The Readers

Kids dressed in togas for last night's Captain's Dinner and were promptly escorted back to their rooms to change.  Such rebels we have.  It was not sanctioned by the chaperones, so we just shrugged, smiled and ate our lamb rack and linguini fruiti de mare, pretending not to be associated with them.  They made it back for The Baked Alaskan, at least. Siobhan Steel took it the hardest.  "It took me 90 minutes to wrap mine!" she declared.  The Captain did not care. But Siobhan has had a great trip, and we would take one like her every year.  A while back I mentioned that two kids elevated their trip with hang-gliding heroics in the Alps.  I left out their names in case their parents did not approve. Siobhan, it turns out, wanted to be named. She likes to see her name in print.  In large letters, I assume.  So here it is.  SIOBHAN.  Can't remember if that's how you spell it.  I am the English teacher who can't spell.  (I even use contractions and write in fragments--because the best writing follows its own rules, no?) Anyway, Michael Aston was the Icarus, but when he fell he landed on his feet.  He could care less if he sees his name in print. I doubt he's reading this blog.

Speaking of reading, not many kids brought books this year.  (It's Ipod city, and I'm sure next year will be Iphone alone.)   This group likes to do, not be.  Their thinking is done.  We have men and women of action.  Still, the bus rides used to be ideal periods for either light summer reading or deep philosophical musings.  But unless they are listing to a book-on-ipod, they have left a little grey matter in the classroom.  Last bus trip I passed around a sheet of paper with the question "What are you reading?"  Here are the responses.

Hall--"A Confederacy of Duncies: by John Kennedy Toole

Hoeger-- "The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao" by Junot Diaz (best book I've ever read, but be forewarned: lots of swearing and carnal knowledge)

Aston--"Hearts for Dummies"

Cummins--The Bible, the abridged version

Dunbar--"Nothing" by Nobody

Goldberg--"The Enormous Room" by e.e. cummings

Kinney--"I'm Illiterate" by Drew Heller

Kurt--"Iron Angel" by Alan Campbell

Overstreet--"Survivor" by Chuck P. and ""American Psycho by B.E. Ellis

Rees--"When You are Engulfed in Flames" by David Sedaris

Springer--"The Wolf of Wall Street" by Jordan Belford

So the actual tally for the boys--6 readers out of 19

Borzi--"Possible Side Effects" by Augusten Burroughs

Dadashi--"Dress Your Family in Cordoroy & Denim" by Sedaris

Davidson--"Every Gul's Got One" by Meg Cabot

Deakers--"A Brief History of the Smile" by Angus somebody

Guttman--"A Room with a View" by E.M. Forester

Hsu--"The Know it All" by A.J. Jacobs

LaMonte--"I Don't Read, I Figure" by Sudoku

Moine--"House of Leaves" by Mark Danielewski

Nishimoto--"The Time Travelors's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger

Resnick--"None for Now" by The Party Queen

STEEL--"The Summer of Lese" ??? (Can't read her handwriting)

Uruguchi --"Naked Swim Parties" by Jessica Any Blau (I think Katie is on the wrong trip:))

Yazdi--"Me Talk Pretty One Day" by Sedaris

Young--"Roots" by Alex Haley

Girls --12 readers, they win

The boys beat the girls in Hearts, however.  In the finals, to the surprise of only LV and Hall, are Aston, Kurt, Skophammer and Springer.   Helen and Devon were the last girls standing. 

The finals are tonight.  Should be a big crowd.  

I'm blogging from Crete. Old white-haired men with Greek fisherman's caps are fingering yellow beaded necklaces at the Bembos Fountain Cafe. A headless and armless statue looms over me. Most kids, if not all, have slept in after a night a wild toga dancing--so I was told.  This afternoon we land at Santorini, then back to Athens and then home.

This is my last blog.  You will notice a change in you child. Redoubtable maturity, more sophistication, new friends.  This group really came together--especially on the dancefloor. Nice moves, Matt Overstreet! The flight number is DL 951 from Atlanta, due to arrive at 8:30 p.m.

Sincerely,

LV

Congratulations to 12 year old Jake Hoeger, who, in playing in his first 14-and-under tennis tournament--The South End Junior Open--defeated the number one seed yesterday in the quarter-finals 7-5, 6-1.  Good luck today Jake. 

     

Mykonos and Kusadasi

I don't have much time to blog, but I will send photos.  Yesterday we boarded our cruise boat, The Aquamarine, with great anticipation.  Your kids love this boat.  Not big, not small. Manageable.

We are carrying on with the hearts tournament.  There are twelve of us left.  I think I'm going to win, but money is on either Hall or Skop. More later.  At 6 p.m. we took tender boats into Mykonos--check the sunset photos.  Good shopping for bags and jewelry.  the 2 euro gyro is pretty special.  Skop observed that the cheap food in Europe is really tasty--pizza in Stressa, Bosno in Salzburg, Crepes in Paris, Gyros in Mykonos, Souvlaki in Corinth--while in America the fast food is merely cheap.  Today we got up early for an excursion tour of the ancient Greek and Roman city of Efes, which was felled by mosquitos, Goths, and earthquakes.  It was once the center of the world with marble sidewalks, a great library and the biggest ampitheater around.  Our pictures show this 24,000 seat theater.  Imagine a few years ago seeing Ray Charles or Elton John perform here.  Today, the Austrian excavationists have said no more concerts.

I had to pay the camel herder 1 Euro for the picture.  I thought I was going to get to sit on the camel, but no.  Stand only.

Here's the new photo link.   I know, not really a link.  Haven't figured that out yet.

http://gallery.mac.com/mjhoeger/100069 

Wryly but truly with a little saffron mixed in,

LV

Roma and Day Two Florence

Your kids have worked hard to see it all in the last two days. I'm very impressed with this group.

On day 2 in florence we woke up early and took a walking guided tour of Florence.  It is tricky because as the group slithers out into a single file line, stop lights jeopardize continuity.  Hall is usually at the front and I am at the rear, but my memory is not so good, and if he turns right I'm supposed to turn right with the receding, truncated lesser seven or so. Sometimes I turn left.  But not on purpose.  I should know the shortcut to the Academia or Santa Croce.  Anyway, it was at the crowded but awe-inspiring Piazza Signoria Square that Stephanie K., Melissa L. and  Becky M. just had to go the restroom.  Realizing that there are virtually no public WC's in Florence, I wisked them into Caffe Rivoire--a "view" cafe that serves the best Negroni's along with a view of Cellini's Statue of Perseus with the head of Medusa.  I told them to pretend the were high paying patrons and just walk straight back to the WC.  These girls can act--well, you know Melissa, don't you?  However, our heads were severed (ala Medusa) on return, we were now separated from the tour and had to settle for a foursome lunch.  We landed at a little stand once written up in Bon Appetite and got a picture with the brother-owners.  After that we fell into a protest against Berlusconi and the police and, we think, immigration laws.  (Sarah and Sarah's mom, Susannah filled me in later.) We felt very political and European so then decided we deserved to go shopping.  We lost Stephanie but ended up with Coach Hall and some others at a 60s pop vintage clothing convention.  Fun.  I bought a mod tie and an African movie Soundtrack cd while coach Hall bought a 70s funk cd--he mostly liked the cover.  Melissa bought a dress and Becky stayed disciplined.

I'll post photos later.

Yesterday we made Roma look small.  The kids had a great time conquering this little village. Basically I led 30 on the 90 minute Euro-star and then we split up only to keep running into each other all day.    Talk to your kid and get their story. I started with Devon and Daren at theSpanish steps.  We ran into Matt, Mike K., Patrick, Mickey, Michelle Yam., Jon, and Nicole at the Trevi Fountain and then nabbed Mike A., Spencer, Garrett, and Paul at The Pantheon.  I took them to my favorite piaaz place, ZaZa's. By the end--The Colosseum--we had picked up Em Res and Steph Hsu.  On the train back, Hillary told me that her group--Mona, Alexa, Michelle Young, and Neal did all we did plus The Vatican.  Kudos.  Rome in a day.  I think Chelsea, Cameron, Drew and Katie did the same.

Truly,

LV 

Firenze and Hotel Albion

The streets of Florence are quiet and Hotel Albion quieter still.  The night so many anticipated--The Space (pronounced Spah-Chay) Electronica Disco Night--went without a hitch.  They were out until 3 a.m., and why am I up so early after four hours sleep?  I blog, therefore I am. Anyway, kids had fun dancing in this cheesy throwback to '90s hip hop and '00 faux-gangster drum 'n' bass beats. This is a dance club that caters to American and Austrailian teen/tourists.  It's Jay-z all night long. It's only three blocks from our hotel, and we've gone here every year. No one needs to taxi home. The club owners know us, and give us a nice discount because our group always cooperates.  Tim and I met chaparones from Buckley, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton.  Six adults were watching carefully their 32 Latin class students.  Tim and I merely have to casually spy on your kids.  Making out with an Ohioan Latin scholar is not one of our worries.  It's those Italian boy creepers.  Naturally, most Italian boys are gracious, but the handful the DJ invites are not usually our friends.  But like I said, we had nothing to worry about last night.  Our kids think they are getting a European disco experience, but they aren't.  A real EU club would have a heady mix of electronica, Afro-pop, and Manu Chao-like world beats.  But hey, the kids just want to dance, and it's the only phoney EU experience these kids have.  

For instance, nothing is faux-phoney about The Hotel Albion.  This is a family-run Gothic classic with real art on the walls and real genuine service.  Mossimo and daughter Sarah run the place with Italian zeal, hearty laughs, and compassionate attention to the patron's needs.  Nico, Daniella and Jimmy have been working here every year we've come.  They are as loyal to us as they are to Mossimo.  However, Sarah is the blessing behind the bustle of 42 Dreamers trying to navigate the winding streets of Firenze.  She directs them not only to The Duomo--means House of God, not Dome--but to the train station, the laundromat, the ATMs and cheapest grocery store.  Mossimo is porter, chef and owner.  He does it all.  We'll be sad to leave, which we are doing in one hour. 

I'm going to try to upload a couple photos--sometimes it works, mostly it does not.  Here goes.

Truly and hopefully,

LV