Virtuo-Euro Trip 2020 - Day 11 - Our Last Full Day in Europe

These trips take a lot out of me.  Long days followed by sleepless nights, but there is never any regret for giving up alone time to see the world with others.  I find myself at the end of our last full day in Europe looking back at the past 11 days.  It took forever for them to arrive and then time slowed down and sped up at the same time.  It is a strange feeling, but it is the only way I can explain it.  

We woke this morning and had a hearty breakfast.  We gathered in the lobby of our hotel and met Franzzzzzzz, Karl, and Gina.  Our morning was another bus tour of the city. As we drove through Vienna, Gina explained many parts of this amazing city.  Every once in a while, we were able to get off of the bus for some photo ops and a coffee.  Our first stop was the Hundertwasserhaus.  The best way to describe this place is that it is an artists' village.  The designer was a philosopher and he believed people should be able to live in harmony with nature.  There is green everywhere and it feels like the trees have taken over.  

We then went to the summer residence of the Imperial Empress Maria Theresa.  We had visited briefly yesterday, but we were excited that the Easter Market was open and in full force.  European Easter Markets are amazing and having missed the one in Prague, I did not have confidence that we would see one...but this one was amazing.  The markets are typically filled with food and fun.  There was a little stage here and we caught the end of a puppet show and the beginning of a family of young singers.  Even though it felt like we just had breakfast, most of us partook of the food available to us.

 Some of the kids and I bought pancake bits mixed with a sweet sauce and apple.  It was very tasty.  Others enjoyed pretzels and hot cocoa.  There was cotton candy, popcorn, and meat, lol.  I think it was beef, but I did not order it and I don't think any of the kids did too. It was probably amazing!

We left the market and continued on our tour.  It is hard to describe the architecture here in Vienna.  The city contains amazing cathedrals and much of it looks and feels very old, but it is also mixed in with a bustling metropolis.  In the heart of Vienna, we broke into small groups to explore.  Most of us started with the Cathedral (which I am only just realizing I didn't photograph) and its clock tower which overlooks downtown.  Others walked to the Mozart Museum to learn a little more about the famed composer.  Some just walked through the square window shopping in the many boutiques and others grabbed a coffee and watched the crowd move through.  Every once in a while, a street performer would stop the crowd and earn tips and applause.  A few of the kids risked spoiling dinner to have a piece of Chocolate Cake.  

We took a carriage ride around the main square and became the envy of everyone else

Eventually, we gathered up and met with Gina, who took us to our restaurant for dinner.  It is funny that we only seem to eat on days like this, but we are constantly walking and burning off calories...so the many meals and snacks aren't that big of a deal.  After dinner, We continued to explore the neighborhood.  Gina had worked long past her scheduled visit, but wanted to show us one more amazing site.  Not too far away, there was a circus-type plaza with a giant Ferris Wheel.  The kids, well most of them, hopped on and took it for a spin.

Saugus kids are in all three cars!

We returned to the hotel at about 8:30pm.  The kids are all packing up their belongings.  We have an early wake-up and we head home pretty early.  I have my suitcase scale going around to make sure that no one will have to pay a fee on the return trip.  I am in the lobby and I fully expect the kids to come down and hang out for a bit before lights out.  

I am so very lucky to have these experiences.  These kids have been great and we've thoroughly enjoyed our travel.  Time has come, however, for us to come back to reality.

Mr. Lavoie, this has been a fun experience, but writing the blog and doing my remote learning was tough yesterday and today...too much screen time.  






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Virtuo-Euro Trip 2020 - Day 10 - Vienna

Of all of our transfer days, the ride to Vienna is the shortest.  This trip includes all of what is sometimes known as the Three Jewels of Europe...Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.  The beauty of these cities should not be compared against each other, instead, they should be taken as a whole.  Vienna is a much more industrialized and modern nation than the Czech Republic and Hungary.  Even with that, there are elements of Vienna that surpass those of some of Europe's most famed cities.  We arrived in time to have lunch and an authentic brewery.  There was no beer served to our weary travelers, but we had an amazing wiener schnitzel.  After lunch, we went on a brief tour of the city, knowing that we had a much more complete adventure tomorrow.

One of the highlights for us was visiting the Hofburg.  It is the former Imperial palace for the Austrian Empire.  The building is beautiful and it is huge.  Many of our travelers have been to Washington DC, but nothing could have prepared them for the size of the Hofburg.  As we walked through the halls and admired the artwork, I was pleased to see so many of kids stopping and really examining specific pieces.  You cannot take photos inside, but I was tempted to break the rules to show how much appreciation our kids seemingly had for the time and effort of the artists.

After the museum concluded, we returned to Karl and he introduced us to tomorrow's guide, Gina.  She is a native Viennese woman and you could see that she absolutely loved her city (she met us a day early, lol).  She gave us a quick orientation and told us some things to look forward too.

Around dinner time, Gina took us to a marketplace surrounded by cafes.  It allowed the kids to grab something to their liking...lunch was included as part of our tour today instead of dinner.  One of the most important desserts in Austria is Chocolate cake.  Our arms were twisted!

Others tried more unique fair, like sausages and kebabs.  I am also fairly confident a few pizzas were also consumed.  It was strange, however, walking the streets of this city knowing that within 48 hours we would be on our way home.  I've asked the kids, a few times, what they miss the most about home.  Most mention their families and friends of course, but I redirected them to answer about Saugus.  Over chocolate cake and coffee, one of the kids said that they missed the familiarity of Route 1...the idea that you are home when you are on that road.  The irony of their answer became apparent as we turned the corner towards our hotel.  Standing there, across the street, was a restaurant that needed no introduction.  It was a reminder that home is an idea.  

Mr. Lavoie, wishing that the idea of home was not being isolated in his home and writing about Europe...but things will turn for the better soon.

Virtuo-Euro Trip 2020 - Day 9 - Bathing in the Beauty of Budapest

I know I used this picture on yesterday's blog, but it is just too good not to use a second time.  These signs are all over the place now and I love finding them and having the kids pose in front of them...even if it is wicked tacky.

Today, in Budapest, we woke at a normal hour (7am) and began our day. We had a traditional breakfast and departed for our cities tour.  I wrote cities tour, because Budapest is really two different cities. Each are separated by the Danube River.  Our bus had to travel up the hills of Buda and through the narrow streets of Pest.  I asked Franzzzzzzz what he preferred.  He said that Buda was better and that driving through Pest was a pest.  I should have seen that coming.  

Up in Buda, we had a couple of stops.  Some statues honoring the Soviet Union proudly overlook the city.  It is strange because in our world, the Soviets stand for oppression, but to many Hungarians, they were liberators.  That said, they oppressed Hungarians too, but I guess the relationship is complicated, lol.  

We also visited the Fisherman's Bastion. It is a well preserved medieval structure that contains artists and street performers.  Not only did most of us get ice cream, but a couple of us tempted fate and took the burden of this trip upon our own shoulders.

We were also able to visit Budapest's famous baths.  These hot spring waterworks are supposedly therapeutic but after the traveling we have done, the ability to hop into some warm water and relax was great.  Not everyone was accustom to European bathing habits, however, and it was not the highlight of all of our travelers.

After the bathhouse, we were exhausted and we took the metro back to our hotel.  This metro ride was fun and everyone enjoyed being on the small cars which seemed to be 50 years old with how rocky they were.

Tomorrow, we head to Vienna.  It has been an amazing trip so far and I know I am missing so much on this blog, but it is hard to fit it all in, lol.  Tomorrow, back home, we are returning to school, but not our SHS...we will be moving into the new building.  I hope it goes smoothly.

Mr. Lavoie, I've only been to Budapest twice.  Once was 13 years ago, and I don't remember much of it...except that it is beautiful and that I can't wait to go back.

Virtuo-Euro Trip 2020 - Day 8 - The World's Most Amazing Rest Stop

Hotel Pop, or System Hotel as it is currently called is on the outskirts of Krakow which makes leaving the city pretty easy.  We had a long day ahead of us while we made our drive to Budapest.  The drive was over 5 hours long and took us through the small nation of Slovakia.  

The kids dropping extra Zzzz's for Franzzzzzz!!!!

Knowing the drive would take a long time and that the kids would be asleep for a portion of the ride, we all decided to get up a little earlier and hit the road...why not sleep while we move and then enjoy Budapest a little bit more when we arrived.  It was a great idea, but I think some of the kids took it is a challenge to stay up later than expected.  They were quiet when I did room checks last night, but they were definitely dragging this morning.  

Our morning jaunt went without major delay.  After about 1.5 hours on the road, Franz pulled over for a quick rest stop.  We had just passed through the border in Slovakia and I thought it would mean kids could not use any of their Euros, Polish Zloty, or Czeck Koruna, but most of them had cards and the rest stop seemingly took all currency.  We supplied ourselves with junk for the next haul, but Franz told us that our lunch spot would be well worth the wait.  The kids have really taken to Franz.  They love holding onto the Z at the end of his name...so he is called Franzzzz.  (Ed note: One of the kids just informed me that it is Franzzzzzzz)  He has been super accommodating and personable.  He is one of the better bus drivers that I've had on one of these tours.  

The road was hilly.  I don't really like heights, so there were times where I was a little nervous, but it was not as bad as I remembered.  Additionally, the landscape was amazing.  Beautifully peaceful farmland with the broken remains of castles adorned the highway.  Every once in a while, a more intact castle came into and faded from view.  I feel like I heard the kids mention Dracula like 15 times even though we aren't even close, lol.  

The long drive to lunch was starting to get to me and I could feel me stomach rumble a bit.  Franzzzzzzz informed me that we were very close to the Koliba U sv. Kristofa.  This place was amazing.  It accepted all currency, including US Dollars, and the portions were huge.  The cost was remarkably low too.  A few kids did not have any cash on them, so I told them, "I will cover your meal."  I pulled $100 USD out of my pocket constitution and was prepared for a bill of about $75.  The total for five of us, with coke's, was only about $30.  I tipped the waiter heavily because I was so impressed.  I had the Specialties of St. Christopher.  It was like a potato pancake burrito filled with meat and cheese. Totally delicious!  The decor was themed as a hunting lodge, but they had table service for at least 200 people.  Franzzzzzzz knows what he is doing!

My meal (stock photo)

Traditional Dinner (Stock Photo)

With full bellies, we got back onto the bus and headed south.  We arrived in Hungary full from the road, but excited to see what this city had to offer.  Our full tour is tomorrow, but we were able to walk around a bit and grab desserts.

It is hard, in these town squares, to get all of the kids together, lol.  I did my best to capture the fun we were having after a long day on the road and our food comas.  I cannot wait to go back to Kristofs...hopefully it will be sooner than 13 years from now!

Mr. Lavoie, realizing that he has not had dinner yet after posting those food pictures.  

Virtuo-Euro Trip 2020 - Day 7 - Reflections from Auschwitz

Writing this virtual blog has been fun for me.  It has given me time to look back upon past travels and re-visit some of my favorite spots. Searching through old pictures and seeing so many former students (many of whom are adults now) has been helpful in this time of isolation and social distancing.  With all of that said, I have tried not to explain everything we see or do while on tour.  I have 8 students who will be traveling with me next year and this is their trip.  I want them to have a sense of these places through this virtual blog, but I don't want to take all of the mystery of these places away from them either.

Which leads me to today's entry, as you've noticed.  I am no longer writing as if I were in Europe.  I am not.  I am in my office with my puppy asleep on the floor next to me.  Today, on our virtual tour, we would be visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau.  I don't want to attempt to pretend that I am there.  Instead, I will be writing from the perspective of a teacher who has visited twice, both times with students, and both times with very different experiences.  I will include some photos that I took on my most recent visit, simply because they are easier to access for me, but I might be able to locate a few from the fist trip.

I hope you understand my deviation from the virtual tour and that you find my reflections to be thoughtful and interesting.

First, some general information about Auschwitz-Birkenau.  The grounds of this place are divided into three different camps.  Auschwitz I is where your tour begins.  It is located on the grounds of a former Polish military camp.  Barracks were used to house prisoners and now are used as a walking memorial to the victims.  Auschwitz II is also known as Birkenau.  It is the largest of the three camps and was the one that housed and exterminated the most people.  Much of it has been torn down today, but the stables some prisoners lived in and a large memorial stand as reminders of the size and severity of the location.  Auschwitz III is not part of a high school tour.  It was a labor camp not far from the other two locations.  In fact, there were many sub-camps in the vicinity, but these three share the Auschwitz name.  The website hosted by the memorial and musuem is amazingly interesting and I'd suggest all interested should visit.  Click here to see the website.  

In 2007, Mr. Fontenalla arranged a trip that very much mimicked the one that we were scheduled for this year.  We, along with Ms. Nancy Lemoine, took about 18 kids along with us.  We had seniors through Freshman, boys and girls, and we did not share our experience with any other school districts.  It was us, Arnoud our Tour Director, and Zoltan, our Bus Driver.  It really set the tone for what student travel could be and I eternally grateful for Font allowing me to attend.  I did not blog about that trip.  My memory may be a bit faulty, but here is what I remember:

Auschwitz was less busy on the first trip.  I do not remember a crowd.  Our guide took us into the first camp and every once in a while, we would stop to hear him discuss some of the history.  In the first camp, as you walk through the barracks, you can look through large windows into rooms that used to occupy beds.  Now, however, the stand as eerie reminders of the magnitude of the Holocaust.

At that time, I was not terribly emotional and throughout the first part of the barrack's tour, I was speechless, but able to hold my composure.  We walked down the long hallway and saw hundreds of suitcases.  We then saw even more shoes (photograph is above).  I was at the end of our line.  It is a habit that I have, but I do not want to leave anyone behind when we are walking somewhere.  Directly in front of me were two freshmen girls.  They were becoming closer friends on the trip, but I don't recall how close they were before we left.  As we turned into the next hallway, one of the girls crouched over and began to cry.  This brave young lady was Jewish and we knew the visit would be especially hard for her.  I saw her and began to move closer to try and provide some comfort, but before I could, they other student scooped her into her arms and gave her a safe place to cry.  In the horrors of Auschwitz, I saw the beauty of humanity.  I cannot tell that story without crying (nor can I type it).  Those two 14 year olds taught me more than I could ever pick up in a book and I am forever grateful.  I have also never told them the impact that moment had on me personally.  

We continued down to a small home. It was the Commandant's quarters.  A small swingset stood by the building.  Next to it, was the gas chamber and furnace used at Auschwitz I.  It was a dark and foreboding place, as we traced the footsteps of others into what they had been told were showers.  The numbers were too high, however, and the Nazi's determined they needed a larger facility.

The Showers at Auschwitz I.  The Commandant's Quarters are to the right.

Our group left for Birkenau which was a short distance away and rejoined our guide.  He took us through the larger part of the camp.  He showed us where the train would pull up and how the victims would be separated by gender and by presumed strength.  He pointed out the chambers which had now been destroyed.  His tour was the most impactful tour I have ever taken.  He concluded by reminding us that the Holocaust was not a Jewish event.  It was not a Polish event either.  It was an event that challenged all of humanity.  He charged us with the task of remembering that idea and working towards helping all in need. 

My second time visiting Auschwitz was in 2014.  The trip was designed to be a History of the Holocaust tour.  We had about 18 kids.  The chaperones were myself, Ms. Alongi, Ms. Mottola, and Joanie (the longtime nurse at SHS).  We also shared our experience with a group from Saskatchewan, Canada.  The trip had our students previously visit Dachau near Munich.  That small labor camp became the model for almost all of the other camps in the Nazi regime.  Dachau had a furnace, but it was never used.  It's museum tells the rise of Hitler and the party and discusses the first political and religious prisoners.  It is somber, but it is not Auschwitz.

Read About the 2014 Trip to Dachau here.
Read About the 2014 Trip to Auschwitz here.

I will not recap the entire trip in today's reflection.  You will understand much more of what we saw, and experienced, by reading the entry above.  I will, however, reflect on the moment that connects these two times in my life.  Our group had people from all walks of life.  We shared some things in common, but our differences also resonated.  We only had one freshman student with us...a young man.  Leaving Dachau, I think, he asked me what the larger point of life might be if there is so much darkness in the world.  It was a scary question, and while I don't address it directly in the blog, there is a reference to my answer.  It was an answer that gleaned from my first visit to Auschwitz.  It was an answer that rests on the strength of our humanity.  

Now in Auschwitz, we found ourselves at a relatively new memorial.  The camp, in 2014, was much busier.  There were lots of groups and we formed a very long, almost impersonal, line through the barracks portion of the tour.  At this memorial, however, our guide said some departing words.  She was a lifetime resident of the city.  Her family had lived in the shadows of the camp for all of her life.  The story she told, similar to one I had heard years before, was deeply personal.  When she concluded, Joanie gathered us all together.  She had brought stones from hear her home and as a sign of remembrance, she asked us all to leave one in honor of all of the victims.  Joanie is Jewish and the visit for her was something quite difficult to take.  Our combined group honored her request.  Vic Thunderchild, a chaperone from our Canadian group, then began to speak.  His words, however were not words...they were song.  From his native tongue, Vic led us through a spiritual hymn and prayer of honor.  When he concluded there was silence, but that deafening silence was broken with a prayer from Ian, one of our students.  Ian was a soft-spoken gentle giant.  He is also quite religious.  He words came from deep within his heart and he asked us to honor all of those impacted by the Holocaust.  

These three actions all carried the same message.  The heavy weight of this act of depravity rests on our shoulders, but we are not alone.  We carry that weight with all of the good and caring people who are out there.  My answer to the young man questioning the futility of it all, was that when bad times are in front of us, the call to humanity is always there.  We live in troubled times.  We are making personal and professional sacrifices to help others simply by staying home and washing our hands, but those actions are indeed helping.  In the camps, during the worst of time, the stories of shame resonate in our history books, but the innumerable times where one person helped another amidst great danger are largely untold.  The evil that men do never triumphs over the good we can do.  

Mr. Lavoie, I hope today's reflection finds you well and that the greater message connects with how you are feeling during this time of crisis.

Virtuo-Euro Trip 2020 - Day 6 - From Prague to Poland

The drive from Prague to Krakow is over 5 hours long.  Couple that with some construction and a few rest stops, our day has been a long one.  Tomorrow, suffice it to say, includes a trip to Auschwitz and Birkenau which can be mentally tough as well.  That said, our group is in good spirits tonight and had a great time on our city walk of Krakow and the Wawel Cathedral.

At our restaurant tonight, the owner's daughter was intrigued by the group of Americans eating her dad's cuisine.  She joined us for a photo shoot after dessert. There is nothing like a little cake and ice cream to bring out the smiles in everyone!.

We left Prague around 8:30am.  This means we needed to have the bus packed fairly early and Franz was appreciative of all of the help.  The streets were pretty empty in the city, while we exited, and we found ourselves on the interstate (intercountry) in short time.

The roads and sky were clear today as our trend of seasonable weather continued.  It looks like we've got some rain ahead on Saturday, but we should be making our way through Slovakia when the worst part hits.  The long bus rides are always tough.  Kids usually sleep during the morning drive, but after lunch they get a little restless.  We help pass the time with some bus games.  Karl, ever so masterful as a Tour Director, organized a few distractions.  First, after the kids broke out into song (we aren't earning any money as a choir), Karl stopped them and asked them to compose a parody song about our trip using the sounds of their favorite pop music.  The kids, for the most part, loved it.  After our impromptu talent show concluded with an epic of remake of Budapest about wishing we were in Budapest, Karl shifted gears and allowed the kids to ask him questions about his amazingly interesting life.  Albuquerque was their number one point of interest, lol.  Karl tried to turn that around on the chaperones, but I don't think the kids cared about my upbringing in Saugus.  Lastly, we played a version of 20 Questions.  With the microphone on the bus, a bunch of kids got the chance to be MC.  It really helped break up the long haul.

Kids are working on the song parodies in this picture...although there may still be a sleeper or two.

We arrived into Krakow at about 3pm.  Maybe 4.  We met our city guide, Theresa, and she began to explain to us the history of the city.  It has a fascination with dragons and a former Pope lived in and around the city.  As we walked the narrow streets and staircases of the oldest part of the city, I could tell that our kids were loving the atmosphere.  Krakow feels old...the city square has a beautiful marketplace, but I don't usually see many kids there.  Even still, there is a warmth to the city that you don't often feel in larger city squares. The large Cathedral in Glowny Square has a trumpet player who announces the hour as time passes.  We were able to hear two blows from his horn before dinner began.  

For dinner, we had a traditional Polish meal, but the highlight was Beet Soup.  Even though it was not really soup weather, the kids loved this color schemed soup...well, those adventurous enough to try it.  Before and after dinner, kids could be found getting street food and trinkets in the market.  The square is really the best in Europe for keeping track of small groups of students.  The chaperones grabbed an outside table at a cafe, enjoyed a nice cup of coffee, and watched as the kids meandered through the different shops.  It was not too busy at this hour and the kids kept on checking in.  These kids are a good group.

When our post-dinner walk had finished, we hopped on to the bus and headed out to the hotel. It was called the System Hotel but I know it as Hotel Pop.  One my first trip to Europe with SHS students, we stayed here.  That was 13 years ago, I think.  Mr. Fontanella, Ms. Lemoine, and I enjoyed a late night pizza after Font, the kids and I played soccer in the parking lot of a nearby Ikea.  We also had to sign-up to use the hotel computer to send email.  Wifi was not really prevalent back then...wow, has the world changed.  

Travel days are often short on this blog, it has been more than exhausting.  I am including a quick video that I found that showcases things about Krakow.  I would have made one on my own, but I am not that skilled.

Before I sign off, a couple of kids just came down to the lobby to order a pizza.  They wanted to show me a picture they had taken on our walking tour.  It was of a painting of King Sigismund II.  The kids said he looked like me!!!  You be the judge:

This picture was from the walk...I couldn't get my camera working (so I thought). 
It is the only one without a smile!

Well, it is almost 12:30am here.  I should be signing off.  We have a long emotional day ahead of us.

Mr. Lavoie, impressed that he was able to put in a Belizean selfie into context for today's blog.

Virtuo-Euro Trip 2020 - Day 5 - Old Town Road

I love Prague.  It is one of the places where I want to spend much more time than a school trip allows.  I'd love to rent a flat for a month some summer, maybe longer, and really get to experience the culture of this beautiful city.  I feel this way every time I visit. 

Karl had taken us on a short walking tour of Prague last night...into Old Town and down by the Charles bridge, but I did not write too much about it because I knew today was going to be packed.  I was right.  We had a great day.  It was in the 60s and sunny for most of the day, but got a little chillier at night...and as you can see, we were out and about tonight.  We signed up for a ghost tour.  Our ambassador to the other side was another American expat.  She was from Vermont and had moved here to further her studies. She does these city tours as her side hustle, lol.  She was great and everyone was rapt with attention.

I don't really believe in ghosts, but I did capture this one picture that might make you wonder. If you look under the white light (behind the gate) you might see a silhouette of something unexplainable!

The tour lasted about 1.5 hours and capstoned a really long day.  We walked over 13 miles throughout the cobble-stoned alleys and bridges.  Our city guide was amazing.  She was able to connect to our group immediately and our kids were constantly asking questions.  It is always a great thing to see; we don't learn/teach much about this part of the world, so questions can be tough, but these kids were on point.  We met her shortly after finishing our breakfast as we boarded the bus.  Franz took us to the top of the hills outside of Old Town and she hopped on halfway up the hill.  We entered through Prague Castle and explored the medieval grounds of St. Vitus Cathedral.  The kids had fun posing as Czech guards (the President lives here) and taking pictures of the view of the city.

We walked down the hills to the Charles Bridge.  It was quite busy, so we walked carefully through the crowds.  It has a strong reputation for pickpockets and it is one of the reasons why I like to be there at night when it is empty and safer.  The are lots of vendors and statues and selfies...so I reminded the kids to be vigilant.  We are in for the night and no one reported anything bad happening, so our street smarts paid off!  In Old Town, we were met with Prague still breaking down from the Easter market.  I wish we were a week or two earlier, but the square is still quite cool.  If I knew about this earlier, I would have had parents czech this out...a Webcam showing the city square (On my next visit, we will arrange a wave!)

We stopped here for an hour of free time.  A bunch of the kids grabbed a coffee from Starbucks, but some were more adventurous.  One of my favorite items in this part of the world is Trdelnik.  It is a dessert food and in Prague you can get it stuffed with ice cream!!!  It isn't the healthiest lunch, but we walked 13 miles today, so back off, lol.  Here is what it looks like, but you will have to come with me next time to taste it!!!

After our lunch, we continued into Old Prague and saw the 13th Century Jewish Cemetery.  It is a very interesting place.  The graves of the dead were placed above those from years before.  It fits right in to any horror story and yet still earns the solemnity that you'd expect.  

After the Jewish Quarter, we headed back into Old Town.  There I broke the group into halves.  Some kids wanted to shop at the little souvenir stores and markets in the square, but others wanted to experience a European mall.  We set a meeting time to gather in front of the Glockenspiel and I took some kids to the shopping center.  It was not a long walk, but there are so many cool distractions when you are in a foreign city.  We got to the mall and I think the kids were somewhat disappointed in how close to our malls it was, that said, they still bought things that you could buy at home, lol.  

We meandered back to Old Town Square and I went to find the others...as promised none had left the square or the three main tourists roads that have all of the shops and restaurants.  We were whole again and just in time to meet with Karl.  He took us to our restaurant for dinner.  

Tonight's meal was a hamburger with potato served over gravy.  It was really good.  The potatoes were whipped smooth and no butter was spared.  The gravy enhanced every bit, but the burger was overcooked.  Karl explained to me that European restaurants almost always overcook their beef.  I am assuming it was a hold over from the Mad Cow breakout years back.  Even well done, however, I enjoyed the meal and judging from the kids, I think they did too.

After dinner, it was time for one more Tdnelik before our ghost tour.  Some kids bought that last souvenir and others just sipped on a cappuccino while awaited our guide.  Eventually, Karl beckoned to our group.  There is an archway near the cathedral and he said we'd be meeting our guide there at about 7:30.  We were all huddled there when this very strange man approached.  He was carrying a burger king bag and wore a long black trench coat.  He stared at us.  It was so creepy, but then, out of the bag, he pulled a lantern...he began to explain the dark deep secrets of the murderous history of Prague.  Turns out, his name is Fred Strangebone and he is an actor and tour guide.  He led us through the streets with the kids on every word.  What a phenomenal tour!!!  

We are back at the Meteor and the kids are up in their rooms (well most, there are four down here with me as I type).  We were chatting as I worked on tonight's entry and they all loved Prague.  I asked them what their favorite part was and most agreed it was being in a place where the signs looked different, but the smiles looked the same.  We often forget that humanity represents itself through common denominators and one of those is the smile.  As kids struggled with the language barrier, they learned that kindness resonates.  It is one of the most important lessons to learn while traveling and it is why I do these tours!

Mr. Lavoie, still somewhat shocked at how things are today. The memories of a Charles Bridge filled with people stand in stark contrast to the bridge today...but we will walks it steps again...in due time.