Walker from Rome - Hey all. We are all safe and in Rome. Today we went to the Vatican and saw the museum, Sistine chapel, and Cathedral of St. Peter, while Jacob succesfully hooked up with and spent the day with his realatives. And topped it off with a nice dinner. Just thought you'd all like to know. Tomorrow, we visit the ancient ruins. See you all in a couple days.

walker

 
Bob from Florence,
All well here. We came down to Florence this morning by train, got in midday, and will leave again after dinner, reaching Rome by 1115 tonight. Part of the group relaxed in or near the Venice hostel yesterday afternoon after our educational visits, part tracked down the Jewish ghetto and the explored some of the outlying islands, including the island where Venice began before it was found to be too accessible to the invading northerners. A personal favorite was a quiet island of lace makers where the homes are brightly colored along the interior canals, and that is where we had dinner. The group is well aware that the end is nigh. Educational visits are tolerated but they feel so confident in Italy after surviving earlier rigors that they mainly want to hit the streets, lanes and canals and seem to be on a search for good inexpensive Italian food most of the time. Brad and I seem less necessary to them at this stage in their growing self confidence. Thursday Jacob will be with his Italian kinfolk for much of the day so we may reverse the order of Thursday vs. Friday educational visits so that he can share his first priority (Roman Empire stuff) with us on Friday rather than the Vatican Museum et al as originally planned for Friday. Health seems not to be an issue at all, as we dive into green salads and even tap water when necessary. Mosquitos did attack on the outlying Venetian islands last night but their bites did not last. The camerafolk are finding ample to photo of course. In Florence today we saw the David et all at the Academia, then visited the Duomo, Baptistry and town center, then split up according to diverse desires. I assume the parents will coordinate transport from SFO airport on Saturday, but let me know if I can be helpful from this end. The students have been debating high school course selections so they are not oblivious to onrushing reality.
Bob

 
Jacob from Venice, Tuesday afternoon
Today the group visited the two most historic sights that surround Saint Marc's Square, the Palace and Saint Marc's Cathedral. The Cathedral paled in comparison to the Hagia Sophia, but the palace was truly amazing. Last evening we explored the many neighborhoods of Venice, and found the last remnants of a truly Venetian culture unaltered by the coming of corporate America (there is, of coure, a Mcdonald's by the square). The streets of venice are mazelike, and traveling through them leads you to lose your sense of direction and become fully enveloped in the magistry of this place. We stumbled far from the blazing lights that atract tourists like moths into the residential neighborhoods, and those shops that cater more directly to this towns inhabitants. The prices were much cheaper, and sitting in these truly Italian cafes lended to greater cultural immersion and better understanding of the world into which we stepped from our plane. The city itself is full of perpetual beauty, a delight to the eye at every turn. The waters of the canals send shimmers of sunlight off the ancients buildings, creating a surreal effect. We have learned much of the city, and of the constant struggle to keep it afloat. We are all enjoying the city immensely.
Jacob

 
Bob from Venice, Monday afternoon
All is well. We arrived here via flight Istanbul to Vienna, Vienna to Venice this morning and were on the streets by 2pm. Some of the students are finding little time to get on line but I will encourage them to do so tonight. The hostel has only 2 computers and lots of students but hopefully they will get through. We awoke at 430 am today to make our flight yet all were in a good mood as we flew over Bucharest and Budapest to Vienna. I need to run now but will try to write more soon.
Bob

 
Bob from Venice, Monday afternoon
All is well. We arrived here via flight Istanbul to Vienna, Vienna to Venice this morning and were on the streets by 2pm. Some of the students are finding little time to get on line but I will encourage them to do so tonight. The hostel has only 2 computers and lots of students but hopefully they will get through. We awoke at 430 am today to make our flight yet all were in a good mood as we flew over Bucharest and Budapest to Vienna. I need to run now but will try to write more soon.
Bob

 
Bob from Istanbul, Sunday midday:
All is well. After the overnight bus trip the gang seemed beat - but after a shower and breakfast they neglected naptime in favor of pool and ping pong and then had an easy and educational afternoon at Aya Sophia, Hippodrome, and the Blue Mosque, then shopped in the Grand Bazaar, then had a rooftop farewell dinner for Sam at a traditional restaurant next to the Blue Mosque, then most stayed up until 330 am to say goodbye to Sam (while smoking the hooka, i.e. flavored tobacco not inhaled, and cigars and apple tea in the cafe next door with me standing watch also).
Sam is safely on his flight home as of 6am this morning. The other students asked to sleep till noon so we are just now at 1pm getting ready to go to Topkapi Palace/ Hopefully the Turkish Bath after that and an early bedtime (can they do it?) will prepare them for their own flight early Monday morning.
Bob

 
Bob from Istanbul, Saturday Morning:
Our one overnight bus trip is now behind us. It lasted from 9:45pm to about 8:00am. Of course it was overbooked, but they kicked some poor young German students off to fit our group in. It was air-conditioned but full. On arrival I polled the troops and they opted to shower and nap until noon and then follow Sam's priorities for his last day: St. Sophia (the massively domed Church from the days of the Christian Eastern Roman Empire of Constantinople), the Blue Mosque (from the Ottomom Empire), the Covered Bazaar (for his last minute shopping) and a farewell dinner for him (I just reserved a good place). Tomorrow we will do the Topkapi Palace and Harem from the Ottomon Empire and perhaps a Haman (Turkish Bath) and/or other options.
Of course the current nap time has turned into pool table time for most of the group. So it goes...
Some of you may recall that I have been quietly optimistic but nonetheless haunted for 3 months awaiting confirmation for all 9 seats of our flight to Venice Monday morning. I had been arranging it from here to save money compared to buying the ticket in the US. It took some final face to face effort and a 26% increase in price per seat this morning, but we are now confirmed. I will sleep better tonight.
Bob

 
Bob from Istanbul, Saturday Morning:
Our one overnight bus trip is now behind us. It lasted from 9:45pm to about 8:00am. Of course it was overbooked, but they kicked some poor young German students off to fit our group in. It was air-conditioned but full. On arrival I polled the troops and they opted to shower and nap until noon and then follow Sam's priorities for his last day: St. Sophia (the massively domed Church from the days of the Christian Eastern Roman Empire of Constantinople), the Blue Mosque (from the Ottomom Empire), the Covered Bazaar (for his last minute shopping) and a farewell dinner for him (I just reserved a good place). Tomorrow we will do the Topkapi Palace and Harem from the Ottomon Empire and perhaps a Haman (Turkish Bath) and/or other options.
Of course the current nap time has turned into pool table time for most of the group. So it goes...
Bob

 
Bob from Selcuk Turkey Frıday evenıng-
Perhaps you have notıced that I am doıng almost all the chatterıng on thıs websıte. I have been seekıng volunteers to gıve loyal readers some varıety - but the students don,t see the poınt or perhaps are a bıt shy about broadcastıng. Plus part of thıs trıp ıs about provıng theır strength and ındependence so reportıng ın to Mommy and Daddy ıs almost a sıgn of weakness - though I hope they have been sneakıng off to do so now and then. And who (but me) wants to sıt ın front of a computer when wonderful weırdness awaıts outsıde.
I thınk ıt ıs safe to call thıs day an educatıonal wın. Ephesus ıs among the top places on the planet (along wıth Pompey-Herculenıum) for beıng able to vısualıze a workıng Roman cıty - thıs one rısıng to 250,000 populatıon and playıng the role of the Roman,s Asıan proventıal capıtal. Our guıde was among our better so far. Some along the way have had trouble connectıng wıth the students for varıous reasons. Then we went to the adjacent ruıns of a very early Chrıstıan basılıca to revıew some of the struggles of the early Chrıstıan church (a Brad specıalty) as ıt trıed to come up wıth a unıfıed posıtıon on the nature of Chrıst (and Mary). At fırst that dıdn,t seem to ınterest the students, but after a long lunch of mısc. crepes at a beautıful and very tradıtıonal Turkısh place (agaın all carpets and pıllows and low tables) - the ıssue of early relıgıous hıstory ın thıs part of the world buılt momentum. Surprızıngly an after-lunch stop that I thought mıght be a mıstake to the alleged fınal home of Mary, where we were surrounded by devout pılgrıms, was most helpful ın trıggerıng good dıscussıon and arguments about the nature-role-socıology of relıgıon ın lıght of our group,s predomınate Jewıshness, that place,s rıtual Catholıc Chrıstıanness, and the Islamıc culture we are otherwıse vısıtıng. The students asked and argued good questıons. So I wıll call ıt a wın.
Next we wıll brıefly clobber them by Istanbul,s spectaculars of the Byzantıne and Ottomon Empıres ın the hope that that wıll lıght some curıousıty about the pre-renaıssance eastern half of thıs Medıterranean world - often overlooked ın overvıews of European Cıvılızatıon. We only have two days (Sam only has one) ın Istanbul. And I know they also want to shop because they have wısely avoıdıng buyıng much earlıer when they would have had to carry ıt for a longer perıod. And they know Italy ıs much more expensıve than Turkey. So we have two bıg days ahead - and we start them at 9pm tonıght wıth a 10hour overnıght bus trıp. Good thıng we are all so young...
Bob
ps - needless to say, I am at peace wıth quıck and sloppy spellıng on thıs channel - hopıng you wıll understand.