I can't stop smiling. Life is pretty wonderful right now. It's summer.
Had a spectacular trip to Europe in spite of the fact that Planes, Trains, and Automobiles all broke down. We had plenty of reason to be stressed, but our whole group had a great attitude. It's an adventure when your bus breaks down in the middle of Spain, miles from anywhere, except, thankfully, a truck stop that served snacks, meals, ice cream, and beer! The first picture is of the truck stop.
The plane from Chicago to Paris broke before we got on board, and though we had to sit in Chicago for four extra hours, and thus had to readjust our schedule in Paris, we weatherd it well. Two subways malfunctioned while we were aboard, and all we had to do then was get off and wait for another.
Three passports were pickpocketed/stolen from girls in our group. Huge lesson to be learned about keeping that passport next to your body at all times! In spite of these, now memorably humorous mishaps, it was a life-changing trip for lots of students.
Walking through the Louvre and seeing original work by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Giotto, Delacroix, Gericault, etc., etc., brough several people (me included), to tears. And then the Musee D'Orsay with Monet, Manet, Cezanne, Degas, Renoir, Bazille, Seurat, and lots of vanGogh...all of whom we'd studied...was moving at the very least.
In Spain, everyone fell in love with Barcelona's beach and beautiful parks and climate. Gaudi's crazy architectural designs had most of us walking around with our mouths hanging open. After seeing Gothic cathedrals in Paris, seeing such a unique and quirkydesign for a cathedral of Sagrada Familia's magnitude was breathtaking. (Second picture here is of La Sagrada Familia).
More about the trip to come! In the meantime, I'm basking in the great time we all had together.
Now: writing like an S.O.B. It's summer!
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