2016 Belmonte Middle School DC Trip - Day 1: Epic Journeys

Our little town of Saugus was first settled in 1629.  By 1815, its inhabitants petitioned the state to separate from Lynn...they were successful.  It began an epic journey.  As an early American history teacher, I try to find ways to incorporate the history of our town into as many lessons as possible.  I truly believe that the more connections we make, the stronger history can come alive.  I think this is especially true for students on this trip. Their motivations for coming are fairly diverse, I would imagine.  Surely, there are some who really want to see DC because they "kind of" like history and America.  Others, I am sure, are really looking to see a game at Camden Yards.  Most, to be honest, are probably just looking to spend a few days together before they break apart for the summer.  In this case, I would think it is really important to recognize that this trip might be an epic journey away from home, but it also the start of another epic journey...the one that leads to high school.  The one that leads to many different high schools.  While I am kind of partial to Saugus High School, I am also a realist and I know that this week signifies one of the final times these kids will get to be together.  I am hopeful, however, that their motivations will subside a bit and they will cherish parts of this trip that they weren't expecting.

This past fall, I worked with a couple of teachers and town leaders to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the official founding of Saugus.  Residents of all ages submitted works of art that showcased what Saugus meant to them.  I imagined what Saugus looked like two hundred years ago, but my mind took me back even further.  In 1629, the people making epic journeys had names like Obadiah and Zechariah.  They came by way of Salem and even further back from England.  They were different than most others in their lives because they had traveled more than 10 miles from where they were born.  These settlers met natives like Montowampate, the Chief, of Saugus, and they worked hard to make things better for their families and their town.  Just under 200 years later, in 1815, Saugus still hadn't changed much.  Sure, our country had been established and tyranny from a British king had been expelled, but the town had just seen the opening of Route One.  It was growing, and growing quickly, but most Saugonians would still not ever travel more than 10 miles from where they were born.

For those who did, the trip to their nation's capital would have taken nearly 8 days by horse.  They wouldn't have seen any paved highways and interstates hadn't even been dreamed of.  There would be no rest stops or food courts.  It would be an epic journey for them as it has been for our kids.  In my mind, the journey is only the start.  The change that we go through when taking the journey is what it is all about and it makes it worth all of the struggles along the way.

This morning, we woke early.  For most of the kids, it was probably too early.  They were too excited to get a good night's sleep and 5:15 came way sooner than expected.  They assembled in the gym and waited for their bus number to be called.  They took photos with loved ones and hugged friends from other buses good bye.

Do you think we have enough water?

Waiting for the buses.

As they departed, they quickly said good bye to their parents, guardians, and family members.  It might seem out of place to compare their 8th grade field trip to a colonial excursion settling a new world, but for many of these kids, it is the first time away from home and into the unknown.  Sure, they have some friends here and some teachers, but this is their first foray into adulthood and known knows where they might end up settling.

A last minute hug before the day begins.

It is weird to think that we covered more ground in 20 minutes of traveling than most early Saugonians ever experienced, but its true.  Before we knew it, we were in Connecticut and then New York.  We didn't really hit much traffic and we were making good time, but nature called.  We stopped at a small rest stop on our way towards the Tappan Zee bridge.

The men's room was out of order, and so, our boys had to literally use an outhouse before we continued along the way.  We hit the road again and zipped past one of my favorite service stations in Montvale.  Our goal was to reach Delaware around 1pm.  I am not making this up, we were 3/4ths of a mile away, when we hit bumper to bumper traffic...it seemingly took for ever.

We heard word that a Tractor Trailer had flipped and that the highway was temporarily shut down. It reminded us how quickly things can change.  The Delaware House Welcome Center has several restaurants.  It has two Starbucks, a Baja Fresh, and a Popeyes Chicken.  The kids chose from all of the different options and relaxed for a bit while eating.  In the same time we ate, the traffic began to clear up and we were able to make our way to DC.  Of course, we'd hit more traffic again, but that was to be expected.

In the nation's capital, cars travel in all sorts of directions.  It was amazing to see how many people were in the city.  The traffic patterns were all out of sorts and it was a crawl to go anywhere.  We found out that the Prime Minister of India was in town and wondered if his visit was impacting the confusion.  As it were, a few roads were in fact shut down adding to the mess.  Patiently we waited, but eventually we made it to the Ronald Reagan Building.  Our goal here was to eat again...

 With our stomachs full, we began to walk towards the White House. Unfortunately, the access road (Pennsylvania Avenue) was one of the roads shut down for the Prime Minister's visit.  Our tour guide explained that road closures was fairly common.

A look down Penn. Ave.

We decided to skip the White House for now and instead head off towards some of the capital's impressive monuments.  We started with the World War Two memorial.  This is one of the more impressive ones for me.  The monument is huge.  It is flanked by 56 large columns representing the states and territories of the nation.  In the middle there are 4000 gold stars commemorating the soldiers who lost their lives in the war.  It reminded me of other journeys that Saugonians took.  Today is June 7, yesterday was the anniversary of D-Day.  Thousands of young men from our nation had embarked on a journey representing freedom.  Many didn't know they'd pay the ultimate sacrifice.  One of the men who took upon himself this tremendous responsibility was Arthur DeFronzo.  He was from Saugus.  He died, in France, just a few days after the invasion. He won the Medal of Honor for his bravery and his sacrifice.

 I think the kids were amazed by the monument.  Quite a few stopped and asked questions about what things meant and how the war had impacted the nation.  Many others, tired from the long day, took the opportunity to reconnect with their friends and pose for some pictures.  I tried to grab a couple myself.

 It was at the World War Two memorial that I was able to reconnect with another Saugonian on an epic journey.  His name is Jonathan McTague.  He graduated from Saugus High School a couple of years ago, he served as his class' president.  He is attending Suffolk University and is in DC because of his acceptance into a program down here.  He took time out of his day to swing by and say "Hi."  Jonathan is also a Town Meeting member for Precinct 9 (I think).  He missed last night's meeting and apologized publicly on Facebook for it...I mention it, not to embarrass him, but to praise him.  He is taking the job so seriously that he felt the need to notify his constituents.  Jonathan is no stranger to taking journeys as a student either.  He traveled on more than one of SHS's European trips and had often credited those experiences for helping shape who he has become.  As we walked through the rest of the memorials with the group, we reminisced a bit about past experiences.

A selfie

Last night, I took a couple minutes and visited the new memorials in Saugus commemorating our Veterans.

After the World War Two memorial, we began walking towards the Vietnam Memorial...The Wall.  I've been on this trip before, and so I tried to prepare myself, but I wanted to make sure that some of our kids reflected on the sacrifice of others.  Just to the left of Town Hall's entrance stands a statue.  It commemorates the lives of three young men who perished during the Vietnam conflict.  Their names are Richard Devine, Stanley Egan, and Michael DeProfrio.  I tried, in our limited time, to help the kids locate their spots along the wall.

After visiting the Wall, we went to the Lincoln Memorial.  Obviously, it is one of the largest in DC and one of the favorites of the kids.

From there, we headed towards the Korean War Memorial. It was getting dark and the pathway was very crowded, but our tour guide did all that she could to explain the immense symbolism surrounding this place.  It is my favorite memorial.

The reflections of these 19 soldiers signifies the ongoing conflict between South and North Korea

In all of our nation's conflicts, young men and women have gone above and beyond to defend our natural rights.  Visiting these grounds reminds us of their sacrifices, but remembering that history exists in our backyard and that it surrounds our every actions can be difficult.  I reminded several of the kids that they should be thinking this way...that their journey was made possible by the journey of so many others.  The wreaths of Memorial Day still hung alongside many of the monuments we visited.  The flowers were wilting and the signs were faded, but the stone stands as a permanent reminder to all who walk along.

I am so very grateful to be along for another ride with the Belmonte Middle School.  The kids have been, once again, super receptive of having a stranger hanging out with them.  I've chatted with a few, found younger brothers and sisters of my students, and relatives of my high school peers...I've even spotted one of my neighbors down here.  I know we have another couple long days ahead of us, but I am hopeful that these kids will look back upon this week as more than just one more hurrah...that they will remember the monuments, the memorials, and the many sacrifices that were made for them to be here.  I hope that they will appreciate that they have already traveled more in their lifetime than most people in history had ever the opportunity to do.  I hope that they will continue to seek us teachers out and ask us questions...that they will recognize that one must travel to learn.

I hope I didn't get too wordy and that you liked learning a little about Saugus too.

Mr. Lavoie, wrapping up before midnight is always a plus.

Belmonte Middle School DC Trip 2016

Good evening, 

By the time many of you read this, we might already have left the Middle School.  I apologize for that, I typically like to have a test blog out a few days before we travel.  Unfortunately, this year, I have a lot of things on my plate and my good intentions turned into late night procrastination.

My name is Richard Lavoie.  I am a high school teacher at Saugus High School.  I teach American history.  Besides teaching, I am an avid traveler...and on many of my journeys, I have taken students along for the adventure.  I have been to more countries than states and I have been to about 25 states.  I am not saying this to brag, but instead, to give you a sense of who I am and why attending this middle school trip means so much to me.

I grew up in Saugus.  I went to the Oaklandvale for kindergarten, attended the summer program at the Lynnhurst, played town team basketball in the old Veterans' elementary school, and for grades 1-5 I went to the Waybright.  I attended 6th grade at the Belmonte Junior High School and after three years there, I moved on to Saugus High School.  After graduating in 1995, I attended Salem State College.  My goal was to come back and teach history...and here I am.  

This will be my third time on the Belmonte DC trip.  I am as excited now as I was for my first time with the 8th graders.  My previous two trips were amazing.  I think it makes a lot of sense for me to travel with the kids on this trip for a couple of reasons.  First, most of these kids will be roaming the halls of Saugus High School next year.  In me, they will see a friendly face.  Many of them will be sitting in my US History classes.  I try to make connections between what the kids have seen in DC and what we are learning in class.  Another reason is because I teach American history and government.  Because of the way our curriculum is aligned in Saugus, the 8th grade is learning mostly world history.  In DC, I am able to make help the kids relate to learning about these places even though they have learned them in class.  I like to think that they benefit from my being with them.  I know that I benefit.  Three years ago, on my first trip with Belmonte, I made such strong connections with the kids that Ms. Payne (The high school librarian who also attended that year) and I decided to become their class advisors.  Last year, after completing my second trip, I decided to totally revamp my curriculum and redid all of my lessons...all because I got a sense of how intellectually curious those kids were.  I don't know what this class will teach me, but I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from them.

This blog is a means for me to communicate with parents, family, and friends back home.  I started it in the Spring of 2013 when I traveled to Ireland, Wales, and England with 40+ high school students.  It was an experiment, at the time, in seeing how small the world has become.  Now, I love how it brings parents on the trips with us.  I usually get a few comments and emails from people thanking me for keeping them in the loop.  Apparently, kids don't call home as much as they should.  I usually spend some time each night trying to cover all of the days activities.  I will post a few photos in the blog, but I will also be updating a public Facebook album as we go.  The link is below:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154932496420760.1073741857.639840759&type=1&l=f9824fcc8b

A few other teachers will probably be contributing to the album.  You shouldn't need a Facebook account to access the images, but if that doesn't seem to be true then email me at rlavoie@saugus.k12.ma.us and I will work on fixing the permissions.

For the more tech savvy parents, guardians, grand parents, family, and friends, you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram too. (Instagram is new this year and I am not as good at updating it)

Twitter: @History01906

Instagram: MrlavoieSHS

Before I conclude, I wanted to give you fair warning on some things.  

(Frequent readers already know what I am going to say)

1. I think I am funny and will make jokes in my blog.  I hope you enjoy them.  They typically come in the form of puns.

2. I can get long-winded (obviously, right, remember this is just a test blog).

3. I am a really good speller and my grammar is usually fine, but I am usually typing long past bed times and I ask for your forgiveness in advance.

4. I really like to make the traveling experience a learning one...even for the people at home.  On our European trips, we have a motto.  It is a quote from Mark Twain who wrote "One Must Travel To Learn."  It has helped develop my philosophy on education.

5. I will tweet and post on Facebook when updates are complete.  Please help spread the word by sharing the news with your social media friends.

6. I feed off of comments, suggestions, and kind words.  I also politely respond to criticisms.  

That's it.  I'm done for the night.  I will probably blog from the road a bit tomorrow morning too.  Thanks for your time.

Mr. Lavoie, feverishly trying to remember what he needs to pack and which snacks he should bring on the bus tomorrow.

Day 10: Cruising the Greek Isles, Part 2

It is just about midnight on the Celestyal Olypmia.  I am sitting in a lounge trying to compose a more sufficient blog post about our to days at sea.  There are a couple of problems which I cannot control.  The first is that my magic wifi device doesn't work at sea.  The second is that the ship's wifi, which I just purchased, is lagging and probably will not allow me to post pictures, let alone this entry.  Regardless if it posts tonight, or if I get it out there tomorrow, I am hoping that I can give proper credit to the day's we've experienced.

By now, some of you have surely researched the Olympia.  I will give you a quick recap.  It is a ship that holds about 1600 passengers, but I think we only have about 500 tonight.  There are 9 major decks and the 9th includes two pools and a dance floor.  The lower decks have a casual dining facility which included a buffet and a more formal sit down area.  The whole ship is 21 plus for alcohol which makes our job here a little less stressful.  The ship also contains a theater and about four lounges.  Each day, we get a print out of the activities that are available for us.  These have included origami lessons, zumba classes, and many more.  I am not sure how many kids have participated in them, but they are free for us.

When we boarded in Athens, we had quick instructions from John about the boat.  Our trip to Mikonos was lovely as well.  Most of us went to bed really early because we had a 4:15 am wake up call.  In order for us to avoid Turkey, we got off the boat at an island called Samos.  It was small, but EF had coordinated breakfast on the island for us.  About 10 of us took advantage of a ship excursion to see the Temple dedicated to Hera and the rest of the island.  Our guide, Irene, was wonderful.  When our tour had completed, we found ourselves on the site of the birthplace of Pythagoras.  It was really cool to know how much of an influence he has had on modern mathematics.  We also found our two groups reconnected as we waited for our ship to return.  Some of grabbed lunch, while others went swimming in the sea.  The visit was long, and we had awoken really early, but it was nice nonetheless.

When we boarded the ship, we found that they had held a late lunch seating available for us and many were thankful for having something to eat and a quick nap.  We had an evening visit at Patmos.  I didn't disembark, but I've heard the island was beautiful as well.  [Side note: I've switched lounges because the lights were turned off in the one I was sitting in.]  After dinner, many of the kids went to bed.  They had had a really exhausting day.  Others, however, seem to have unlimited energy.  These kids are somewhere on this floor dancing.  We have a visit to Crete scheduled for tomorrow, but John has told us that many shops will be closed because of the upcoming Greek Easter.  Our evening visit to Santorini shouldn't be impacted by the holiday.

The kids are having such a great time.  It is refreshing to see.  Many times, on tour, they hit a wall, but this trip is a little different.  The cruise has refreshed some of us.  It is a little different for me in another way too.  On a traditional tour, the kids are stuck together the entire time (not meant as a negative), but for the last three days of this tour, they have an entire ship to explore in small groups.  While some of the unity might disappear with this style, there are positives too.  I was chaperoning a makeshift dance earlier with some other teachers.  A bunch of our kids were dancing and a bunch of other passengers were there too.  The cultural exchange was neat to witness and I don't think our kids will soon forget it.

Well, I think I am done for the night.  It is still not the post I want it to be, but it is the post I've come up with.  I will probably spend a few more minutes trying to actually post this entry, lol.  I am also not confident in a post tomorrow.  I will definitely make some Facebook comments, but the next true post might be on the flight home.  Thank you for the kind words these past 10 days.  I really appreciate them and watching my counter go up each day really provides some motivation.  It has been an absolute pleasure to work on this trip.

Day 9: Cruising the Greek Isles, Part 1

This will be short. We are only in port for a few more hours.  Most of the kids are still in Mikonos, but I brought a few back early so they could get some extra sleep before tomorrow's jam packed day.

The Group at Mikonos

Renting pictionary only to find it is in Greek.

I am only putting up a couple of pictures from Mikonos. I will spend a little bit of time writing up Mikonos, Samos, and Patmos tomorrow.  As many of you are aware, our boat stops at the island of Samos very early tomorrow morning.  In lieu of spending a lot of time talking about how our day went and recapping today's short visit, I will take some time tomorrow evening to write something more significant.

I can tell you that all are well, we made it without issue, and everyone seemingly loves our boat.

The boat is only at about a third of its capacity, currently holding only about 500 hundred passengers.  There are a lot of food options, including tea time, and entertainment options. It is not as luxurious as some other boats, but it serves our needs well.

Have a great night and I will see you sometime tomorrow!!!

Mr. Lavoie, sitting in the Muses Lounge listening to someone play the piano and overlooking Mikonos at night. 

Day 8: All roads come from Athens

Last night's blog post had a fairly unoriginal title, but in retrospect, I am glad I chose such a simple message.  It was a travel day and we were headed to Athens...and so, All roads lead to Athens.

Tonight's title is equally unoriginal, but comes from a more retrospective thought.  As we woke for breakfast and gathered our things for a day in one of the world's oldest cities, I couldn't help but think of how much influence Greece and Athens has been on our nation.  As we boarded our bus, it furthermore dawned on me that today would be our last night at a hotel....our last night in Greece.

We will wake tomorrow morning and finish our packing.  We will board the bus and head to the cruise terminal.  We will board the boat.  Our adventure will continue for three more days and we will see more of Greece, but ultimately, we will wake on Monday morning and be at sea.  We will make port, board a bus, and head to the airport.  Today is our last full day in Greece.  We are taking a cruise that symbolizes our return to home and our return to normalcy.

Greece's influence on us is prevalent in so much of our society.  Many of our words are Greek in origin.  Many of our political systems are Greek by birth. Many of our customs, folktales, and stories are born from Greek thought, ideology, and practice.  I feel as though this trip was full of these influences, even in Italy, and I will be trying to incorporate some of these thoughts as I provide a recap of our day.  I hope you don't mind my indulgences into philosophy.  I also hope, by the end of this post, that you have a better understanding of what I mean.

Our tour, today, started on our bus with a tour guide names Georgia.  Our bus was filled to the max and I had to sit in the very front with her, and so, I had a much different perspective on what we saw.  Georgia was friendly and personable.  She was with us for the entire morning and eventually led us to the Acropolis.

Our first stop, where we could get out and take some photos was the Olympic stadium.  It is at this place that the first "marathoner" reached his capital city to announce "Nike" or victory to the Athenians.  This city is known by its marathon.  The culmination of hard work and perseverance.  Their marathon is in November and it is marked by its hills.  I am sure that many runners find them to be heartbreaking.

Ms. Alongi's shoe...she doesn't know I took this photo, lol

It was also at this stadium that the Olympic torch was lit yesterday.  It will be lit each day in the customary fashion until it reaches Brazil this summer.  This city, of the ancient Olympic games, enters our houses every two years when we watch the winter and summer games.  Our sports come from Athens.

I think this is most of the group in front of the stadium. 

Checking out my selfie-stick with Nick and Darian...Mrs. Morando snuck in too.

From the stadium you could see the Acropolis.  

Another selfie-stick experiment.  You can see how confused I am by this technology in my face, lol.

Patrick, Kerri, and I.  I love the lighting and the Greek flags waving in the background.

We boarded on our bus and continued our tour.  We passed by the parliament building.  In our word, the parliament building is the Congress and it is made of the House of Representatives and the Senate...no doubt because of the Roman influence.  In Athens, the Parliament building also houses a tomb to an unknown soldier...and a changing of the guard ceremony.  I didn't see the changing of the guards, but we did see an exercise in which the guards stretch their legs.

Their Parliament from the bus...sorry for the glare.

A ceremonial guard at his post.

The unique movements by the guards helps keep them fresh for their one hour duty station.

The visit here was really cool.  We didn't expect it.  In addition, their uniforms are really unique.  It got me thinking about past travels.  As a high school teacher, I am fortunate to be able to attend the 8th grade trip to DC every once in a while.  I am slated to go this year, too.  I blog on those trips and I am always impressed with our changing of the guard at the Arlington National Cemetery.  While I'm sure the Greek ceremony is much different, seeing these guys "stretching their legs" with such pomp and circumstance, reminded me of those moments with kids who I didn't know...but who might actually be at the Hotel Savoy with me now.  I don't think that Greece invented this practice, but it definitely reminded me that I'd be headed home soon.

The next few places are a little lost to me now. I know that Georgia explained what these buildings were, but I don't remember all of the details....we just saw too much and I don't take notes while touring.  I do remember that she taught the kids how to tell the different styles of columns that are prevalent in classical architecture.

The two columns flanking this building are built in the Corinthian style.  They are the most elaborate.  The statues are of Athena and Apollo, I believe.

Ionic columns are the style of choice for this building, an Art museum, I believe.  The simple curve at the top is the showcase of this style.

The oldest style, shown here on the library, I think, is the Doric column.  Simple but effective.

These three buildings also reminded me of home, but here, there is a direct influence.  A quick visit to this website will show that the neo-classical approach to buildings is alive and well in Washington DC.  I vaguely remember chatting with some 8th graders about column style and name on previous trips.  The buildings of ancient Greece employing these columns are from 500 BCE.  The capital buildings are not that old, lol.  Seeing these old ones, made me think of the new ones. I hope the visit resonated with the kids too.  I know most of them have been to DC (with the Middle School, another school, or on a family trip).  We need to see the world to understand who we are and how we got there.  It is the very embodiment of the travel philosophy I've adopted, "One Must Travel To Learn."

It was strange for me to be having these thoughts at that moment.  Tucked into the same square, we saw two statues.  The men are familiar to you all, they are among the greatest thinkers in all of history.  On the left, I believe is Socrates...and across from him, Plato.  Philosophy starts from within, but some of the first to reason, from a different view than religion, were these men.  Their thoughts have been influencing ours from the times they roamed these streets until we roamed these streets, and their thoughts will continue influencing people long after Eurotrip16 has completed.  As philosophers, however, these statues carry meaning, but they weren't just amazing thinkers.  As the simplest explanation, the man on the left is a teacher.  To the right, a student.  They represent the things that are possible when teachers and students explore their world together. 

Socrates and Plato

Our bus tour came to an end and we took off on foot.  Our next stop was the ancient acropolis.  I've mentioned before that I am more than a little afraid of heights, but I have another common fear...that of large crowds.  As we got off the bus and headed to the Acropolis.  I recognized that my two fears were about to collide.  The Acropolis sits on the highest point in Athens.  To get to it, one would have walked through the ancient Agora, or marketplace.  As we left the safety of the bus behind us [Side note: I'll probably be embellishing a bit from here on out...no one was in danger] and headed up the hill.  There were hundreds of other groups on site with us.  Little Greek kids, Japanese tourists, passengers of mixed heritage from ample cruise ships, and thousands more...all piling up on a little path towards a giant hill.  As we marched like ants up the winding path, I couldn't help but remember that the name for being afraid of crowds is Agoraphobia...fear of the marketplace.  As we reached higher and higher elevations, I couldn't help but remember that the name for being afraid of heights is Acrophobia....fear of the Acropolis?

As with most vertical challenges I face, I grin and bear it.  As with most crowded situations, I put one foot in front of the other and move forward. The Acropolis was no different and my discomfort shortly subsided to awe when I reached the tops.  I've reminded parents to check out their kids pictures many times on this trip...and this is no exception.  Here are some that I took along the way:

It's spring.  New olives are growing. 

Ms. Alongi getting the perfect panoramic pic.

Like Pompeii, an ancient theater revamped and ready for new performances.

Georgia chatting with us about what we are seeing and we were headed

The long and winded path filled with other Eurotrippers hoping not to trip.

The Parthenon.  

Even the Conga line started in Ancient Greece.

Mr. Bemis proudly representing his Pittsburg Steelers...even though their last season was ruined, much like these buildings

Lexi and I...traveling from DC, to Normandy, to Baltimore, and Greece.  

Nice photobomb Dalia!!!

After the tour, we made our way down into the city.  We broke off for lunch and for shopping.  As we walked through the markets looking at all of the trinkets and t-shirts, I kept on bumping into kids. I usually ask them if they are having a good time, but it was clear that they were.  Their smiles were radiant.  We've been so very fortunate to have this group of kids on this tour.  They are bonded together and lent a helping hand whenever needed, mostly without prompting.  One of my first posts reminded how good it was to be a Sachem...and today, it was a good day.

After lunch, we went to the Archaeology museum. Pictures weren't allowed in most places, but it was pretty cool to walk through the place, built above a recently discovered part of the Ancient city.  The floors are glass and you can see the dig site developing.  History is all around this city.  Wherever you walk and even some places you can't.  I was reminded again of Boston, home...and that walkability of that city.  I take kids to the Freedom Trail every year (mostly) and I try to remind them that history is everywhere.  As we walked the trail, I show them local connections to Saugus and I try to emphasize how old everything is.  The stuff we are looking at in Athens is 2000 years older than the oldest things we see in Boston.  It is baffling even to me.  The time is not truly comprehensible.

Here, at the Hotel Savoy, the time is comprehensible.  It is just about 1 am.  The hotel lays in a city called Pireas.  It is about 8-10 miles away from Athens, but with traffic it can take about an hour to travel.  It has a large commercial section and a small seafront.  We arrived from the city and had dinner about 7:30.  I don't have pictures, but I don't think you are missing anything.  Don't get me wrong, it was a fine meal, but it wasn't spectacular.  Some of the chaperons and kids took a little excursion to the port.  While there, they stopped at a little restaurant and rearranged the tables.  Roughly 16 of them sat, chatted, and ate.  They remembered their favorite places on this trip and they shared some laughs.  The commonality among them is that they are all Saugonians...which makes them, kind of like, family.

This tour is wrapping up and we will soon be headed home, to our real families.  We will sit, and eat, and share our favorite memories.  We will tell tales of faraway places and mystical islands.  We will chat about signs in foreign tongues and confusing conversions of currencies.  We will discuss how this trip changed our outlook on life and ourselves.  We will recognize how much we appreciate the comforts of home.  We will be glad to be home...but, from a different viewpoint, we will also realize that while the language and money are different, this place is much more like home than we have ever thought.  We will realize that even though some parts were strange, or even uncomfortable, we will long to come back...come back to where it all started.  All roads come from Athens.


Mr. Lavoie, half expecting the desk clerk to ask me to go to my room...at least he hasn't asked me to turn off the lights for him.