The best experiences for travelers occur when they can embed themselves in the heart of a community, not in an isolated “tourist bubble.” Learning the name of the baker at the local pasticceria, finding your favorite spot for a capucchino and greeting the barista on a daily basis, and seeing familiar faces on the street as you become a temporary neighbor are all priceless experiences and enhance your appreciation for the place you will be calling “home.”
In that spirit, this seminar will be prmarily based in the city of Florence and we are in bringing the program back to a travelers hostel located in the Santa Spirito neighborhood in the area known as the Oltrarno (south of the Arno river). Because the trip is occuring at peak travel season, it is our goal to find the best value accommodations in order to maximize our opportunities to plan more activities.
The hostel is the site of a former Carmelite convent built in the 13th century. A fire destroyed most of the original building in the late 18th century. In 2000, the year of then Pope John Paul’s jubilee, the building was restored and became the nexus of a new type of tourism. From April through November, the hostel provides accommodations for groups and individudal travelers to Florence. Through the cold winter months, the proceeds raised through tourism are used to house the homeless.
Participants in this seminar can rest assured that their “tourist dollars” are being directed toward a valuable social service and, in at least one small way, they are leaving their host city a better place for the less fortunate who call Florence their home.
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