Buongiorno! You Guys Are Awesome!

What a fantastic trip!  I learned so much...and I'm sure you did also.  Thank you for being such wonderful young ladies and gentlemen.  I was really impressed by your maturity.  I was also so happy with the excellent tour guide (Enrico) as well as the knowledgeable and fitting (friar, archeologist, etc.) extra guides we had along the way.  Each city really did have its own character, and we had good opportunities to experience and enjoy that.  I put some pictures on FB and will add some here and there on the blog when time permits.

All together, I think we can thank the Lord deeply for his grace, protection, and kind hand going before us on tour in Italy!

Rome and Home!

Parents, please remember to pick up your travelers.  They will be arriving in San Francisco on Sunday at 12:35 pm from Amsterdam (international flight) on KLM Royal Dutch flight 605.  See you soon!

  I will post more pictures when able again.  Today was another awesome day touring in and near Rome.  The students have been fantastic and return to you with knowledge and pictures of Italy, a deeper understanding of history, closer friendships, and (no doubt), some sweet jet lag.  Thank you for sharing your blessings with my wife and me this week: what a joy!  All the best!

Photo Update From Italy

Venice and Florence

We have had wonderful adventures touring Venice and Florence.  Tonight we are staying at a beautiful country inn (once the country house of a duke) in the Tuscan hills.  Tomorrow we will visit Florence's churches and museums.  We are learning so much!  And our two lost bags were waiting for us at the hotel.  All is well; thank the Lord!  I have been putting pictures on Facebook...feel free to make a friend request in my name to see them.  Blessings!

Verona!

Though we were initially a wee tad zombified when we landed, and two bags are still catching up to us...all is well!  We visited Verona today, enjoying our first sight of an amphitheater and seeing the very balcony of Juliette.

Saturday: Verona

We made it!  The snow slowed us in New York...causing us to rush for our Amsterdam connection...and perhaps helped KLM misplace two bags...but we all made it, and the two bags are on their way to us, thankfully.  Since arrived in the morning, we had time to visit Verona...an early Amphiteater and Juliet's balcony of historical lore.  We are staying at picturesque country inn.  Our tour guide, Enrico, if fantastic; he is sharing a great deal of historical insight with us as we travel.

Today, adventures in Venice await us!

Blessings!

Leaving for Amsterdam!

We left SFO without incident (one van of students was waiting for us at Delta International, but we sorted it : ).  The planes have been full, requiring some extra bag checking.   All students are great...lots of jokes while we make our way. We are now about to depart JFK airport. All's well!  Blessings, parents!  I will probably have to find a charger before I can make the next post in Italy.

News from Enrico: What to do on Day 5

"Concerning our free time on day 5 in Florence, I would suggest to stay in town and visit the Academy Museum, which houses Michelangelo's David among other wonderful art pieces. You could climb the bell tower of the Cathedral from where you have amazing views over the city and the surroundings. Santa Croce Church is another hot spot in Florence, the place where all major renaissance men are buried. Or simply stroll through the alleys and enjoy the enchanting atmosphere and the beautiful shops. I will give all kinds of suggestions and details, so don't worry."

Pompeii

Hi Travelers!

We have at least three folks going to Pompeii, so you WILL be going.  Part of our group will go, part will visit attractions in Rome (and there are PLENTY!).

So all is well!

Wednesday Meeting! (The last one before we fly!)

Document and Tips Check:

•  Passport: All in!  Hurrah!

• MVC Documents needed to Jo-Ann Castillo by Friday

• From: Antonio, Jimmy
• I have papers or print these:
• • 1. Parent Permission
  • 2. Legal Paper
  • 3. Parent Agreement

• Tips
• Already paid: Savvy, Jesse, Antonio, Brandon, and Julie
• If you will get this when we are in Italy: $81 = 60 Euro

 
* Packing

•  Sunny (though not hot) to cold and wet
• Good walking shoes!
• Things to help beguile the time or sleep during our flights.

* Itinerary

• Day 1: Fly overnight to Italy

• Day 2: Milan • Venice

  Meet our Tour Director at the airport

  Travel to Venice

• Day 3: Venice

  Take a guided tour of Venice
  

  • St. Mark’s Square
  • Grand Canal

  Visit the Doge's Palace

  See a glass-blowing demonstration

• Day 4: Florence

  Travel to Florence

  Take a guided tour of Florence
  

  With your expert local guide you will see:
  

  • Piazza della Signoria
  • Ponte Vecchio
  • Chiesa di Santa Croce
  • Gates of Paradise

  Visit the Duomo

  See a leather-making demonstration

• Day 5: Florence

  Full day to explore 

• Day 6: Assisi • Rome

  Travel to Assisi

  Visit the Basilica of St. Francis

  Continue on to Rome

• Day 7: Rome

  Take a guided tour of Vatican City

  Visit the Sistine Chapel

  Visit St. Peter’s Basilica

  Take a guided tour of Rome

  Visit the Colosseum

  Visit the Roman Forum

  Take a self-guided walking tour of Rome:
  

  • Trevi Fountain
  • Pantheon
  • Piazza Navona
  • Spanish Steps

• Day 8: Rome

  Full day to explore

• Day 9: Depart for home

Parent Meeting Night!

Tonight!

• Woo-hoo!
• High school credit (1 elective unit) option available to you: http://landing.eftours.com/hscreditbook. 
• Email a digital copy of your passport to yourself. 
• Do I have a copy of your passport?
• Visiting Family?
• Banking
• Inform your bank
• $50 in Euros
• Tips ($81)

• Before we leave
• Call in to Delta with any food needs (72 hrs)
• Check in and print your boarding pass (24 hrs)
• See itinerary
• Itinerary Handout

• Travel to San Francisco (arrive at SF International Airport at 5 am)
• Resident students: School van, dark and early
• Day Students: There are extra seats with Stacey and Amy Ely.  Please contact her if you are interested! 
• Contact Information Handout
• Saturday Feb. 15
• Meet at 5 am at the Delta International Flight Kiosk
• 
• Baggage Restrictions
• Delta
• Carry on
•  One carry on and 
•  One personal item
• weigh 50 pounds (23 kg) or less
• not exceed 62 inches (157 cm) when you total length + width + height

• KLM Royal Dutch
• Check-in baggage:
• 1 suitcase* of max. 23 kg / 50 lbs
• Hand baggage:
• 1 bag**, and
• 1 accessory, e.g. a handbag or a laptop
• Combined max. 12 kg / 26 lbs

• While in Italy
•  Video
• See itinerary
• Messages 
• Rules = )
• My cell # 831.539.6402

• Return
• Sunday, 2/23, 12:35pm (see itinerary)

Wednesday, 2/5: One week to go!

• Be sure to come this Friday night at 6:00 pm.  Bring your parents. I will have important documents to review. 
• Passport copies
• Packing
• Contents list
• Label your bags

• Course credit for those who wish
• Basic info. 
• Earn high school and college credit

•  Travel Journal App from EF for you!

• EF Tours TourLink Travel Journal on the App Store on iTunes

• Please bring $81 for tips (cash, or check made out to Marcus Schwager).  We will present our tips as a single big gift at the end of the tour to our guide and driver. 
• Note from Enrico on ATM cards.  Don't forget to inform your bank and order 50 (or so) Euro. 
• Medicines you will need to be taking. 
• Food allergies

More Advice from our Tour Leader, Enrico

Enrico: "Please tell your group to bring warm clothes and rain protection. 

Concerning the exchange of money, the easiest and most convenient way for the students to get Euros are credit or debit cards. ATM machines are everywhere! To exchange cash is a big loss of money. Most exchange place charge a forbidden amount of commission on top of generally poor rates."

There you go! 

Things I'll be collecting this week:

• Passport copies (Wednesday or Friday)
• $81 per person tip money for our tour guide and bus driver (collect on Friday).  This way, I will pay for everyone's tour tips together at one time to the guide and driver.  We will present them as a gift to them at the last night's dinner. 
• Any food issues need to be reported to me.  
• The three travel forms for MVCS.  Please have your parents fill those out and return them to my. 

I will see you all on Wednesday during lunch, then our VERY IMPORTANT meeting on Friday at 6 pm!

Please bring me copies of your passport and have your parents fill out the three travel forms for MVCS.  Thank you!

14 days to departure, woo-hoo! 

Evening Meeting on Friday, Feb. 7 at 6pm in B22

Hi all,

Please mark your calendar for Friday, Feb. 7, 6pm.  We will have our pre-departure evening meeting.  I will review important travel information.  Please bring all available parents with you!

All the best,

Mr. S

Today's Meeting

Hi Travelers!

• Did you get your backpack?
• Passport copies, please. 
• School travel forms.
• Packing
• Our Tour Director: Enrico Schattenmann, from Naples, Italy 
• "I hope you and your group are exited to travel across the ocean and to discover the most important places of "The Bel Paese".
  I am from Naples (Napoli), southern Italy and I have been working for EF Tours since 1994 touring around the old and fascinating continent as well as providing the company with internal support in specific projects.
       "Bell'Italia" is definitely one of my favorite tours, because of its wonderful combination of gorgeous landscapes, beautiful cities, lots of art and food."
• Tour Options
• Venice: Gondola!  (25 Euro)
• Rome: Rome by Night (15 Euro)

We meet tomorrow

Please come to B22 during lunch tomorrow for our weekly trip meeting!

Wedneday's Meeting

Hi Travelers!

Remember that we meet every Wednesday at lunch.  With soccer games on Tuesday nights, I can't always get a post ready for the meeting, so please come with or without a blog post.  If you miss a meeting, just check in, and be sure to come to the next =). 

First, I reminded you to consider what you are packing.

• You want to be warm. 
• It is wise if you can keep your packing to your two carry-on bags.  Most girls (we have 7 girls and 6 boys traveling) will have a harder time making that work, so I found a packing list for you to consider.  This woman is packing for 2.5 weeks in Italy during a cold season.  She does it with only carry-on bags.  You can do it!  Maybe she will give you some good ideas!
• Girls' example packing list

• Pack long clothing (pants, shirts, etc.).  We should wear pants (boys and girls) or long skirts or dresses (girls) when we go to religious sites (which is often).  Girls will not be allowed into Vatican City with exposed shoulders or generally immodest dress.  So...keep it neat and sweet. 
• Comfy leather shoes or boots may be a good choice for girls as we will walk a lot and it may rain.  Then you can be both stylish and comfortable.  Do not pack or bring high heels.  
• Guys, mid-top leather shoes or chukka boots may be good...or spray a nice pair of leather sneakers with scotch-guard. 

We still need to iron out some roommate details next week.

 I also focused on lunch in Italy.

• We talked about the Euro a bit.  Currently, 10 US Dollars gives you 7.3 Euro.  That means a $10-15 lunch will be about 7-11 Euro.  I thought that might help your planning. 
• I noted that if a waiter puts bread on your table, and you don't want to pay for it, you should refuse it (they will assume you are eating and will charge you for it). 
• You can drink tap water in Italy (it is treated as it is in the U.S.).  If water from a tap is not drinkable, it will say aqua non potabile. 
• If you ask for water at a restaurant in Europe, you will generally receive bottled, carbonated water.  If you do not want carbonation, say "without gas," as that usually translates well enough.
  
  acqua non potabile
  acqua non potabile

Welcome back!

Hi Travelers,

We depart in a little over a month (40 days)!  We meet in B22 this Wednesday during lunch.  We will cover the following:

• Verify emergency contact information
• Pick up your day-pack from EF
• Work on the roommate list
• Packing reminders
• This coming week, please make three copies of your passport, and return one copy to me.

Wednesday's Meeting Plan

Hi Travelers!

Here is our agenda for tomorrow:

Our Meeting begins at 12:00

• 12:00--12:15: Reminders EF Insurance Details (some needed this for the visa)
• Insurance
• Tips: $81 for the trip total
• Banking: Inform your bank.  Begin with some Euros.  Inquire into foreign transaction charges (ATM vs. Visa type purchase).
• Packing (two carry on bags; one small suitcase and one backpack recommended)
• Practice over break 
• Use your iPad app. to start getting an idea of what you'll want in Venice, Florence, and Rome.

• 12:15--12:20: Room-Mate List and Food
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Allergies
• Food style in Italy (their version of the continental breakfast)

• 12:20--12:25
• We will depart from San Francisco on Sat., Feb. 15 at 8am. 
• We arrive in Italy in the morning and travel toward Venice. 
• We return to SF on Sun., Feb. 23 at 12:35 pm. 

•  12:25--12:35
• Visa concerns

Wednesday Meeting is Optional

Hi Travelers,

I see that Wednesday will not have lunch for those returning on the bus, so anything we go over that is important for you will come by email.  For those eating lunch and on campus, come on up!  

If anything important comes up, I'll be sure to post and email.

Our next official meeting will then be Wednesday, January 8th.  

I hope you all have a blessed time with family and friends celebrating the birth of Christ Jesus!

Merry Christmas!

Mr. S