All around Carpi!

I am amazed at the beauty that not only Carpi possesses but also the areas around Carpi. At the end of last week I had the opportunity to go to the Safari Zoo in Pastrengo, Gardaland near Verona and a beach in Tuscany. The zoo was unlike anything I had ever seen before! My classroom went as a field trip and I was an extra person to watch the students, however I was as amazed and memorized as the kids were. Unlike every zoo I have been to, driving into the zoo was like a true safari, the animals were running in front of the bus and roaming around together freely. It was truly an experience I was lucky to have because I got to see various types of animals I had never seen before in an environment as close to natural as possible. The drive to get the the Zoo was also very beautiful and I was able to see many different types of houses and a glimpse into what Verona looks like. Gardaland, which is the equivalent of our Six Flags was an adventure even without going on any rides. For the most part things were exactly the same except both much more relaxed. Small differences like people jumping the rope lines and smoking in line and changing in the middle of everyone were just a few things I noticed right off the bat. The most efficient thing however was the line management system. At the front of every line there was a automated screen that said how many people could go on the ride at that time and then allowed that many people through the gate. So simple, yet so smart! Tuscany was an entirely different world. I have never been in a more beautiful place. Spending the day at the beach bartering with people selling necklaces and books along the shoreline and then walking along the beach during sunset, I saw a completely different part of Italy that was only 2 hours from the place I had been the past two weeks. The types of houses, the businesses and the people were all amazing and I hope to one day get the chance to spend more than just a day there.