Kimberly And Shannon
We're leaving tomorrow for a 3 week trip to Europe on a Fund for Teachers grant!KimberlyAndShannon
Travel Blog Posts
June 21st 2006
Well, we made it back from our incredible Fund For Teachers trip to Europe. It was quite an adventure! After visiting 8 cities and 6 European space agencies, we are slightly exhausted (okay, REALLY exhausted) but the trip was more rewarding than we could have ever imagined. The cultures we experienced from city to city throughout Europe really opened our eyes and broadened our perspective. The space agencies, although not all as interested in our program and endeavors as others, were informative and hold the potential for some great partnerships and possibilities for expanding our student space program. We can’t wait to get back to school and share our experiences with our colleagues and our students. Au revoir! ... read more
June 19th 2006
Brussels was a unique city in that the French and Flemish cultures were melded together and infused with a fair amount of British and American culture as well. Most of the people we met in Brussels spoke a minimum of three languages (English, Flemish, and French). Many also spoke German. The people of Brussels were proud of their main attractions, which we visited, including Grand Place, and the infamous Mannekin-Pis (a small bronze statue of a urinating child dating back to the 8th century and exemplifying some of the unique Belgium humor). The Grand Place was hosting an interesting Lavender Fair, teaching the residents and tourists all about how lavender is grown and processed throughout areas of Belgium and what an industry it has become. The Belgium lace shops, of course, abounded, along with many street-side ... read more
June 16th 2006
Prague is … very cool. The Czech people are easy-going and eager to show off their beautiful city. We took a tour of the most important historical and cultural sites and buildings, toured the castle grounds, tried new foods, and failed miserably at speaking Czech, but really enjoyed our brief stay in Prague. People gather in the Old Town Square for events and just to eat and drink at outdoor cafes, but of course during our visit the city was all abuzz with World Cup Fever, and England’s jerseys were everywhere as hundreds of people sat on the ground and watched the game on make-shift big-screens. The American dollar goes quite a bit farther in the Czech Republic than the Euro does in the more western parts of Europe. Air conditioning is virtually non-existent so it ... read more
June 14th 2006
In our Europe travel guide under Vienna, the author tells an oft-told story about an airline pilot whose prelanding announcement advised, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are on the final approach to Vienna Airport. Please make sure your seat belts are fastened, refrain from smoking until you are inside the terminal, and please set your watches back 100 years.” We thought this was more of an exaggeration, but it seems many of modern and technological advancements we have become so accustomed to and reliant on have yet to find Vienna, and it seems this does not bother the Austrians in the least. The city has some remarkable historical points and many beautiful buildings, which we enjoyed exploring, but we found ourselves a little lost in the time warp. As we strolled along the streets expecting to find ... read more
June 12th 2006
It seemed a simple task... find the right train to Bern, Switzerland; get on it, stop in Milan, switch trains, and arrive in Bern. Apparently the Italian language barrier proved too difficult to overcome as we boarded a train, found our seats occupied just as the doors closed and the train left the station in Florence, on its way to Rome. After a failed attempt to convince the train official to stop the train, we then discovered that not only were our seat numbers occupied, but ALL seats were occupied. So, we spent the duration of the train ride BACK to Rome on the train floor in the lovely corridor outside the bathrooms by the exit/entrance doors. What fun! Upon arriving back in Rome, we learned that all the seats back to Milan and then Bern ... read more
June 11th 2006
What can we say, except wow. What a city. Beyond the artistic and architectural history, the city itself wins your heart the moment you step foot on the streets. We checked into our apartment near Ponte Vecchio, the famous bridge of shops, and couldn't wait to explore this magical city. Our little apartment was great, although it made us long to rent it out for an entire summer and decorate it as only an apartment in Florence could be decorated. The people in Florence seem to enjoy the slower pace of live in comparison to Rome, and they welcomed us even with our broken Italian and tourist clothes. We visited many of the large piazzas, beautiful churches, the Duomo, fountains and market areas, strolled along the streets filled with unique shops, and of course continued our ... read more
June 10th 2006
Rome was amazing, and overwhelming, exciting and exhausting, and we loved every minute of our visit there. We got in from Madrid after dark so our first day started with the Coloseum and Roman Forum. Then we explored the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain (which they say if you throw a coin into you will someday return to Rome...keep this in mind as it will be important two blog entries later). We saw La Bocca della Verita (Mouth of Truth) and strolled around Piazza Navona. On the second day, we visited the Italian Space Center (ESI), the Vatican Museum, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Spanish Steps. We certainly enjoyed our share of Gelato, got a taste for some Italian wine and real Italian food, and got a feel for the true Italian and Roman culture. Then we ... read more
June 8th 2006
Hola! Just FYI, these entries have more pictures but they only show a couple on this page unless you click READ FULL ENTRY. We arrived in Madrid around midnight, so we didn't get our bearings until morning. We got up and went to Plaza Mayor, where there was a Spanish dance group performing. We dined on lunch and Sangria while soaking up the sun. After lunch, we strolled through Parque del Retiro (Retiro Park). We saw the rose gardens (La Rosaleda), statue of Alfonso XII and the Palacio de Cristal (a 19th century tropical plant house). Madridians seem very easy-going. The city is laid-back and it was a nice contrast to Paris and London. We walked to the Puerto del Sol, (Gate of the Sun) and stood in the very center of Spain. All the distances ... read more
June 3rd 2006
After a rather long speedy train ride on the Eurostar Chunnel, we found our hotel, walked around near the Eiffel Tower and the Seine; and went to bed. The next day we went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, toured the Lourve and saw Mona, saw the Arc de Triomphe, walked all around the city, ate French food, and really enjoyed and exhausted ourselves! Yesterday we visited the European Space Agency Headquarters, which was really cool, and we were so grateful the lady involved with education and public relations spoke English! After that; we took a train up to Montmarte and toured the little village, but fournd the shopping to be rather Harwin-esque. In the evening we took a river boat cruise down the Seine and got to see the city of lights at dusk ... read more
May 31st 2006
We did so much sightseeing these days...Buckingham Palace, Changing of the Guard, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, The National Gallery, an evening in Picadilly Circus! We are having a blast. We were able to visit the British National Space Agency and speak with some of their personnel about their space programs and we picked up lots of great information and left our program information with them as well. Sorry about the blog not updating...apparently you have to click Publish...what madness.... read more
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