Day 2: Bathing in the Beauty of Budapest

This is more like it...It is 10:30pm and I am finally sitting down to write about our day.  I am sitting in the lobby cafe of the Hotel Arena.  I was hoping for a slice of pizza, but the kitchen is closed...and so, It is a Coca Light for me tonight.  (about a dozen of the kids got their orders in before it closed!)  We have had an amazing day.

Our wake-up call was at 7am this morning.  I make it a habit of following up the auto-call with a personalized message from one of the chaperons.  Today, it was me.  I was up and ready for the day.  I am pretty sure that almost all of the rooms were awake when I called, but some of the kids sounded a little groggy.  A few minutes later, Mr. Jones and I headed down for breakfast.  European hotel breakfasts are among my favorite breakfasts.  The spread is usually huge.  The Hotel Arena is no exception. There are a plethora of options.  This morning, I only made two trips.  My first trip was scrambled eggs, two breakfast sausages, and a vegetable medley in paprika sauce.  For my second trip, I opted for something a little more conventional.  I grabbed a sandwich roll and some ham, salami, and cucumbers. It might sound a little strange, but it was delicious.  As Mr. Jones and I sat to eat, we were greeted by all of the other chaperons and the kids....we didn't need to chase anyone around.  I really helps set a positive vibe when the kids, and adults, are on time and awake.

We left the hotel at 9am.  Our local guide met us at the hotel and narrated our trip into the city.  Of course, we had some great photo opportunities.

Our first stop was Heroes Square.  The plaza is a really large and open space.  It is one the outskirts of the city part.  There are two monuments with statues of former Hungarian Kings. In the center, there is a large column with a statue of the Arch Angel Gabriel upon it.  Near its base rests the tomb of unknown soldier.  I have seen many of these tombs in cities around the world and I always like to stop and reflect on the sacrifice of others.  I've been very fortunate to live the life I live and it is because of the sacrifice of many others.

Heroes Square

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The Arch Angel Gabriel

After we left the square, we made our way across the Danube River.  Our guide informed us of the rich history of this city.  It has, unfortunately, seen much conflict in its past.  The Hungarian people are a proud people, but they have also been oppressed for many years and by many different oppressors.  There are remnants of that in some of the monuments and buildings scattered about.  Budapest made a bid for the Olympics in 2024, but ultimately pulled out of contention.  It couldn't afford to build the infrastructure.  I understand, Boston was also making an Olympic bid.  I can't help but think that sometimes costs are worth it even when it is a struggle.  The people of this fine city would have cherished every single second of every event.  The Olympics stand for something that had been lost here, but was found again.

Budapest used to be two different cities...the city of Pest (Where our hotel is located) and the city of Buda (Across the Danube).  It was in Buda where the Castle was built and also the Basilica. We needed to go across the Danube to get there, but before visiting the Castle Hill, we made our way to Gellert Hill and the Statue of Liberty.  Yeah, a statue of Liberty.  I know, right...you, like me, thought that there were only four of them and that they were all in France or New York.  Well, you are partially correct.  The one here in Budapest is not the same lady, but she still stands for liberty.  She rests upon a hill that has its own unique story and I thought I would share it with you.

It is named after Saint Gerard. He came to the region to share Christianity, but the Pagans of the countryside were not ready to convert.  As a punishment, they enclosed him in a barrel with nails sticking in it and rolled him down the hill...the name stuck.  It probably didn't happen exactly like that, but the essence of the story typifies the tumultuous history of this city.  Today, besides holding the statue of liberty, the hill provides tourists with an amazing panoramic view.

Budapest's Statue of Liberty, Holding a palm leaf as a symbol of peace.

To her left, a man holding a torch...a common symbol when liberty is present.

To her right, a man slaying a dragon.

The Lady Liberty of Budapest is somewhat ironic.  She was constructed by the Soviet Union to commemorate the freedom that the USSR brought to the Hungarians at the end of World War II.  She sat, above the hill, for over 40 years of oppression.  I wondered today how our definition of freedom changes over time.

Ok...I am sorry...I got off on a bit of a tangent, you want to hear more about our trip.  I mentioned that the hill provides a great panorama of the city.

Some of the girls posing for Selfies.

The Danube to the north.

The Danube to the South

Just across from the Gellert Hill is the hill with the Buda Castle.  We headed there next, using back roads and going up and down hills.  I am not a huge fan of heights, and white knuckled the whole time.  We got off our our bus and made our way into a cute little square.  Along the way, our guide explained about the local customs, foods, and crafts available at many shops.  We also got a reminder of how small the world is...Adrianna was surprised to see her Aunt walking towards her.  They quickly hugged and caught up.  I didn't have the chance to take a picture, but I know someone took one.  A similar thing happened to me in 2013 in Killarney.  Two different tours, booked many months ago, and across many different cities...and in the same place at the same time.  I loved it.  The cute square had lots of opportunities for pictures.

The group taking pictures of St. Matthais Church

Inside St. Matthais.

Steve, the Falconer

Steve, using his head.

Brian, Maggie, and Mrs. Morando waving.

As we left this little hilltop, I noticed something really cute.  The kids were cheering for us bus driver.  (The affection they have for bus drivers is amazing on this tour...my first great Bus Driver was Zoltan in 2007.  Danny from 2013 was also amazing).  Our driver, for this tour, is Norbert.  He is great.  He earned the kids respect right away by the ease and agility he had in turning our bus around on a tight street.  Their affection for him as grown quickly...so much so that the kids don't even complain when we remind them to buckle up.  Here, they cheered for him again and I can tell he gets a kick out of it too.

Norbert took us to the city market and we had free time for souvenirs and lunch.

[Author's note: It's now 11:30pm, a group of Japanese tourists are tying to check in and a small boy, about four years old, is playing peek-a-boo with me. I don't mind the delay]

For lunch, our kids tried a variety of local foods.  Some had Langos...it's kind of a fried dough pizza contraption.  Others had Goulash...it's kind of beef stew.  I had a pork knuckle...it's kind of exactly what is sounds like.  A couple had Burger King...It's kind of disappointing, lol.

Toasted dough covered in Cinnamon.  Yummy.

Pork Knuckle and Fried.

With free time over, we hopped onto the metro and went to clean up.  There were waves of excitement as we approached the Szechenyi Bath.  Gina, our tour director, pooled our money together and purchased our entrance fees.  We entered, not knowing exactly what to expect, but things went swimmingly.  The water in a Hungarian Bath is naturally heated and supposedly has healing qualities.  I've never scientifically verified the healing claim, but the water was very warm.  It definitely was relaxing.  We visited the main pool and the interior pools.  The steam bath was too busy for me, but a few of us ventured into the sauna with temps reaching 100' Celsius.  The place was a little different than what Americans are used too.  We are so consumed with body image, and style, and preconceived notions of what is normal.  I think that the bath was a good experience for us all...not because it was relaxing, but because it reminds us that things aren't really weird, they are just different.  Europeans are not consumed with many of the same trepidation as we are...and in a way, they are more free because of it.

A couple of the girls as we were about to depart.  Behind them is one of the large pools at the bath.  The whirlpool was a hit.

The group, with Gina our Tour Director, after we were refreshed at the Bath.

We've taken a few Trams, Trolleys, and Trains in Budapest.  I love riding these modes of transportation and often try to capture them in photos.  Here are a couple of shots from the day.

A bumpy ride was too much for my selfie-taking ability.

Future Dillan?  A commuting lifestyle learned on the tracks in Budapest.

Experiencing public transportation helps us learn better travel skills.  We become more aware of safety and security. This helps us for the rest of our lives. I don't remember the first time I took the T, but I remember taking the Metro, in Paris, for the first time.  It's my guess that these kids will remember the train in Hungary.  Gina did an amazing job of orienting the kids on the train and teaching them how to use it, properly, even though the signage is hard to read because of the language barrier.  We ended up taking the train to dinner.

Norbert met us there!!!

Tonight's dinner was really good.  It was more chicken in paprika sauce, but it was served over gnocchi.  For dessert, we had crepes.  I apologize for not posting photos, but I've been so hungry that I'm half done before realizing that I didn't take a picture.  I promise to have more food.

After everyone ate, we departed for our evening cruise on the Danube.  I know many of you have already witnessed this because many of the kids Face-time'd home.  Regardless, here are a couple of pictures from the voyage.

Europe's most beautiful Parliament building

Buda Castle and St. Matthais Church

It's nearing midnight here.  I am surrounded by teenagers, but not Saugonians.  I think they are Hungarian.  They came into the hotel, probably from the nearby Sports Arena (There is an event tonight), and I think they are awaiting a ride.  They are sharing their pictures, and laughing, and being kids...I can't understand anything that they are saying, but I don't mind...they remind me of our kids.  There is something about freedom that translates.  The people of Budapest had to look, with irony, at a statue dedicated to Freedom for forty years.  They feigned smiles to the Russians who occupied their city and forced them to vote.  They pretended that statue meant something.  In 1956, they tried to capture real freedom, but failed.  In 1989, they achieved it.  The collapse of the Soviet Union has had a tremendous impact on the world, but also on real people.  I asked some kids to think about this on the cruise tonight.  To think about freedom and how it has impacted their lives.  Whether is is going to a sporting event, a concert, or traveling to a foreign country, the notion of freedom has many different definitions.  I think it is important to know that in 1989, after the USSR collapsed, the people of Budapest changed the inscription at the base of their statue of liberty.  They removed the references to heroic Soviet Soldiers who liberated the Hungarian people and, instead, wrote a commemoration of all of those who gave their lives to freedom, independence, and the prosperity of their nation.

Tomorrow, we embark on a bus ride to Vienna.  We are all excited to explore a new nation, to taste new foods, and to find new ways to define freedom, but we will be sad to leave this city...a hidden jewel in the crown of European capitals.  It has been 10 years since I've visited this city, when Zoltan was my first amazing bus driver, but it will not take that long for me to be back.

Mr, Lavoie, heading up to the fourth floor and to bed, excited for what's to come...good night.

Day 1: From Boston to Budapest

The group at dinner!

Well, it is 7:30 pm in Budapest.

I woke up on Wednesday, around 5am, and left for work.  It was a busy day at Saugus High as grades were due...and because I was leaving later that night for our trip.  The day seemingly dragged, but eventually, the last bell sounded and I headed off to the two meetings scheduled for teachers.  I left the school and headed home.  I checked my bags for a final time and departed for Logan Airport.  I got there just after 3pm.  I like to make sure that I am there early in case of any issues.  It was only a few minutes later when people started showing up too.  Their excitement was noticeable.  Our numbers slowly grew and each traveler checked in.  At just about 5, we were all checked in and ticketed.  We met for a group photo before heading into security.

Some of the kids were pre-selected for the TSA pre-check program.  They quickly made their way into the terminal while the rest of us waited our turn in the queue.  Terminal E, the international terminal, has changed significantly since I've started traveling regularly.  We found ourselves walking to gate E10.  It is in a newer section.  Some of us grabbed a quick bite to eat, others sat around playing Uno, and others tried to sit patiently awaiting our plane.  We were delayed a bit.  The plane was late, but it finally did show up.

Our transatlantic plane.

The last four to board!!!! 

We all got settled in an awaited our flight.

Lufthansa is a pretty good airline.  The seats were bigger than expected, the plane was new than expected, and the comfort level was much better than expected.  As we took off, I noticed that most of the kids were playing around with the "seat back" monitors.  There was an option that allowed you to watch exterior cameras on the plane.  It was pretty neat.

An hour into the flight, or so, the crew started serving dinner.  I chose the Pasta.  It was a little spicier than I thought it might be, but it was pretty tasty.  The reports I got from the Chicken option were pretty positive too.  After dinner, most of the kids settled in to sleep or to watch a movie.  I tried to sleep as well, but don't think I got much shut eye.  The total flight time was just over 6 hours.  You can understand why it seemed like the flight ended quickly with our arrival in Munich.  The transfer between planes was simple. Munich is a large airport, but it is well designed and organized.  Before we knew it, we were waiting our flight to Hungary.

Brian trying to catch up on some rest and social media?

Some nappers and others waiting for the second flight.

In line to board our Hungarian flight.

I think everyone slept on this flight.  I know I nodded off for a bit, but I was awake when the passed out a light snack.  Honestly, I don't exactly know what it was.  It was a sandwich with a ton of mayonnaise, but it wasn't real mayonnaise. I thought it was spicy, but it might have been sweet...it might have been tartar sauce.  The only other thing in the sandwich was a super thin slice of salmon.  I took a couple of bites, but realized it wasn't for me.

That flight was only an hour and before we knew it, the naps were over.  We assembled at the baggage claim, retrieved our luggage and proceeded through security.  Awaiting us, on the other side, was Gina.  She is our Tour Director.  She welcomed us, called our bus driver, and arranged for our departure.  The plan was to head towards downtown Budapest and take a walking tour of the city.  The weather was nice, but it was windy as we walked along the Danube and the Parliament building.

Gina giving a quick explanation about the history of Budapest.

This building was the second-place winning design in a contest for their Parliament building.  It was liked so much, they built it too.

A remembrance pool for those who perished while try to overthrow Soviet rule in 1956.

The two images above are directly across from each other. One is Ronald Reagan, the other is the final monument standing from Soviet occupation.

Our walk took us to an Easter market near the city center. There were a ton of shops and food stands.  We didn't have a lot of time, but some people grabbed a quick bite.

Our adventure took us onto the Hungarian Metro next.  We rode four stops down on the blue line (I cannot even pretend to tell you stop names) and walked a little bit to our dinner spot.  For most of us, the first course was a soup with beans, carrots, and paprika.  It was followed by Chicken and Potatoes covered in a cream sauce.  I ate quickly.  I was more than a little hungry in Hungary.

Now, I am sitting in the little cafe on the first floor of the Hotel Arena.  It is right next to a soccer stadium.

 
We are meeting soon to cover additional rules, emergency procedures, and tomorrow's schedule.  On the agenda will be a good night's rest.  The first real post of my blogs are almost always quick recaps.  I am usually too exhausted to think critically and tonight is not exception, lol.  This hotel has a pool, and so, some kids might take a quick dip, but for the most part, it will be an early curfew tonight.

The kids, and I know it is early, have been wonderful.  They haven't complained about the lines, long day of travel, or airline food.  They've been smiling and chatting away.  Their laughter is omnipresent (although I hope it isn't tonight).  The chaperons and I were commenting on how great of a group this is.  We've got a long couple of days ahead of us, but it is sure shaping up to be a great and memorable trip.

Thanks for your time!!!

Mr. Lavoie, currently in Budapest pestering his students with puns.

Eurotrip17: The Countdown is Almost Over

It is April 9th.

I just finished correcting a batch of tests and watching the Red Sox win against the Detroit Tigers.  Throughout the course of this weekend, I have slowly been putting things together for another school trip.  This one is Eurotrip17.  We leave on Wednesday evening.  Flying on Lufthansa, we depart for a total of 12 days (including travel days) into Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.  I've been fortunate enough to visit all of these countries before, but this doesn't make the trip any less exciting...in fact, I am more excited for it because I've been to so many of these places.  For some of you, this blog is nothing new.

For many, this will be your first time reading "Where in the World is Mr. Lavoie?" I've been writing it since April of 2013.  It has traveled with me on all of my student adventures and has made an appearance on a couple of my non-student tours.  It is a glimpse into what we have seen and into my thoughts.  My name is Richard Lavoie and I am a history teacher at Saugus High School.  Our students have been pretty lucky over the dozen years or so.  They've traveled to four continents, well over twenty countries, and have struggled with nearly as many languages.  They've eaten the strangest foods you can imagine, danced along with native music, and walked among ruins that are thousands of years old.  I haven't been on all of these trips, but I've learned from them all.  That is one of the reasons why I put this blog together...so that others can learn from our travels.  Mark Twain once said, "One Must Travel to Learn."  He traveled all over the US and he wrote about his experiences...sometimes he told his tales in fiction, but amidst it all, the audience could learn from his words even if they were sitting comfortably on their couch with one of his books.  When that quote was presented to me, it stuck.  It not only has become a motto for the trips I take, but it has become a constant reminder of why I go.

I try to start every student trip with a fresh post.  In some regards, it is a test run to make sure the program hasn't changed too drastically.  In others, it is a way for me to mentally prepare.  I will be attempting to write every night we are on tour.  The typical pattern has me sitting in a hotel lobby as the students attempt to go to bed.  I sit and reflect upon the day's adventure and try to piece together a narrative that not only recaps our exploits, but also examines a lesson that we can take with us.  My first hotel lobby was at the Glena House.  It was a small B&B-type hotel in the city of Killarney.  We had just learned about the Boston Marathon bombing.  The hotel staff locked the door and politely asked me to turn off the lights when I finished.  A few years later, in Belize, I sat in a darkened hotel lobby that had no windows and was infested with insects.  Typing away on the staff computer because the wifi was so weak, I struggled to fight off the many creepy-crawlies to meet my deadline.  Sometimes, the lobby doesn't work, like last year, when we were on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean, or on our last visit to Prague, when there was no lobby, but every night, I sit, and think, and type.

I use this first blog to make sure that some features work the way they have in the past and to remind/inform my readers that although I've never missed a deadline, it is bound to happen sometime.  With that said, I want to try a couple of things tonight...before I hop back into the mound of tests that need correcting before we leave.  The first is a YouTube clip.  I'm hoping to take a few videos this year...and then to post them to YouTube.  If you don't know...our first stop is Budapest.  A popular song came our a couple years, click play and read along to the music.

Another feature is the Facebook Album.  When I first started the Blog, I tried using a different online photo album, but Facebook has become so popular and user friendly, that I can now create a public photo album.  Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10156023851350760&type=1&l=83a2ab00ef.  There is only one picture now, but there will be more soon!!!  In addition to this album, I am going to try and go "Live" on Facebook a few times...depending on bandwidth.  If I can figure out when, then I will post times in advance.

As I try to wrap up tonight's post, I wanted to take a quick minute to explain a little bit about how I see the world.  For the past couple of years while on these trips, taking some time every night to write has really sharpened my perspective.  I try to see the world with purpose.  I try to take a deep breath and enjoy the moment.  I try to find connections that remind me that our world isn't really that big,,,that scary...or that foreign.  I've made a lot of friends (travel acquaintances, really) while traveling.  From all over the world, these people have shown me that we are all more alike than different.  It is a message that we share at Saugus High School, among our student body, but it resonates into the rest of the world too.  I think that our purpose, while abroad, isn't that different than our purpose at home.  We should explore new places and meet new people, but we should do so with a smile on our faces and an open hand extended to the stranger.  We are about to head to places that many of our students no very little about, but when we return, even if the kids can't remember the name of a particular cathedral, they will remember the people they have met.  Even though the language will be difficult to understand, the people (and their culture) will not be...they will be more like us than we had considered.

For those who are new to the blog, don't worry, it's not all deep rooted posts about my world vision.  I try to include some jokes, great pictures, and a detailed recap of the places we've seen, the foods we've eaten, and the experiences we've enjoyed.  I hope that you will, through this blog, learn while we travel even if you are sitting comfortably on your couch.  Feel free to leave a comment as the trip progresses...it pleases me to know that the blog is working and that you are enjoying it (I hope you enjoy it).

Mr. Lavoie, Currently in Saugus...for the next few days.