Day 4: Visiting the Vatican

In front of the Trevi Fountain.

I got a call from Katie today.

We kept is short but she said they were dead tired the first day - with people actually falling asleep at meals! - today (Gladiator Day) was awesome. According to her, they all "can't believe we are really here!" Apparently they are all drinking water like crazy - "the leaders are on us, mom" and they aren't that hungry. Gladiator Training was a complete hit - she said it was great!

Gladiator School. Hmm, will this help get them into college?

For a kid who has had her fare share of homesickness, I have to say she sounded remarkably good and in very high spirits. She also thought it was interesting that most shops there wanted cash; they didn't really want to take her credit card. I have no idea why - but she found an ATM and managed to get her hands on some money.

Her delegation leader Judy, sent a note from today's activities:

Today we went to the gladiator school where we we gained insight into how the gladiators of the past fought and the hard life they lead. We learned the attack and defend positions that gladiators learned using wooden replica weapons. We enjoyed a typical Roman lunch at the gladiator school. We then had a few hours to make our way through the streets of Rome to locate famous Roman sites like Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps - and answer questions about each site. We all ended our City Quest at the Spanish Steps and walked to The Hard Rock Cafe for a dinner of burgers and fries with vanilla ice cream to end the meal. Back at the hotel we got more information about the home-stay. 

Today - day four - they get to go to the Vatican City and I am a little jealous of the amazing art they will experience. They are too young to appreciate it right?! And yet, I bet it will change them forever. Here are the details:

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People to People Itinerary: MONDAY, JULY 2: Rome, Italy

• Visit the center of the Catholic Church and the world's smallest country, the Vatican! Go in the Vatican Museums and admire the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel. Wonder at the scale of St. Peter's Basilica.
• Participate in a unique educational meeting with a priest who will speak generally about Catholicism in Italy and the organization of the Vatican. Please feel free to ask questions.

The Sistine Chapel.

The Creation of Adam. Sistine Chapel.

St. Peter's Basilica.

Day 3: Rome Like a Gladiator

Piazza Navona

The kids stay in Rome and hit some more amazing, historic sites. We got a note from the our delegation leader, Judy, today - really their Day 2 (on land, not air) evening. Here' what she wrote:

We had a great day in Rome!!!  We were a bit hot jet lagged and tired. But we didn't let that stop our adventure. We had pizza for lunch and a choice of pizza or risotto for dinner. We went straight from the airport to lunch and then a full day of walking the Roman ruins until the short walk to dinner. After dinner, we went to the hotel and checked in. Everyone took showers and went straight-away to bed. We are EXHAUSTED!  As it turns out, we have free wifi at this hotel. Bed check was at 9:00PM so there wasn't time for Internet contact from the delegates. I You will probably hear from them tomorrow. I will try to send pictures tomorrow evening.

The Pantheon

While I was Googling other things, I found this fantastic interactive map of Rome. The kids might like looking at then when the get home to see where they were! The Trevi Fountain is the one where the legend says, if you throw a coin in the fountain you are ensured a return to Rome. I know exactly what our kids will be doing!  

Trevi Fountain

It's good they are going to be near all this water since the temps have been hanging out in the mid-90s.

According to reports from other travelers, it's also quite humid. My little fog-flower is going to find that challenging. I guess the point was to learn about other places - and that includes the weather!

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People to People Itinerary: SUNDAY, JULY 1 Rome, Italy

• Today, feel like an ancient gladiator! You'll have the unique opportunity to gain insight into how the gladiators of the past fought and the hard life they lead. Take the chance to feel like a Roman "hero."
• Continue your adventure with a City Quest including famous sights like Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain.
• Take some time together to learn about your upcoming home stay. Ask questions and understand expectations for the next days with your European families.

Day 2: Arrive in Rome!

The Colosseum

So this is going to be a little wacky because they are ahead of us, so I better publish a day ahead as well and if I hear anything, I will add it to the day's blog later.

That's my current plan. We'll see. 

The kids will spend their day looking at classic ruins in Rome. I hope they learn some history along the way because this is going to be amazing.

The Roman Forum

I nested links below in the People to People Itinerary. It includes the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. They will spend Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights at the Clarhotel. It doesn't look too shabby.

I, on the other hand, will spend those nights regaining sleep after spending this weekend cleaning up after the whirlwind that left this house with only Europe in mind. Since I only have the one kid, I am highly motivated to clean quickly and enjoy two weeks of a continually clean house which is an extremely rare occurrence (okay, it's only happened twice before when Katie went to Canada and residence camp).
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People to People Itinerary: SATURDAY, JUNE 30: Rome, Italy

• Welcome to Europe! After arrival at the airport your Delegation Manager and coach driver will greet you!
• Some of Rome's most noteworthy highlights are waiting for you! Your guide will take you through the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. The city of Rome, with its antique monuments and religious sites, has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.