Hi again, everybody-

I apologize for not getting back here to update the blog until now.  Hopefully at least a few of you will realize there's a new post, and return to read the tale of our eventful return from Rome.

That  morning started out like most of the others since we arrived in Europe:  wake-up call, breakfast, gathering with our luggage in the hotel lobby, and waiting for Steve's instructions.  We realized this was the last time we'd enjoy this routine--the bus we were about to board was taking us to the Rome airport, where we'd say "so long" to Steve, Magistra Rubinstein, and three travelers who weren't returning to the States with us.  We were delighted to discover that our final driver was none other than Andrea's father.

We arrived at the Rome airport, checked our luggage, and boarded our flight without further incident.  That's when the story really begins.  Little did we know that not everything was going according to plan...

There are pigeons everywhere in Rome, even inside the airport.  This fine specimen is unaware of what is about to happen to his new friends.

According to our itinerary, we had 65 minutes between the time our flight from Rome landed at Heathrow in London and the time our flight from Heathrow took off for Dulles.  That should have been enough time for us to make our connection easily, if we didn't dawdle (and the shopping was good enough at Heathrow to make dawdling a real temptation for some in our group).  So, when we were informed we'd be waiting on the runway for takeoff, a few of us checked our watches and prepared ourselves for the possibility that we might have to really hustle when we got to London.

Waiting for takeoff...and waiting...and waiting...

Finally we were airborne, and our flight was going well.  We approached London and our pilot began to circle the airport for landing.  He circled, and circled, and circled...apparently weather conditions had created a delay.  As we circled, we began to realize that we might not have time to make our connecting flight.  Visions of spending the night at Heathrow began dancing through our heads, and they weren't pleasant ones. 

Then, we discovered how well British Airways takes care of their passengers.  Once we touched down and got off the plane, we rushed to the terminal, picking up a neon orange card marked "EXPRESS" along the way.   "Hold these up and run," we were told, and that's exactly what we did.  Along our journey, British Airways agents gave us our next direction: 

"End of the corridor, turn left.  End of the corridor, turn left." 

"Down the escalator."  Executing this instruction was particularly memorable.  As instructed, we called out "PASS, PASS, PASS," which advised less hurried passengers to step to the right of the escalator and let us scramble by.  Along the way, I heard this unforgettable conversation:

HRA STUDENT:  "Pass, pass, pass."
OBNOXIOUS SNOB:  "I have a first class ticket!"
HRA STUDENT (gently pushing past)  "That's nice. Enjoy your flight."

We got bottlenecked a little bit going through another round of inspection--removing shoes, unzipping bags, taking laptops out of their cases--but we finally got everyone checked and cleared to fly.  Our plane had already pulled away from the gate, but it was being held for us on the runway.  We were hustled onto a shuttle bus that took us out to the plane and, flushed from our excitement and our mad dash through the world's busiest airport, we finally settled into our seats for the flight back across the Atlantic.

Safely aboard a plane on our return journey, blissfully unaware of the luggage-related drama that transpired in Rome

En route, we enjoyed meals, snacks, movies, music, books, coloring, and conversation.  We finally began to relax, realizing things would be easy from here.  We were on the last leg of our journey.

Unfortunately, our luggage was not.

We actually landed at Dulles on time, despite the delay created by the process of getting us on the plane.  We were clearing customs when we learned what had happened back in Rome.  Unbenownst to us, while we were relaxing at our gate preparing to board our flight to London, the baggage handlers at the Rome airport were going on strike.  We'd been told  by one of our tour guides that labor relations and work customs are very different in Europe, and we now understood that fact much more clearly.

No explanation necessary :)

So it was that a group of weary Navigators boarded our coach bus for the final leg of our journey.  Our loads were lighter, without our checked baggage, and we could congratulate ourselves on enduring a return journey that would have challenged the most seasoned world traveler.  Fatigue set in, and before we reached Fredericksburg, most of the group was sound asleep.  

Those of you who met us at HRA that night probably remember our reunion better than we do.  We'd had quite a last day.  As far as I know, we all received our luggage, courtesy of FedEx, within a day or two. 

Last stop:  HRA

There's still one more post left to write:  the unofficial Best Of/Worst Of list.  I hope you're still along for the ride.



More Images of Rome

Hi again!

I told you I wasn't finished blogging about the trip! 

Today I'm writing from Room 40 in the historic 1959 Building at Hampton Roads Academy. This building is the only original structure on the HRA campus...

OK, I tried.  Anyway, here are a few more pictures from our days in Rome.  Next, I'll tell the story of our eventful trip back home.

 We toured the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.  The crowd was immense--notice the fact that the area between the fountain and the basilica is packed with people.

 Here, we are ascending a staircase designed by Michelangelo.  No doubt, more than a few of our group are also silently cursing Michelangelo for his diabolical design.

 The Roman Forum, on a warm late spring day.  Once we arrived in Rome, the Mediterranean sun forced us to look for shade whenever we could find it, and we filled our water bottles from every public fountain we passed.

The dome of the Pantheon, dedicated to all the Roman gods.

"Whoa...it's bigger than I thought!"  The Navigators approach the Colosseum, which seated more rabid fans than the modern UVa or Virginia Tech football stadium.



Images of Rome (more to come)

Some of our girls pose with Andrea, our favorite driver.  Andrea drove our tour bus all over the island of Sardinia.  He and his bus joined us on the ferry ride to the mainland, and he transported us to Rome, his home town.  Then, he spent our first full day in Rome with us.  Here we are saying goodbye to him.  If there is a Bus Driver Hall of Fame, Andrea should be inducted.

 Here the "team" poses in front of Constantine's Finger, atop the Capitoline Hill.

 Emma and Claudia Fass, on our final full day in Rome.

 Kylie DeBoer and Lillian Waddill are two of Mrs. Joyce's Latin IB alumnae.  Here they pose with the famous Lupa statue.

Alumna Robyn Walters '11 and a host of HRA students queue up for gelato near the Trevi Fountain.  The sight of the word "Gelateria" always put a smile on our faces.

Ciao, Roma

Italians use "ciao" to say "hello" or "goodbye."  We feel like we just said hello to Rome, and as I'm writing this, it's 10:00 on Friday night, and we're preparing to say goodbye.  We're packing our suitcases one final time, because we're off to the airport early tomorrow morning.

What busy, memorable days the last two have been!  We began Thursday's  adventure in the world's smallest country, Vatican City.  Along with thousands of other visitors, we toured the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, and the Basilica of St. Peter.  Everywhere we turned we saw a masterpiece, and there were more than a few audible gasps when we first saw the magnificent Sistine Chapel ceiling.

The afternoon brought a tour of the Roman Colosseum and Forum.  Don't think for a moment that the "highlight stops" were the only remarkable things we saw during the day.  It seemed that every time we turned a corner, something else worth remembering for a lifetime appeared. 

Today, we climbed the Capitoline Hill and toured the museum there.  We spent our afternoon in the Trastevere section of the city, across the Tiber River.  We ate delicious meals, shopped, enjoyed cold drinks at lovely cafes, and got our gelato fixes.  Some of us discovered a beautiful basilica, where we spent a few peaceful moments.  Then, most of us took an uphill hike, with a beautiful fountain and a breathtaking panoramic view of Rome as our rewards.

We just returned from a trip to the famous Trevi Fountain. We tossed coins over our shoulders and made wishes, ate more gelato, and returned to our hotel. 

The "Pterodactyl" family at the Roman Colosseum 

Tomorrow morning, we'll begin our journeys back home with you, our families and friends.  We've endured heat, rain, wind, choppy seas, and fatigue.  We've also enjoyed laughter, fellowship, and the opportunity to enjoy experiences that connect us to the culture of the Western world like few others can do.

We miss you, and we'll be home soon.

Your bloggers,
Chris and Chris Joyce

P.S.  Don't forget to keep checking the blog. We're not done yet.

More pictures!

Ciao, everyone!

This blog is the work of both Joyces.  I (Christopher) am the primary blogger, and my lovely and talented photographer is my wife.  She takes all the pictures, and together we choose the ones we're going to share with you here.

By the way:  Please don't stop following the blog once we're back in Virginia.  I'm planning to write a few more posts with some summary comments, and we'll post some pictures from the last days of our trip.  We've also come up with a way for all of us to share some of the pictures we've taken with all of you, via an online photo album.

Anyway, here are more photos...

 .We're happy to sit down while Piero, our Sardinian guide, explains the intricacies of an ancient culture.

Mr. Joyce high-fives an Etruscan king.  

 "Where are we going now?"  With Magistra Rubinstein and our EF tour guide, Steve Berryman, on the job, we know another adventure is just around the corner (or up the stairs).

 Not all our accommodations are luxurious. This is a berth from our Sardinia-to-Italy overnight ferry.

More views from the islands

Hi, everybody!

I'm sorry for taking so long between posts.  Last night, I downloaded some great photos from our last few days, captioned them, and (supposedly) posted them to the blog.  I just logged in to discover they weren't there!

I'll chalk that up to (1) the fact that I was tired from a long, busy day in the Mediterranean sun, experiencing some of the greatest sites in all of Western civilization and/or (2) the fact that since I'm in Italy, the commands appear in Italian, rather than English.

Anyway, here are a few more images from our journeys.  Enjoy them!

 Evidence of the highly evolved culture of prehistoric Filitosa

 "Look!  Look!"  The group enjoys the view from our boat trip off the Corsican coast.

Our expert paddleboat crew navigates the beautiful blue waters off Sardinia. 

"So THAT's where it comes from!" Curious students investigate a newly-harvested cork tree in Sardinia.

I'll have a few more pictures up in the time it would take you to eat a gelato.

 Chris

Pictures, Part II

Here are a few more pictures from our more recent adventures.

The beautiful medieval town of Eze, France

Do you think they knew the Navigators were coming?  From the ferry from Nice to Corsica

At Filitosa, on the island of Corsica

It's 11:11 PM here in Rome, and we have a full day ahead.  I'll post more tomorrow.

Chris