We had our last excursion this week and it was by far my favorite. We visited a little village called Loreto where we saw a massive cathedral.

The Church in Loreto

We also went to a town called Sirolo where we saw a gorgeous beach out by a cliff (just like one of the ones I was wanting to see). The edges of the cliff were white and were surrounded by a vibrant blue-green water, and the structures around the beach were just as colorful. I wish we knew of this beach sooner because we may have frequented it more.

The beach at Sirolo

The last stop on our excursion was Grotte di Frasassi where we visited caves. These caves were amazing and it was about 60 degrees Fahrenheit in them which felt marvelous after all the heat we have been having in Italy. Actually during this last week the weather has been the same as Africa and with the humidity along with the heat it is impossible to have dry clothes (meaning you are constantly sweating).

We had another wine tasting which was fun. We finished up all of our artwork and had to prepare it for an exhibit as well as having our Italian exam.

My final art board at the exhibit

We also had our farewell dinner and farewells to everyone slowly day by day. It is so sad because I have become attached to everyone here just in time to leave. We check out of our apartment today and start our journey home.

-Jolene Johnson