Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Italy
Jess called and said that the hotel they are in now is like a castle. She said the rooms are small, but the place is huge and beautiful. Everytime I talk to her, I hear lots of people in the background laughing, sounds like they are having a good time! She has said that the sites have been "cool" and the food "delicious". She is really looking forward to the Full On experience tomorrow. I believe they will be doing it with the delegation from NYC. She said they have also met a delegation from Montana (? or somewhere out west). I can't wait to see all the photos she has taken. I believe she has taken over 500 so far!
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Jess called again today and said that the Full On Experience was awesome! She said they were exhauted and they did Full On all day. Apparently tomorrow they will be out all day and will not be getting back to the hotel until 11pm. They were doing bed check when she told me this and I heard them ask if that means they get to sleep later on Saturday! I can't believe they will be home in less than a week and half! I can't wait to hear everything without having to watch the clock and the time left on the phone card.
Where have all the bloggers gone? Long time passing.
My kid's phone card doesn't work and I want to live vicariously. She did get an email out, though, and was thrilled to have conquered "the wall."
So, have you heard from your kid today?
Hi Patti:
Chelsea's phone card doesn't work either but I did hear from her yesterday. She is charging the phone calls and they are very expensive. She is having a great time, the food is great. Chelsea loved the hotel in Perugia, and the shopping has been great! If anyone else has more detail on their activites, please share!
Karen Callahan
I spoke to Sarah tonight. They had just gotten into the hotel around midnight. They had a busy day at the alabaster factory and then dinner with Italian families. As usual, the food was fabulous. She was very proud of herself for completing the Full On day. She was petrified at the top of the wall.
She and Jess are rooming together at this hotel. The rooms are very nice and they were both excited that the beds were almost full sized.
She said she ,Chelsea, Annmarie and Lynne have been hanging out a lot and having great fun.
Sarah said they are all really tired as there is not a lot of down time. They need to be up at 6:30 tomorrow morning. She was hoping that they would have gotten a later start tomorrow.
Phone cards continue to be a problem for a lot of them and some who have tried to call home collect have had difficulties accessing an international operator.
Hard to believe that this adventure is almost over !
Jess reached me on my cell phone on my way home tonight. I hope she was calling using a calling card, because I checked her account and the two calls she made from Greece using her debit card cost $42 EACH! OUCH! She bought all sorts of stuff at the alabaster factory and said it was pretty cool. She wasn't too happy about having to get up at 6:30am either! I think they go to Pisa tomorrow, I can't wait to see those photos.
Caitlin broke down and bought a phone card in Rome. She has been calling about every other day. She has not had any problem with using the card that she purchased.
Caitlin loved Rome and said they had a lot of free time in addition to checking out all of the sites. She had a great time shopping.
The Full On experience was pretty intense for Caitlin. She is petrified of heights and did not think she would complete it - but she did; she said she was shaking all the way down. She then emailed to tell me she made it and she "was alive".
All of Caitlin's calls have been brief - I think she is saving minutes to call her friends and sisters. She did tell me that all of the meals in Italy have been great and she has liked the hotels.
Unfortunately, tonight one of the families hosting the dinner backed out. As a result, some of the kids, including Caitlin, ended up at a restaurant. I never thought I would see the day when she would complain about going out to eat!
I asked Caitlin to bring some chocolates from Perugia, but she said it was too hot and they would melt. She said she was eating baci chocolates and loving them. She was really impressed with the alabaster factory as well.
Caitlin called me at 6 PM our time tonight. They had just gotten to the hotel. She was really tired and not looking forward to getting up at 6 AM. But, she does sound light years older than when she started on this trek.
I will have to check the itinerary - Caitlin thought tomorrow was Florence. Maybe they are going to both?
If any of you speak with your kids, can you mention that Caitlin's birthday is Sunday 8/5. She may have made sure the entire group knows - but I have no way of checking on that. She has never been away from home for her birthday before.
Sarah called from Florence. They saw the David but were not allowed to take any pictures. At the BACI chocolate factory they all got samples; she likened it to Willy Wonka!
The shopping as been great; several got gorgeous leather jackets. They also went to the US WWII cemetery in Florence. Sarah said seeing the American flag made some of them weepy.
The hotels are on the outskirts and they take long bus rides (2+ hrs) to get to Florence and Pisa. She got a picture of herself holding up the tower. I think she said Lynne was her photographer.
Food continues to be great. For breakfast they usually have croissants and nutella; she said it was different but tasty. They had 2 free hrs on Florence today and a group went to get gelato after doing some shopping. James has been with them ( Annmarie, Chelsea, Lynne, Katie, Elisa, Megan, Katheryn, Olivia) and warding off the Italian guys: Thanks, James !
Phone cards are still a problem for some . Unfortunately, some kids seem to be " hogging" the computers in the hotel( IMing their friends) so others can't get on to contact parents.They were told that the next hotel has free service had several computers.
She said she is a bit homesick, but still having a great time.
They are looking forward to Venice and to staying at the castle in Austria.
It was a long chat; I think after so many days, we all needed to chat for a while.
Mary Bjork
Spoke with Lynne today. :) Thanks to the Bjorks for the loan of the phone card!!! She sounded good. She is homesick but still having a good time. She was carrying on a simultaneous conversation with Caitlin (her roomie for this hotel). I did get to wish Caitlin a happy birthday and told Lynne to make sure everyone knew about it.
She got gifts for her nephews in Roma and Pisa and is sure to find something for her brother at Ferrari tomorrow. She says her suitcase is full to bursting.
What an amazing adventure these kids have had. I am sure they will not return to us the same. Thanks Patti for wishing Caitlin a happy b-day and for letting Lynne know. We are hoping she calls today.
It sounds like one of Rachel's highlights will be dinner with the Italian host family. She feels she has made good friends, had a wonderful dinner, and was very impressed by their 15 y.o. son who "played piano like Mozart." She has also mentioned the shopping, and the fact that she is almost out of money. I do not think she fully grasped the implications of an unfavorable exchange rate. Although originally ambivalent about this trip, she is now fully engaged and enjoying the experience. Ann Tobin
When Jess called yesterday, she said that she too got a picture of her "holding up" the tower! She is really looking forward to the Ferrari Factory.
She gave me a run down on all the stuff she has bought! Alabaster eggs for her friends, alabaster pigs for her grandmother, leather wallets and handbags (like she needs anymore!), belts, jewelry and even a Harley Davidson T-shirt for her dad with the name of one of the cities they have stopped in throughtout Italy. (It's funny how popular some American items are over there!)
We forwarnded her again about calling using the credit card, I still can't get over it costing $42 for one phone call! She bought a phone card in Italy in case the ones she brought from home doesn't work. She's also been trying to share her phone cards with people who have ones that aren't working. In Greece, she was able to call from someone's cell phone a few times when her card wasn't working -I'm not sure who's phone it was, but THANK YOU! Let me know what we owe you! Especially if your child was letting EVERYONE borrow it!
She really enjoyed the dinner with the Italian family. Apparently the family is big nito dog sled races and one of the dogs had just had puppies so they got to play with them. They do timed dog sled races, but haven't participated in the Iditerod (sP) because it is too far away!
I emailed her the link to this blog and told her the parents would really appreciate a positng or comment from them and asked her to round up a few people to put something on it. WE'll see what happens with that!
A big thank you to the entire group and to the leaders - Caitlin has had an awesome birthday, complete with two cakes and everyone singing happy birthday to her this afternoon. She just called and again talked about the alabaster factory. It sounds like that was a real hit with all of the kids. Caitlin said that in Pisa the street shopping was great - a lot of knock off items. She also said the Ferrari factory was amazing. She too is running low on funds - the exchange rate is a killer. They have not had internet access at the hotel where they were, but will be at a hotel with internet access tonight.
Sarah called. The new hotel is a big hit: the girls each have a private room. Sounds like suites of 2 rooms that share a common sitting room. She is w/Lori tonight. This hotel also has internet access. Sarah was actually looking forward to a soak in the tub tonight.
The ferrari factory was great fun. She told her dad, that she didn't have enough Euros for a car, so she bought him a HAT!
They had celebrated Caitlin's birthday and all had a great time.
She sounded rested tonight. Tomorrow is Venice; Sarah has been looking forward to that since we signed on for this trip. She is excited about the gondola ride and the class factory.
I think a little rest on the long bus ride today was what they all needed.
Phone cards continue to be a problem for some of the kids.
From Caitlin's latest email: "my hotel room IS MASSIVELY HUGE you have no idea, its amazing".
hi everyone
we saw the leaning tower of pisa yesterday and took a tour of the ferrari museum and it was cool then we went to the hotel and tomorrow we are going to venice
jessica
Spoke to Lynne. She wasn't as enamored with the Ferrari museum as some others. It was okay and the cars were "pretty." I guess cars just aren't her thing.
She said Caitlin's birthday was fun and she was grateful for the later curfew. Elissa is her roommate for this hotel.
She too had issues with getting computer time as they were monopolized by a few.
She sounded tired after the "laundry party" but looking forward to the gondola and glass factory tomorrow.
I hope her phone card works in Austria, as we cut our conversation short. Again - thanks Bjorks for the use of the card.
Spoke to Sarah brifely today. Venice was wonderful. She was in the gondola w/ Chelsea, Ruth, Kevin and Phyliss. Sarah kept asking the "driver" to sing, but he wouldn't !
The Murano glass factory was fabulous, and even though most things were out of her price range, she managed to find a few "trinkets". Sarah has loved Italy and is sad to be leaving. She has truly loved being there. They leave early tomorrow for Austria where their first night at the castle will be spent in tents. They were told that there would not be any access to showers tomorrow night ( that wasn't well received!). She suspects that 'tents' also means no phone or internet service.
She sounded great; not as tired as in the past. She and Lori had fun as room mates and even met one of Kevin's former AFS exchange students who lives in Italy.
With less than a week left, Sarah said it is sad to have most of the trip behind them. I think they will all come back much more mature from this adventure and very much the seasoned travelers!
James calls often and says that he is having a great time. He said that the Pisa tower was the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. (Wish I was there). He said he has made a lot of new friends. He sounds great everytime he calls. I think that I am looking forward to him coming home more than he is.
One week left!
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