By Raci Levine
Executive Features Editor
Mustangs got to see more of the world over mid-winter break as they traveled throughout Europe.
The trip began with a flight from LAX on Feb. 17. English teacher Taylor Dibernardo planned the whole trip and has hoped to go for years. The Mustangs’ itinerary began in London, then Paris, Milan, Florence and Rome. The group returned home on Feb. 26.
“I actually started planning this trip in 2019 when I was still working at MBMS (Manhattan Beach Middle School), but due to the pandemic, it was postponed until now,” said DiBernardo. “A teacher friend of mine posted on Facebook about a travel company called EF (Education First), and I wanted to check it out.”
The group used multiple types of transportation in order to travel through Europe, including buses, trains, and planes. According to DiBernardo, she loved using the Eurostar, which took the travelers through an underwater tunnel from London to Paris.
“This trip had it all: flights, buses, train, and a boat ride!” said teacher Maddie Hutchinson. “I really enjoyed the train from England to Paris and the river ride to see the Eiffel Tower at night.”
While on their trip, the group visited a variety of buildings and artifacts that correlate to parts of history taught at Costa. They were able to see monuments like the Sistine Chapel, the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, David’s sculpture, the castle of Versailles, the Tower of London, Big Ben, and the Colosseum. According to Junior Caroline Hellie, she saw buildings and paintings they have discussed in her classes, including AP European History and advanced English 10.
“I learned so much through actually getting to experience new places and seeing it for myself,” said Hellie. “I learned about ‘Canterbury Tales,’ which I read last year in advanced English 10 with Ms. Valbuena. I learned about King Louis XVI, who Mr. Kofahl taught me about last year in AP Euro. I could feel the energy of history everywhere I went.”
A typical day in Europe for the group began at 8 a.m., where the group attended breakfast at the hotel. From there, they would go into their tour bus, where they would learn about the historical backgrounds of the variety of artifacts and buildings they would visit that day. They continued their day with a group activity, lunch, then free time to explore the city.
“I loved experiencing different countries’ history, food, culture, and architecture,” said junior Sophia Delino. “My least favorite thing was probably how we only had limited time and nights in certain places because we only had a week.”
According to staff and students on the trip, Florence and Paris were their favorite places to travel, as they were enriched with culture and history. In Florence, they did a walking tour and went to a leather factory called Lenoardo’s to learn about the origins of leather. In Rome, they did a Tiramisu cooking class and visited the Trevi Fountain.
“I really loved all our destinations, but I’d say Italy was my favorite. I fell in love with Florence and will absolutely return there,” said Hutchinson. “I also adore Rome and seeing different ancient ruins around every corner. The food is delicious, the people are incredibly friendly, and I cannot wait to go back and spend more time there.”
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