Slomo83

On Tuesday, November 2nd 2010 I flew from Moline, IL to Orlando International Airport for what was to be a short trip to (not) see the final launch of NASA space shuttle Discovery…more on that later. I was initially supposed to spend my time with a grad school friend, but a previous delay in the shuttle launch had pushed the trip outside of her availability. Now on a solo vacation I rode the uneventful flight to Orlando, FL, enduring a brief layover in Atlanta. Once at Orlando International Airport (11:50AM) I rushed from the Air Tran terminal to the Enterprise Rent-A-Car kiosk only to find myself at the end of a VERY long line. This had to be one of 6 or 7 in-house car rental agencies and it was the only one with a line. ... read more

Saturday, March 27th was a personal day for me. I skipped the city tour, deciding to instead do a load of laundry. Those of you who know me know that I am a clean freak with germ issues. By this point I’d had enough of Febreze and Axe - it was time to do a load of laundry. London was to be the “about me” part of the trip. Fellow DrakeSMART traveler Joe and I had secured tickets to an English Premier League soccer match: Tottenham Hotspur Vs. Portsmouth F.C. When the rest of the group returned to the hotel from the city tour, he and I headed via the London Underground to White Hart Lane in Northern London, home of the Hotspur. Built in 1899, the area surrounding White Hart Lane reminded me of Wrigleyville ... read more

Thursday, March 25th brought a nice change of pace. With an uncharacteristically late program start time of 9:00AM, coupled with the convenience of having the presentation held in the hotel we were staying in, DrakeSMART travelers had an easy morning. After a quick stop by the breakfast buffet we assembled in the upstairs dining area of the hotel bar, finding the chairs and tables rearranged into a more suitable layout for an interactive presentation. The program was put on by two representatives from Trinity College - Dublin. The presentation was informative, even surprising some travelers. We were interested to learn that the Catholic Church provided all social services for children. We also learned that a full quarter of the population is under eighteen years of age. After the program’s conclusion we had a few minutes to ... read more

Monday, March 22nd we began the day with a program at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The OECD defines itself as a forum of countries committed to democracy and the market economy, providing a setting to compare policy experiences, seeking answers to common problems, identifying good practices and coordinating domestic and international policies (thanks, Wiki). The presenters discussed topics such as social policy and children’s health. It was another unique experience and a very informative presentation…lots of data. After the AM OECD program Jordan, Megan and I headed to Musee du Louvre. We took the subway and got right in to the famous museum without having to wait in line! The Louvre is of course best known for being the setting of author Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code.” Ha, sorry Zach; I ... read more

On Thursday, March 18th we left Rothenberg, Germany for Geneva Switzerland. The rules for bus drivers in Europe are very strict and our driver Luggi needed to take a two-hour break in order to comply with the law. Our mandatory stop turned out to be a great thing and we ended up getting to visit Bern, which is the capital of Switzerland. Bern is a beautiful city. We all had time to split up and take a self-guided tour of the city, exploring shops and restaurants. After a nice break and some great photo opportunities we were back on the bus and headed for Geneva. We arrived in Geneva around 5:30PM, giving us time to check in to the hotel and head out for dinner. The next day was to be a busy one so most ... read more