor at his house at 8am. Got a ride to the Sesto train station from his host dad. Waited for Gabby and Franzi to arrive. Had to purchase tickets in the tabacchi because the machines didn't accept coins. Had to run to the train because we were short on time. Made it to the platform right as our train was stopping. First train: Check. Made it to Florence where we then had to walk to the bus station. Purchased tickets to and from Siena. Bus was crowded so we had to sit separately. To Siena: Check. From there we had to get to our hostel. Forgot to ask the bus driver to drop us off on our road, so we had to purchase more tickets to take us a few kilometers back. I bought a map. We also bought our tickets to San Galgano. Found the bus and made it to the hostel: Check. Now that we were at the hostel, we had to book our rooms. I forgot my passport, but luckily he accepted my driver's license. He laughed at me when I tried to give him my credit card as a second form of identification. We got 2 rooms next to each other for 20 euro a piece. Luggage drop-off: Check.
Next we had to catch the bus to San Galgano. Had to call a taxi to take us to the next bus station. Taxi came on time: Check. Found the correct bus: Check. Got everyone on the bus: Check. Got off at the correct stop: ...not so much.
We made it to our first stop - everything going according to plan. Until...We were speeding up the mountain and arrived at the stop at least 15 minutes ahead of schedule, so we didn't think it could be our stop. You would think that the bus driver would mention to us that the deserted patch of dirt was our stop, especially since we were about the only ones on the bus. But nope. Completely passed right by it.
At the next stop we asked him where San Galgano was, and he said it was at least 5 km back down the mountain. Could he turn around to drive us back? No. Alright, guess we're walking. We had no food with us and only a 1/2 liter of orange Fanta when we began trecking. We were in some town called Frassini, and there was literally nothing around. Except mountains and haystacks, which we did end up taking pictures with. (Plus I lost an earring in the haystack and got rashes all up and down my legs).
We came to a small house with a water spicket, so we refilled our bottles at least 2-3 times.
Ignoring the fact that we were stranded in the middle of nowhere Tuscany without food or water, it was one of the best experiences of my life. This is the type of thing that only happens in movies. It was completely unexpected and had the most perfect walking distance, weather, and group of friends. It's so hard to explain how I was feeling, except that this day was utter, pure, and genuine happiness.
Once we spotted the roofless church, there was quite a celebration. We came to the first and only restaurant in the town, restocked on water food, and ate the most delicious iced lollies in existance (which surprisingly were made by Nestle). Taylor and I toured the Church while the other 2 slept on a picnic bench. Then we went to see the sword in the stone at the top of the hill (Yes, the Sword in the Stone from the story of King Arthur). Got changed in the only restroom in the restaurant, aggrivating lots of people who came to see the opera. I got some bruschetta, we shared a bbottle of wine, and picnicked in the grass in front of the sunflowers.
San Galgano Church 
The opera itself was wonderful. I was just so exhausted from the week of work and the full day of traveling that I found it a little difficult to stay focused.
We ended up having a bit of trouble with the taxi service that Felicia booked for us, but Andrea, this wonderful man who worked in the restaurant (our "angel in white") took the phone and eventually had a taxi service agree to escort us back to the hostel.
So at the end of the , we made it to all of our destinations. A few road blocks, but they resulted in some of the best memories of my life. I think that Taylor said it best, "We are bonded for the rest of our lives. I hope you know that."
--You know how everyone always says that a trip like this is a chance of a lifetime? Well ours far surpassed those expectations beyond anything immaginable. Ka-ching.
Hahaha... "Spicket!"
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