The End is Near

Well, we are  leaving in the morning!  Today was a terrific day full of walks, museums, food, and good friends.  All the parents and the school can take a bow it was a success!  We handled diversity, prejudice, ignorance, faith, politics, etiquette, knowledge and courage.  The reality of what we have accomplished in such a short period of time is nothing short of a miracle.  Six countries in two weeks!   How far we have come!  A very special shout out to BETH!  All the good, bad and ugly happened and more!  Thank you for setting up the trip and we will talk soon. (haha)

Shout out to Cooper… Mom is coming home!!

Another Day in Paris

Hello everyone. Well once again we are blogging from Paris, only this time, we are in a French internet cafe. The idea being that it would make everything easier if the kids could blog during the day, and not have to do it at night. Let me just tell you that it is turning out to be a huge disaster. We began our day with a three hour bus tour all over the beautiful city of Paris. After that, we were able to try some gourmet local quisine. It was quite delicious. Following lunch, we made our way to Notre Dam. It came as no surprise to those of us who have travelled with EF Tours before that the company had failed to make us reservations for the church. We had to wait in a long line to go in. We would hqve loved to go into the two huge towers as well, but the line was even longer. There is not much else to say for today because it is only half way over, but we are looking forward to tonight’s dinner! I hope everyone is enjoying their vacation at home, we love and miss all of you.

Harrison

No it is not a total disaster he is Mr : he has turned into grumpy man while losing his sense of humor !   It is getting old and the students are exhausted however they are ALL aware that they need to be in school : 8 am on Monday  NO EXCEPTIONS!! Everyone has a cold but they are fine!! Sorry but we are typing on a french key board!

Finally, Paris

We have arrived at last. The final destination on our trip. Paris! The day was not all glamour and excitement however. It began at 4 in the morning. Enough said. Personally, I woke up to Cheryl screaming at me to get dressed and that the bus was leaving without us. Moving right along. The train station brought a whole new batch of fun. A few of the kids got food at a small American cafe that sold muffins and the like. The most excitement came when Lily came running out of the bathroom and informed us that Matt had thrown up in the hallway, and was attempting to abandon the scene of the crime. Stephanie quickly apprehended him and made him tell the waiter that he did it. The crisis was pretty much averted. Unfortunately, a poor young waiter was left with the job of cleaning it up. Riding on the train was calm and a lot of fun for everyone. We saw a nuclear power plant. The rest of the journey was uneventful. When we arrived in Paris, we were greeted with an air of friendliness and hospitality. Honestly, many of the kids agreed when I stated that I could definitely see myself living here. It is a beautiful city. The most amazing thing about today was seeing the Eiffel Tower. I was in absolute awe. The students who hadn’t seen it before were completely amazed. I could compare it in likeness to seeing big foot in person. You always see him in movies and hear about him in stories, but seeing him in person blows your mind. That was the experience of seeing the Eiffel Tower. Wow!!! The food was good, and for the first time ever, the kids tried French pizza. It was very thin and spread with sour cream instead of cheese. Surprisingly enough it was delicious. We saw Napoleon’s opera house, and his secret entrance into the theater. It was actually just in the back of the theater; not too secret if you ask me. Today involved a lot of subway riding, which was cool because experiencing a cities public transportation can usually tell you a lot about the city. Unlike New York, it did not feel like an oven, the subway was roomy, and it was overall a very pleasant experience. It was positive vibes all around as we were finally able to experience Europe alone. Tomorrow is going to be another amazing adventure. Thank heavens for a late wake up tomorrow. We will all be able to catch up on some well needed rest. To all of my parents fans/followers, I am so appreciative of your support, and I will continue to bring you the absolute truth about what craziness is happening on these trips

Quick shout out to Stephanie’s mom. I appreciate your genuine interest in my writing!

Harrison

Switzerland and the Alps

Hi! The good news is the other school read our blog as suspected!  The best news is  they are predictable and our students took it in stride and moved on one day at a time with grace and elegance! You would be proud!

We were left today for 7 hours alone, without a tour guide, in the city of Lucerne.  Although this was not on the itinerary we took the challenge played in a park dancing to music and using a giant chess set and 1 morphsuit  while entertaining all who were there.  We then went to eat and the chaperon’s had espresso with our meals…..never again for Stephanie and me we were clutching our hearts and stomachs hoping not to have a heart attack!  Ben had two cups and is now running, for the second time today, through the Swiss Alps!  If he isn’t back by bed check we will be sending out the St. Bernard’s with the barrels under their necks!!

Jameson was stabbed in the butt by his belt and punctured himself with blood spurting  through gauze pads and band aids. His pants, boxer shorts and t-shirt looked like it was his time of the month!  Yuck !! We patched him up but we still can’t figure out how he did it. HAHAHAH

The students are very intrigued with the swans with black feet and how big they are in a clear lake!! We leave early tomorrow morning at 4:00am for Paris!  All by ourselves and feeling good!

Through Austria, on to Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

An eight A.M. wake up call is always a great way to begin the day. We ate a good breakfast and by eight thirty, we were ready to begin our day. Today was dominated by a long bus ride through various Central European countries, with occasional stops to sample some local culture and cuisine. The first stop was in Austria at the Swarovski Crystal Museum. It was an amazing place. There were huge crystal statues and fountains. The gift shop was also littered with crystal decor from floor to ceiling. Parents be prepared for some fine crystal jewelry when the students arrive home. After we left the crystal museum, we went to lunch at big roadside cafe. However, the term “roadside cafe” fails to do it justice. It was more like a miniature shopping plaza filled with a variety of food options, snacks, and other small trinkets. Again, we took to the road after a nice meal and began our final stretch to Liechtenstein and then to Lucerne (Switzerland). Liechtenstein is only 25 square miles in area, and after heari ng this, Ben was eager to become one of the few people who can claim to have ran across an entire country. Had the stop in Liechtenstein not been so short, I am sure he would have undertaken the challenge. A few of us decided to pay the two Euro fee for a passport stamp from Liechtenstein, thus proving we have been to one of the world’s smallest countries. The remainder of the drive was actually quite pleasant. Driving through the immense valleys of Switzerland was absolutely breathtaking. There were definitely some good pictures taken on that drive. We are once again cozy at our hotel, which is in the middle of the Swiss Alps. It is very beautiful. The trip is just over half way done, and it has been an adventure for sure. Through the hardships and conflicts, the Arch kids have continually come out on top. We are definitely looking forward to the remainder of the trip, namely Paris, where we will get to enjoy European culture without any distraction. Shout out to the parents; although we all miss you dearly, we are happy to be experiencing this trip with our teachers, who have been the absolute best role models for all of us during our time at Arch Academy. For all of the staff who are not on the trip, we love you and miss you so much. All that can be said about Arch Academy is this: people on the outside cannot understand it, people on the inside cannot explain it.

Miracles really do occur!  For the others who can not see the light we are waiting for you!  A shout out to these who are in need…and can’t find their way…you know who you are!

Harrison

Munich, Olympic Stadium, and Sausage with Kraut and Cherries

Hi! I called my mom at 5 am to have her listen to the Glockenspiel  in Munich  and she requested that I check the time difference next time….sorry! Not really, I’ll probably do it again..  HAHA  Mom I love you and hey who else could I call at that hour!  Well the school, that shall remain nameless,  has been drinking up a storm at dinner and currently as we speak!  Trust me it’s ugly!  But, Arch Academy prevails and has had a great day.  We visited the castle, churches, had lunch, walked to the olympic stadium, just to see Ben smile.  We then went to the BMW headquarters and yes I called my mom again!  haha  The students were truly wonderful and have been tested to the limits and are using all they have learned to handle diversity in the real world.

Interestingly the dinner will be sure to give us gas and discomfort on our seven hour bus ride tomorrow.  We are going to Insbrook , Austria tomorrow before Lichtenstein and Lucerne Switzerland.  Can just picture us all singing the Sound of Music together…The Hills are alive with the sounds of Arch Academy lalalalalalalalala for a thousand years!!

Shout out to the Board of Directors, Mom, Dad and Obama!  Now you have to post mom haha1

Munich, and Dachau

Nuremberg, Dachau, Munich

Cheryl Zak never takes vacation time. Last night the tension between the Arch kids and the other school boiled over when one of the other students crossed the line. The Arch students were quick to report the incident to Cheryl, and she handled it with the same charisma that we all know and love. It is safe to say that they will be hesitant to cross us again on this trip! Today, things went a lot smoother. Nuremberg was fantastic with the exception of us not being able to see the courthouses that held the Nuremberg Trials. We were really hoping to be able to see them, seeing as how that is the reason Nuremberg is internationally known. Yet another way EF Tours has failed us this trip. On the bus ride to Dachau, one of the other school’s parents decided to try his luck with disciplining the Arch kids. It should come as no surprise that I was the first to come back with one of my extremely witty, clever remarks. He was quiet the rest of the day. Dachau really impacted everyone. There was little conversation as the students walked around the concentration camp. I had to fight back tears as I recalled that my ancestors had narrowly escaped a camp such as this one. It truly was a sobering experience for myself. For the next hour and a half I remained quiet and contemplative as I tried to imagine what kind of person could possibly put anyone else through this kind of torture. Following Dachau, we were treated to some five-star EF Tours cuisine. Unbenounced  to us, the drinks did not come free and we were given the bill at the end of the meal. The day ended in Munich with us checking in to the hotel tired and ready to relax. Tomorrow we go on to explore Munich! Much love to San Diego. Tonight, I would like to give a shout out to all of the RESCU Academy Alumni. We love you! And know we are grateful for all you have done once upon a time for us to have this moment

Harrison

Prague and Kafka

Hi! Well today was incredible!  We ran around the town and visited Franz Kafka’s House where he lived and died.  Good for the Arch Academy book club for reading Kafka’s: Metamorphosis , The Judgement, The Penal Colony,  The Trial and the Stoker.  We went through his bookstore and then the house itself  looking at his early drawings and timeline of his life.  The students were very knowledgeable and now we have visited Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughter House Five even though we couldn’t get all the way there.

Next, we took a horse and carriage ride around town and Sean Ran next to us in his morph suit and was filmed for Czech Republic’s MTV!  We ate strange food and saw strange people but laughed and carried on as usual.  We got on the bus this morning and the other school decided to have a three row barricade of parents between us and them.  The joke was on them as their kid slept in 20 minutes again! HAHA Yet another tally for ARCH Academy and a good rationale why not to bring your parents with you on spring break!

Finally,  we went to a castle all day and saw the most amazing church.  Lily, who is Jewish, committed two sins in one day by trying to light a candle in the catholic church and then bought a pentagram.  ARCH Academy sprung into action and halted her before lighting the candle while reminding her she didn’t believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  She also was positively peer pressured into throwing away her new, but short lived, necklace.  We do give her props for slipping security and not paying for the candle

Dinner was the same and we are losing weight rapidly….ha.  Tomorrow we are on to Nuremberg, Dachau and then Munich.

Shout out to the parents, Valerie, Julie, and Dom (new AP math and science teacher)  Welcome aboard!  You could be here next year!  Hey Kayde, Murphy, and Keith.

Pictures from Dresden