Days 1 and 2: Home to London England

Days 1 & 2                6/18/14 and 6/19/14

We met at the MacDonald’s house to ride to Detroit via school van to get to the airport. The participants going on the trip are:

·       Gavin Hoople                                  

·       Becky Hoople

·       Jill DeBoer

·       Zach DeBoer

·       Elise Jorgensen

·       Heidi Dygert

·       Roger MacDonald

·       Phyllis MacDonald

We made great time getting to the airport, stopping at McDonalds on the way. After saying good bye to our drivers, we got through security and waited for our flight. 

There was a major thunderstorm coming from the west towards the airport that delayed flights in Chicago. Our flight was late and it started raining as we were taxing down the runway. We made it, escaping Detroit to arrive in Boston with 40 minutes to get on our next flight. Luckily, we made it and so did our luggage. We arrived at 6:30 am in London,

Our tour director, Anna Viani, met us after we got through customs. She informed us that the other groups from Texas and California would not arrive until mid-afternoon, so she would spend the day with us.

Arriving at the Heathrow Airport

Anna suggested we take the Thames river cruise and so we decided to do it. The group was excited to be in London and enjoyed the trip to central London. I started cat napping, something I couldn’t stop throughout the day.

We were dropped off near the London Eye and I was surprised at how busy it was. I was told it was the most popular tourist attraction in London. For almost £21, you get to go around the Ferris wheel for a half hour and see great views of London.

The London Eye

Jill and Zach DeBoer with the Elizabeth Tower in the background

We got on the boat, going to the upstairs section that was open. The day started out warm, and the sun was out. Some interesting things about the tour of the Thames:

The Palace of Westminster

Old and new architecture

London Bridge

The Tower of London

the Shard

·       There was a lot of different architecture that was in the London skyline.
·       The word wharf came from the phrase “warehouse at river front”.
·       The old wharfs have been made into apartments that can cost close to a million dollars to buy.

We saw the Cutty Sark, a famous sea vessel that was used in the tea and wool trade.  It was notable because of the speed it used to complete the routes.

The rear view of the Cutty Sark

The front of the Cutty Sark

After the tour, we were dropped off at Greenwich Village; we exchanged money and prepared to eat. We tried the pot and mash of Goddard’s of Greenwich for the traditional British meal.

An English meal

Afterwards, we explored the Royal Astronomical museum. We saw the origin of Greenwich Mean Time and the history of where east meets west.

Official time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich

We went back to Westminster point and walked to Trafalgar Square. We shopped for an hour plus while the groups from Texas and California met us. Texas had bad luck with 5 bags lost at the airport.

Once we met, we did some more shopping until we walked down to our meal at a place called Bistro 1 Mediterranean. We had chicken patties (breaded), potatoes, and peas. Dessert was a banana cream confection.

From the restaurant, we walked to where the bus was waiting for us and got a ride to our place, the Premier Inn at Barking. Everyone got their room cards and went to settle in.

Anna called one meeting and then we retired for the night. The Inn didn’t retire, as England played Uruguay in the World Cup. Final Score: Uruguay 2, England 1

£55 = $100.00

Day 3: London, England

Day 3:            London, England                             6/20/14

The group met for breakfast a little after 7:00 am and we were ready to go by 8:00. Everyone was ready and on time. Anna took us on a walk through Barking and we took the subway in towards London.

We got off at Westminster and she gave us a mini walking tour. We went towards Trafalgar Square. We walked to the Embankment Tube (subway entrance) and then we had a break before our 11:00 am bus tour with our speaker.

I went to Starbucks and got some warm coffee. Our tour guide was from England/London and was pretty funny. Some of the things we learned:

·       London was originally Londium, an encampment from the Romans.

·       We went around Parliament Square and had a look at the statues. Nelson Mandela was a recent addition.

Nelson Mandela

Zach with Winston Churchill

·       We stopped at Covert Gardens, a new spot for me. It had some fancy shoppes, there as well as some entertainment. Very artsy.

We ended at the Tower of London at about 2:00. The groups split up and did different things. My group decided to see the Tower of London while we were there and paid £20.00 for an hour and a half.

The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace

Gavin at Trafalgar Square

We wanted to stay longer, but had to budget time to get back to Trafalgar Square to meet the others for supper at 5:00. The tower had some different things going on, including 5 performances of people in costumes reenacting the life of the people in earlier times. It was quite entertaining to watch from a distance.

Elise and I took the Warden’s tour, complete with a Beefeater’s commentary. It is always amusing to hear that.

We left to go back and deftly got around a potential problem with subway lines that were closed.

We met Anna and walked up to an Indian cuisine place. Everyone seemed satisfied and them we planned our evening. Because we had to get up early for tomorrow, most wanted to go back to the room and rest. The group from Texas saw the play Wicked and the California group wanted to do more shopping. Elise went with the shoppers.

The rest of us spent time at Leicester square, the theatre district of London and spent the last of our British pounds.

We walked back to Embankment and made it back to Barking. We even had good luck finding our way back to the hotel from the train station, walking about ten minutes. We prepared ourselves for tomorrow.

Day 4: London, England to Paris, France

Day 4:            London, England to Paris, France                       6/21/14

We got up very early, being ready at 6:00 to get on the bus. To their credit, everyone in the group was on time. Some of us got box breakfasts, as the rest were pilfered by a previous group that left earlier than us.

We were able to get through London quickly since it was before rush hour.  We got to St. Pancras and had a look at the Harry Potter 9¾ Kings Cross station.

We got through customs and made our 9:40 train to the continent. Most of the group was able to buy snacks and spend the last of their pounds, so they were able to eat. Most slept during the trip.

We arrived at Paris station and changed out time to an hour later. We were met by a bus and promptly put our luggage on. The bus dropped us off at Notre Dame at around 2:00.

We had a half hour before we would meet to start the tour, so we quickly ran to Subway restaurant. I would have liked to have gone to a French restaurant, but time wouldn’t allow it.

We got back and managed to get inside the church. Two thirds of us wanted to go up to the bell tower, but time ran out before they were able to go. There were a lot of people since it was Saturday and the weather was pleasant.

We got back on the bus and traveled to our place to ear. We had roast beef and potatoes with an éclair for dessert.

The bus took us to the Eiffel Tower which was a crowd pleaser for the travelers. After pictures were taken, we went up to get tickets to go up the tower. Unfortunately, the lines were long and the only way we were going to enjoy the time was if we went up the steps for the first two stages. We had to meet the bus by 9:00 and even with a couple of hours, it was dicey to wait on the elevators with the lines as long as they were.

Posing at the Eiffel Tower

They have started construction on the Eiffel Tower to reconfigure the bottom part. It looks like they are going to add a glass structure for people to be able to view from the tower as well as possibly some shoppes and restaurants...

We got on the bus at 9:00 to head for our place. Sadly, it is not anywhere near a subway/metro line, so it is far from the city. It is a Novotel hotel in Marne la Vallée.

We got in our rooms by 10:15 and prepared for a short night.

Day 5: Paris, France

Day 5:                        Paris, France                                    6/22/14

I knocked on the doors of my group at 6:15 and everyone made it to breakfast. We left at 7:30 and started back to Paris.

Because it was Sunday, the roads were pretty clear and we arrived early at our rendezvous site, Le Place de la Concorde, site of the Bastille prison.

While we were waiting, there was a Sunday market being set up, so we explored it. It was interesting to see how so many depend on an outdoor market for their food instead of buying it from a supermarket. It is certainly a different mentality then what we are used to in the states. Bridget, our tour guide, arrived and we took the bus tour of Paris.

When the tour was over, we stopped at Tracadero for the killer view of the Eiffel Tower. From there, part of the group went with me to the Catacombs.

Elise went to Versailles with Heidi and the MacDonalds. The highlights for her were:

·       The Hall of Mirrors, which was unexpectedly opulent. She was impressed with the extravagance of the whole thing.

·       The gold paint was a big surprise

·       The gardens were amazing. She wanted to get lost in them.

I took the Hooples and DeBoers to the Catacombs under Paris. We got off the Denfert-Rochereau metro exit and got to the end of the line. We waited almost 2½ hours before we got into the catacombs. We passed the time playing outburst and chatting with others in line.

We got in and went down. Paris has been built up on other sites, most notably by a quarry of limestone that had been mined to help make buildings in town. Sooner or later, sinkholes developed and put the town in danger. Paris found the catacombs from earlier times and went about to make sure there were no other dangers of sink holes.

They also decided to put the remains/bones of old churches or cemeteries in this location. The bones had been stacked up in a nice orderly condition.

The bones of the Catacombs

More bones of the Catacombs

Another configuration of  bones in the Catacombs

We left the catacombs and found a boulangerie to have some late lunch. Ham sandwiches and drinks kept us content until supper time.

Our Sunday lunch in Paris

We went to the Arc de Triomphe to see a little of the des Champs Elysees. We met the other group and went together to eat supper. The food was turkey and potatoes, with a crepe in chocolate for dessert.

Notre Dame from the Seine at sunset

We had a couple of more hours of free time that was spent near Notre Dame buying things. We then made a 9:00 pm appointment to see Paris via the boats on the Seine (les bateaux mouches). It was a nice night when we got done. We met a bus to take us home to the hotel.

We got back and tried to get the kids to slow down, but the U.S. was playing in the World Cup versus Portugal, starting at 11:00. Oh well, final score:

USA 2,  Portugal 2

Day 6: Paris, France

Day 6:                        Paris, France                                    6/23/14

Breakfast was at 8:00 so we got to “sleep in”. We packed up our stuff and parked it in the bus and headed back to Paris. We got off near the Louvre and went in. Students 17 and under got in free, while adults paid €12. (Euros)

The first thing the group went to see was the Mona Lisa. As usual, it was very crowded and warm, even with the air conditioning on. I was surprised at how much had changed to the Louvre since the 3 years I’ve been there. They have developed the downstairs pre entrances complete with McDonald’s (Mc Do), Starbucks, and other stores. It was like being in a mini mall. I think they will do the same thing to the Eiffel Tower.

I managed to explore a little bit and found my way to the top floor of the Richelieu wing. I didn’t do too badly with the map, just going the wrong way a couple of times. I wore my Michigan State shirt and was surprised at how many people told me to “Go Green”.

The Code of Hammurabi

I met with Roger, Phyllis, Gavin, Becky. And Heidi and we ate at a nearby restaurant. We ate croque madams and crepes, realizing it would be our last meal in France.

We had 45 minutes to kill before we had to be back, so Gavin and I went down to mail a post card. We stayed in line for about 35 minutes, but were able to get the stamp and mail it.

We got back to the bus in time and we went to the supermarket close to the train station. Everyone bought supplies for a supper meal and for breakfast the next morning.

We got to the train station and got in line 2 hours before the train left (around 8:00 pm). Everyone pulled out their crossword puzzles and other puzzle books and waited patiently before boarding. The groups started integrating with each other and the talking helped pass the time.

We got on with little difficulty. Again the group was split into two different cars on different sides of the train.

Everyone settled in and tried to get comfortable in their 6 person couchette. We would arrive at Milan tomorrow morning around 6:00 am, God willing.

Inside the couchette

Day 7: MIlan, Italy to Florence, Italy

Day 7:                        Milan, Italy to Florence, Italy                   6/24/14

We received our wake up knocking of the door at about 5:30 am. I slept ok, but my back was aching a bit when we got up.

The train was late and we arrived in Milan around 6:30 am. Everyone got off feeling a little gross. The weather was noticeably warmer and the clothes were a little sticky.

The crest of the Medici family, benefactors of Florence

We got on the high speed train and got into Florence around 9:30. We loaded our stuff on the bus and then started our walking tour of the city.

We made our way to Leonardo’s Leather Shop, where we received a demonstration on how a leather bag was made. We also received tips on how to tell if leather is real. You have to rub on it. If friction lets it heat up, it is real.

A copy of the statue David

We found out that we arrived on St John the Baptist day in Florence. There were special events going on throughout the city. Some of the musical ones we enjoyed.

Our tour guide gave an amusing history of the city of Florence. He bragged about the accomplishments of the people who were from Florence.

Amerigo Vespuci in Florence

One example was Amerigo Vespuci, for whom America was named for. The iguana in the statue is the symbol used to represent America. He also mentioned the “competitions” between Florence and Pisa, Rome and even the Roman Catholic Church. It was quite the amusing talk. He told us not to believe the boasts of the Vatican about the biggest dome for a church.

After he left us, we had free time. We had pizza at a restaurant and discovered that the normal size was quite large. We certainly ate our fill.

Afterwards, we went to the church and took a tour inside. We contrasted it with the churches in France, noting how open and light the interiors were in Italy.

Pizza in Florence

Heidi, Elise, and Zach went up to see the dome and look around. They really liked the view they could see of the city. For the extra 10 euro price, they got to see the baptistery, which was restricted as it was in the process of being cleaned for when the Pope visits next year.

The Travel Club at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Flower

The street art of Florence

Afterwards, we found a good cheap place to buy gelato, the ice cream that is a highlight here in Italy. Then we took off looking for the new market (just over 200 years old) to do some shopping and pass the time just before we had to meet the group at 5:30.

From our rendezvous point, we walked about a half hour to our hotel, The Hotel Meridiana. We got our stuff off the bus and settled into our room.

Since there was scheduled to be fireworks in the evening, Elise and the Texas group walked back down town to watch it. Oh to be that young again. We’ve done a lot of walking since the trip began.

Day 8: Florence,Italy to Rome, Italy

Day 8:                        Florence, Italy to Rome, Italy                   6/25/14

Wake up call at 7:00, breakfast at 7:15, ready to go by 8:00 was how we started our day. Everyone got up in time and we did well. 

Before going, I went to the Tabac store and bought 3 postcard stamps to send to the U.S. I bought the stamps, mailed them and got back in time to get on the bus.

The bus ride was nice and quiet as we headed towards Assisi. We made it with no problems and were impressed with the wonderful views looking up at the mountain. 

The weather was cool and it looked like there would be a 50-50 chance of rain, but the wind blew the clouds away.

One of the views from Assisi

We got as far as we could with the bus and started walking up the rest of the way. We paused to look at the spectacular sites over the country side. We met at the front of the cathedral and broke for lunch and free time.

We went up the hill a little bit and ate at a restaurant. Half of us ate inside and the other half enjoyed the windy weather and ate outside. I had a panini with coke for 7 euros.

Gavin with a nice view of the countryside and olive trees

Becky with the basilica in the background

After eating, we walked back and looked around and went shopping. We arrived ready for our tour of the facilities.

The friar who gave us the tour was from Texas. He was there for the summer to help out and learn Italian. The four main languages of the Franciscan friars are Italian, English, Polish, and Spanish.

He started with the lower basilica, mentioning it was built in about 2 years. We went around the basement part and saw the tombs of St. Francis and four of his close allies.

Then we went upstairs to the new part of the basilica, which took about 11 years to build. The speed in which both basilicas was built was unheard of. In fact, the basilica is the only papal one that is outside Rome.

The new basilica had paintings on the walls that talked about the history of St. Francis.

·       As a young boy, his rich dad gave him the tools to become a knight during the crusades.

·       On his way to the fight, he had a vision from the Lord who said, “Do you want to serve the Master or the servant?” Francis turned around and went home.

·       He was stoned for coming home and not fighting. He shamed his father and family and the village.

·       The Lord gave him a vision to restore the church of Assisi. Francis sold all his materials as well as horse and stuff his father gave him to help him do it.

·       With the Pope’s favor, he started the Franciscan friars and rebuilt the church.

·       He passed away at 40 years of age. The reason for his death was inconclusive, but it was surmised he put his body through a lot of physical stuff between fasting and his work. He also had the full stigmata.

The basilica was noted for showing scenes that included ordinary people. Francis wanted to show how the good news was for humanity, not certain individuals. There were scenes of Assisi in the church to drive the point home.

We went back to the bus and took off for Rome. We got closer and discovered the computer route could not accommodate a bus because of low overpasses. We arrived at the Belvedere hotel in Mentana around 6:45. Everyone arrived at dinner at 7:30 and we had lasagna as starters, followed by bruschetta and salad. Dessert was cream brulee.

The meal was done by 8:15, which is probably very typical for a European meal.

We had the rest of the night free to rest before the last big day tomorrow in Rome. The schedule will be full as we plan to see the Vatican in the morning and a tour of Rome in the afternoon.