After late lunch now...absolutely fantastic scenery all day from bus. Unreal beginning at a local community in the Andes over 13K feet this morning, 1 on 1 weaving demonstrations with local women, Tours of pre-Incan and Incan agricultural terraces that date back 1500 years and 3000 irrigated salt ponds at two different locations as well.  Walking tour of Urubamba next then dinner and early bed for tomorrow's trip to Machu Picchu on New Year's Day!

Made it to our hotel in Urubamba. Getting settled then dinner at 7. So far, very little elevation adjustment problems. Unbelievably fantastic Incan site today. Long day tomorrow with lots of Incan sites and interaction with a community after-school program. Limited wifi in lobby of our hotel. Some of us tried alpaca today and got to buy alpaca garments as well!

Greetings from Lima! Just got back from our 2 mile roundtrip descent down the cliffs to the beach. Had a great city bus tour this morning after a short night of sleep. Also hit a museum this morning and got to visit the catacombs below St. Francis Monastery. Dinner at 6. Tomorrow brings a 5:30am departure for Cusco! Rain here we come!

We have arrived at the hotel in Lima and are turning in for the night. Great day of city sightseeing in the Peruvian capital tomorrow!

From the plane...we're off! "See" you in Lima!

PERU 2014-15

Thirteen Days!  I hope you're preparing for the trip of a lifetime!  Please check back here throughout the tour to keep updated on our adventures!  I promise to post daily when possible with a strong Wifi signal.

Almost Home!

Waiting to board our connecting flight in Paris. See you soon!

We're Still Here!

The Internet again!! Sorry for delay, Sevilla hotel Wifi left a considerable amount to be desired...  Great few days in Andalucia. Very excited for our adventure to Morocco in the morning. Students just enjoyed some time at the pool after dinner. Posting quickly before I lose the connection!

On to Cordoba & Sevilla Tomorrow

Morning began with an excellent city bus tour complete with sightings of Real Madrid's stadium, Madrid's bull fighting arena, and the Royal Palace. The Palace stop included a guided tour that rivaled if not surpassed Versailles! While I didn't grab a group shot (check out our other blogs!), this one has my personal chaperone group of fantastic young men! An excellent lunch with free time in the city center was enjoyed before a trip to one of the finest art museums in Spain, the Prado Museum. Dinner on our own and a flamenco evening for part of our group concluded our day. Bus leaves for Sevilla by way of Cordoba tomorrow at 8am! Last weekend upcoming...

To the Capital!

Hit the road for a stunningly beautiful bus (Mercedes Benz!) ride to Madrid. This picture of El Pilar was from our lunch stop at Zaragosa. Our arrival in Madrid was followed by our best meal opn tour - two local favorites...jamon iberico (ham) and paella de pollo (with chicken). A nice night walk through several squares capped off our evening of travel. We'll conquer Spain's capital tomorrow!

Last FULL Day in Barcelona

Another amazing day on tour. Began with a bus tour of city with excellent local guide. Highlights included Park Guell (pic 1) (and other Gaudi creations), Sagrada Familia (church) (pic3), and Olympic infrastructure and a stunning view of city from Montjuic (pic 3). Tomorrow will take us to Madrid on a coach bus with an 8am departure!

Welcome to Catalonia!

Fantastic first full day in Barcelona! Lots of free time and amazing sightseeing opportunities like the fountain and cathedral below. More to follow tomorrow!

On to Spain!

Before hitting the rails to Espana, we took a few hours at one of the world's most famous museums! Sightseeing including city center highlights and the beach in Barcelona on deck for the morning!

Greetings from the Apple Store at the Louvre! On to lunch and on TGV high speed rail station at 2pm. "See" you in Barcelona!

Last FULL Day in Paris

Another day of memorable highlights included climbing to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, having lunch and free time in Montmatre (Sacre Coeur - first picture below; second a famous wall with "I love you" in hundreds of languages), tour at Fragonard (perfume makers), time around Le Centre Pompidou, and an early arrival back to the hotel for a good night'a sleep before visiting the Louvre in the morning and heading through the Pyrenes down to Barcelona on the TGV (high speed train)!

Tired...

Fantastic warm, clear weather stayed with us today in Paris. Bus tour/guide was great, Versailles/Musee D'Orsay (for smaller group) was loved by all, and night cruise/going up in the iconic Eiffel Tower was unforgettable. That being said...bus delays and a LONG day (10 miles on my pedometer!) made for a quiet ride to hotel and quick trips to bed. 

Day One and Two!

So...I believe I am the last one up...but all went to bed exhausted, excited, and eager for a memorable day tomorrow. Highlights today included Notre Dame (below) self-guided tour and lunch on our own after the overnight flight. Chaperones thoroughly enjoyed crepes of various types...second group squeezed in some more American fare as they caught up to us in the city. Tomorrow will bring a morning bus tour of the city with a local guide, Versailles excursion (or Musee D'Orsay and other sites with Ms. Rankenburg and I), dinner, and a Seine River cruise and Eiffel Tower trip at night. Late evening won't bring us back to hotel until 12:30am or so!

Another Travel Blog!

Coach Stephenson's Travel Blog - Please visit to get more information and another perspective on our journeys through France and Spain!

Spanish King to Abdicate

Did you see on the news today that the Spanish king is expected to abdicate the throne after 40+ years of reigning? Crown Prince Felipe will be announced as the new king. Interesting to be in Madrid next week!

2014 French Open
Did you know that the Finals of the French Open will be happening while we're in Paris?  We'll pass Roland Garros on the way to Versailles!

Ms. Galloway's Travel Blog

Already established from her time spent leading a student tour in China, Ms. Galloway will be updating her travel blog this summer while we're in France, Spain, and Morocco!  Keep up with her at...

http://historyofadventure.wordpress.com/

Weather Report! - 9 Days and counting!!!

Make sure you pack a lightweight rain jacket with a hood (no umbrella please! - makes walking around and sightseeing very difficult if 52 people carry them!) or maybe a cheap poncho...with time for it to change currently the Weather Channel predicts...

68 Degrees with a 70% chance of rain our first day (6/5) on tour (in Paris)!  While I'll be holding out for the likelihood of rain to decrease, always good to prepare for it in Europe! 

Now that we're in the 10-day pre-departure window, you may want to track the changes in weather forecasts for the cities we'll visit by setting them as locations on your weather apps!  Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Cordoba, Sevilla, and Costa del Sol!

While no weather forecast is perfect, the more information you have the more accurately you can prepare for the weather while packing this week!

My Most Anticipated New Landmark

While I've been to Paris a few times, I've never been to Spain and have always been fascinated with the remaining Muslim landmarks in Spain.  This mosque in Cordoba looks amazing.  I'm very much looking forward to seeing it after studying about it in European History...in 1993!

EF Tour Site

Our EF Website

Welcome!

In an effort to keep all family and friends updated on our travels across Western Europe and Northern Africa, I look forward to posting as often as possible on tour! Please check back often for itinerary highlights, great travel pictures, and more!