42nd Highlanders Regimental Pipes & Drums

Penn High European Travelog

June 30, 2005
Griscott and Guten Tag From Salzburg, Austria!!!!!!

The trip is moving along famously, so I figured I should take some time to communicate with you all while your children are out exploring the "hills" of Salzburg. But more on that later.

It seems like so long ago that we waved good-bye at LAX. Our flight was smooth with most of the students in some sort of pharmaceutical-induced slumber. By the time the group regained consciousness, we were about an hor and a half away from Paris. We marched like good little zombies through airports and subway stations until we got to our hotel in London with a little bit of time to do some exploring. Sean Hall was among the students who spent a lot of time in the British Museum marveling at the artifacts ancient Egypt (including the Rosetta Stone) to ancient Greece (including the Parthenon Marbles). Some kids found their way into a local pub to absorb some local flavor (euphemism #1). After dinner and an early curfew, we were ready to charge the streets of London behind our outstanding guide, Allison. She took us through all of the major stops including St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey where Lindsey Beaupre and Natalie Roderick marveled at the graves and monuments to some of history's greatest people including Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Christopher Wren, the architect of St. Paul's. After lunch and a trip to the Tower of London, the group was a bit worn out and ready to go back to the hotel to prepare for the evening---and what a special evening. Annalise Dry celebrated her birthday in style in Leicester Square, where almost the whole group gathered at a dance club and took over the floor. To this day, that night remains one of the highlight nights of the trip! The next day was a free day with more to do than time to do it. The list of exploits is long and varied. Nicole Santarosa and Julia Sherman were among those who paid homage to the monument of Harrod's department store. Derek and Grant Haller made their way to the Imperial War Museum to get a taste of the bunkers during the blitz.Taylor Cernansky, John Ochi, and Carleigh Gill were among those who rode the London Eye, London's enormous ferris wheel, for breathtaking views of the city. And Nick Dahlen and Noelle Nishimoto were among those who followed Coach Hoeger to Wimbledon for the chance to check out one of the world's great sporting events! What a day! Believe it or not, they still had enough energy to go back out that night. The popular destination was the London theater with many people going to check out everything from Chicago to We Will Rock You to Phantom. Jane Park, Haley Deakers, and Paige Weber were among those who saw Les Miserables, one of the longest running and most popular musicals in London. Well I have used half of my minutes and I have not left London, so on we go to Brugge.

The next morning we took our coach to the white cliffs of Dover where we caught our ferry to Calais, France and picked up our transfer to Brugge, Belgium. This was the perfect stop between London and Paris because it gave the kids a chance to regroup. Nothing to see here except cobblestone streets, chocolate shops, and waffle stands. They loved it. Our free day in Brugge was the perfect opportunity for Michael Villoria, Matt Lehman, and Matt Kupiec to hop on some bikes and ride out to the sea for a little beach volleyball. I'll bet you didn't see that one coming. Others, including Shirley Fozoonmehr, Lisa Takehana, and Amanda Ball chose to Bike to Holland where they added another country to their itinerary. My destination was a little different, as I peddled out to see Father Peter, a priest who spent some time at St. John Fisher when I was a wee lad, who now lives in an abbey just outside of Brugge. In any case, we all earned fistfuls of chocolate which we relished appropriately at the end (as well as the beginning and middle) of the day.

We were up bright and early the next morning, as Paris was calling our names. We got in a little early which gave us a great opportunity to start exploring the sights right away. Chris Kahnke and Amanda Powell were two of the many visitors to the Louvre Museum to see Mona Lisa. Others explored the Musee D'Orsay. However, the most popular stop was the magic crepe stand, visited by so many people so many times, that I cannot begin to list them here. We all gathered for dinner in the hotel and an early curfew so we would be well-rested for our tour day. Guy, another outstanding guide, ran us around Paris while giving many insights, perspectives, and historical facts. He was a group favorite, and he inspired the group, giving them lots of confidence for their free day. I have to say that this group, perhaps more than any other, tackled Paris without being intimidated in the slightest. It was an impressive free say...here are the highlights. Stephanie Skophammer, Megan Sawelson, and Sarah Wyman joined some friends in a rowboat in one of the lakes of the Palace of Versailles. I cannot comment on their rowig ability, but I know they had a blast. Robyn Demaria, Roxanne Norcio, and Nicole Coppa walked to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for a spectacular 360 degree view of the city. Rachel Rees led some friends to the banks of the Seine for a dream-like evening picnic. Also, Alex Greer and Michael Mitchell were two of the guys who joined the chaperones for a traditional French meal including escargot for all. That night, we all went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and on a cruise of the Seine. Shawnie Anderson especially thought that to be a perfect end to our stay in one of the world's greatest and most beautiful cities.

I know I have so much more to stay as I have not even gotten us to Heidelberg, but you are going to have to wait for those highlights. Until then, just know that you are missed more than you think you are. They have secret cravings for home cooking and their own beds, and between you and me, they miss being away from you. Shhhhhhh. Please know that everyone is happy and relatively healthy (there is a cold making its rounds), and we will be home before you know it.

Auf Wiedersehn,

Tim Hall