http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Madame-Kellermeier/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Madame Kellermeier en-us Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:00:08 +0000 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:00:08 +0000 Apparently due to a 2 hour mechanical delay in Madrid our Cudas missed their scheduled connection. AA anticipated this and scheduled all 28 passengers including 26 students and 2 teachers to return to Orlando tomorrow morning. Since it is American Airlines' fault they will be paying for the group to stay in a hotel next to the airport in Miami. The flight information is as followsAA1860Depa http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/Miami/blog-412329.html We have had a thankfully uneventful morning We got up had breakfast loaded our suitcases onto the coach and arrived at the airport. The flight to Miami did not leave on time. It was 30 minutes late but is now on its way. They can usually adjust the flight plan to make up some time. In Miami they would hold the connecting flight for a few minutes if necessary since we're a group of 28 peop http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/District-of-Madrid/Madrid/blog-412144.html We enjoyed our last day in Madrid. We started with a coach tour around the city. We stopped at the Plaza de Espana which boasts el Monumento de Cervantes. Cervantes wrote Don Quixote which is the second most important book to the Spanish after the bible. From there we went to the Royal Palace for a tour. Wow. We saw palatial rooms staircases silver dishes paintings statues a fine collect http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/District-of-Madrid/Madrid/blog-411928.html So it's the end of another full day. We left Barcelona this morning at 7am. We spent a good part of this day in transit via coach. We arrived in Zaragoza at 1100. Zaragoza is south and west from Barcelona on the way to Madrid. We enjoyed an hour and a half for a lunch stop. We got to look around the Basilica see the historic section of town and have some lunch. Inside the basilica is the Pil http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/District-of-Madrid/Madrid/blog-411653.html Today was a nice day. We left the hotel at 10am. Alejandra led us into downtown Barcelona showed us our meeting place for dinner and left us near the Gothic Cathedral. We travelled in smaller groups today. We saw the Spanish architect Gaudi's impressive downtown buildings and went inside one of them Battlo. We went to the Dali museum. We went to La Sagrada Familia for a closer look. Amazing http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Catalonia/Barcelona/blog-411257.html So Saturday we went to the Louvre museum. It is almost overwhelming to see how many pieces of art are displayed. The museum itself is a work of art a former palace which has been excavated and expanded over about 850 years. We then went to the Latin Quarter for lunch and went into Notre Dame. Another structure that was started around the same time as the Palais du Louvre. We're now safely in B http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Catalonia/Barcelona/blog-410737.html We had a really nice day today. In the morning we went out in 3 different groups. One group went to the Centre Pompidou which is the modern art museum. It is situated in a lively shopping area called Les Halles. After the museum the group had time to buddyup had some lunch and do some shopping. After that they divided further. Some stayed in Les Halles others went to the Musee Picasso. This http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-410269.html We woke up this morning at 7 had breakfast at 8 and got on the coach at 9. Our city tour guide was called Pasqual. As Ali drove us around Paris Pasqual told us all about it. We saw some familiar places from yesterday's walking tour and are starting to learn our way around town. We got a great photo at the Eiffel Tower. The bus dropped us off at the Arc de Triomphe and we had an afternoon to our http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-409979.html It's been a very long day. We're back in the hotel exhausted excited to get to sleep but happy. This was a fantastic first day in Paris. We went on the Metro to the Opera Garnier. What a magnificent building. We had time to have some lunch look around and inside the Opera House. They were practicing for tonight's opera in the auditorium but some lucky folks got to see them before the doors cl http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-409525.html We have landed safely and are now in our hotel. It's called Mister Bed and is in a nice area. There is a shopping center next door uhoh and a metro station just beyond that. We'll be using the metro today to go downtown and take a walking tour. Right now the kids have stored their bags in the 3 rooms that were ready for us. Some of the boys are taking a catnap before our group meeting in 40 mi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-409365.html Here's the gang... all ready to board http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/Orlando/blog-409118.html We'll be checking in at the airport at this time tomorrow morning Here are some last minute detailsThis is the day to pack your suitcase. American Airlines allows one carryon bag weighing no more than 40lbs. They allow us to check up to 2 suitcases each weighing no more than 50lbs. As you're packing please remember that you'll be the one carrying it sometimes up several flights of stairs W http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/New-Smyrna-Beach/blog-408728.html Welcome to our travel blog Cudas We will be leaving for France Spain on June 16th. That's only a little over 2 weeks away. I just received our hotel information and have called each of the 3 hotels. They all offer wireless internet I will maintain this blog and update photos on a daily basis. This will give your parents peace of mind and will provide you with a daily journal of our travels. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/New-Smyrna-Beach/blog-403399.html