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.

Florence

We are done with the heat! The kids are fried. It is hard to tour like we do in the first place, throw in 95*+ weather at 50% humidity and you get tired, cranky kids. They are in the "I don't want to do one more thing" stage. We leave for Venice in the morning and are hoping for cooler weather.

We started at the Accademia Museo this morning with Michelangelo's "Prisoners" sculptures. These lead up to the "David" a spectacular sculpture with such incredible detail. There are also many stunning pieces of art in this museum.

After the kids had some free time. Some climbed the Campanile (bell tower) and others climbed the Dome. Some went to Santa Croce, a church that has beautiful stained glass, frescos and the tomb of many famous Florentines, Michelangelo, Dante, Galileo.... Many shopped. We met again and most went to the Uffizi museum. I went to the Galileo museum of science. I'd recommend it to anyone that has ever taken a science class!

The kids then had more free time before dinner. After we ate they took an evening stroll to the Ponte Vecchio and enjoyed the cooler air.

Bad internet connection again. Pictures to come!

Tuscany

We left Rome today and drove through beautiful Italian country side. Watching the pretty landscape through the window of an air conditioned bus was deceptive. It was still very hot today.
After about 2 hours on the bus we stopped in the medieval town of San Gimignano. This village was 'showing off' at its worst according to our tour director Arnoud. He says each person would try to build a bigger tower to show they had more wealth and power than their neighbor. At the town's height of prosperity there were about 70 towers built. Now only about 15 remain. The biggest, Torre Grosse, provides an amazing view of the country side. Some of our kids climbed it but most just shopped and ate lunch. Then another hour on the bus to Florence.

Our Florence hotel is right in the old town and only about a 5 minute walk to the Duomo. We took a guided tour and then had dinner. Our guide showed us the huge Duomo, Maria del Fiore, the baptistry with the 'Gates of Paradise,' Piazza Republica, and Santa Maria Croce. The last is one of my favorite churches with beautiful frescos and the tombs of many important Florentines. It is one of the places I will go tomorrow on my free time. There is a big square in front of this church and it has an unusual arena set up there. We always hear about a huge 'football' game that takes place every year that seems to be more warfare than soccer. Today as we walked by there were horses and knights in armor. June 24 is the celebration of the patron saint of Florence and there are medieval tournaments, parties and fireworks to celebrate. I'm pretty sure some of the boys will use their free time to go back and watch the jousting.

The kids then had free time. Some wandered the town, others went to sleep, and some were at the laundry mat doing their wash with me. We even had a little lesson on using the machines and how to do laundry. The learning opportunities on this trip never end!

The Vatican

This morning's excursion was the Vatican. The kids were again fabulous. It is so hot and they didn't make a peep about wearing long pants or covering their arms. Our guide, Carla, was so entertaining and had so much knowledge. She was also willing to reroute our tour so we could see the 'School of Athens,' a famous painting that shouldn't be missed but was on a different path then she had planned to take. We really enjoyed the Sistine Chapel and Carla's explanation of the "Last Judgement,' the ceiling and how new Popes are elected.

We have had a free afternoon and the kids took full advantage. All are currently out searching for that one piece of art, monument, or souvenir that that will become their favorite memory before we leave Rome first thing tomorrow.

Update: they all made it back to the hotel with their treasures and then we went to a restaurant that served authentic Italian pizza. Not what the kids are used to but I think it's yummy!

Ancient Rome

First off I have to say, the kids are great. They never complain and are always up for whatever we have planned. It is so nice to be with people with such good attitudes!

Second I have to say I have never felt Rome as hot as it has been the past two days! They are having a heat wave that is more appropriate for July/August. Today was 98* with humidity we are not used to. One of the great things about Rome is that fountains are everywhere and the water is pure. We can refill the bottles everywhere and today the kids pretty much bathed in the fountains outside the Borghese museum.

We started at the Colosseum today with a guided tour. Today we learned that they could simultaneously open 64 trap doors from the tunnels to the arena floor. That made it difficult for the gladiators to defend themselves. We also learned the arena was occasionally filled with water for ship battles but that ended when the animal bones from the fights clogged up the pipes that drained the water. Who knew?





Then we took an abbreviated walk through the Forum and while there saw a really cool exhibit about Roman glass and mosaics housed in the senate building.





After a quick lunch we headed to the Borghese Museum. This is one of my favorites. The kids were so interested in what the guides had to teach them. The sculptures by Bernini seemed to be the favorites. It was amazing how on "Apollo and Daphne" the realism was extraordinary! The kids walk around and around in fascination.

We then headed to San Pietro in Vincoli. This church houses the chains that were on Peter as he was brought to Rome. The kids commented on how remarkable it was to be so close to something tangible which had been on one of the disciples of Christ. They were also interested in Michelangelo's "Moses."

Dinner was finally a bit of variety and now the kids are out spending their parent's hard earned money. They have Kalani and Stephen with them and it will be interesting to see how they do on their first Metro ride as they come back to the hotel. Bueno Notte!

Update - the kids all made it back to the hotel with no problems!

Off to Rome

We left very early for Rome. Wake up call was 3am and down with bags on he bus by 4. Of course this combined with teenagers spells trouble. Most were really good but one room missed the wake up call. No worries, we had a great bus driver, Theo (pronounced tay-oh) that made the 45 minute drive in 30 thank to no traffic - surprise!

We arrived in Rome and the second problem of the day arose. No bus to pick us up. Apparently his company booked two jobs for him. We waited for an hour and a half before he showed up. The kids were great and spent the time getting lunch and hanging at the airport.

We are in a pretty nice hotel for Rome. A bit outside the center but not too far from a metro station. Even so, the company has arranged for a bus to use as we tour. We were dropped off not far from the top of the Spanish Steps. We then walked to the Trevi fountain, the Pantheon and finished up at Piazza Navona with it's beautiful Fountain of the Four Rivers. The kids learned, shopped ant ate gelato! They also threw their coins in the Trevi which means they hope to come back to Rome.




Everyone is completely thrashed. It was a long, difficult, eventful day. I'm at my end too. Pictures tomorrow, I promise!

Poros

Greece simply has poor internet service. We're back in Athens, a major city with 4 million people, and the pictures still won't load. I'm hoping for better luck in Rome so go back and check older posts for pictures in a few days!

Today was a fun morning on Poros. Our hotel was great and the people of the town so nice! The kids spent more time at the beach and in the pool. Then most rented ATV's to navigate the island. They all doubled up to share the costs and so that the experienced drivers could chauffeur the less experienced around. They were very safe and had a great time! We were sorry to leave the island, all wished for at least one more day there.








We took a quick ferry to the mainland and were met by a bus that drove us back to Athens. It was a beautiful drive and we stopped at the Corinth canal. That was so impressive. It is like standing over the Grand Canyon.

Our new hotel this evening is very nice. Comfortable, and across the street from the sea. I think we gave the restaurant staff a bit of a shock tonight. Dinner service was buffet style and began at 7:30. We have some big boys and some little girls that are pretty big eaters. It was entertaining to watch as they loaded up their plates and the servers tried to keep the warmers full. At least no one went to bed hungry!

We are out of the hotel by 4am to catch our flight to Rome. Good night!

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day! A huge thank you to all the traveler's dads. The kids are so amazing and are having a great time.

We started a bit late today and spent most of the day on the water. First on a ferry that took us to the island of Poros, then on the beach. This is a beautiful place and I think most of the kids would like to spend the next week here. Our hotel is something out of the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" according to Whitney. Lovely white building with blue trim, trees, flowering shrubs and such a pretty pool. I was surprised everyone went to the beach instead of sticking around here.

Athens

There seems to be a problem adding pictures to the blog. The photos I added to yesterday's post aren't showing up. I'm assuming it has something to do with the internet here. I'll keep trying but know it may be a few days before pictures are up.

Today was an official tour of Athens. Our city guide, Gemma, is a resident of the city and passionate about sharing it with others. Not only did she give us dates and events but she tied them together to make them relevant. She was also not afraid to explain what is happening politically in Greece and make her views known.

We first stopped at Constitution Square just in time to see the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier. We learned that in Greece every young man must join the military for two years but of all those soldiers there are only 60 honor guard that hold this special position. They 'change' every hour on the hour around the clock.







Then off to the old new Olympic stadium. It was built in 1886 in preparation for the first games of the modern olympics. It is made entirely of marble (except the track) and is a very long and narrow oval.

We made it to the Acropolis around 10 it was already getting pretty hot but there was a good breeze to fight the heat. First, at the base of the rock is the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Then after a climb the monumental entrance - the Propylaia. Then at the top the Parthenon, Erechtheion with it's porch of maidens, and the Old Temple.

It was nice to get out of the heat and wind at the Acropolis museum. This is only about 6 years old and one of the nicest museums I've been to. In an effort to preserve the Parthenon the government is taking on a huge restoration project of the acropolis. Many of the original statues and carvings have been taken off the hill and placed in the museum. Then they are placing replicas as replacements. They are also adding missing and damages pieces of the Parthenon. I'm not sure how much is planned for the 'restoration.' It seems to me it would be odd to completely restore the Parthenon to it's original form but who knows? Gemma probably did but we didn't think to ask he until it was too late.




We then broke for lunch and a little shopping in the town center, everyone going their own way. Arnoud then showed us the way back to the hotel and then most of the kids headed back to the markets to spend some money. In an hour we leave for dinner and a Greek culture show. I'm taking my video camera, rumor is that some of the kids may be asked to dance!

OK, back from dinner & the rumors are true - there was singing, dancing, drinking, kissing. Almost all of it 'G' rated. The program ran long but the kids were great, as they have been every minute so far. I have blackmail film from tonight's program. If I ever get to a place with better internet connection I'll try to send some.

Tomorrow off for a tiny bit of relaxation on the island of Poros. Good night!

The Troops Have Arrived!

It's already been a day of adventure! With Mary's boarding pass fiasco, barely having enough time between flights in Paris to navigate the ENTIRE Charles de Gaulle airport and four lost suitcases (Matt, Katie, Kalani, and Nona) we already have lots of stories to tell.

1-The boarding pass was easily obtained in Paris.

2-Stephen was awesome at getting us through the airport in good time and the kids were great about staying together (and paying attention)

3-The luggage is still lost but Air France is on the case. Each of those travelers got a courtesy kit to get them through the night until the bags can be found. We also have lots of generous people willing to share until the problem is resolved. Hopefully the airline will deliver the bags to the hotel tomorrow!

4-We are all checked in to our hotel. It is quaint and within a 5 minute walk of the Plaka district. We can see the Acropolis up close and personal from the hotel. Dinner is in an hour on the roof of the hotel so we can enjoy the historic site while we eat.

We have also been met by our tour director, Arnoud. I've worked with him before and specifically requested him for this trip. I'm so glad he agreed to work with us! He has already posted on our Explorica web page. Go check it out!



Dinner was on the hotel roof. It has the most spectacular view!

Breakfast!

For the last three days I've cooked breakfast. Not typical behavior for my first week of vacation. I've been preparing for the next month of 'continental' breakfasts. Rolls, cheese, warm milk.... I guess its one of the reasons I always lose weight on this trip even though I indulge in yummys like gelato & crepes!

I am so excited to leave tomorrow! My suitcase is sitting by the front door and all my electronics are plugged in and charging. All I have to do is throw them (and their cords) into my carry on and I'm ready to go!

See you at terminal 2 at 2:30pm tomorrow!

Only 5 days!

Next Saturday we will be in Athens, I reminded my husband as we walked out the door this morning!  We are so excited!  A couple of last minute things:
1) Remember its Father's Day after we leave, so do something nice for dad before Thursday!
2) Make sure you have money exchanged so you're prepared when we land.
3) Call your credit card company and let them know the dates you will be travelling!
4) Be extra nice to your family (you'll miss them) and tell them thanks for all they have done (and will do over the next couple of days) so you can go.
5) START PACKING!

See you at 2:30pm on Thursday -- International Terminal!

Family Picnic Pics

The picnic last night was so fun!  It was a great chance to ask last questions, talk about preparations and eat some delicious food!  Thank you to everyone who came and everything you brought.  All of the travellers are so great I can't wait to head out on our adventure!  Only 9 days left...

11 Days!

It was great to see so many cute kids all dressed up for the "Last Dance." Graduation is just a few days away and then it's time to travel! I spent the weekend going through my packing list to make sure I have everything I need. I'm trying to avoid any last minute panic because I didn't plan ahead. This weekend I did pick up an extra battery pack and an 8GB memory card for my camera and a couple of pairs of good, thin, cotton, no show socks. Now I'm starting to think "if I don't have it by now I don't really need it."

Several kids have shared with me their worry that they will forget something. Here is my response to that... if you have your medications and your passport you'll be OK. We are traveling to civilized countries with people we know and love so we can borrow or buy anything you may need when we're over there.

Since Katie left a quote I'll repeat my favorite:
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”
― Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad/Roughing It

22 Days!!!

I can't believe we leave in 22 days!!  I think I'm more excited about Europe than ever because of the great group we have going.  As we end school (8 days) my thoughts are turning to packing and all those last minute details to take care of before we fly away.  I was reading my journal from my last trip and came across a quote I love: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine.  I'm so excited we are going to be "reading" lots of pages over the next several weeks!

Final Meeting!

Great meeting tonight. Thanks to all who came and sat through that marathon. As we went over the checklist and hit the line that said 'become a follower of the blog,' I realized I hadn't posted in a long time. No need to follow if there's nothing new to see - sorry! If you missed the meeting stop by and pick up the missing papers and get your travel book put together. Remember that I will be updating the hotel page and still need to finish the travelers list and trip itinerary. The family party is planned for June 4 in Sugar House Park. I'll be sending out invitations and food assignments shortly. This is our chance to relax and enjoy each others company and get to know the families of the traveler. We'll also take our final practice group photo. Come cute!

Meetings!

I love meeting night! Not the time preparing or the lecturing - that's just work. What I love is being with the travelers and talking with people once the meeting is over. Parents ask such intelligent questions and the excitement of the kids is infectious. Last night in the meeting we covered how phones work (don't take your cell phone)and how to deal with money (get an ATM card attached to a CHECKING ACCOUNT with a PLUS or CIRRUS symbol & a numerical pin)Then we took a PowerPoint tour of Florence and Venice. For those that missed the meeting come to my room and pick up your traveler's book pages. See you in February!

Six months

I know I get obnoxious with countdowns sometimes, but when I realized we leave 6 months from today I got so psyched! I even had a little Freudian slip when a student asked me today's date and I said, 'June 14th!" I guess I really can't wait to go!

It was also strange not having a meeting this month. I actually missed it and look forward to getting together with you all again in January. Enjoy the holiday season with your family, we'll see you in the new year!