Day Three: A Rocky Start Finished With a Bath

Today, I felt much better. I had a solid 6 hours of sleep and awoke at 4:30am. I went back to sleep for a little bit but was ready for the hotel's breakfast option once they opened. I expected a pretty good breakfast and the Hotel Moxy did not disappoint. 

It is always great to see options for folks who need extra options.

My breakfast, this morning, was delicious. As I checked on the kids, throughout the morning, I saw that many of them had chosen the same options as I did.  I had a small helping of scrambled eggs and they were cooked much better than at most hotels. I also took some bacon, sausage, and a hashbrown.  All of these items are fairly typical, but I was pleased to add baked breakfast beans and a waffle to my plate. (The beans are located under the waffle)  I also ordered a double cappuccino and some yogurt and fruit to be healthy.

A few of the boys digging in!

When breakfast concluded, We all gathered onto the bus and began our long journey across the English countryside. There was some London traffic and a few confusing roundabouts, but we were on our way. The ride to Stonehenge was just over an hour and along the way we picked up an expert guide. 

John is another blue badge guide. As it was explained to us, Blue Badge guides go through extensive training for several years before getting their license. The quality and dedication shows. Both Sean and John are masters of their trade. They both subtly infuse humor into the script which makes them more accessible than most tour guides of an older generation. John had a soft voice and as I listened him to  throughout the day, I realized he spoke like "Nate the Great" the wunderkid from Ted Lasso. His voice kind of sounded like him, but it was more his accent and his cadence when he spoke. 

The weather at Stonehege was really nice. It was a little chillier than back home and the wind whipped over the adjacent farmland. It added to our experience. John explained to us that Stonehenge was over 5000 years old. It was interesting to learn that the Romans were amazed by the structure and often visited...and at that point it was already 3000 years old! There are three types of rocks at Stonehenge. 

Some of the things we learned today amazed me and because I am not a Blue Badge guide, I have already forgotten many things, lol. The first is the word 'henge.' It is basically a ditch in the ground. The folks used the area for some type of worship long before the stones arrived. Their original structure was made of wood. When the stones arrived, there were three different ones. The first at the blue stones. They don't look blue today, but if you cracked them open, they'd be blue. These stones were smoothed, but not perfectly. They are the stones on the inside. These stones were most likely floated down the coast from Wales. The Sarsen stones are on the outside. These stones were from roughly twenty miles away, but were considered foreign. They were most likely taken to the location using a rail system. Imagine that...three thousand years before the Romans, these folks had a wooden rail system to move several tons of rock. The last of the stones are detail stones. The most famous of them is the heel stone. These are the stones that line up to the winter solstice, full moons, and other cool stuff.

The Heel Stone

John also explained that the most significant day is that of the winter solstice. One this day, the sun approaches the structure and at the heel stone lines perfectly with a gap in the main formation. Apparently the hippies, as John described them, love this day! Inside the visitor center, there is a digital display of the phenomenon and it does seem cool. Coming off of the eclipse, I can totally understand the ancient fixation on the celestial bodies. 

Stonehenge also had a replica of what these people would have lived in. They were modest straw homes. 

A replica of one possible method of moving the stones

If you ever find yourself headed this way, hire John...I am sure I've missed some critical points along the way, but hopefully you don't think I am blockhead!

We had about 1.5 hours before we would make it to Bath. Along the way, I cherished little reminders of home. We drove through Andover, Amesbury, and so many other villages that are local to our home as well. John pointed out, at one point, some hills far off in the countryside. They were covered in cloud and definitely showed some rain. It was the country of Wales. We also happened to cross into a small hamlet named "Pennsylvania." We could rightly say that we saw Wales in the middle of Pennsylvania!

John is a funny guy! Anyone who uses puns to teach about the past has to be, right?

We entered Somerset County and passed through Taunton before we made it to Bath. It is huge in comparison to the tiny villages we had seen so far, but is tiny compared to the behemoth that is London.

In Bath, John explained that we would have an hour for lunch before the walking tour. Mrs. Comproni and I decided to eat Thai food and were pleased to see a group of our kids at the same restaurant. 

Our Thai lunch group!

When I say "One Must Eat to Learn" this is what I mean.

Some of the other students had pizza from an authentic Italian restaurant, Indian food, or baguette sandwiches.  All in all, I think folks were pleased with the options in one little area of the city. 

We rendezvoused with John and began our walking tour. We saw and learned about the origins of the baths in Bath. Apparently, the hot springs were discovered by a pig farmer whose pigs were rolling around in a warm muddy spring. When the Romans arrived, they engineered some type of filter and cleaned out the mud. They eventually built bath houses and the city grew from there. It has had several different periods of growth too. The most recent period seems to be around the time of our war from independence. In this time, money, real money, flowed into Bath. We experienced some of that with the architecture that John showed to us.

The photos above are of two different structures connected by family. The first is the Circus. It was built and designed by John Wood. It's circumference is the same as the henge at Stonehenge. There are three entrances and the roads in are pointed directly at the center of the opposite point of the circle. The middle ground was once filled with running water giving these wealthy Bathers access to daily Baths. His son, aptly named, John Wood, Jr. designed the second structure. It was known as the Crescent. Both structures are filled with posh residences today. The Crescent has a very expensive hotel that none of the adults here could reasonably expect to afford, lol! 

It was here that John told us a story about Princess Victoria before she became Queen. She was modeling a new dress and a gust of wind blew through the area. The crowd saw more than expected. When asked about how it made her feel, she didn't respond. It was Victoria's Secret!

John is a funny guy! Anyone who uses puns to teach about the past has to be, right?

We had a long drive back to London and dinner, but we made it. The restaurant tonight was delicious.

Maria and John are sitting in the foreground of the adult table

I have to fess up. The Butter Chicken tonight far surpassed that of Delta Airlines. I can't even believe I tried to say it was good after this...It was so good. There was also a spinach bowl that was chalk full of spice and heat. Naan bread and white rice rounded out a perfect plate. For dessert, it was a yogurt curry. I never heard of this, but with a blend of spice and a sprinkle of pistachio, I was all for it. It was tasty!

It's about 11:30 here in London. The night has flown by, just like the day. We are leaving this hotel tomorrow and headed down the street. We still have two full days in London before we change the channel and go to France. 

I hope everyone is enjoying the blog so far. This trip has been great and I am getting to know those students who I didn't teach. They are all good kids with a sense of wonder. Some are trying new foods and even enjoying it. Others are asking questions to our guides and exploring the world from a new intellectual perspective. We have only just begun!

Mr. Lavoie, sitting in a hotel lobby listening to Marvin Gaye and finishing his Britvic Ginger Ale before he heads to bed. 

 

Day Two: Marathon Monday....Eurotrip24 Version

Exhausted from a long day, so we added a Jack the Ripper tour

So, it is almost 9pm on Monday. I woke at 6am on Sunday and did not have minutes rest from then until now. I am not alone, lol.  We had our own marathon today and we are all exhausted, but I think it would be described as a good day by all.

I am purposefully keeping tonight's post short because of the travel time and sleep deprivation I am going through, lol, but I will make up for it at some point. I promise!

We landed at London City Airport after a short layover in Amsterdam. The flight was smooth until the end when the pilot announced that they have to apply airbrakes during landing. It was a trip. After grabbing our luggage we went out to meet Maria. She introduced herself and explained that Martin, our bus driver, was on his way, but was stuck in city traffic. 

Our bus has a camera that shows the guide. Maria was giving instructions to the group.

We were on our way into the city when the clouds opened up. It was torrential. When we actually got off of the bus, the rain had subsided and we went into the National Gallery. An hour into the museum and the rain had stopped and we had a nice day ahead of us.

We were impressed with Picasso, Van Gogh, and Monet, but we were also psyched to get to go to lunch too. I am giving the kids a break today because of the travel times, but many of them went to Shake Shack, BK, or McDonalds. I did spy some kids with local street food and it looked very delicious.

After dinner, we made our way to meet Sean. He is a blue badge guide in London and is highly regarded. Today, he took us on a walk back in time as he told the tale of the Jack the Ripper murders. He infused appropriate humor to liven the group up, but took a serious and somber tone when discussing the murders himself. He knew we were beat and he did his best to build up our energy.  I was thrilled that the SHS Alumni Association was able to sponsor this event for us as well as purchasing our sweatshirts. Their generosity knows no bounds. 

The White Chapel

Narrow alleyways abound in London

 When we finished up with Sean, we headed to dinner. It was a traditional plate of English comfort food. 

Chicken Pot Pie!

The meal was pretty good tonight. A chicken pot pie with potatoes and peas. I had had so much junk food throughout the past few hours that I couldn't really finish, but it was good. A few of our picky eaters tried it to mixed reviews, but I secretly think they loved it. We walked back to Martin and our bus and departed for the hotel Moxy at Heathrow Airport. 

I will snap some pictures during breakfast tomorrow, but it is quite trendy. A bunch of kids ordered pizza, played ping-pong, or pool. Others made that important phone call home or texted friends and loved ones. We will let them stay up for another hour or so before lights out....some called it early anyways. 

Today, even though we did a ton of stuff, was basically a travel day for us. Tomorrow, we will visit Stonehenge and Bath.  There are a lot of other cool things headed our way as well. While I am extremely tired, I also really like the feeling these trips bring. Wide-eyed kids, in places they've never heard of, trying new things, and learning while they go...I live for it!

Mr. Lavoie, struggling to keep the eyes open after pulling a 34 hour day, so far. 

 

Day One: Butter Chicken...more like Better Chicken. Eurotrip24 has begun!

Waiting for our turn to travel and learn

I don't know about you, but I love travel. The excitement of the airport. The controlled anxiety of going through security. The wonder of what's next for you...and for others scattered about the airport. I also love the traditions that travel brings my way. I have certain snacks that I must have packed in my bags. Certain places in Europe that I feel compelled to visit if I'm close by.  And food...food is central to my travel traditions. As you can imagine by the title, my dinner tonight was butter chicken provided by Delta.

Airline food isn't for everyone, I get it, but I love it. I was super lucky to travel to Rome via Delta in February and I first had their butter chicken on that flight. Tonight's was just as delicious! First, I started with a fresh couscous salad. I imagine the recipe was created by some famous chefs from across the globe. After finishing my salad, I peeled back the aluminum foil to let the aromatics flood the fuselage. The green beans on top of the butter chicken were perfectly al dente. Expertly designed, the rice and chicken were separated in the petit cardboard box. Not as refined as the chef, I mixed the two together and dove in with gusto. In a flash, the cuisine was mine. I moved to my after dinner snack...cheese and crackers. Extra sharp cheddar and oversized Ritz. It was like a dream come true. I finished my meal with a wonderful little truffle brownie. Overall, having eaten quite a few airline meals in my life, I was more than satisfied.  

Last night, as I prepared for our trip, I was lucky to spend the evening with my brother and his wife. They have been living in Germany and are currently in transition back to the United States. They know of another food-based tradition that I have...and it includes take-out from Dragon Island (just outside of Saugus Center).  I've been going there for years. Albert, the owner, refers to me as the "professor," lol. I order the same meal every time. It is 'off of the menu' so to speak, but I don't even have to tell them what I want! Visiting with my brother and his wife was extra special. Albert was thrilled to see them and he put extra care and attention into our meal. The three of us returned home and Monty (my pup) waited patiently for rice, or spareribs, to fall to the ground. They didn't! We were too hungry! Dave, Gina, and my folks, are watching Monty while I am away and I absolutely own them all for their help while I travel.

This is my funny way of thanking them. It is also my attempt at thanking everyone reading this blog. I will ask for comments and feedback throughout the trip, because it helps me keep motivated. The blog also lets me thank everyone else who helped us get here. Our most ardent supporter, outside of the Saugus Public School system, is our alumni association. They generously provide each traveler with a special hoodie. This year's design was inspired by the one we had in 2015. We also had so many people help out in supplying each student with a personalized travel bag. Thank you to Karyn Huntsman for all of the work personalizing everything...and to every donator along the way, I will show gratitude again throughout the trip, but I wanted to get started on the right foot. I also wanted to thank the parents and guardians of our students. I am fortunate enough to keep doing these types of things because of your desire for your children to see the world. Watching over them and sharing my sense of travel is an honor that I hold deeply. 

Our flight is going smoothly, so far. We've finished dinner and the cabin lights are off. There are a few hues from laptops like mine, but it is clear people are going to attempt some sleep soon. I will join them once I've wrapped up and tried to post a few more images inside this blog. The wifi is spotty, however, and I am not sure it is as "high speed" as advertised.  We will land in Amsterdam and make haste to our connecting flight to London. Once there, we will meet our tour director, Maria, and begin our adventure.

Thank you everyone for reading tonight...tomorrow should have more photos and some fun stuff as well!

The last of us to board waving goodbye to Boston!

Mr. Lavoie, currently thousands of miles in the air with a full belly and a grateful heart. 

Eurotrip24: Quick Preview

It feels funny, sitting here in front of my computer and beginning another blog series about an upcoming adventure. In just three days, 21 students and 5 adults will take off from Logan Airport and head out on another exciting journey.  Eurotrip24 promises to be an amazing trip too! We have a ton on our itinerary and I am thrilled with how everything has come together so far. For those who are new to my blog, let me introduce myself.

My name is Richard Lavoie. I have been teaching at Saugus High School since the year 2000. I have been fortunate, in those years, to accompany students on some amazing adventures. We've been white water rafting in Maine. We've snorkeled with sharks in Belize. We've shopped in a medina in Morocco. All of these journies, and more, have made my career at SHS one filled with wonderful memories, but my travel story began many years before I was a teacher in Saugus.

My Brother Phil and I in Paris in 1993.

In fact, I was blessed to participate in a foreign exchange program during the summer before my Senior year at Saugus High School. I traveled to France with roughly 25 students. We explored the streets of Paris and wondered at the beauty inside the Louvre. These destinations changed me. I was a typical high school student, but I lacked focus. Going to France, seeing art, feeling independent, and experiencing history where it happened helped shape me into the person I've become. I am eternally indebted to that first taste of the world. It is part of the reason why I lead these trips. I hope to inspire the next generation of travelers. 

Franck, my French brother, reunited in Versailles in 2015. 

Saugus High School began its modern international travel program in London. Mr. Fontanella took a group of students for a week to explore the city and learn about its past. They opened the door for myself, and others, like Senora Morando, Mrs. Alongi, and Mrs. Hoey to take kids to over 25 countries. Hundreds of Saugus High School graduates left our school with an understanding that the world is bigger than the four walls of our schoolhouse. I've often wished we had a certificate program for student travel...one that would be added to a student's diploma and transcript...because it would serve as a symbol of something greater than the regular high school experience. 

The SHS Group in Belize in 2015

For me, the greatest learning of all happens when we are traveling. I adopted a quote from Mark Twain that has accompanied me on all of my SHS journeys. The phrase "One Must Travel to Learn" has truly become part of my identity ever since former librarian Kate Cox (Payne) suggested it to me in 2013. That moniker has been hashtagged on a thousand tweets, and hundreds of blog posts, and it has even become my TikTok identity. Sunday, when we depart, the real-life lessons begin!

So, let's get to it...where are we headed and what previews can I provide?

Most of the readers probably already know our destinations, but for those who are just joining us, we are headed to London, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. Our trip begins Sunday afternoon with a flight to The Dam. After a short layover, we will land in London on Monday morning. Our tour director, Maria, will be waiting for us at the airport and our adventure will begin immediately. We will be in London for four nights. In those days, there isn't much we won't see! Maria has organized some of my favorites and added some new locations too. We will travel to antiquity to see Stonehenge and to modernity atop the Gardens at 120...and so much more.

Chaperons in France in 2015

After London, we will travel to France for two nights. Our group will see all of the major highlights of that beautiful city. Among them will be several of my favorites such as the Sacre Coeur and the Latin Quarter. Inspired by seeing Les Miserables in London, I am sure our visit to France will be revolutionary. 

We depart for Brussels for one night, but it will be a non-stop journey of discovery. Our group will make some chocolate (testing it along the way) as we explore that city. It will be my first visit since 2001 and I am thrilled to be back. My family has a tradition of trying to spot the Manneken Pis whenever we are there and I will be doing my best to make the pilgrimage when in Brussels. 

The first time I saw an EF Bus in Amsterdam!

Our last city brings us back to Amsterdam for two nights. Maria lives here and has promised a visit like no other. We will experience the Anne Frank house, as well as a Tulip farm and an amazing experience with a clog-making cheesemonger. We may even build time in for a food-tasting scavenger hunt throughout the narrow streets of the Netherlands' capital city. 

I don't want to spoil it before we go...but I think this probably gives you all a taste of what we will see. My next post will most likely be in the air on Sunday night. Until then, good night!

Thanks for reading.

Mr. Lavoie, currently thinking it is time to start packing!

Bonus Blog Day One: Arriving in Rome once again

 It is fitting, I think that I am back in Rome for another new experience. Rome is where I first worked as a chaperone on an SHS student trip. It is also the first destination for our group in 2022 when we returned to travel in the midst of Covid. It is a city where I've also traveled without students. It is one of my favorite cities in Europe!

My entry tonight will be very brief. It is currently 11:45pm and I've been up since 6am.  That might seem normal, but I am also six hours ahead of myself and exhausted from traveling all day.  We arrived in Rome without any major hurdles with the flights. Our hotel rooms were ready for us and a quick shower gave me a boost.

A few of us headed towards the Vatican for lunch (I had pizza) and then a quick walkabout. We met up with the rest of the staff for a brief meeting and then prepared for dinner. We met up with two other training teams for dinner at Dino and Tony's. It was amazing. Family style. 10+ course. Homemade and fresh. Everyone left full!

Tomorrow, I will be taking more pictures and will most likely have a bigger blog about our day. The group leaders are arriving and we are all excited to get started.

Bonus Blog: Trip Preview

As a Junior in high school, when I first visited France, I never imagined that I'd be able to connect travel to my employment. I knew, from that first trip, that I would want to travel and see the world, but I also kind of thought I would become a teacher. My self-justification was that I would travel in the summer. I count myself very lucky to be in the spot I am today.

Relatively early on in my teaching career, a couple of colleagues began leading student tours. I was asked to chaperone one of them, a trip to Rome, and then a second.  I quickly realized that taking students abroad is not just something that I enjoy, but it has become part of my passion for teaching. My first trip to Paris, when I was 16 years old, had a tremendous impact on my life and I try to make each subsequent trip have as the same effect on my students.  I also strive to learn and change from each trip just the way that experience impacted me in 1994. 

Our Group with the Jack the Ripper Guide in 2013- Fred Strangebone

I have been working with EF Tours since 2013.  It was the same year/trip that I created this blog. While it has been over a decade, and so much has changed in those years, it still feels like that trip has just concluded. It was during that trip that I first used the quote "One Must Travel to Learn" to summarize our trips. Mark Twain said it many years ago and I think it holds up.  Over the past twenty years, hundreds of our students have touched four continents and visited over thirty different countries. They have really traveled and learned along the way. Each trip that I've attended has not just made me a better chaperone, but they've made me a better teacher and a better person. I strive to make as many connections between the sites that we can see and the things we have back home.  I work to make the trips as impactful as they can be and even when things don't go well, we look for the positive and make the most of every situation. 

I am thrilled that EF has asked me to help train the next cohort of group leaders. I love the fact that this training is in Rome and that I will be able to share my experiences with others. I am excited that I will be part of a network of travelers who can bounce ideas off of each other and seek guidance when needed. While many of these educators are from the New England area, I am equally thrilled to see so many coming from other parts of the country too. The greater diversity in our backgrounds, training, and experience that we have the greater the learning opportunities we will have as well.

In just about a week, We will be headed to the Eternal City of Rome. I will walk familiar paths upon cobblestoned streets. I will taste gelato and have a freshly made pizza, but more than all of this, I will learn from the experience and be able to improve my own work as a group leader. I hope to share the sites that we see and to build connections as we go. I hope that you will follow along as well.

Mr. Lavoie, sitting at his school computer desk and thinking about how one must travel to learn.