July 1, 2008
Dateline: USA
I would be remiss if I did not post one final post as the group’s reporter letting you know we arrived safely on US soil to the smiles and hugs of Marji and Dr. Guilford. We left Robson behind…no, he did not miss the final headcount as we boarded the plane…he was traveling on to a leadership conference in the Netherlands, but not until he handed his trip leadership role on to Eileen for the final leg of our journey. After being up for almost 24 hours, we were ecstatic to pull onto Andrews campus.
Our trip would not have been possible, nor as enjoyable without the efforts and love of so many, including those behind the scenes we may not have met face to face, but who worked hard on our behalf so that we could have the ultimate learning experience. Please allow me to thank those who come to my jet lagged mind. Of course, Robson and Rozenia for their loving care of us as a traveling family and for their tireless work this past year making the trip possible. This lovely blog was designed by Rozenia, BTW, to Eileen for her administrative and academic support to Robson and the rest of us and for safely bringing us safely back across “the pond,” to Bridgette for her humorous bus “shake downs” of the group as she gathered tips for our various drivers and tour guides (Bridgette…have you considered doing fund raising for AU?? You’d be good at it!), to Bill Auxier, a proud member of Los Progresistas regional group who served as our comic relief and flag bearer, to Cary Valentine, Mordekai, Zachery and Bill who held court in the back of the bus (when we were blessed to have busses), to our tour guests Givan, Bridgette’s daughter and to John Schaff (husband to Kay) who showed us two different views of our experience…Givan through her photography and John his architecture, to Brenda for so faithfully and beautifully capturing all the highlights through her camera lens, to the roommates who put up with each other’s snoring, sneezing etc, to our tour guides and bus drivers who were sometimes a bit stressed out trying not to lose us crazy Americans in the crowds, to everyone who participated and loved each other and through that love gave no quarter to arguments or ill feelings. Last, I would like to extend a special loving nod to our smallest member, Sadu, whose exuberance and energy at age 7 was not to be outdone by his dazzling smile…thank you, Sadu, for daily reminding us to let our inner child out to be thrilled by all we experienced…and thank you Sadril and Malou for raising such a fine young man. (Please keep us posted as to which college he finally settles on so that we can all send him care packages!)
Last, I would like to say on behalf of the group…Thank you for your prayer support these past 2 weeks. Many were the times we clearly were aware of God’s hand and of the Holy Spirit’s intervention on our behalf. While we bring back many leadership challenges to tackle we also bring back an even deeper appreciation for this incredible country of ours. May we, as leaders, always remember the sacred trust we hold as citizens of America and the world.
See you at Roundtable!
In His Service,
Lisa Greco
P.S. Please forgive me if I have misspelled a name or fogot to specifically mention someone...it's the jet lag.
Sunday, June 29 - Last day in London
Our final day in London - We saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. We have all arrived safely home. Our flight from London-Heathrow was on Monday, June 30. Now we are recovering from jet lag. But all in all, it was a wonderful trip...the memories will last a lifetime. Thank you, Robson, for planning it for us.
Master's and PhD Candidates from Higher Education at Buckingham Palace
Pictured from left: Robson (Higher Ed Coordinator), Sadrail, Zach, Anna, Bridget, and Mordikai
2007 PhD Leadership Cohort
Pictured from left are four memebers of the 2007 Leadership Cohort who attend the International Study Tour: Cary, Collette, Kay, and Brenda.
2006 PhD Leadership Cohort
Pictured in front of Westminster Abby are Bill and Lisa who are part of the 2006 Leadership Cohort.
June 28, Sabbath at Newbold College
Pictured in front of Newbold College, the SDA College one hour out of London is part of our group: Yolanda, Nathan, Sadrail, Lisa, Eileen, Zach, Laura, Natasha, Karla, Mordikai, Collette, Robson, Brenda. Sitting: Sadu, Elissa, Rozenia
The Beautiful Newbold Campus!!!
The tour of Newbold College was amazing. The grounds previously were visited by King Edward VIII, but in the mid-1950's Newbold College moved from London to the current grounds. Pictured is our group at The Gardens. We all decided that we could live here.
Kings College
The highlight of many was to be on the campus of Kings College at University of Cambridge.
Serendipidous Meeting of Andrews University President
We had an unexpected but serendipidous connection with Niels-Erik Andreasen, President of Andrews University, in the heart of Cambridge during our campus tour.
Our Euro Tour
Zach, Karla, Laura, and Natasha point to where our tour has taken us.
Gelato....YUM!
Due to the fact that it was 90 degrees with 90 percent humity...and that we are in Rome...it was a "requirement" to eat Gelato daily. Pictured are Karla and Bill enjoying gelato at a Gelateria.
Priest-in-training Ted - Our New Friend
Cary, Lisa, Collette, and Brenda make a new friend -- Seminarian Ted. Ted recognizes our "American" accent because, he, too, is from Michigan. Ted gave us a walking tour to the Vatican, by way of the Pantheon (pictured).
La Sapienza University
Our group stands in front of a wall-sized fresco painting at Sapienza University with our campus tour guides.
Robson Receives Gift from La Sapienza
Natasha, Robson, Eileen, and Laura present talks at La Sapienza University in Rome prior to Robson receiving a copy of the University's founding document/charter. Sapienza is the oldest University in Europe.
Museums, museums, museums...
Evelyn and Ellisa take a break at one of our museum tours in Rome.
Understanding the Sistine Chapel Paintings
Prior to entering the Sistine Chapel, our group engages in a brief art history lesson to understand the paintings in the Sisteine Chapel
Vatican Square
Braving the 90 degree heat, our group visits the Vatican, Vatican Square, St Peter's Basicila, and the Sistine Chapel.
Figuring Out the Rome Transportation System
Eileen and Anna team up to understand where we are and how we get to the major Roman monuments. They're really good at it!
The Berlin Wall
Four sites of the erect wall still exist. Pictured at the wall is Dina with a local German man.
The Holocaust Memorial
The memory of the Holocaust has been memorialized in Berlin by this tomb-like sculputre that spans a city block. Silence and heartache are two common reactions at this memorial site.
Sabbath at the Adventist University at Friedensau
Der Herr Kommit! means: "The Lord Comes."
Berlin - Visit to Humboldt University
Friday, June 20, we visited Humboldt University. This is the University from which Eienstein graduated. Yes, we walked the same halls as this renowned person! The tour of the campus was wonderful. What we learned is that the German school system has more stringent entrance requirements, and faculty need to get research contracts to keep their teaching positions.
Meeting the with Administration from Humboldt University
We met in one of the Palace Halls at Humboldt University. We learned about the university educational system in Germany
Sipping Espresso at a Corner Cafe
Pictured from left are Collette, Brenda, Lisa, and Laura -- enjoying espresso, crepes, and French Onion Soup in Paris.
Afternoon at the Musee de Louvre
After the trip to the University of Paris, we were set loose at the Louvre. The weather was perfect! We just kept telling each other: "We're in Paris, and we're at the Louvre."
Tour to Universite Paris - Diderot - June 18
We visited the University of Paris - Diderot today. Professor Michel Delamar gave us a presention of the school, and then we were able to ask questions about the school system in Paris.
City Tour in Paris - Tuesday, June 17
We spent the day touring Paris, and recovering from our rugged trip across "The Pond." Our sightseeing included: The Arc de Triomph; the top of the Eiffel Tower; Cathedral of Notre Dame; and a little bit of shopping.
Our First Night in Paris!
This photo speaks for itself...WE'RE IN PARIS!
The 2008 International Study Tour to Europe Begins!
We're on our way! Here we are in O'Hare Airport..all ready and excited. We departed on Sunday, June 15 at about 4 p.m. We had to fly through London then to Paris...we arived safely on Monday, July 16, but didn't get to the hotel until about 2:30 p.m. Needless to say, we all took a nap before hitting the Metro for the Eifel Tower at night and a sunset cruise on the River Seine. WOW! What a site! The Eifel Tower at night, is amazing!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
London is the last stop of our study tour. We’ve had another jam packed few days full of wonderful experiences. On Friday, we boarded our bus and headed for the picturesque English countryside destination of Cambridge and Cambridge University. Cambridge is a quintessential English village exuding charm and history. With its narrow winding cobblestone streets, quaint buildings and fragrant English roses at every turn, Cambridge village is the perfect setting for the almost 800 year old university. Quite simply, Cambridge was everything we Americans imagined an English village would be. Due to the narrow winding cobblestone streets, our bus driver had to drop us a short walk from the campus so we had a few minutes to enjoy the very picturesque setting on the way to our seminar.
Our Cambridge session was led by Dr. Tao Tao Chang, Head of International Relations. A lively discussion was held on the Bologna Process and Cambridge’s response to this cutting edge initiative. Everyone in our group came away completely charmed by Dr. Chang’s depth of knowledge on not only the topic at hand, but the nuances and subtleties that impinge on such a deceptively simple complex.
Following our time with Dr. Chang, we were treated to a delightful foot tour of the campus which happened to be involved with graduation that day . We were fortunate to see the graduates in their white fur trimmed robes standing with their professors queued up and ready for their graduation processional. Admidst the admiring crowd of family and friends we were suprised to find the president of Andrews University…proving that the world is indeed shrinking! Of course we quickly grabbed him for pictures because we just couldn’t believe we ran into him half way around the world.
It wouldn’t be an SDA study tour in England without a stop at Newbold College for Sabbath worship and a tour of the beautiful campus nestled in the rolling English Countryside. Housed in the former estate of English gentility and right down the road from Windsor Castle, Newbold College is hard at work training future world leaders in theology and languages just to name a couple of their disciplines.
Our last day in the land of the Union Jack found us touring all the major tourist attractions such as the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, climbing the winding narrow stairs at the Tower of London and enjoying the magnificence of Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. Even though there is so much more to see our time has come to an end. It’s time to pack up and head home to process all that we have learned on this trip. A quick survey by this group reporter reveals that not surprisingly far more was learned than just about the Bologna Process. It will be exciting to see where this learning experience will take this group of 26 future world leaders.
Thank you for all your prayers for our safety. We ask for one more for safe travel on the way home.
Peace,
Lisa Greco
Group Reporter
Our Cambridge session was led by Dr. Tao Tao Chang, Head of International Relations. A lively discussion was held on the Bologna Process and Cambridge’s response to this cutting edge initiative. Everyone in our group came away completely charmed by Dr. Chang’s depth of knowledge on not only the topic at hand, but the nuances and subtleties that impinge on such a deceptively simple complex.
Following our time with Dr. Chang, we were treated to a delightful foot tour of the campus which happened to be involved with graduation that day . We were fortunate to see the graduates in their white fur trimmed robes standing with their professors queued up and ready for their graduation processional. Admidst the admiring crowd of family and friends we were suprised to find the president of Andrews University…proving that the world is indeed shrinking! Of course we quickly grabbed him for pictures because we just couldn’t believe we ran into him half way around the world.
It wouldn’t be an SDA study tour in England without a stop at Newbold College for Sabbath worship and a tour of the beautiful campus nestled in the rolling English Countryside. Housed in the former estate of English gentility and right down the road from Windsor Castle, Newbold College is hard at work training future world leaders in theology and languages just to name a couple of their disciplines.
Our last day in the land of the Union Jack found us touring all the major tourist attractions such as the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, climbing the winding narrow stairs at the Tower of London and enjoying the magnificence of Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. Even though there is so much more to see our time has come to an end. It’s time to pack up and head home to process all that we have learned on this trip. A quick survey by this group reporter reveals that not surprisingly far more was learned than just about the Bologna Process. It will be exciting to see where this learning experience will take this group of 26 future world leaders.
Thank you for all your prayers for our safety. We ask for one more for safe travel on the way home.
Peace,
Lisa Greco
Group Reporter
Friday, June 27, 2008
Roma
We apologize for the delay in posting our Roman adventures. Between a very tight schedule and few internet connections we decided it best to wait till London to post for you. Now, where to begin….
Rome was everything we dreamed it would be and more! Whoever wrote, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” knew what they were talking about. At just over 3,275 years old, her ancient glory still shines. From the magnificent remains of the ancient world empire to the exciting energy her 60 million inhabitants exudes, Rome today is overwhelmingly fabulous to say the least. We were mesmerized by the Pantheon, the Coliseum, Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s, the National Museum, famous piazzas, breathtakingly beautiful art, lilting language and friendliness of the citizens. We were dwarfed by Michelangelo’s masterpieces, walked the same cobblestones of the Apian Way the Apostle Paul and the Caesar’s walked and quenched our thirst from the same ancient fountains as our Christian brothers and sisters of centuries past. And in one of our many light hearted moments, coins were tossed over our shoulders at Fontana di Trevi, the fountain made famous by the theme song, “Three Coins in a Fountain” from the 1960’s movie, Roman Holiday.
Oh! I almost forgot…we were in Rome to study weren’t we?! A wonderfully informative day was spent at Sapienza Universita’ di Roma where we were official greeted by Raimondo Cagiano de Azevedo, Deputy Rector for International Relations. Sapienza is 700 years old with aprox 145,000 students in Rome. The morning’s multimedia presentation was directed by Luciano Saso, Member of the International Relations Committee and Gaia Vallerini, of the Student Affairs Division. Our discussion centered on Rome’s participation in the Bologna Process and we were delighted to learn about a program within the Bologna Process we had yet to hear about, Erasmus Mundus. Under Erasmus Mundus, students involved can register at a participating institution and then travel to “sister institutions” to study, broaden and complete their degrees without the further need to worry about additional registrations, tuitions etc. Grant monies are available for students who wish to participate.
Discussion further evolved to how the global academic community involved in the Bologna Process can often serve as the “first look” at potential member countries in determining compatibility as a future EU nation; Turkey’s current work in establishing a seat at the Bologna Process table is one example as Turkey has yet to achieve membership in the EU. It was within the spirit of this discussion, Dr. Marinho and Luciano Saso agreed to pursue a future study exchange agreement between Andrews University and La Sapienza.
Early yesterday morning we bid Arevaderci Roma and headed off to the final stop on our tour…London. Despite a few blisters on our feet, we are all well and happy. Please pray for our continued safety as we prepare to come home.
P.S. We have free internet connection here in London and will be better able to post for you. Our first official stop today is Oxford University.
Tally Ho!
Lisa Greco
Group Reporter
Rome was everything we dreamed it would be and more! Whoever wrote, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” knew what they were talking about. At just over 3,275 years old, her ancient glory still shines. From the magnificent remains of the ancient world empire to the exciting energy her 60 million inhabitants exudes, Rome today is overwhelmingly fabulous to say the least. We were mesmerized by the Pantheon, the Coliseum, Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s, the National Museum, famous piazzas, breathtakingly beautiful art, lilting language and friendliness of the citizens. We were dwarfed by Michelangelo’s masterpieces, walked the same cobblestones of the Apian Way the Apostle Paul and the Caesar’s walked and quenched our thirst from the same ancient fountains as our Christian brothers and sisters of centuries past. And in one of our many light hearted moments, coins were tossed over our shoulders at Fontana di Trevi, the fountain made famous by the theme song, “Three Coins in a Fountain” from the 1960’s movie, Roman Holiday.
Oh! I almost forgot…we were in Rome to study weren’t we?! A wonderfully informative day was spent at Sapienza Universita’ di Roma where we were official greeted by Raimondo Cagiano de Azevedo, Deputy Rector for International Relations. Sapienza is 700 years old with aprox 145,000 students in Rome. The morning’s multimedia presentation was directed by Luciano Saso, Member of the International Relations Committee and Gaia Vallerini, of the Student Affairs Division. Our discussion centered on Rome’s participation in the Bologna Process and we were delighted to learn about a program within the Bologna Process we had yet to hear about, Erasmus Mundus. Under Erasmus Mundus, students involved can register at a participating institution and then travel to “sister institutions” to study, broaden and complete their degrees without the further need to worry about additional registrations, tuitions etc. Grant monies are available for students who wish to participate.
Discussion further evolved to how the global academic community involved in the Bologna Process can often serve as the “first look” at potential member countries in determining compatibility as a future EU nation; Turkey’s current work in establishing a seat at the Bologna Process table is one example as Turkey has yet to achieve membership in the EU. It was within the spirit of this discussion, Dr. Marinho and Luciano Saso agreed to pursue a future study exchange agreement between Andrews University and La Sapienza.
Early yesterday morning we bid Arevaderci Roma and headed off to the final stop on our tour…London. Despite a few blisters on our feet, we are all well and happy. Please pray for our continued safety as we prepare to come home.
P.S. We have free internet connection here in London and will be better able to post for you. Our first official stop today is Oxford University.
Tally Ho!
Lisa Greco
Group Reporter
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Guten Morgen aus Berlin! We have been having quite an experience here in this city of contrasts. After a week of the hustle and bustle of European city life, we found our morning at Friedensau a much welcome respite. Amongst the towering pines, gently rolling flowered fields and smiling faces of our hosts, we enjoyed a wonderful Sabbath School and service under a large tent...picture a circus "big top" and you will have an idea of just how big this tent was! The music was beautiful and uplifting and the sermon inspiring. Due to our session with Herr Roland Nickel, Chancellor for Non-Academic Affairs, we had to regretfully miss the church's pot luck supper. We could only imagine the delictable homemade German delights we were missing.
Friendensau is a small school of about 140 students and a goal of reaching 250. Their main focus is theology and social work which draws students from all over the world. We were fascinated to learn that since Freidensau is situated in eastern Germany, there were secret police efforts made to monitor what was being taught there. Fortunately, again, God was ever protective and no harm ever came to the school.
After our visit, we headed back to Berlin, about an hour away from the school, for another rapid fire round of sightseeing. Our focus this day was the Brandenburg Gate and some of the Holocaust memorials. It was sobering to see the pictures and to read the exhibits about man's inhumanity to man. There was a quote at the entrance to one exhibit which read, "Because it happened once, it can happen again." As we stood and read this, we all spoke the same thought...Dafur....Rowanda. If anything is going to spur us on in our studies to be worldclass Christian leaders, surely it was that moment.
We head out for Rome early in the morning on Monday, tomorrow, and will post as soon as we can. Please pray for our safe and speedy travel and for our health. Several of us are beginning to experience sore throats and other minor maladies a traveler tends to get.
Der Herr Kommt!
Lisa Greco
Group Reporter
Friendensau is a small school of about 140 students and a goal of reaching 250. Their main focus is theology and social work which draws students from all over the world. We were fascinated to learn that since Freidensau is situated in eastern Germany, there were secret police efforts made to monitor what was being taught there. Fortunately, again, God was ever protective and no harm ever came to the school.
After our visit, we headed back to Berlin, about an hour away from the school, for another rapid fire round of sightseeing. Our focus this day was the Brandenburg Gate and some of the Holocaust memorials. It was sobering to see the pictures and to read the exhibits about man's inhumanity to man. There was a quote at the entrance to one exhibit which read, "Because it happened once, it can happen again." As we stood and read this, we all spoke the same thought...Dafur....Rowanda. If anything is going to spur us on in our studies to be worldclass Christian leaders, surely it was that moment.
We head out for Rome early in the morning on Monday, tomorrow, and will post as soon as we can. Please pray for our safe and speedy travel and for our health. Several of us are beginning to experience sore throats and other minor maladies a traveler tends to get.
Der Herr Kommt!
Lisa Greco
Group Reporter
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Berlin!
Dateline: Berlin, June 19 & 20, 2008
If it’s Wednesday, it must be Berlin! We arrived here in fine style after a rather eventful early morning run to Orly in Paris. While on our way to the airport with no time to spare, Robson realized he had left his wallet, containing the tickets, our trip money, and his ID, behind at the hotel. Quickly the driver turned the bus around and we raced back to retrieve the wallet. Fortunately, God was with us and the wallet was quickly retrieved, but we were not sure if we could now make our flight. The driver went as fast as he could and if you know anything about traveling on German highways….this driver was bookin’!!! Running into the airport we quickly found out that the computers had just gone down and they could not board any flights until it came back up. LOL!!! Isn’t God good?! He even delayed the computers so we could all board our scheduled flight!
Once in Berlin, we were greeted by our guide Giesele, who is a lifelong resident of East Berlin. Her commentary on the way to the hotel was sprinkled with her personal story of life behind the wall which made what we saw from the windows much more real. Giesele will be with us on Sunday and we all look forward to hearing more of her story.
Our first evening in Berlin found us taking a leisurely boat ride down the Spree River for our first look at the cultural highlights in this city of contrasts. It was noted how the quiet dignity of the ancient buildings which remain after a life of war and the Iron Curtain, stand in stark contrast to the frenzied construction of the starkly modern structures and skyscrapers stabbing the sky of the new Berlin. It is definitely a modern young culture in this historic city.
Today, Friday, we were treated to a visit to Humbolt University, home to 29 of the 44 Nobel Peace Prize recipients and a tour of the Bode Museum, one of the 5 great art museums of the world. Again, at the Bode, we heard heroic stories of how many of the great works of art we were observing we smuggled out to protective destinations during the war and communist rule and it was sobering to learn that only since the wall has come down, have all the works returned home. Our tour guide, Janet, also an animated and passionate art appreciation professor from Bonn University, gave us a delightful and utterly fascinating gift of her knowledge.
This evening we will gather for Sabbath and then tomorrow, travel to Friedensau for services and fellowship. Our last stop will be the Brandenburg Gate where we will learn the history of the wall.
Please know that we pray for all of you each day and know that you continue to pray for our safe travel.
In His Name,
Lisa Greco
Group Reporter
If it’s Wednesday, it must be Berlin! We arrived here in fine style after a rather eventful early morning run to Orly in Paris. While on our way to the airport with no time to spare, Robson realized he had left his wallet, containing the tickets, our trip money, and his ID, behind at the hotel. Quickly the driver turned the bus around and we raced back to retrieve the wallet. Fortunately, God was with us and the wallet was quickly retrieved, but we were not sure if we could now make our flight. The driver went as fast as he could and if you know anything about traveling on German highways….this driver was bookin’!!! Running into the airport we quickly found out that the computers had just gone down and they could not board any flights until it came back up. LOL!!! Isn’t God good?! He even delayed the computers so we could all board our scheduled flight!
Once in Berlin, we were greeted by our guide Giesele, who is a lifelong resident of East Berlin. Her commentary on the way to the hotel was sprinkled with her personal story of life behind the wall which made what we saw from the windows much more real. Giesele will be with us on Sunday and we all look forward to hearing more of her story.
Our first evening in Berlin found us taking a leisurely boat ride down the Spree River for our first look at the cultural highlights in this city of contrasts. It was noted how the quiet dignity of the ancient buildings which remain after a life of war and the Iron Curtain, stand in stark contrast to the frenzied construction of the starkly modern structures and skyscrapers stabbing the sky of the new Berlin. It is definitely a modern young culture in this historic city.
Today, Friday, we were treated to a visit to Humbolt University, home to 29 of the 44 Nobel Peace Prize recipients and a tour of the Bode Museum, one of the 5 great art museums of the world. Again, at the Bode, we heard heroic stories of how many of the great works of art we were observing we smuggled out to protective destinations during the war and communist rule and it was sobering to learn that only since the wall has come down, have all the works returned home. Our tour guide, Janet, also an animated and passionate art appreciation professor from Bonn University, gave us a delightful and utterly fascinating gift of her knowledge.
This evening we will gather for Sabbath and then tomorrow, travel to Friedensau for services and fellowship. Our last stop will be the Brandenburg Gate where we will learn the history of the wall.
Please know that we pray for all of you each day and know that you continue to pray for our safe travel.
In His Name,
Lisa Greco
Group Reporter
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Today was another whirlwind day! We started off at the University where we were treated to a wonderful talk and discussion about how the Bologna Process has effected the Parisianne education system. We all came away seeing the value in the efforts to globalize education and the benefits it will have in so many areas now and in the future.
One little tid bit / fact stood out for all of us, leaving us totally amazed...the cost for one year of education in a Parisianne university is....are you ready....about 150 Euros! That is about $225.00 dollars. Yes, you read that right...$225 US dollars. It is the opinion of the group that if we were to total our collective student loan amounts we could have possibly underwritten 4 years of study for half of Paris!
Still on an educational "high" from our visit at the University, we headed on over to the Louvre for the afternoon. What an amazing experiece. Not only is the building / complex in and of itself amazing, but the sheer magnitude of the collection, well over 40K pieces, is enough to make any level of art afficianado swoon! We saw such works as the Mona Lisa (she was so happy to see us she smiled!), Venus de Milo ( she wanted to wave at us, but couldn't due to an arm injury) and incredible works of art that many of us have only seen in pictures. All kidding aside, being in the presence of such incredible creativity is a very humbling learning experience.
Tomorrow, we head out for Berlin! We will post as soon as we can, so please check back!
Peace,
Lisa Greco
One little tid bit / fact stood out for all of us, leaving us totally amazed...the cost for one year of education in a Parisianne university is....are you ready....about 150 Euros! That is about $225.00 dollars. Yes, you read that right...$225 US dollars. It is the opinion of the group that if we were to total our collective student loan amounts we could have possibly underwritten 4 years of study for half of Paris!
Still on an educational "high" from our visit at the University, we headed on over to the Louvre for the afternoon. What an amazing experiece. Not only is the building / complex in and of itself amazing, but the sheer magnitude of the collection, well over 40K pieces, is enough to make any level of art afficianado swoon! We saw such works as the Mona Lisa (she was so happy to see us she smiled!), Venus de Milo ( she wanted to wave at us, but couldn't due to an arm injury) and incredible works of art that many of us have only seen in pictures. All kidding aside, being in the presence of such incredible creativity is a very humbling learning experience.
Tomorrow, we head out for Berlin! We will post as soon as we can, so please check back!
Peace,
Lisa Greco
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Our Update So Far...
Hello Everyone,
We are safe in Paris. Our trip was relatively uneventful. The weather has been perfect...cool, breezy, and about 65 degrees.
The flight from Chicago to London was about 6.5 hours, but then we had to layover in London for about five hours, which included customs, baggage claim and re-check-in, and then waiting. Once in the Paris airport, we were met by our driver and tour guide, who took us to the hotel. We were really tired, but....the lure of Paris (Per-ee) got us all up from a short nap so we could enjoy a sunset cruise on the River Seine. Wow!
The sight of the Tower Eifel at dusk, with the lights, and the added blinking light display, was breath-taking! Believe it out not, we didn't get back to the hotel until about 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday (today)!
Our "short" adventure turned into a 6.5 hour memory-making evening. We even stopped at an Italian resturante for pizza. That seems to be the food of choice around here.
Today we toured the City hightlights, ate Pizza, and then returned to the Eifel Tower to assend to the top with a 360-degree breath-taking view of the city.
Yes, this is a study tour...and today we learned about the history of Paris, and some things about the French academic system.
So now that we are rested, tomorrow morning we leave for our first visit to a university -- University of Paris.
Keep checking back to this site. We will update it daily (or as often as we have Internet access).
We miss you all!
Robson (Tour Coordinator)
Brenda (Photographer and Writer)
Lisa (Blogsite Updater)
We are safe in Paris. Our trip was relatively uneventful. The weather has been perfect...cool, breezy, and about 65 degrees.
The flight from Chicago to London was about 6.5 hours, but then we had to layover in London for about five hours, which included customs, baggage claim and re-check-in, and then waiting. Once in the Paris airport, we were met by our driver and tour guide, who took us to the hotel. We were really tired, but....the lure of Paris (Per-ee) got us all up from a short nap so we could enjoy a sunset cruise on the River Seine. Wow!
The sight of the Tower Eifel at dusk, with the lights, and the added blinking light display, was breath-taking! Believe it out not, we didn't get back to the hotel until about 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday (today)!
Our "short" adventure turned into a 6.5 hour memory-making evening. We even stopped at an Italian resturante for pizza. That seems to be the food of choice around here.
Today we toured the City hightlights, ate Pizza, and then returned to the Eifel Tower to assend to the top with a 360-degree breath-taking view of the city.
Yes, this is a study tour...and today we learned about the history of Paris, and some things about the French academic system.
So now that we are rested, tomorrow morning we leave for our first visit to a university -- University of Paris.
Keep checking back to this site. We will update it daily (or as often as we have Internet access).
We miss you all!
Robson (Tour Coordinator)
Brenda (Photographer and Writer)
Lisa (Blogsite Updater)
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