8th Grade Rome Trip Part I: Getting there is half the fun!

by Maripat Webber

It was very exciting to have the biggest group ever in February 2011 --29 students and six chaperones, half of whom were taking their first Rome excursion. I stand in awe of Petyr Beck and Debbie Ehri, who arrange everything, and lead/guide us all week.

Our arrival in Rome was not auspicious. We had a five-hour layover in Frankfurt that tested the students’ patience, iPod contents, and ability to sleep anywhere--on the floor, in chairs, all piled like puppies. We waited for our bus driver so long at the Rome Airport that our group started looking like a permanent encampment. (more naps “cushioned” by suitcases) By the time we made the dash from airport to bus, the skies had opened and there was such a downpour (actually more like a monsoon) that we were all soaked by the time we’d taken our seats.

Although professing to want only their beds as we left the airport, by the time we arrived at our hotel, all were in favor of finding dinner. The Italian habit of lingering over a meal is quite lovely, but we had quite a time keeping the kids awake long enough to eat what they ordered.

More about our trip in Part 2: The sights and sounds of Rome!