Kalimera!

So I’m writing this on Samos, and it’s currrently 7:41 AM on th 11th, and we’ve been up for about three and a half hours.  Some of our group is sitting on a pebble beach, curled up and sleeping on beach chairs under umbrellas.  We’re on Samos so very early because the cruise ship is continuing on to a Turkish island, and EF has cancelled all ports of call in Turkish territories, so! We needed to wake up at 4:15 this morning in order to be get ready to disembark around 5:00 on Samos. The ship will continue on to the Turkish island, and will then come back for us at 2:00 PM this afternoon.  So we have a lot of sleepy kids on the beach right now.  Those with more energy are hiking up to see the cave of the Virgin Mary and the tiny monastery attached to it– it looks pretty cool, but I think some of our kids just wanted the time to sleep and rest a little, in part because we’ve had two early mornings in a row.

Yesterday, we woke up in Athens early, had a very nice breakfast– this Greek yogurt with local honey thing is a really excellent way to start the day, let me tell you– and then got our luggage (and selves) onto the bus to go to the port.  Check in for the cruise was slow,as the luggage handlers were on strike, but without incident.  We then did the usual beginning of cruise nonsense– waiting until our rooms were ready, a lifeboat drill, and then a quick group meeting about life on board.

Our ship is relatively small, especially if you’re used to enormous Caribbean cruises where the ship is a floating city.  There are about 1300 passengers onboard, which is a good size for us– not so big that our kids will be impossible to find, but also some new faces and people for the kids to meet.  (There are five other EF tour groups with us on this trip, so that’s pretty cool.)  I think the size of the cabins surprised some of the kids who had never been on a cruise before— if you’re familiar with cruises, you probably know that the cabins are basically a place for you to store your stuff, sleep, and shower– and even that’s a stretch.  So please imagine four teenagers with luggage (after they’ve been buying souveniers for the last week or so) trying to maneuver in a room the size of a walk-in closet.  It was pretty funny, honestly.

After the usual hubbub of trying to situate ourselves, we let the kids know when they would have to meet us again, and turned them loose for the afternoon.  Some chose to sit out on the deck and relax, and others jumped right into the activities offered onboard.  I saw some kids playing Greek trivia (they won! and their AP World History teacher was very pleased), others learning how to do traditional Greek dances, and some taking Zumba lessons.  I met a big bunch of our kids at the origami lessons (everyone loves arts-and-crafts hour, after all), and we learned how to make a crane and a box.   I also saw most of our kids at the 4:00 PM tea on one of the decks– we’re going to eat ourselves silly on this part of the trip, I fear.

After tea, we had a little time to get our things together before disembarking in Mykonos, a rocky, windswept island famous for its windmills.  All the buildings on the island are whitewashed and plastered, and most have bright blue or red doors and shutters– it’s really charming.  We gave the kids about an hour and a half to wander through the narrow, winding streets and shop or take pictures, and then met them just in time for a truly spectacular sunset over the water.  I’m still planning on moving to Capri after I make my first billion, but Mykonos is maybe my second choice. Although it is much more remote than Capri, so maybe not.

After Mykonos, we got back on the ship for a late dinner, and then went straight to bed, since this morning came awfully early.  I think we’re all going to sleep very, very well tonight.

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οἶδα δ᾽ ἐγὼ ψάμμου τ᾽ ἀριθμὸν καὶ μέτρα θαλάσσης, καὶ κωφοῦ συνίημι, καὶ οὐ φωνεῦντος ἀκούω.

(All right, Classics majors, do your translation magic on the title.  I will award ten Internet points to the first person to do so; these can be redeemed at all major social gatherings for nerd cred.)

First off, my apologies for the late posting of last night’s blog entry– our hotel was very, very nice, but the WiFi was basically non-existant.  If I’m ever late posting to the blog, please don’t worry– it’s likely a WiFi issue, since the coverage is much more spotty than it is in the States.  (If you’d like to check up on how things are going with the kiddos, please also check Mr. Stephenson’s pictures and Mr. Auld’s blog.  They both make an effort to post multiple times a day, if possible.)

Today began at the oh-so-unpleasant hour of 4:30, since we needed to make our flight to Athens, which required us to be at the airport by 6:30.  So it was a short night, and a fairly wakeful one for me– I never sleep well the night before a flight, too busy thinking I’ll oversleep, or forget something.  But we were all up and moving by the time we needed to be, and headed off to the airport in good– if sleepy– fashion.

Check-in at the airport was slow, but thankfully uneventful.  We made it to our gate on time, and the kids had a chance to grab some snacks in anticipation of our having a rather late lunch today.  I saw some of the kiddos load up on Pringles (excuse me, sorry, there’s a soccer promotion on right now, so the packages all proclaim that they are “Pringooooals!” instead) and Nutella and giant bags of M&Ms, so the kids were definitely happy, if not nutritionally balanced.

Our flight to Athens was quick– only about an hour and forty-five minutes.  While many of the kids conked out and slept (which was a good idea, considering our early morning), I wasn’t able to fall asleep.  Luckily, I had a window seat this time, and it was a cloudless day over the Mediterranean, so I could see the passing ships and islands and tiny white-capped waves below.  We hit some clouds and rougher air as we descended into Athens, but the landing was smooth, and overall it was a pretty easy trip.

Once everyone had picked up their luggage from the carousel, Alex walked us to our new bus, and we headed out of the Athenian region, and south towards Delphi, which is where we are now.

Delphi, if you know, was a sacred site in the classical Greek world, as it housed the oracles– called Pythia– who could tell men their destinies and give them advice. That advice was rendered through the Pythia, who sat and meditated while breathing in the volcanic fumes (and other substances), and would then be prompted to respond to the questions of petitioners.  Her responses– the Pythia was always female– were often garbled and fragmented, and priests would then interpret her statements in order to give the petitioners their answers.  The responses were usually ambiguous, and allowed the petitioner to interpret the statement many ways– which meant that the oracle was rarely entirely wrong.

Delphi is located on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, which– like most of the mountains in Greece– is limestone, craggy, and spotted with olive trees, wild lavander, and some very tough, clinging shrubs.  So! That’s where we headed off to: down a long, broad highway lined with flowers (with virtually no one on it), towards what was once known as the “navel of the world.”

After about three hours, we stopped for lunch at a place that Alex assured us was her very favorite place to eat on the trip.  Alex hasn’t steered us wrong yet, but the way she talked it up, I really wasn’t sure that the restaurant could live up to her praise.  But– yeah.  Oh, man.  I had a few good meals in Italy– lots of pasta, not all of it memorable– but that lunch was incredible.  I got a sort of sampler platter with spinach pie (spanakopita), some sort of fried zucchini hush puppy thing which was AMAZING, the best tzaziki I’ve ever had, stuffed grape leaves with lemon sauce, and this fried cheese thing wrapped in phylo dough.  It was cheap, and delicious, and Alex is taking us back there tomorrow– and none of the kids are complaining about it because it was all so, so good.  I think I’m getting lamb this time….

Okay. Yes. I’ll stop writing about food now, because we just ate dinner and I have no reason to be hungry.

At any rate, after we gorged ourselves, we drove about half an hour up the winding roads of Mount Parnassus, past the ruins of the temple of Apollo, and into the tiny town of Delphi.  And by tiny, I mean that there are two main streets, some terraced gardens, a church or two, and a whole bunch of tourist shops, hotels, and cafes.  This place clearly lives and dies by tourism– and given the state of the current Greek economy, things do feel a little worn and desparate around here.  But the people have been friendly, and the views are gorgeous. After all, you can’t possibly complain when the view from your hotel room is a broad valley carpeted in thousands of grey-green olive trees, the white escarpment of limestone hillsides, swallows swooping in the late afternoon sun, and there, at the end of the valley is the Bay of Corinth, separating mainland Greece from the Pelopennesian peninsula.

Because our tour of the ruins at Delphi isn’t until tomorrow morning, we were able to give the kids a leisurely afternoon, during which they could shop or wander the village, or take photographs, or possibly nap.  (Or play Risk.  Someone bought an Italian version of Risk in Rome, and it’s become a thing amongst some of the kids.)  I spent a good bit of the afternoon out on our balcony (I know), listening to the sound of swallows chirping and the wine glasses in the nearby cafe clinking as folks had a late afternoon meal.  We then had a late dinner with the kids at the restaurant next door, chatting with them about some of their purchases.  I saw several “evil eye” charms, and one enterprising group of young men all purchased traditional style Greek shirts in varying patterns of white and blue.  They look pretty awesome as a group.

So, that was Day One of Greece.  I liked Italy a lot, but I have a feeling Greece might be even more my speed.

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Ciao, Roma.

On the road to Naples.

Buongiorno, everyone!  Sorry for the abrupt end to last night’s blog update– our wake up call was at 5:30 this morning, and I needed to finish packing up my stuff for our transfer today to Capri and Sorrento and get some sleep.  So!  I’ll make up for it by doing a little early blogging while we’re on the bus down to Naples, since I’ve got three hours at my disposal.

Currently, the bus is quiet: the kids are all plugged into their various devices and listening to music or sleeping, or looking out the window at the scenery.  And the countryside is worth appreciation– we’re driving south down a long valley between two ridges of the Apenines, and the fields on either side of the road are dotted with bright red poppies and yellow wildflowers.  I can see small villages curled into the foothills of the mountains, and if I look out the lefthand window of the bus, I can see the abbey of Monte Cossini, which was founded by St. Benedict.  I can also see enormous windmills spinning along the top of a ridge pockmarked with white limestone outcrops and carved with switchback roads, and a thin strand of clouds hanging about the valleys.  It’s not exactly terrible to look at.

So!  A couple of things I left out of last night’s account: Alex took us to the old Jewish quarter in Rome and gave us about an hour and a half to find something to eat for lunch yesterday, which meant that we had our first real opportunity to go and explore Italy’s culinary options.  (I had a caprese salad with buffalo mozarella and a potato, cheese, and mushroom concoction the name of which escapes me.  It was delicious regardless.  Several of the other chaperones had priscutto and cheese and polenta, which made all of us [a] very full and [b] very happy.) After eating, we still had about half an hour before we needed to meet the group, so Mrs. Theaker (as she says, “the artist formerly known as Ms. Kovel”) and I decided to walk around a bit.  And it was on our brief walk that we found probably the Most Important Site in all of Rome.

We’d left Ms. Wong and Mr. Stephenson at an espresso bar, and just across the street, I could see some excavated ruins in a fenced-off pit.

“Hey,” I said to Mrs. Theaker, “We should go check that out!”  Mrs. Theaker agreed.  After all, if you saw the ruins of a random Roman temple across the street, wouldn’t you want to go and see what they were about?

So we crossed the street, and went to go and read the informational signs posted on the fence.  One of the signs explained that the temple was from the second century BCE, and was dedicated to– I forget which god, because the second sign was much more interesting.

“PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE CAT FOOD BEHIND,” it said.  “THE CATS ARE FED THROUGH AN APPROVED ORGANIZATION.”

Lovely reader, it is my joy to tell you that Rome uses its extra temples and monuments as stray cat sanctuaries.  It is AMAZING.  All throughout the ruins, there were cats: sprawled on a collapsed column, dripping down some shady steps, perched on the ledge of the retaining wall.  It was a cat temple.

Alex seemed singularly unsurprised when Mrs. Theaker and I happily told her what we’d found on our walk.  Apparently, there are several of these cat sanctuaries around Rome, paid for by charities.  They’re encouraged because the organizations spay and neuter the cats (to keep there from being too many), and the cats in turn keep the rat population down.

A+ job, Rome.  Congratulations on being incredibly practical and also slightly weird.  I approve.

Now, we should be arriving at the port of Naples in about an hour and a half, so I’m going to try and shut my eyes for a while and doze.  When we arrive, we’re going to take a ferry to the island of Capri, so today is a day where we’re all going to pretend we’re fabulously wealthy and famous, just so we fit in.  Should be fun!

Sorrento, Italy

Dear family and friends, I love you all very much, but I’m afraid I will be moving to Capri.  Feel free to come and visit me in my 55 million Euro villa sometime.  We will go shopping at Prada and Miu Miu and buy necklaces with rubies as big as your thumb.

The ferry ride over to Capri from Naples was uneventful (anxious parents concerned about motion sickness can rest easy knowing that everyone did awesome today– no upset stomachs at all!), although I did spend much of the forty-five minute ride gawking at the sprawl of Naples and the hazy shape of Mount Vesuvius behind us, and the growing island of Capri ahead.

When we disembarked from the ferry, we were immediately herded by our local guide, Francesca, into two motor boats, which proceded to take us on an hour-long cruise around the island, and into several of the grottos.*

Oh, man.  Guys, I’m really not sure how to describe it, except to say that it was beautiful, that the water was so clear and blue that it made the sky seem pale.  I’ll post pictures when I get the chance, but honestly, they won’t do the experience justice.  I could have spent all day out on that boat.  Francesca used our Whispers to tell us about the geology of the island, the history of Emperor Tiberius’s palace during Imperial times, what life on the island is like for most of the inhabitants, and its role in celebrity history.  While she was talking, we were surrounded by some of the most gorgeous scenery I’ve ever experienced– it was glorious.  We sailed through a natural arch reputed to grant wishes, and gawked at some of the (extremely fancy) yatches around us.  Ms. Wong and I tried to do some celebrity spotting, but alas, they were too well-hidden for us to find them.

After our mini-cruise, Francesca helped us get onto the inclided cable car which helps to move people from the marina to the main square of the town of Capri.  The town itself is– hmm.  I want to say charming, but also incredibly, incredibly exclusive.  Almost like a dollhouse build out of filigree goldwork– it makes you smile because of how small and quirky it is, but it’s also somewhat intimidating in its finery.  Or at least that’s how I felt; I do not have the bank account to feel comfortable in most of those shops.  Still, it was lots of fun to window shop for sunglasses that are worth more than my car.

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We took a brief walk down the hill to go to the gardens and get a view of the southern coast from the clifftops, and then the kids had a little time to do some shopping on their own.  Be not alarmed, parental units: I didn’t see anyone with unreasonably pricey purchases.  Some of us (myself included) bought perfume or soap from a perfumerie which is located on Capri; it’s famous for its citrus and bougainvillea essences.  (The island does smell marvelous; we could smell bougainvilleas wafting in on the wind during our lunch.)

After our shopping expedition, we reconvened, made our way (via cable car) back down to the marina where we caught a ferry to Sorrento– our home for tonight.  We unfortunately didn’t have time to enjoy Sorrento on foot, although it looks like a lovely place; instead, we had to make our way up the cliff face to meet our bus.  This involved a brisk climb up a hundred stairs.  The kids did awesome; this intrepid reporter, however, was about done after fifty or so.  Still, we all made it to the top of the cliff, met our driver, and headed off to our hotel for tonight.

So! That was our day.  Tomorrow, we head for Pompeii!

—
* Unrelated, but I’m pretty sure this is at least the third Francesco/a we’ve had as a guide or driver on this trip.  I should keep a tally.

In the shadows of tall buildings.

First off, ten points to anyone who correctly identifies the artist and song from which I’ve stolen the title of this entry.

Secondly, today was a day during which our group divided into two parts and had plenty of free time, so what I’m writing about is what I did during the day– which may or may not be what our students did, exactly.  But the broad strokes should be there.

Our group was much more chatty at breakfast this morning, which I take as a sign that the jet lag has worn off, but the exhaustion hasn’t yet set in.  (This means we’re in the traveling sweet spot right now.  Let’s hope it lasts.)  We left the hotel at nine this morning, and headed back down into the city to pick up our tour guide and let one group off the bus for their own excursion. The first main event for today was an extra excursion to the early Christian catacombs just outside the original city wall, and not everyone wanted to go– the quarters are tight, and not everyone feels comfortable being underground in the context of human burials, so we certainly didn’t want to force people to go if they would be unhappy.  So a small group left the bus as we picked up today’s guide, Ana.

(You’d have to ask Ms. Husband precisely what that group did until lunch, because I’m afraid I don’t know yet!  I believe it involved a fair bit of shopping and a trip to McDonald’s, and probably a lot of other stuff, too.)

After picking up Ana, we took a brief driving tour of Rome, passing by the Palatine Hill, Circus Maximus (where the chariot racing took place– think Ben Hur), and the public baths.  We wound up along the Appian Way, the “queen of roads” in Rome, and got off the bus at the site of a small church located on top of one of Rome’s many networks of catacombs.

Rome has an incredibly extensive network of catacombs– if they were stretched out in a single tunnel, they would reach from Rome to Florence.  But they developed as a result of traditional pre-Christian Roman beliefs regarding the sanctity of the dead, as well as old Roman laws regarding the proscribed locations for the disposal of the dead.  Out of concern for public health, burials (and cremations) were not allowed inside of Rome’s old city walls, so the dead were either buried or cremated outside of the city proper.  Also, Roman law and tradition forbade moving or otherwise desecrating a body after death, which meant that once someone had been buried in a place, that land could no longer be used for anything else– ever.  And because land was at a premium (and because of some lucky geological features which I’ll describe in a moment), it made sense to dig down into the rock below and excavate out tunnels, chambers, and small tombs, rather than to simply dig a grave.

The catacombs we visited were established prior to 313 CE, which means that Christianity was still an illegal practice in the Roman empire.  Thus, while the graves belonged to early Christians, the symbols used on their grave markers and in the decorated tombs were largely coded to indicate their faith.  So instead of the crucifix, you’ll see an icthys– a fish– or the symbols for Alpha and Omega.

Initially, our tour guide took us down into a small underground church build on top of the graves of two early Christian martyrs, and explained the history of the church and early Christianity.  She stressed that while movies and books may like to represent the catacombs as a place where Christians hid due to persecution, this was not the case– the catacombs were a place of burial only, not worship or refuge.  After giving us a basic overview, she led us down into the catacombs themselves.

I know I’ve written about history and cemeteries on this blog before, so I won’t rehash old ground.  But I did really love seeing the catacombs, because I think there’s something deeply empathetic that can happen when you consider the very basic realties and griefs of people who have been gone for centuries upon centuries.  It’s tempting to think of the past as some strange alternate world, full of fictional characters who are interesting to think about, but who weren’t really people.  But when you walk through a place meant to be an eternal monument to personal loss and– depending on the faith of individual– ultimate peace and redemption, it becomes much, much easier to imagine that world honestly, with all the normal pains and flaws and joys of human existence.

That’s a bit much, yeah?  But.  Like I said: there’s something about history and cemeteries for me.  I know that’s not true for everyone, though, so take it with a grain of salt.

At any rate, our tour guide took us through about 10% of the catacombs– that’s all that’s open to the public, here– showing us the pick and chisle marks in the stone where workers carved away at the rock.  Much of Rome sits on a bedrock of compressed volcanic ash known as tuffa, and the stone is therefore porous and easy to carve away.  In fact, our guide told us that generally a new burial niche in the side of a tunnel could be carved away in less than two hours– which was good, because that’s about how long an oil lamp could burn.  We also were able to see an original fresco– more than seventeen hundred years old, which blows my mind– which decorated the burial arch of a wealthy individual.

After our tour of the catacombs, Ana took us over to see the Basillica of Saint Paul.  (For those keeping score, this would be Basillica Number Two, after yesterday’s trip to Saint Peter’s Basillica in Vatican City.)  The Basillica of Saint Paul is also administered by the Vatican, although it isn’t officially within the boundaries of the Holy See, and was built over the remains of Saint Paul, one of the most influential figures in early Christianity.

Ana explained to us that much of the current Basillica is a 19th century reconstruction, as the building caught fire during an attempt to restore part of the ceiling.  Luckily, however, firefighters were able to use water from the nearby Tiber River to prevent the fire from spreading to the tomb of St. Paul, the aspe, and a magnificent golden mosaic which decorates the half-dome over the altar.

Again, we were lucky enough to enter through the Holy Door, which is only open every twenty-five years.  Entering through the Holy Door– both at Saint Paul’s and Saint Peter’s Basillicas– grants one plenary indulgence, according to Catholic belief.  Ana expressed to the kids the importance of this act, and I think many of them found it a moving idea, regardless of their personal beliefs.

After entering the Basillica proper, we could immediately hear the gorgeous sounds of a choir singing during Mass.  We were therefore very, very quiet and stood in the back of the Basillica to listen while Ana told us about the church via our Whispers (those one-way radios I mentioned yesterday).  The kids were absolutely awesome, by the way– and have been every time we’ve entered any religious site.  They’ve been wonderfully respectful and open, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.

St. Paul’s feels more open and airy than St. Peter’s, but much of that has to do with the size of the crowds at the Vatican.  One thing I absolutely loved about St. Paul’s were the windows; instead of stained glass, the windows are made of thin slices of alabaster, a semi-translucent stone.  That, in combination with the austerity of the pillars, the golden glow of the early Byzantine-style mosaic, and the unearthly singing of the choir, made St. Paul’s an incredibly moving place to visit.  Our kids had a chance to visit the tomb of St. Paul, and several made observances.

(And– hey, Mom.  If you’re reading this, please tell Mrs. Milby that I lit a candle for her at St. Paul’s.  I wasn’t able to at St. Peter’s, so I hope that begins to make amends for that lapse.)

Once we finished our tour of the Basillica, Ana brough us back to the city center via our bus, where we met up with the earlier group.  We gave the kids an hour and a half to eat lunch on their own, and then reconvened before walking over to some of the more popular streets for shopping in Rome.  We then turned the kids loose with instructions to meet us again in about two hours, had dinner, and came back to the hotel.

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And– sorry for the abrupt ending, guys, but we have a very early wake-up call tomorrow, and I need to get to bed.  I’ll finish writing up today’s adventures while we’re on the bus to Sorrento tomorrow!

Panem et circences.

I feel a little like that great swordsman and philosopher, Inigo Montoya: “Let me explain; no, there is too much– let me sum up.”

In broad strokes, here’s what we did today: we visited the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and Vatican City.  We walked a bit, stood in lines with hundreds upon hundreds of people, saw some of the great masterworks of the Western world, and had a little time for some gelatto and shopping.

(If I stop this entry there, is that enough?  No?  I suppose sometimes broad brushstrokes aren’t enough, even if I do like modernism.)

We were lucky enough this morning to have a relatively leisurely start, which meant that we were up by 7:30 local time, breakfasting by 8:15, and on the bus by 9:00.  “Leisurely” is a fairly elastic concept on trips like this, and has everything to do with comparison.  We’ll be waking up painfully early in a few days, so we’ve been telling the kids that 7:30 is a luxury– I’m not sure they really understand that yet, however.  It’ll happen, though.

Our first stop this morning was the Colosseum, the quintessential stadium of all stadia.  The name– colossous— is absolutely appropriate; even in its half ruined state after fifteen hundred years of pilliaging stones and metal braces from its bones, the Colosseum is truly a monument to what man can do– and build– if given the chance.

As a history teacher (even one whose specialty isn’t Europe), I generally feel like I’ve got a fairly good handle on the Romans and Colosseum, bread and circuses, and all that jazz.  But our tour guide, Barbara, was fantastic, and told us all sorts of things that I’d never heard before– about the construction and engineering of the building, the way the games functioned, how Roman society functioned– all sorts of things.  For example: did you know that women were allowed to attend the games, but had to sit in the very, very top section of the stadium?  They were required by Roman law to be physically segregated from men in public venues, which meant that even the highest class patrician matron had to sit in a worse position than the lowest class plebian man.  The gender divide didn’t necessarily surprise me– the Romans are not my favorites in terms of gender history– but the gendering of class I found really interesting, especially when you consider how paternalistic Roman society was.  Roman women were to be protected and their virtue guarded by their male relatives, so the idea that you would have these women, who were idealized as frail and needing protection, sitting Way The Heck At The Top of the stadium, up some seriously steep stairs is somewhat hilarious to me.  Frankly, I think if a lady could make it all the way up to the top of the stadium without tripping on the incredibly steep stairs, I think she was probably strong enough to be her own legal guardian as well.

But I digress.

One of the coolest parts of the Colosseum is undoubtably the arena floor.*  Because the original wooden floor has long since rotted away, you can see all the hallways and elevator shafts which would allow people to raise gladiators and animals up to the arena floor through a system of counterweights.  I can’t imagine how impressive that must have been in 80 CE– to see a lion rise out of the sand, or sixteen heavily armed men, poised to fight to the death.

After walking through the Colosseum, our guide took us past the Arch of Constantine to Palatine hill, where the Roman emperors built their palaces.  Today the hill is covered with olive trees, umbrella pines, and the tall spires of cyprus.  Then we walked down a Roman road into the Forum, which was the heart of Roman public life during both the Republic and Empire periods.  The Forum housed the Senate and many, many temples, and was the commercial and political center of the Mediterranean for centuries.  Because the Forum is so old, it seems all jumbled up– a temple to Vestia here, a temple to Julius Caesar there, the original combat space for the gladiators, the platform where Marc Antony gave his funeral oration on Caesar– it’s all heaped up, column upon column, right next to each other.  So much of classical Western history in one place, it honestly made me a little dizzy.

Although, by the time we made our way through the forum, that dizziness could have been from heat and hunger.  While it’s been absolutely lovely in terms of weather, walking about in the sun for three hours did take its toll– I know we were all grateful to jump back on the bus for the short ride over to Vatican City, if only to sit out of the sun for a little while.  We had tickets to enter the Vatican at 2:30, which meant that we had a very limited time for lunch, so when we arrived near to the entrance of the Vatican Museum, we gave the kids about half an hour to go and find something from one of the sandwich shops or pizzarias nearby before we met our new guide, Marina.

After eating, we met up with Marina, got outfitted with the Vatican’s Whispers (“Vatican’s Whispers” sounds so much cooler than what they are; they’re basically radios that you put in your ears so that the tour guide can talk to everyone in the group without screaming), and then we set off on our Quest for the Sistine Chapel.  Capitals are necessary for this, because oh my gosh that was one of the most crowded places I’ve ever been in my life.

You see, the trouble is that there is going to be a MASSIVE ceremony at St. Peter’s tomorrow (Sunday), because two new saints are being beatified– and that means that no one can visit the Vatican tomorrow in the normal way.  So therefore, if you’re currently in Rome and want to visit Vatican City, you needed to go today, because tomorrow’s not an option.  Thus, the crowds = INSANE.

Still, Marina walked us through the enormous collection of classical statues, tapestries, and urns, pointing out the gold thread woven through Raphael’s tapestries, the Apollo Belvedere, and an absolutely jaw-dropping passageway modeled after the Roman Emeperor Nero’s famous golden villa.  I do wish that (a) it had been less crowded, and (b) I had been less footsore, because there were amazing objects we drifted right past because of the crowd.  But still– gorgeous.

And then we walked down a couple of narrow staircases, took a left, and– there was the Sistine Chapel.

(We couldn’t take pictures, but if you need a visual, I suggest you Google “Cappela Sistina” + “Vatican” + “virtual tour.”  There’s an amazing 360 degree view of the chapel which is fantastic– I’ve used it in class multiple times.)

I’m honestly not much of a Western Europe person in terms of my background and training in history, but I do love Renaissance art.  And I’ve got a special place in my heart for Michelangelo, because he was difficult and troubled and astoundingly innovative.  I can–and have– taught whole class periods on nothing but Michelangelo’s Last Judgement.  And to actually be in that space, to look up and see his monumental Sybills staring down, to see God reaching out towards a newly-created Adam, to see that brilliant blue wash behind the altar– well.  I have to admit I teared up a little.  Maybe more than a little.  I admit nothing.

After the Cappela Sistina, we made our way– slowly– up the stairs to St. Peter’s Basillica.  Because it’s a Jubilee year, we were able to enter through a door that is usually closed, and immediately were in front of one of the most famous statues in the world: the Pieta.  (Another reason I love Michelangelo.  The way Mary’s fingers press in Christ’s flesh is astounding.)  The crowds were thick, but I know most of our students were able to get a good look at it– even though it is behind glass, now.

Then, we went out into the Basillica itself, where a mass was being performed.  The music, Bernini’s soaring gilded bronze pavillion and altar piece, and the late afternoon sunlight made for a truly incredible moment.  I know our students were tired of walking and pushing through crowds, but I think they would all agree that that one moment was unquestionably worth it.

And now– to bed.  We’re up at 7:30 again tomorrow to go check out the catacombs!

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* Another fun fact our tour guide shared with us: the Colosseum’s floor was wooden, but covered in sand– in part to hide the trap doors and elevators (yeah, elevators, the Romans can engineer the crap out of stuff), but also to soak up the blood from the battles.  And those of you who speak Spanish will note that arena is the word for sand, and is derived from a Latin root.  So the use of the word “arena” in its modern context actually derives from the use of sand on the Colosseum’s floor.  Etymology is fun.

The Eternal Day (And Also City)

Somewhere Northeast of Newfoundland

Air travel is never the most glamorous undertaking.  Unless you’re flying in a 1960s PanAm commercial (the kind with little pillbox hats and fancy drinks), traveling by plane is apt to be crowded, frustrating, and full of the hurry-up-and-wait that most of us (myself included) are really bad at.  But even knowing that flying is full of TSA checks and limits on liquids and infants sobbing because of cabin pressure changes, I keep hoping it will be the sort of experience I see in glossy magazines: civilized, comfortable, and ending with me and my fellow travelers waltzing off the plane looking fresh-pressed and well-rested.

Maybe if we were in first class.  Alas, we are not, and therefore I anticipate getting off the plane in Frankfurt feeling in need of a good yoga session and a shower.

But allowing for all the normal frustrations of travel, the first leg of our trip went relatively smoothly: no problems with TSA, and we got to the gate with plenty of time to allow the kids a chance to go and grab something to eat and drink before takeoff.  Boarding was efficient– given that we’re on a German airline, I wouldn’t expect anything else– and while I’m in the unenviable position of having a Dreaded Middle Seat, my row mates are top notch. Andrew and Gio are currently playing Uno, I think, although I know there’s been some discussion of watching Kung Fu Panda 3 as well.

(Coach Auld has the aisle next to me, and spent the first part of the trip watching Leonardo DiCaprio fight a bear.  I watched some droids and lightsabers save the galaxy again.  I think my choice was more relaxing.)

As we’ve all been fed and watered and the cabin lights have been turned out, I’m going to put on some music and pretend like I can actually sleep on moving vehicles and try my hand achieving some sort of unconsciousness before we land in Frankfurt.

Concourse A42 in Frankfurt

Layover in progress! It’s 8:35 AM local time (which I think puts us in the 2 AM hour back home), and the kids have an hour to find some food, stretch, and try to freshen up as best they can before the next leg of our trip.  I’ve staked out a seat at the very end of the terminal to sprawl and write this, and I’m watching planes taxi in along the runway in the fog.  I couldn’t tell you what Germany looks like– from here, it looks like pavement and air traffic controllers’ towers and a thick grey sky.   I believe this means that by the Laws of Travel, I still can’t say I’ve been to Germany, as I haven’t left the airport.*

I had some modest success in my attempt to achieve unconciousness on our last flight; there are about two hours for which I can’t fully account, and I missed several episodes of the podcast I was listening to, so I’m going to pretend that means I actually slept.  The kids had better luck, I think– I saw several of them curled up and checked out for several hours at least, so hopefully that means that we’ll be able to hold of the worst of travel fatigue until we manage to check into our hotel outside of Rome this evening.  (The winner of the Most Sleep Award goes to Parris, by the way, who has just informed me she “only” slept for five hours on the flight. My jealousy is immense.)

Everything continues to go smoothly, although I managed to trip going up a flight of stairs on our way out of the gate and now have an enormous bruise north of my left knee.  I’d say nothing was hurt but my pride, but that would be a lie.  Ouch.  But the pride took the bigger hit. And frankly, I’m sure that’s not the only bruise I’ll get on this trip, because I am a grade A klutz.  Ms. Husband isn’t feeling terribly well right now, either, as she got hit by a bout of motion sickness during our last flight, which is never fun.  But she’s resting a bit and has taken some Dramamine, so hopefully she’ll be feeling right as rain soon enough.

Now it’s time for me to rejoin the group, count up my girls, and off we’ll go on flight number two!

L’Ottava Hotel, Someplace Outside of Rome (I Wasn’t Paying Attention)

About eighty percent of my brain right now is arguing in favor of going upstairs to my hotel room and crashing until dinner.  But if I do that, I know I’m going to be Zombie Ms. Galloway, incapable of holding a conversation or writing a complete thought.  Therefore, I have unpacked (as much as I’m going to) and plugged the electronics in to charge, and headed down to the courtyard in front of the hotel to write up this account.  Sleep will have to wait a while longer.

It’s really lovely out here– we’re about fifty minutes outside of Rome proper, and our hotel is up on a hillside.  I’m currently looking down into a valley with occasional stripes of olive green vineyards and red tile roofs, and at the edge of the valley the Apennine Mountains rise up like watercolor sentries.

Several kids have joined me out here– Gio and Andrew and Chiara are continuing an epic game of Uno, and Malik and Evan and several others are playing a game of Heads Up on someone’s phone.  And while they look tired, I’m seeing a lot of smiles.

The kids were troopers today (and yesterday? I’m not sure how to count the passage of time right now); we arrived at Rome at around 12:30 local time, and at that point,  we’d been traveling for more than fourteen hours, and most of us hadn’t slept more than a handful of hours.  We were met at baggage claim by a representative from EF, found our bags without too much of a delay, gave the kids a chance to clean up in the bathrooms– and then met our tour director, Alex, and jumped right onto the bus and headed into Rome to see the sights. And while we were certainly tired, and probably thinking fondly of the possibility of sleep, it really does make sense to just power through and beat the jet lag with brute force.

So! As we drove into Rome, Alex gave us some background information about the city and what we could see out the window.  Which– I have to be honest, it is extremely weird as a history teacher to look out a window and see the site where Julius Caesar was stabbed (twenty-three times!), or to see the arches of the Colosseum off in the distance, or to watch Vespas weave between cars in the alleys behind Vatican City.  I’ve been lucky enough to travel a fair bit thus far in my life, but it never stops surprising me when I can see that the places I’ve studied and read about and seen in movies are actually real, that they have a presence beyond my imagination.

That would be the value of travel, my friends.

Eventually, our bus driver found a place to park, and we ventured out to visit a few piazzas and stretch our legs.  We visited the Trevi fountain, where students threw in coins, took selfies, and bought their first Italian gelatos, and then walked past the Temple to Agrippa, and took a little time inside the Pantheon.  (This intrepid reporter has to admit she spent an inordinant amount of time at the tomb of Raphael.  School of Athens Raphael– not Ninja Turtles Raphael.)  The kids probably have a million pictures, but I’ll upload a few as well when I’ve got a chance.

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And now–  I think that’s about for today!  Tomorrow we’ll be going to the Colosseum and Vatican City, so we need to eat well, sleep fast, and get ready for another awesome day of adventures.

 

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* Note to Emily: The Laws of Travel do, however, state that a person has been to a place if they have driven through it, even if they didn’t stop.  Therefore I have been to Brazil, and also Idaho.