Dear Reader,
This will be our last blog on this website.
Starting in the Second Semester, the blog will appear on our new website found at http://www.canadiancollegeitaly.com. Just click on the Quick Links tab and you will find it.
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As a Canadian, one has a traditional view of Christmas which for the most part involves snow and the innate desire for a white Christmas.
Lanciano started anticipating the Christmas season with the installation of the lights along the Corso...
and mulled wine prepared for the townsfolk.
Soon there were plenty of signs of Christmas around town.
But oranges could still be found on trees!
One of the Christmas traditions here in Italy is the display of Nativity Scenes. There are competitions held all over Italy as people build these scenes depicting Christ’s birth. In Lanciano, it is no different. Viewing the display entitled “Riscopriamo il Presepe” (Let’s Rediscover the Nativity) would put anyone in the Christmas spirit.
and modern ones.
Some created theirs using unconventional containers like baskets, pots and barrels.
While some used unconventional materials like pasta, shells, metal or wood.
The children of Lanciano created theirs at school and submitted them to the display.
One of them used a recycling motif.
But still there was no sign of snow and I was beginning to think that we were going to see a green Italian Christmas. How naive I was! The snow arrived that night.
It blanketed the town...
The trees...
The valley...
Up to the mountains...
and all the way to the Adriatic Sea.
Of course, the dreaded Christmas exams carried on all week in spite of the snow.
The week ended with the students packing to go home and loading the truck and bus with their luggage for the trek to the airport. We enjoyed a Christmas dinner before starting our journeys home for the holidays. which turned out to be more of an adventure than anticipated.
During the evening, we started receiving reports that the highway to Rome was closed due to weather conditions. Later on it was reported that the highway was closed only to transport trucks. We set out at midnight for Rome. On arrival, we were told that Old Man Winter had been playing havoc with some European airports and disrupting some flights to North America. Some of students and teachers had to remain at an airport hotel until their flights were scheduled to leave. It made for a longer journey than desired.
On behalf of the students, Faculty and Staff thank you for sending your children to us. We wish you all a Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas to all
And to all, a Good Night
