From Florence we hopped on the local train to Lucca, where a private car met us and transferred us to the private villa that would be home for the next week. As usual, the RPI weather gods were smiling on our group, and we had hardly any rain to spoil a perfect week.

Without question the highlight of this fantastic trip were the cooking lessons: from the very first morning when we all put on our red and white Rensselaer Alumni Association aprons, the kitchen was the hub of our activities. Whether it was making pasta, brownies, salads, or sauces – all from scratch, with ultra-fresh ingredients – or preparing shrimp, fish, or pork, everyone quite literally “got their hands dirty.” The pictures tell a good part of the story, but they cannot convey the pure fun that everyone had.

And all the excursions were simply wonderful.  Again – the pictures cannot do justice to all the sights that we encountered, from the fabled Leaning Tower of Pisa, to the ancient walled city of Siena, the Etruscan pre-Roman town of Volterra, the magic five towns that comprise the Cinque Terre, and the very upscale city of Lucca, every day was a treat.

Finally, before we packed our bags and began to head home, we all participated in our very own bocce ball tournament, which produced endless rounds of amusement and laughter, and a mixed doubles championship team that included none other than our own Mike Wellner!