Gran Sasso

Our trip to Gran Sasso began with a chaotic journey from Rome to Assergi. It started bydragging our suitcases across the cobblestone streets of Rome, deciphering which bus tickets to purchase and taking a double decker bus to L'Acquila, but the fun began when we found ourselves piling onto a small fourteen passenger bus. It had no place for our numerous suitcases, and so we were forced to layer ourselves amongst our luggage like lasagna. This in itself was troublesome, seeing as we were sandwiched in our seats, but then more people began squeezing.on with us. Leaving the station, we had at least fifteen people plus ten full-sized suitcases, and as we progressed, we stopped to gather even more. When we finally reached our destination, Hotel Giampy, we must have looked like clowns piling out of a small car. 

The view was the first thing to strike everyone. Cameras flashing, we made it our mission to capture every detail of the cottony clouds hovering over the rolling green slopes of Gran Sasso. Hotel Giampy was of course the next thing for us to notice, and it was just as incredible even though it was not much to look at from the outside. The inside was just like home, with friendly service and a warm interior. Every morning we were greeted with chocolate crescents and cappuccinos, and of course we had a fantastic view of the mountains. 

It was about a 2 kilometers to the lab, and so we decided to walk everyday instead of riding the bus. (to the relief of the bus driver I am sure) We also spent the majority of our free time exploring the town of Assergi. The town is centered around the ruins of an old castle, and thus many of the buildings remained from around the 16th century. 

When at the lab, we continued to learn about particle physics. Specifically, we had lectures on LUNA, Borexino and the Dark Side. Overall, I'd call the trip a fantastic experience in which we learned a lot and made a lot of great memories.  

-Rashyll Leonard, Montrose, CO and Rapid City, SD