Food Glorious Food

Thanks to everyone that contributed to the meal tonight. I appreciate all the help. It was fun to talk with everyone and I loved seeing the travelers already getting along so well.

While I'm on the topic of eating lets talk about meals on the trip. Large group travel is different than what you've experienced before. Restaurants don't have the time to prep individual meals for everyone in our group. Breakfast is usually rolls and juice. If we're lucky there will be some yogurt and cereal. Beware! Milk is usually warm, check before you pour on your cereal.

Dinner is designed to give you a taste of the local flavor but the only way a restaurant can deal with groups our size is by one meal serves all. You will be served whatever the restaurant decides to cook for us. There is no ordering. If you have a dietary need please let me know ASAP. They will need to notify restaurants about vegetarian or gluten free meals right away.

Drinks are not included with meals and usually cost 2-3 Euro or more. Refills are never free. You even need to be careful asking for water. If you don't specify that you want tap water they will bring you bottled and charge you for it. This will be true of any restaurant you visit. Oh, in Europe they love their mineral water. It's fizzy and salty and is usually an acquired taste. If you want regular water ask/look for natural, no gas or flat.

Lunch is where you can really explore. You get to find your own spots to eat. I know its tempting to find the fast and familiar but try to avoid places like McDonalds. You can get that at home.  Find little family owned places away from tourist sites that are full of locals. That usually means good food at good prices. I like to hit up the market and buy fresh produce and cheese. It makes a great meal and doesn't cost much, and the market is a great place to see what life in that community is really like. My son Stephen says eat the craziest stuff you can find, he regrets not trying a few things. I don't know if I'd go that far but at least try some of the local specialties. I've found favorite things in every place I visit. Bon Appitit!

Cards

There just wasn't enough time in yesterday. One of the reasons was spending an hour on hold so I could talk to a human at my credit card company. Since I only use this card with the EU student tour I've forgotten the PIN and needed them to send it to me. It takes about 10 days so I've left barely enough time for a repeat request if something goes wrong. While I had them on the phone I also notified them of the dates and countries I'll be in on the trip. That way the card won't be flagged as stolen and locked. Nothing worse than not being able to get cash when you need or want it. 

So, here are credit/debit the tips:

Before you go:

• Inform your bank of your travel dates in Europe.
• European ATMs will take funds only from checking accounts — not savings — so make sure your checking account balance is high enough before you go.
• If possible bring one debit card and one credit card, ideally with a Visa or MasterCard logo.
• Make sure you have a four-digit PIN number (no letters) for all of your cards, even your credit card. Request a PIN if you don’t know it (allow time for your bank to mail it).

When making a withdrawal:

• Try to use ATMs at banks during banking hours. If there’s a problem, someone in the bank can probably help.
• Avoid non-bank ATMs. "Independent" ATMs charge outrageous fees.
• Grab your cash and card quickly; some ATMs suck back the cash after 30 seconds.
• Take out large amounts at one time to avoid frequent ATM trips and repeated withdrawal fees.
• Don’t use your credit card to withdraw cash unless it’s an emergency; you’ll be charged a high cash-advance interest rate.

If your card doesn’t work:

• Try a different ATM. (Do not re-enter your PIN if the ATM eats your card.)
• Try a lower amount; the ATM may have a withdrawal limit.
• Try later. Your card’s 24-hour withdrawal maximum is based on US time, or your bank’s network may be temporarily down.

Laundry

I get ready by packing a little bit everyday and today was the laundry kit. We talked about doing laundry at the last meeting and many were absent so here goes... With the limits on suitcase size and weight we will have to do laundry while we travel. Sending your wash to the hotel laundry is expensive and requires us to be at the hotel for at least 2 days, not the best choice. Instead I hope there will be a few opportunities for launderettes (laundry mats) while we travel. For those days a few detergent pods and softener sheets are perfect. You might also want some kind of bag with a handle that you can use to cart your clothes back and forth to the launderette. (I just use a few grocery bags.) If you've never done your own wash ask your mom to help you do yours a few times before we leave so you get the hang of it. The only difference over there will be that you have to put coins in the machines before they will work.

The rest of the time we'll be hand washing in the hotel sink. This requires a small bottle with some Woolite, a sink stopper, and a cord for hanging the wash to dry. Don't count on the suction cups holding the wet laundry so grab a few clips so you can make loops. Stop up the sink drain and put your dirty clothes in. Fill with water and add a couple squirts of Woolite. Swish the clothes around a few times to get them completely wet in the wash solution. Let soak for 5-15 minutes. Use your hand to squish (knead) the clothes several times. You may want to pay some special attention to extra dirty areas like armpits. Let the water out of the sink and refill with new, cold water. Squish again to get the soapy water out of the clothes. Repeat. Carefully wring each item out to remove excess water. Lay your towel out flat and lay one item on it. Roll up and wring tightly to remove as much water as possible. Hang on the laundry line to dry. Repeat with each remaining item. (Hint, I have some that take a 2 gallon ziplock bag to use as the washing machine. Put in water, soap and clothes, shake & knead. Drain, add fresh water to rinse and repeat.)

If you've packed lightweight or travel fabric clothes (think athletic quick-dry type fabric) then you're clothes will be ready to go in the morning. Just in case pack a large (2 gallon) ziplock to pack your damp clothes in. Just remember to take them all out at the next stop so they don't mold.

Last thing to consider is some kind of spot treatment so you can zap that little spill as soon as it happens. Makes life so much easier. I take shout wipes (Walmart) but lots of people like the Tide pen.

Technology

I spent the morning checking the applications on my phone and tablet. I want to be sure everything I use frequently is updated while internet access is easy. Good thing, both my tablet and laptop were missing Skype. Not a good thing for a mom that wants to keep connected with the family while I travel. If you need to contact me for an emergency while we're traveling I'm sewinshadows from SLC, UT on Skype.

Next I researched the 'top' and 'best' apps to see what's new. Honestly, I was looking for a few fun games to keep me entertained during the long plane and bus rides. (I also need recommendations for some good ebooks!) I found a great app called HERE. It's a navigation app that works like Google Maps but you don't need to be connected for it to work. A treasure if you're worried about data and/or roaming charges. You have to register but it's free. While you have easy internet access you download the maps you want. I loaded England, Paris Isle de France, Switzerland, Tuscano (Florence), Lazio (Rome), and Greece. You could just download the whole world if you aren't worried about memory space. Now on the road I just open the map, type in where I want to be and off I go.

There are also some great tourist apps. If you have a place you are super excited to be then see if that place has an app. I would recommend the Louvre's tour. That place is huge and any walking tour will help you 1) navigate the place and 2) understand why different items in the museum are significant. Rick Steve's site also has a bunch of different tours you can download. You can find tours of cities, museums or other tourist sites a hundred different places. Do your research to make sure the ones you get are worth it.

Remember, if you are taking your phone check with your company to find out how it works with international calls, texts, social media posts, data, roaming, etc.

Oh, the other thing I did this morning was go on a long walk. My shoes are going to be perfect!

Time to get back to posting. We've had a great set of training meetings and now it's time for the final party. Thursday, May 19th, 5:15 in the Highland Courtyard. The picnic is for travelers and their entire family. Bring your travel binder.

There will be a district insurance fair in the commons so enter through the center doors as if you were going to the library. At the bottom of the ramp there is a door out to the courtyard. Come that way and you'll avoid the chaos. You should have received a packet with the invitation and some papers you need to fill out and bring back. If you didn't get it give me a call.

See you there!

Crazy Life

It's been a crazy summer. Wendy is building a house which should have taken all her time but then ended up with some health problems that slowed her down a bunch. The big and happy news is that Katie and Kalani are expecting! Baby girl should arrive around Valentines Day! Our first meeting will be Monday, Oct. 19, 7pm in the Highland Library. There is a lot to discuss and we might possibly have a new itinerary.

Happy New Year! 2015

So, we're 1.5 years out from the next tour. It seems like a long time but it really isn't. The itinerary is out to the travel agencies for bids and has already gone through several revisions. We're excited about the plan but it has a different feel from our previous tours. Currently we begin in Prague then move south to Munich, Venice, Florence, Rome and Athens. We'll see what the bids are and adjust from there. The first meeting is scheduled for Jan 12th, 6:30 in the HHS library. We'll have a cost and full itinerary for everyone there!

Prague

Munich

Venice

Florence

Rome

Athens

Poros

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.