Tonight’s Blog will be short and sweet…we just finally got into the hotel and took showers…it is about midnight our time…

Day 5/Friday: Paris

After an extremely long day on Thursday we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and took a guided tour of Paris! On the tour we saw the Arc de Triumph, took a group photo at the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. After the tour we drove out of the city to the Palace of Versailles. Talk about amazing!!!! I don’t even know how to describe it??? We were able to take a leisurely stroll through the massive gardens and also enjoyed a guided tour through the palace where we were able to see the royal apartments. We then came back into the city for some free time to shop and dinner. Dinner was buffet style and then we returned to our hotel for a relaxing evening.

One of the most interesting experiences for us continues to be using the metro. There was a strike in Paris so not as many trains were running. Let’s just say that all of now know what it means to not have personal space and how to cram as many people as we can into a metro car!!! You will have to ask your traveler about it!!!

Day 6/Saturday: Paris and the night train

Today was our last day in Paris. We set out today for the Louvre museum. We were given about

5 hours to explore the Louvre with all its wonderful works of art and do any last minute shopping in Paris. We were able to see the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory and variety of other artwork. After completing our shopping we set out to the hotel to retrieve our luggage and head out to the train station. We were VERY late getting to the station. There was a gay rights parade in the middle of Paris which caused traffic gridlock!!!! The buses ended up trying to snake though the city to get us there on time. Ask a traveler on the Grey bus what happens when a big bus tries to go down a little street with cars on both sides…let’s just say it didn’t end well for the little car!!!

The night train…hhmmm…I am not sure I have words to explain the experience. After running, and I do mean running, to make the train on time we ended up sitting at the station for about 40 minutes for the engine to arrive. You will have to ask your traveler about the experience. Some people were able to find fun in our misery. It was VERY warm in Paris and only a few of the couchettes had air conditioning that functioned properly! Let’s just say it was a loooooong night! To make it even more interesting we only had FIVE MINUTES to get off the train in the morning!!! The train only stops in Florence on the way to Rome, so you should have seen all 71 of us plus the other passengers. I have nicknamed us a swarm of locust!!

Day 7/Sunday: Florence

After getting off the train, mind you we haven’t had showers in 24 hours and it was hotter than I have EVER been before, we set out for our day in Florence. After eating breakfast at a restaurant that has been in business since the early 1500s we set off to watch a leather making demonstration at a local shop. Many of us purchased genuine Italian leather at the shop. We then met our guides for a walking tour of Florence. We then had free time to explore the city and eat lunch. Many people went to a little pizza shop recommended by our guide Reuben. It was excellent! We ate homemade pizza and were able to sit outside like the Italians do. Many people also couldn’t resist having gellato for dessert!

We then set out for Pisa! We were able to tour the church, basilica and, of course, the leaning tower for which Pisa is famous!!! And yes we got our pictures taken “holding up” the tower! At this point many people were exhausted not only from all the walking we have been doing but because of being on the night train. I believe almost everyone enjoyed a nap on the drive back to Florence from Pisa. Our group then enjoyed the best, at least in my opinion, dinner we have had thus far. We began with pasta, then had chicken and salad and finally gellato for dessert! As we walked back to the buses we were able to see Florence at night. The lights were on and the streets weren’t busy. We were able to take some amazing pictures across the river looking at the Tuscany skyline!

So we finally made it back to the hotel where I think everyone showered in the first 15 minutes!!! We are off tomorrow to explore the town of Orvieto and then on to Rome to visit the Vatican! I will continue to post as we have internet available!!!

Up and going at 4:45 am!!!!  Wake up call was 4:45am today,  breakfast at 5:30am and out the door by 6am!!!  Everyone was up and ready to go on time!! We arrived at the St. Pancreas train station and some students had time to visit Platform 9 ¾ where Harry Potter gets the train to Hogwarts.  The Eurostar took us from London, under the English Channel, to Paris, France.  Then we set off  to see the City of Lights!!  We began by going to Notre Dame Cathedral where, with the assistance of some of our young men, we learned how they built Notre Dame….ask your child about it!!!  For dinner we ate an adorable French restaurant where most of our travelers dinned in an area that was once a wine cellar. We dinned on beef tips and noodles with chocolate mousse for dessert.

Our first evening in Paris was AMAZING!!!!!  After dinner we traveled via metro and embarked on  a cruised on the river Seine. Since we had been up since 4:45am we were all a bit sleepy and I believe most of us took a little nap to refresh us for our next adventure…the EIFFEL TOWER!!!  We went to the Eiffel Tower and the view was phenomenal!! We were able to see for miles.  Some people even went to the top…I mean the top…of the Eiffel Tower!!  Most of our group stayed on the 2^nd level and enjoyed the view.  We were fortunate to be there when the sun was setting over the City of Light. 

As we were leaving the tower it sparkled, literally sparkled!  It was a very long day and we finally got back to the hotel around 11:30pm…it was time for bed!!!

Day 3 began  with a guided tour of London.  We stopped at St. Paul’s Cathedral, took photos in front of the Tower of London and witnessed the changing of the guard.  Lunch brought us back to Embankment where we sipped on Starbucks and munched on sandwiches.  The afternoon took half our group to Windsor Castle.  As we made our way to the castle we passed a restaurant that was showing the England v. Slovenia game.  England HAD to win the game to advance in the World Cup.  As we walked by we witnessed all the fans standing signing their national anthem…it was very neat to see and hear!  At Windsor we toured the State Apartments and the grounds of the castle.  Windsor is a small quaint town with the Castle on top of the hill overlooking the town.  The other half of our group toured the Tower of London. The Tower is infamous for the five be-headings that took place there…one of the most infamous being that of Anne Boleyn. 

We all met up for a Chinese Dinner…I know….Chinese in London! It was delicious.  We then split into small groups.  A group of 25 went on a Jack the Ripper Tour, another group to Wimbledon, another shopping and another went back to the hotel for some much needed rest.  When your traveler gets home ask them about traveling on the Tube, the London subway, and see what they tell you. Let’s just say that it was an experience!!!