The Next Adventure

So, I would be well on my way to planning the 2014 trip if it weren't for my real life. Time to push through and get going. I've asked Dean Collett for a list of his top 10 favorite cities to visit and the top three things to see in each of those cities. With all of his experience I figure that will be a great place to start. I really wish he were traveling with us. There is no one more positive and fun to have around, he sings silly songs and tells stupid jokes. You just have to be happy when you're with him. I'm lucky he gave me this gift of his Highland Europe Trip. I learned from the best.

HOME!

Travel home went smoothly. We heard rumors about a problem at JFK but it didn't affect us at all. It was so great to see everyone at the airport. Thanks so much for the warm welcome home! Thanks also for all the support over the past year. We had a great time and the kids were fantastic. Now we look forward to a 'reunion' sometime in the near future!

The Last Day....

We met at 9am to get everyone on the same page before we all took off to do our own thing. The kids had a great time exploring and finishing up their shopping. Many wished we had one more day in London. In a way I agree. There is so much to see and do in this city. As much as I've loved traveling with this group however, I'm ready to come home.

As we met for dinner we all had a good laugh. The guys had obviously shopped with a plan today and all came dressed in matching outfits. They got lots of comments though the course of the evening. At dinner we took a minute to thank our tour director, Arnoud. He has done such a great job for us. The kids will never know how many problems he solved before they ever knew they existed. Arnoud deserves a medal!

After dinner we went to see Wicked. Some were very familiar with the story and for others it was their first time seeing the play. It was a great production, well cast and performed. Elphaba was fantastic!

We're all back safely in the hotel trying to figure out how to get everything home. We are up and headed to the airport first thing tomorrow!

It's always rainy in london!

This morning was our city tour with a blue badge guide. It turned out to be a tricky proposition since the London 10K was being run and many of the streets we needed to travel were closed. Our guide, Richard, did a great job of navigating around to some different sites and had lots of interesting facts about seemingly everything we drove past. We took a group photo near the Albert memorial and then we dropped about half the group off in the area so they could go to church. The rest continued on to the British museum where we concluded our tour.

The museum had the medals for the upcoming Olympics on display along with the usual outstanding exhibits. This museum is the home of the Rosetta Stone, one of the largest mummy collections outside of Egypt and the 'Elgin' marbles. These are the carvings that were on top of the Parthenon and brought to England. It's interesting to think we've come full circle - from the ruins of Greece to the ruins of Greece.

After the tour was free time. Some went out to Wimbledon, others chose another museum and again with the shopping. We met early for dinner and had a very traditional 'bangers and mash' sausages and mashed potatoes in a pub while we watched the men's tennis finals at Wimbledon. The locals were very invested since a Brit was playing. It's always fun to be part of the local culture.

Where Are the Fish?

Off to London. It was definitely a "Murphy's Law" day. We had to leave by 6:15 to catch our train. At 6:30 we are still waiting to load the bus. Two busses in front of the hotel, no clue which is ours, no tour director. Arnoud did not receive his wake up call from the front desk. Neither, we discover, did Clara and Sarah P. Those girls are amazing packed up and down to the bus in 5 minutes. Unfortunatly that led to the next trauma. Art left at the hotel. The bus driver was a magician, got us back to the hotel and to the station just in time.

The Eurostar is an interesting train. You'd never know you're going as fast as you are. Almost 200 MPH! The scenery flies by but is still pretty, you just learn to look to the distance so you can focus. The chunnel is just a dark tunnel and most of the kids were asleep so no one really noticed. We did have a discussion with a few however, that they should paint fish on the sides of the tube to make it look like you're traveling under water.

There was a weird unsheduled stop while on the train and then another mix up with the bus so we missed our guided tour of Westminster Abbey but we'll try to reschedule for Monday. We went to the Tower of London and turned the kids loose. It's always been a great site to visit but it was all cleaned up and had new exhibits in honor of the Queen's Jubilee (and for the Olympic crowd.

Then it was off to the Marlbarough Pub for fish and chips. Even some of the kids who swear they hate fish ate & enjoyed. A few took off for Phantom of the Opera and the rest took to the town. All are home safe and sound.

Free Day

Internet wasn't working very well last night and we're off in a few to London so this post has to be fast.

It was our free day today. Most of the kids made lots of really good plans. First thing we met, wished Whitney W. a happy birthday and got our meeting time and place for dinner. Then the kids took off. Places to visit foday were Fragonards perfume factory, the d'Orsay Museum, the Pompidou, Tullieries, and of course shopping.

We met at the base of the Sacre Cour and as we were waiting for the entire group to arrive the rain hit. Whoever said Paris in the rain is romantic was crazy. It was a deluge. The kids were drenched.

After dinner about half the group came home and the other half to the carnival in the Tullieries. They chose not to do EuroDisney so wanted to go on a few of the rides. Off to Lond

on!

Louvre

This morning's excursion was to the Louvre. It was also our first excursion all together on the metro. It's an interesting process to try and get 40 people on the same car going the same way on a busy Paris line but we made it.

Everyone went to see the Mona Lisa and some of the other significant pieces but then took their own path and own time through the museum. Some were finished quickly and others spent hours there. Then everyone had free time and did their own thing. Many went to the Musee d'Orsay, some to Notre Dame, other interesting spots and of course shopping.

It started raining in the afternoon so we had to change our plans a bit for the evening. The original idea was Mont Martre to see the street artists but they wouldn't have been out in the weather so we walked the Champs Elysee and then did an evening Seine River cruise. Its a beautiful city with all the lights.

Remember - Arnoud also posts pictures everyday we have internet. Check them out at http://www.explorica.com/Tour-Diaries/Tour-Diary.aspx?code=YDAvo1jBlFrmqD20AbMdfw%3d%3d&diaryDate=07/02/2012&imageNum=2

Sun King and Crepes!

Its a beautiful day in Paris! We headed out early, by bus, to Versailles Palace. Two great tour guides took us through the palace's main rooms to see the King and Queen's apartments, the incredible Hall of Mirrors and the gigantic ceiling and wall paintings. In the last two years they have re-guilded the front gates which practically make it glow like the "Sun King"'s palace should! After the tour we headed out the the gardens for free time until dinner back in Paris. The kids split up to various activities including rowing on the Grand Canal, biking through the gardens or visiting Marie Antoinette's hamlet.

Different groups returned from Versailles via the RER train, at various times to see Notre Dame, and wander the streets of Paris. Our meeting place for dinner was in front of Notre Dame. It was great to have everyone together to share their afternoon experiences. Dinner took us to a delicious creperie. We had savory crepes for dinner and dark chocolate crepes for dessert.

Dinner ended at about 7:30pm -- dinner is always early in Paris! So that makes for a great free night in Paris!

To Paris!

Sorry, we had a super long day. Left the hotel at 8 am and got into the hotel at 11pm. I'll do a super brief blog now so you know we're OK and come back and edit later. We drove to Paris and dropped our bags in a locked room at the hotel then headed into the city. Our city guide, Janice, was a comedian - so funny! She did a great job and taught us so much about the city. After dinner we went to the Eiffel Tower and those that wanted to take the lift stood in line forever. The smart ones took the stairs. We're off this morning for Versailles. I'll update you all later!

Where are we Today?

This series of travel, tour, hotel, then rise and repeat has been a bit difficult. It's getting hard remember room numbers night after night. We're looking forward to the next two cities when we have time to settle a little bit.

We had the best breakfast today, they even had a waffle maker! It was nice to start a little later with happy tummies. The drive to Brussels only took about 2 hours and we were happy to get off the bus so soon. We walked to the main square Grande Place surrounded by the guild halls which were leafed in gold. It was beautiful! After that we headed to the most famous place in Brussels, the statue Mannekin Pis, which is basically a little boy peeing. Most people fail to see why it is so famous but many, many people always surround it (often dressing the statue in little outfits).

Following this everyone had free time for about five hours to wander the city and find lace and chocolate. Belgium is famous for its awesome waffles -- and many of us indulged in hot waffles covered with cream, sugar, Nutella, bananas, strawberries....YUM! After free time we went to dinner at a restaurant outside the city and finally to the hotel right across the street from the Atominum (a cool structure built for the World Expo in the 1950s).

Another day has flown past! We are off to Paris tomorrow!!

Cruisin' on a Sunday Afternoon

Well, it was actually cruisin' on a Sunday morning. We left our hotel a little late. The fuse that works the compressor that unlocks the cargo hold on the bus was not working so we had to figure out an alternate plan today. We ended up loading all the luggage on the last few rows of seats on the bus and then crammed everyone in on the remaining seats. It' a good thing we aren't driving all the way to Koln today. (Good thing Stephen took off today to hit the race track, on less body to fit!)

The cruise up the Rhine River was really pleasant. The scenery was spectacular. Green valleys and mountains. Vineyards all along the way. All the castles sitting up on the hills. It was also nice to be able to get up and walk around as we traveled. The kids also used the time to catch up on journaling, playing cards, and for Wil N. staging a food war between two plates of leftovers. They can entertain themselves with anything!

Next we headed to Koln (or Cologne) and visited the 5th largest cathedral in Europe. The cathedral is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe and has the second-tallest spires and largest facade of any church in the world. It is spectacular. There are also bits of old Roman ruins all over the city center. A few kids met up with some of our exchange students for a bit as well.

We had our most traditional German dinner yet. Appropriate for our last night in the country. Potato salad, schnitzel, and apple strudel We are now checked in to the hotel and a few kids are taking advantage of the spa while others are watching the Euro Cup finals, Italy vs. Spain.

Heidelberg

I'm honestly so tired right now that I'm not even sure I spelled Heidelberg correctly. I'm just going to get something up and then edit and add pictures after a good night's sleep.

We had a 4 hour drive to the city with some beautiful scenery along the way. So you know, we do a few spotlights along the way to break up the long drives. They are the favorite part of the travel time!

Arnoud gave us a lot of information about the city as we were driving in. This town has the oldest university in Germany but the oldest German speaking university is actually Oxford. It also sounds like Heidelberg University was the first place to have Frat houses. The last thing he told us is that if you spit into the river from the center of the Alte Bruke (old bridge) it brings you luck and you will return to Heidleberg. (Like the Trevi in Rome) Several of the kids tried it!

When we arrived at the city center we caught a funicular up to the castle but had a bit of a glitch. We didn't all fit on the first train so most of the group went up with Kalani and Stephen. Then the rest came up with me, Nona, Katie, and Arnoud. When we got off our train we looked for the rest of the group but they were no where to be found. They had ridden to the top of the rails instead of getting off at the schloss stop. I tried to get back on and go to pick up the group but the efficient German man at the funicular wouldn't let me. Luckily Kalani & Stephen figured it out and came back down. Everyone found!

The castle is huge and looks over a beautiful river and valley. It was built over centuries and has lots of different architectural styles. The most famous thing about this castle is that it houses the largest wine barrel in the world. The kids took millions of pictures of the castle, the view and the barrel.

We found our hotel which is somewhat outside the city and had dinner. Then the kids headed to a street festival just around the corner. We could hear the music playing while we ate. It started to rain around 9ish which I thought would bring the kids back but no, they stayed until curfew and had a great time. They seem to make new friends wherever they go.

It is just after 11 and it is now pouring rain. Good for us because it has cooled the rooms and shut down the noise of the festival so we can get to sleep! Nope, scratch that. It has turned into a terrific thunder and lightning storm, much noisier than the street festival.

DIfficult Day

Today is such a hard one. We start at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial. Dachau was established in 1933 and was the first concentration camp. It served as a model for all the camps that came after. It is so moving to walk the grounds where prisoners walked and hear the stories of what it was like to live that way. We saw the barracks and how they progressed from housing 200 at the start to housing 2000 just prior to liberation. We also walked the pathways where those still living had to spread the ashes of the dead. We took the path the prisoners would have taken from the disinfection room, to the disrobing room, to the 'showers' (gas chambers) to the crematorium. There was sadness and tears as it really hits home that the holocaust was real not just something in a textbook. There is also disbelief that humans can actually become so callous. As difficult as it was I hope the kids always keep a piece of this experience with them so they can honor the words of the survivors - Never Again.

We then had a free afternoon to explore Munich. Some went to the Deutches museum, others shopping, some just sat in a square or beirgarden and watched the people. Others went back to the hotel and did some laundry. Most made it back to the Marienplatz to watch the Glockenspiel.

Then off to the Hofbrauhaus and the rowdiest bar on the planet. (OK, that might be an exaggeration.) It was terrible food and the show took a long time to get started but we had fun anyway. The kids made some new friends of a group of Japanese retirees who had had a bit much to drink and were feeling friendly. I'll try to borrow one of the kids memory cards so I can steal a picture tomorrow.

Salt - but not the city...

It was another bus day today. We left our little hotel and drove for about an hour to Bertchesgarden. This was the location of Hitler's offices and at the base of the Eagle's nest. That wasn't our purpose, we went to the salt mines! The first thing is to dress properly. We had to wear jump suits to protect our clothes and make us look more like miners. We then hopped a little train that took us into the heart of the mountain. The tour was interesting but our favorite part was the slides!

After the tour we drove the rest of the way to Munich. Our first stop was the BMW museum, an amazing collection that reflects the history of the company and the machines it produces. Then we crossed a bridge to BMW Welt. This is where you see options available, order your car and then pick it up a few weeks later. We were tempted but settled for little souvenirs from there instead.

We are now at the hotel (with improved internet - check out previous posts for pictures). We had a great dinner and most are now watching the Euro Cup - Italy vs. Germany.

Funiculars are fun!

We got to sleep in a bit again today. It was a pretty drive from the hotel into downtown Salzburg where we met our city guide Ruth. She was dressed in the traditional dirndl so that was fun.

We started in the Mirabel Gardens and learned that the palace and gardens were built by the Arch Duke for his love. She in turn gave him 15 children. We also learned that Salzburg was a principality. The Mirabell Gardens are beautifully formal and well kept. You would recognize them because this is where they filmed the famous “Do Re Me” song from the Sound of Music.

We then crossed the river into the old town and found the Geidestrasse or guild street. This was the street where all the craftsmen practiced their trade. It is a beautiful but crowded street with guild signs hanging above every building. In the very center is the birthplace home of Mozart. We obviously need to do a bit more educating in our meetings. Some of the kids were unfamiliar with his significance and music.

We passed through more narrow streets and through the market square on our way to the Monastery of St. Peter, the longest functioning monastery north of the Alps. We passed through to the cemetery which looks familiar as well. I had been told previously that this is where they filmed the escape scene from the Sound of Music when they hide behind iron gates and Rolf finds them. I learned today that isn’t true. The monks wouldn't allow a film crew in such a sacred place so they created a replica in Hollywood and filmed there instead.

Ruth stopped by a special grave before we left. The only American buried in a place reserved for the old established families of Salzburg - Harold Collins. This man's troops liberated Salzburg from Nazi occupation. His regiment stayed to assist in the reconstruction and Ruth’s husband says his family would not have survived without the care packages that came from the Americans during that time. “Hollywood Harry” (his nickname because he was handsome) married a girl from Salzburg and returned to the U.S. but after retirement moved back to Salzburg and upon his death was given a place of honor in the cemetery to recognize his great service to the city.

After the tour came free time and the kids as usual put their own spin on it. Some just walked the town, some shopped, some rented bikes and rode all over exploring the town. Stephen played chess in the square (they have a ½ life size set there) for almost 2 hours. They all ate lunch.

Then was Hoensalzburg Fortress. It sits high on a rocky hill overlooking the city and the best way up is a funicular. This is a cross between a train and a tram and uses a cog wheel system to pull the car up the mountain. The fortress was begun in the early 1100’s and was built and rebuilt several times. The Arch Dukes used the fortress to protect the city and to store huge reserves of salt. They also on occasion used it as the state residence.

Back to the hotel where there is no internet service so I’m writing in MSWord to be cut and pasted into the blog whenever I can get to it!

The Eternal Bus Ride

From the hot beaches of Italy to the cool clean of the Austrian Alps. We spent the day on the bus. We spotlighted several travelers and started to notices the sense of humor of the group deteriorates when they are trapped in a small space for an extended amount of time. It isn't that they didn't keep their sense of humor it just got downright silly by the end of the day.

There really isn't much to report today. We stopped at the church used for the wedding scene in the Sound of Music, made up some circle games to play with the soccer ball during rest stops and endured some pretty gross bathrooms.

I had to yell at the kids today. I'm getting frustrated with the online lifestyle. We have noticed that as soon as they find wi-fi they are connected. It wouldn't bother me so much if it wasn't interfering with their exploration and enjoyment of the places they are visiting. They could stay home to email, text and chat. To sit in a hotel lobby instead of go to the beaches of Jesolo or hike the hills of Austria is criminal in my opinion!

Our hotel is very nice. They have treated us well and fed us a good dinner. There is a 'European' bowling alley downstairs and the kids are currently having a great time.

OK maybe I should take back the internet rant. We have the most accident prone bunch on this trip. The only safe thing is to sit quietly in the lobby. Our latest casualty is Anna P. Her finger got caught between the side and the ball and it smashed the ring on her finger nearly flat. Pliers, ice, vaseline, and Nurse Nona and all is well. It is not broken but she'll be a bit bruised and sore but all is well.

Wonderful Day in Vence

Internet continues to be a problem.... sorry! Another hot and muggy day. We were promised better weather but it hasn't come yet. We took our bus to a ferry which took us to the island of Murano. We saw an awesome glass blowing demonstration. Madi O. & Max B. became apprentice glass blowers. Madi made a fish and Max a snail. We then shopped and walked around this island named the "the most beautiful prison on earth" because once one learned the secret of making Venetian glass they were never allowed to leave. Fortunately we were allowed to leave and took the vaparetto (water bus) to Venice.

We took a guided tour of the Doge's palace and learned about the republic system of government in Venice. We also saw lots of spectacular art. During our tour we crossed the bridge of sighs and got a taste of what it must have been like to be a prisoner taking that last walk of freedom.

After our tour we had free time on the island. Most shopped (I'm starting to hear a lot of "I've got to stop spending now") and walked and got lost in the maze of alleys and canals. Many took advantage of the opportunity to take a ride in a gondola, some went to a lace making demonstration and everyone enjoyed the day.

Back to our hotel in Jesolo and some more free time to relax. Dinner was an incredible pizza feast. First came the margarita pizza (plain cheese), then the hot dog pizza. Yep, you read that one right - I could have done without that one! Then mushroom, then pepperoni then ham. It was the first time the guys have actually turned food away on this trip.

The kids took advantage of the evening by going to the beach and/or one more game of soccer!

Sacrements and Soccer Games

Sorry about the late post. We had a few medical emergencies last night so I didn't get around to writing. Don't worry, all is well. I'll explain in a minute...

First I have to mention the marathon. As we walked back from dinner last night some of the squares and streets were roped off. The marathon went through the city but was begun at night. Understandable considering how hot the days are. The course even took the runners right through the piazza right in front of our hotel and down the street. Katie said she saw a cute dad running with his young daughter, holding her hand the whole way. They were at the end of the pack but having a good time together.

OK, so we packed up and left Florence in good time. We had planned to stop at the Piazzele Michelangelo, a look-out plaza over the city with a copy of the David. The plan was to take some last minute pictures of the Florence skyline. When we got there it was fenced off. Because it is the patron saint day for the city there were fireworks planned and that was the staging point. Our fabulous driver Pino took us up a bit higher and we got good pictures anyway!

The day on the bus ran a bit long so we altered the itinerary and stopped in Padova for our lunch break. There is a pilgrimage church of St. Antonio there. We are now so used to walking into a church as tourists that we hadn't thought things through very carefully. Since it is Sunday there was a Mass being held. We were all a bit surprised.

Then we traveled the rest of the way to Lido di Jesolo, the location of our hotel. It is about 100 meters from the beach so the kids tried to take full advantage. It is the most crowded beach you've ever seen. No bubble of personal space here!

The best part of the day was using the soccer field across the street from the hotel. There was a pretty intense and totally fun pickup game for about two hours. The kids got to burn off a ton of energy and got to play soccer in Italy. How many can say that?

Now to the medical stuff since I know those words make parents panic. Howard C. did a pretty good number on the bottom of his foot nearly ripping off the entire callous at the ball of his big toe. Good cleaning, Neosporin, Moleskin and Nona the nurse and all was well. Since everyone was so hot and sweaty they decided to go to the beach for a swim. John H. stepped on a sea creature and got a nasty sting. Good cleaning, Hydrogen Peroxide, Neosporin, Antibiotics and Nurse Nona and all is well.