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Exploring Italy and Greece


		July 7, 2010

At Santorini	Experiencing other cultures, seeing historical archeological sites and recognizing science in action was part of the motivation for going to Italy and Greece this summer.

Experiencing other cultures, seeing historical archeological sites and recognizing science in action was part of the motivation for going to Italy and Greece this summer. A group of 15 from the Heron Lake-Okabena area joined up with people from Texas, Canby, MN and Rock Valley, IA to travel a portion of the Mediterranean. The group organized by Mrs. Amy Bang included her husband Paul, Doreen DeWall, Julia DeWall, Jared Pomerenke, Erin Liepold, Bria Baumgard, Jennifer Schmidt, Alaina Cranston, Adrianna Cranston, Aaron Fest, Stuart Schumacher, Zach Schumacher, Meghan Bang, and Erik Bang. The trip began with a 6 hour layover in Toronto, Canada where they saw the CN Tower, the Hockey Hall of Fame, and preparations for the G20 summit. The group then boarded the overnight flight to Rome, Italy. After the eight and one half hour flight they relaxed at the airport waiting for the rest of the groups to arrive. Day one in Italy consisted of a crash course in history, religion and architecture. The group saw the Circus Maximus, site of chariot races and games. It was then off to the Roman Coliseum, Constantine's Arch, and the Roman Forum where Caesar and Cicero once walked. After lunch near the Pantheon, it was off to the Vatican, its museum and the Sistine Chapel. Saint Peter's Basilica was the last stop before some shopping time near the Spanish Steps. That night the group visited the Trevi Fountain and threw in the appropriate number of coins: one for a return to Rome, a second to get marry, and third to divorce. By the time we returned to the hotel most had fallen asleep on the bus. The next day we were off to Florence to visit the Ponte Vecchio, statue of David, and elaborate Duomo. The quote for the day was, “Follow the monkey,” as our guide led us through the busy streets with his little green stuffed monkey. We learned about the hometown of Galileo and Michelangelo, enjoyed Florence's history and a leather working demonstration, but also found some free time to explore and buy souvenirs. Day five we headed off to Naples and the Island of Capri. On the way we saw portions of the Appian Way and wheat fields. Mount Vesuvius began to dominate the horizon for a couple days. After watching a wood working demonstration, we spent the night in Sorrento and watched Italy play Paraguay in the World Cup. We stayed up high on a cliff overlooking three beaches. The roads were so narrow and curvy that we needed to carry our luggage four blocks up to our hotel because the bus couldn't make the trip. In the morning we walked to the bus and headed for a warm tour of the archeological site at Pompeii. Eating pizza in the Mafia district was on course before boarding the ferry in Bari, Italy. It was the first time the group was able to relax, get online, and sit and play cards since the airport in Rome. After a pleasant overnight boat trip, we arrived in Patras, Greece. The group ate lunch along the way and found a nice beach to swim in the Tyrrhenian Sea and observed sea urchins. That night was spent in the town of Delphi, the belly button of the world. Several students dragged the chaperones to a disco downtown before some much needed sleep. We toured the archeological site at Delphi the next day. It included Roman temples, an amphitheater, and stadium for regional games. We then headed for Athens. That night the group hung out and swam in the roof top pool that gave a spectacular view of the Acropolis. Early the next morning we boarded the Aegean Pearl for a cruise of the Aegean Sea. The cruise took the group to five ports. While not in port, the students spent time playing cards, hanging out on the sun deck, watching the World Cup or catching up on sleep. The first port was Mykonos, famous for its windmills. Then we were off to Kusadasi, Turkey to view the archeological site at Ephesus and shop the Turkish market for “genuine fake” merchandise. The evening brought us to the island of Patmos where most of the students relaxed on the beach. The next port was an early morning stop in Crete, where several toured the Minoan castle at Knossos called the Labyrinth. That afternoon the ship sailed into the caldera of Thera volcano and its picturesque island of Santorini. Tender boats brought us to the island where the donkeys or cable car would transport you up and down the cliff. Kudos to Adrianna, Julia, Meghan and Aaron who dared to ride the donkeys back down. The next morning we disembarked in Athens for a day of sightseeing. We watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, along with a “pet” dog that escorted us around the city. We visited the world's oldest clock, toured the Acropolis and shopped in the Plaka. The last night of the trip, the students spent time saying goodbye to the friends they had made in the other groups and worked on packing all their purchases into their checked baggage. On the last day, June 22, the group left for the airport and the long trip home. After connections in Frankfurt, Germany and Chicago, Illinois, we arrived home late in the Twin Cities, but all were safe and glad to see their families. Paraguay in the World Cup. We stayed up high on a cliff overlooking three beaches. The roads were so narrow and curvy that we needed to carry our luggage four blocks up to our hotel because the bus couldn't make the trip.