The first day of such an incredible trip like this is always exciting and exhausting. New friends and new experiences filled the day as we all met each other in the airport. We got through security extremely smoothly (for having a group of 44 teenagers with us) and left on our journey at 7:15 pm. 8 hours later, we were finally standing (although after an 8 hour trip some of us were barely standing) on Italian soil! We got ALL of our bags...a true summer miracle...and acquainted ourselves with the bus we would get to know quite well over the next week. We drove a few miles into the heart of Milan and stopped for a walking tour through the fashion capital of the world. Not only did we see the Prada and Louis Vouitton stores that Milan is quite well known for, but we also walked past beautiful fountains and breathtaking castles (see photo gallery). Yep. This is definitely Europe. We found out that Milan has the second largest Jewish population in Italy and had lunch at the beautiful kosher restaurant that proved it. The restaurant served us 3 lovely courses and sent us on our way. After hopping back in the bus and driving for 3 hours, we finally arrived in the enchanting city of Venice, the home of Europe's first ghetto. Since Venice is unable to be reached by car, we took a train from the bus to the center of the city. After we arrived, tired and hungry, we got our first taste of Italian pizza by the Venetian canal. Delicioso! Finally, at the end of a long day, we took a nice long shloof to get ready for the days ahead.