Choristers Tour to Tuscany 2025, by Serena (Y8)
The choir tour began with the group checking in at London Gatwick Airport before boarding our flight to Pisa. Before boarding, we had some free time shopping and taking group photos. The flight wasn’t too long and many enjoyed having time to chat and sleep.
Upon arrival at Pisa International Airport, we collected our luggage and met our coach driver, Lorenzo. The group then traveled to Hotel Nuovo Savi in Montecatini-Terme, where we checked in, had our first evening meal, and held a short rehearsal using the hotel’s piano. The rest of the evening was spent unpacking and chilling.
On Wednesday, after an early breakfast and collecting packed lunches, we departed for Pisa. We arrived and visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa and took some great photos. We then had the amazing opportunity to go up the 252 step of the leaning tower itself! Following this, we went back the way we came and each had 10 euros to spend in the local market, despite the fact it had started to pour with rain! We returned to the coach and continued our journey to Lucca.
Upon arrival, we dropped our things in our first venue Basilica di San Paolino before heading out for an ice cream and shopping in the local area. After we explored the city we gathered back at Basilica di San Paolino for an afternoon rehearsal. At 5:00 PM, the choir performed our first concert of the tour in the historic church. It was very successful and we had our largest audience of the tour. Afterward, they walked a short distance to La Corte Dei Limoni, where they enjoyed an amazing pizza each with chips too, followed by a delicious dessert of panna cotta. The evening ended with us returning to the hotel for bed.
On Thursday, the choir departed early for Florence, dressed in our concert attire. When we arrived, we walked to Chiesa di San Salvatore in Ognissanti, ready for our second concert of the tour. The church itself had an absolutely staggering interior, and we felt honoured to perform in such a space. We set up and rehearsed before our mid-morning concert. After the performance, we roamed Florence and ate at a pizzeria right next to the Florence Duomo. The cathedral itself was stunning and we were all struck dumb by its beauty. We then walked to the renowned Uffizi Galleries and enjoyed looking at the amazing artworks inside, including the original works of masters like Raffaelo and Leonardo de Vinci.
Later in the afternoon, we traveled to Empoli, where we performed our final concert at Collegiata Sant’Andrea. We felt it was our most successful concert, despite the small numbers. The concert concluded at 6:45 PM, and the group returned to the hotel for a well-earned dinner and a relaxed evening. As we left we felt we had accomplished some amazing concerts and finished with a bang!
On Friday, our group had breakfast, checked out of the hotel, and spent our final morning enjoying free time in Montecatini-Terme. We had another pizza in the town for lunch before returning to the hotel to collect our luggage. We boarded the coach to Pisa International Airport and had some time to roam the airport one last time. We arrived home in the evening (after a stop for KFC!), marking the end of a memorable and musically enriching tour.
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