Change in the Air

Today we got a real treat - sleep in until 10! Some of the kids didn't waste the time and went running in Green Park at 7! After breakfast we went to Buckingham Palace and watched the changing of the guard. It's an interesting spectacle. Guards march up The Mall from St. James, guards march up Buckingham Rd from the barracks, they end up in the Buckingham palace courtyard to march and yell a bit and then other guards march back to St. James Palace and the barracks. Music and pageantry make it all entertaining.

We had an appointment at Westminster Abbey right after so headed there through St. James Park. One of my favorite spots in London. Stuart was our guide through the Abbey and he was fantastic. We learned about the importance of the church, some of the people buried there and some that just had honorary plaques.

Dinner was pretty bad but the kids were good and didn't complain. They took off after dinner to explore London. I think a bunch ended up at the London Eye. I'll see if I can get them to donate pictures!

A Day Fit for a King

Today was a visit to Versailles. Our tour appointment was for noon but most of the kids wanted more time in the gardens so I took about 30 out first thing on the train. They rode bikes and rowed boats and got a really good look at the old playground of the French nobility. The rest of the group joined us for the tour of the palace. We actually learned quite a few things. One is that it was just as crowded back then with the 10,000 nobles there as it was while we visited today.

We then headed to Montmartre and the art district of the city. The bus dropped the kids off by the Moulin Rouge which is a few blocks walk from the base of the hill. This means they ufortunately saw the worst of Paris today as well.

Dinner at Montmartre was a crepe 'feast.' Savory crepes with ham mushrooms and cheese, then dessert crepes with nutella, chocolate, or strawberry. They even gave seconds!  We took some time to walk around the district and appreciate the artists, street performers and tourist shops! It was then home and to bed. We have an early start tomorrow!

Kisses?

We left Luxembourg for Paris early this morning. We wanted to have plenty of time to visit the Louvre and we did! It was an easy ride and we got to the hotel before check in so locked all the luggage in a holding room and took off. We said goodbye to our driver Arturo today. He's been an interesting character but it has been convenient to have around. Now we rely on the Metro to get from place to place. It's a trick with 45 people and one of the busiest metro systems in the world. The kids took to it like champs.

We headed straight to the Louvre and turned the kids loose. They were pretty overwhelmed but saw most of the 'important' stuff. It really is impossible to see even a portion in the limited amount of time we had.

Next was dinner at Flams. Flammenkrucken is a pizza type thing. Very thin and crispy crust, a creamy almost alfredo type sauce and then toppings. They even had a great, fresh salad which we don't usually see much of, but today it was a bit too fresh. Henry found a little green worm living in his lettuce. He was a manly man and didn't loose it at the table but no one else ate much salad after that.

Eiffel Tower was the destination after dinner. We were lucky to score one of the limited reservations and went right on up. The enormous line for the lift to the top was also non existent so we were at the top level in less than 20 minutes. I'd planned for the typical hour so the kids got lots of extra time to enjoy their visit.

Never Again

This morning is one of the most difficult. The pre-show didn't help. There are at least 4 large travel groups staying at this hotel. Our director booked us the early breakfast time so we could be efficient and get out of the hotel ASAP. When we showed up all the groups came at once and the line was huge. Our kids were great and ate fast. Everyone was to the bus on time!

Christiane gave us a lot of  information about the camp as we drove to Dachau. On arrival we picked up maps and audio guides and headed in. Everyone was given a few hours to explore and experience the camp on their own. It was a very somber, yet eye opening experience. We were able to see how the prisoners lived and the horrible conditions they were put through. It's amazing that people try to say it never happened. Even some of the people in the city around the camp denied anything happened, even after the camp was liberated.









After some free time in the historic Munich town center, we raced over to the BMW Museum. We had some entertaining and interesting tour guides. They taught us the history and making of the cars in a quick manner. We were able to mosey on over to the BMW Welt after the tours. There we were able to see more models of cars and even sit in some!

Then came dinner. Some of the kids said it was the best dinner yet. They served us large portions so it was the first time some of the boys have been completely full. We loved watching the Italy v. Costa Rica soccer on a big screen while we ate. We're just glad our Italian bus driver isn't much into 'football' or we'd have some worries today!

On the Road Again

The kids were great last night. They really stepped up and behaved as they had agreed they would. We had a typical breakfast (rolls, cheese, cereal, juice and milk) and hit the road ahead of schedule. After two hours we arrived at our destination of Bertchesgaden. It took a few extra minutes while we waited for a parade to stroll by. Marching polka bands wearing leather pants is a sight to see. So many people out and about in Drindls and Lederhosen. Turns out today is some kind of Bavarian holiday.

At the Saltzwerks the kids got ready and looked awesome in their miner clothing.  Everyone got a good laugh at everyone else's expense. The salt mine tour is actually interesting as well as fun. You learn all about how the mining process happens with the drilling and flooding holes to leech the salt from the rock, to brine, drying brine and harvesting the salt. We got to ride trains, boat and even go don some pretty fun slides.

Two more hours sees us to our hotel in Munch. We headed out into the old part of the city where we took a short walking tour. We saw the fountain at Karlsplatz, the town hall at Marienplatz and the concert hall at Odeonplatz. Because of the holiday everything is closed today so we'll have to make good use of our free time tomorrow.

The Longest Day

Departure time this morning was 7:30. The kids had had too much energy last night and this morning all the adults were tired and cranky. Getting off the mountain took about an hour and then we were on our way to Germany. It was a long but interesting day as we crossed back and forth over borders between Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. Yes, we were in 4 different countries in one day!





We really had to push because our appointment for Neuschwanstein was 4pm. The driver has very tight regulations and has to stop after so many hours for so many minutes. Its good for all of us to have to get out and stretch as well but it made it tight getting to our appointment.... we made it anyway.







Neuschwanstein is the fairy tale castle build by King Ludwig in the 18th century. It was built well after the feudal era so isn't a castle in the true sense of the word but still very impressive. My favorite parts are the music room and all the amazing wood work. This is the castle Walt Disney used as his inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Next stop, Innsbruck. Again, we were not actually in the city but about 45 minute drive out of town. It is actually closer in some ways than you think. It takes the bus forever to navigate the narrow switch back roads that make their way up the mountains. The view from this hotel was spectacular. We enjoyed an amazing sunset from the terrace looking out over a deep valley. Beautiful. The East boys even serenaded us - we discovered new talents tonight! The kids had an early night to help them remember to be more quiet in hotels, to stay in their assigned rooms and to behave!

Yes, it leans...

I'm impressed with this group of travelers. Of the 44 on the trip 39 signed up to go to the Uffizi. We put all the luggage for those kids in my room to be loaded on to the while we were gone and booked it for our 8:15 a.m. appointment at the museum. Most of the kids took the full 1.5 hours we had in the museum. We then hustled back to the hotel where Katie, Kalani, Mark and Brett had loaded all out bags and we were ready to leave Florence.

We made a detour to Pisa and saw the Field of Miracles with its impressive baptistry, cathedral and of course the tower. The town is pretty touristy and I was glad to get on our way.

Next we headed to Como and the beautiful lake there. It had been a long day on the bus and we still had a way to go so we were happy when our driver Arturo was willing to make a photo stop. We were impressed by the lake in the midst of steep mountains and the funicular across the way. The real disappointment was that George Clooney was no where to be seen.

Our hotel was way up in the mountains outside of Como. It took about an additional hour to get there. The road was narrow and very windey so we got nervous a few times. The worst part was when there were cars coming the opposite direction. Our driver is very skilled and we made it safe and sound.

The hotel is a grand old lady. You can see that it was a posh place in its day but you can't beat the views and it was pretty comfortable. After dinner some of the boys went out to the yard and played soccer. A good way to burn of excess energy after a day of sitting.

Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked and Walked and Walked.....

It was nice to have a bit of a late start today. We walked over to the Duomo around 9:30 and met our guide Elsa. She knew a lot but had a heavy Italian accent so was difficult to understand.  She took us around the square and then in to the Duomo. It is a stunning place, the third largest cathedral in Europe. We then walked to the Republica square, boar's head market and up to the Santa Croce church. We got to watch a leather demonstration and learned that the way to tell true leather is difficult and not to trust the sellers in the streets selling cheap.

Now that they had knowledge the kids were turned loose on the city. A bunch climbed the dome of the cathedral and/or the bell tower. Some walked along the river and watched the artists. Some enjoyed the Galileo museum of science. Most found a great place for lunch and loved bartering in the markets for presents for mom. Florence is a great place because all the touristy things are in the old city which is a walking center. However, when you have 4 hours of free time that can translate to a lot of walking.

We met for a good dinner then headed up to the Piazza Michelangelo where there is a bronze copy of the David and a spectacular view of the city. We timed it just right and got a spectacular sunset in the bargain.

Happy Fathers Day!

Happy Fathers Day! We appreciate all the dads and the sacrifices you've made to give your kids this opportunity to experience Europe.

Today we say arrivederci to Roma. Our stop on the way to Florence was the quaint medieval town of Orvieto. We took the funicular up to the top of the volcanic mountain and explored the city. There is a huge cathedral made of black and white marble which has been laid in a manner that gives the cathedral stripes. Appropriate for Highland! Normally we would have gone inside but it is Sunday and mass was being held. I peeked in anyway - it was beautiful inside and the service was packed. Good thing we didn't march 40 chatting bodies in there! Everyone walked the town found and found good things to eat. Some climbed the clock tower and others walked the perimeter of the city but everyone got great pictures.

Back on the bus for the last leg of the drive. After checking in to our hotel we hurried off to the Accademia Gallery to see the statue of David. There are many other interesting pieces to see there as well. I love the musical instruments exhibit and Michelangelo's slaves. They have improved their collection of religious icons and have even opened a new level upstairs. The museum is much improved since our visit in 2012!

Dinner was outside at a lovely pizzaria but we didn't eat pizza. We actually had salad, pasta, roasted potatoes and pork. The potatoes were really tasty and when the servers saw the boys eyeing leftovers on the girls plates they brought out more for us. Nice.

The kids found their own way back to the hotel. They love having free time to explore the city and the weather has been cool and rainy so its pleasant to walk. It also gives them the time to find another treat after dinner. As they returned some went right to bed, some just chilled and some watched another soccer match.

When In Rome...

Saturday, June 14

We've been having some trouble with the air conditioning at the hotel this morning and when I awoke I saw a group of boys had slept out on the balcony.   Another early morning as this time we head to the Colosseum. We sang happy birthday to Carter on the way. Today our guide's name is Rosie and she is great. She knows a lot and is fun with her presentation. The sun is blazing today and the kids all got bugged about sunscreen. After an interesting tour and a ton of pictures we walked over to the forum and Rosie taught us about life in ancient Rome. Then it was more free time around the Pantheon. Everyone headed to the Borghese Park and those that had reservations went into the gallery to see the works of amazing artists like Bernini and Carravagio. Bernini's statue of David is a great contrast to Michelangelo's David that we will see tomorrow. The rest of the group played in the park until we were done. The kids found a ball and started a pick up game of soccer. It still hasn't been decided if the girls or the boys won.

 The skies opened and all the heat and humidity came pouring down. We walked in the rain to a charming restaurant run by a cute little grandma who baked pizzas for us until we were full. She also made a birthday cake for Carter. He was nice enough to share. 

The Eternal City

Friday, June 13

We started early this morning to make our appointment to the Vatican. Our guide's name was Marco and he was very knowledgeable. He explained the important things to notice in the Sistine Chapel then took us on a walk through the museum on our way to see that important site. Afterwards we went to St. Peter's Cathedral and Marco explained that as well. We got right up to Michelangelo's Pieta which is usually surrounded by a huge crowd. We had a little bus issue and the kids were great about waiting for a new one to come. Then we headed down to the Piazza Navona and saw the Fountain of Four Rivers and the street performers. It's been really hot and muggy so gelato tastes especially good! We ended the night back at the Spanish Steps and were lucky to catch a spectacular sunset!

Next Stop...

Thursday June 12

Crazy busy today. We got up early and had our last breakfast looking over the water from the hotel terrace. We then loaded the bags and took a quick shuttle boat over to Galatas on the Peloponnese peninsula. From there we caught a bus which drove us to Corinth. There is a canal that is almost 4 miles long and 108 feet deep. We stopped to take pictures but it started to rain so didn't stay very long. While there we ran into a woman whose tour had left her. I think it was at that point the kids realized roll call isn't so stupid. Christiane helped the woman call the tour leader to bring the bus back. Then we headed the rest of the way to the Athens airport and after a leisurely lunch headed to Rome.  As soon as we landed we headed to the Spanish Steps and found Kate and Abby. Yay! It's nice to have the whole group together. 

Another Day in Paradise

The kids had a free day to explore and enjoy the island. A big group rented some ATV's, buddied up and went to see what they could of Poros. What they found were more beautiful beaches, hidden trails and the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon. The next fun activity was water sports. A bunch went tubing and others waterskiied. There was still plenty of time to hang at the beach, hang at the pool and enjoy the beautiful Greek sunshine. Even the chaperones spent part of the day in the water. (But we also hit the town and shopped too!) Tonight some of the guys played a pick up game of soccer with the locals.  This has been a great opportunity to relax, catch up to the new time zone and get ready for some heavy days of touring. We have loved Poros!