Day 11
Today we took an early morning bus ride past the remains of the Roman settlement of Aquincum on the way to the village of Szentendre. Here we had some shopping time, and weather that was cooperative. This village is famous for hand carved jewelery boxes that can be custom made. Shortly after, we rode the bus up a mountain to Visegrad castle. Here we enjoyed an amazing view of the river Danube and the mountains surrounding it. After this we ventured on to Esztergom (the former capital of Hungary) and visited their huge cathedral. Later we stopped for lunch, and this is where we gave our tour guide and bus driver (Bernhard and Alex) their gifts which were Canadian jerseys. After this we made our way to the Slovakian boarder, then to the capital Bratislava. There we stayed in the hotel Holiday Inn, which had a pool and a sauna :)
Day 12
Two capitals in one day, Bratislava and Prague.
Early in the morning we set out from our one night stay in the Holiday Inn Hotel in Bratislava. We enjoyed a scenic view of many farms and few trees, it reminded us of Canada. Some of the girls listened to music, while others took the opportunity to "respect their body rhythm"(as Sister Mary refers to sleep).
We arrived in the golden city of Prague and we were welcomed by our tour guide named Lenka. Lenka took us out for a walk around the misty city and we soon discovered how many legends and mystical tales the city offered. For example, there was a beautiful; however, poor young lady, who was granted by the devil a night in splendor with wealthy suitors. In turn she had to give her soul over to the devil. The legend says that she walks the streets after midnight crying searching for men.
However, due to the rain we cut our tour short and went back to the Ibis Hotel.
Day 13
Today after a scenic hour and a half drive, we visited the historical Karlstein Castle. After a tour of the castle, we had some time to walk around the quaint village. Some of us even met Canadians from Vancouver!
After returning to Praha, we were happy to enjoy a private concert, which consisted of three men. Their instruments included a bass, a wooden flute and an accordion. Together they created beautiful music.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Day 10
Day 10
Today we took a bus ride out of the city to a Hungarian horse farm. There were lots of different kinds of animals there-not your typical cows and chickens. We saw a massive pig called a Mangalica pig.(They never told us that we would be eating his brother for lunch.) Next we watched an impressive horse show. It was complete with archery, men whipping things and a man riding five horses at once! Our lunch was super bountiful to say the least. There were two huge platters of food for just six girls. We were told by Gabour that Hungarians make tons of food with the expectation that lots of it will be wasted. The food that was sent back could have fed a family of 8 easily. All of us got dressed up for supper at Fat Moe's. This was meant to be a "club" by Bernhard's standards but it turned out to be a smokey old people bar. At least the food was good...
Today we took a bus ride out of the city to a Hungarian horse farm. There were lots of different kinds of animals there-not your typical cows and chickens. We saw a massive pig called a Mangalica pig.(They never told us that we would be eating his brother for lunch.) Next we watched an impressive horse show. It was complete with archery, men whipping things and a man riding five horses at once! Our lunch was super bountiful to say the least. There were two huge platters of food for just six girls. We were told by Gabour that Hungarians make tons of food with the expectation that lots of it will be wasted. The food that was sent back could have fed a family of 8 easily. All of us got dressed up for supper at Fat Moe's. This was meant to be a "club" by Bernhard's standards but it turned out to be a smokey old people bar. At least the food was good...
Day 9
Today we woke up refreshed and eager. We were introduced to our awesome local guide Gabour. He took us to a castle in Budapest. There, he showed us Mathias church and Fishermans Basin. Later on that morning, we went to Hero's square where we saw statues of famous hero's. Then we ventured over to a fancy restaurant, where we had the worlds greatest crepes smothered in flaming chocolate sauce. After our meal we walked to a church and had a private organ concert. Then after all that we went and visited the parliament building. Gabour took us on a lovely tour of it. After the awesome picture opportunity, we went back to the hotel for supper. Later that night, Bernhard took us on a tram and metro around the city to see the illuminated buildings and bridges. With all the excitement, we were all exhausted and had a good night sleep.
Day 8
Today we arrived in Budapest. We were greeted by our tour director named Bernhard. He showed us to the party bus where we met our awesome bus driver Alex. We got to our hotel which was completely round and filled with cute Italian boys. We went to McDonalds before a long relaxing afternoon. Our evening consisted of a Renaissance supper complete with traditional music and dancing. After a long and enjoyable evening we all fell asleep.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Later on we arrived and met a few of the sisters at the convent. They were grateful to have us. After being introduced we got separated into our own dorm rooms. It was a great relief ad great gift because we are always around each other and this gives us a chance to have our own space. Sister Mary wanted us to take a walk to see our surroundings. We walked towards the river that which our Sisters travelled on to get to Canada! It was very peaceful there. Later that evening we were told to go to bed early for we had a long day ahead of us!
Day 6
In the morning we were up and ready to board the bus to Montpezat, Marie Rivier's home town. Upon arriving we made our way to the church, where we were humbly surprised to find THE pieta that Marie prayed to daily as a child. We took a moment of silence, staring at the entrancing statue, reliving our sister's history.
Afterwards we took a quiet stroll through the grave yard, seeing some of the Rivier family. We then started to trek up a hill, thinking that the much talked about mountain was not that bad at all. That is until Mr. Sander turned around and pointed to the 4000 ft mountain in the distance.
So, we climbed up the mountain that Marie Rivier climbed before us, leaving Montpezat behind. After many prayers, we started to all reach the top. Once at the top though, the feelings of relief and accomplishment lessened any pain on our cardiovascular systems.
We reached Thuyet, where we were greeted by a refreshing snack from our sisters there. We saw Marie's home ad walked the streets of Thuyet, realizing once and for all, that as a Rivier student, you just can not help but be affected by this trip.
Day 7
Wednesday morning we had the choice of getting up or sleeping in. It is going to be a relaxing day. The open market came to town. It is time to do some major shopping! All the items seem to be at very good bargains. not to mention, there are very good looking European men here! The food here the past few days have been, well, interesting. We have had dishes from liver to spinach. We try our best to have the courage to try at least a bit of everything. It is time to pack our suitcases yet again so we can start traveling towards the airport in Paris. The sisters packed us a bagged lunch for the road. Our bus ride was 10 hours long. Hardly any of us got a decent amount of shut- eye. We arrived in Paris at 3:30 AM. The largest thought in our exhausted brains was sleep. We were all getting quite cranky. We will be heading towards Budapest, Hungary in just a few hours!
Day 6
In the morning we were up and ready to board the bus to Montpezat, Marie Rivier's home town. Upon arriving we made our way to the church, where we were humbly surprised to find THE pieta that Marie prayed to daily as a child. We took a moment of silence, staring at the entrancing statue, reliving our sister's history.
Afterwards we took a quiet stroll through the grave yard, seeing some of the Rivier family. We then started to trek up a hill, thinking that the much talked about mountain was not that bad at all. That is until Mr. Sander turned around and pointed to the 4000 ft mountain in the distance.
So, we climbed up the mountain that Marie Rivier climbed before us, leaving Montpezat behind. After many prayers, we started to all reach the top. Once at the top though, the feelings of relief and accomplishment lessened any pain on our cardiovascular systems.
We reached Thuyet, where we were greeted by a refreshing snack from our sisters there. We saw Marie's home ad walked the streets of Thuyet, realizing once and for all, that as a Rivier student, you just can not help but be affected by this trip.
Day 7
Wednesday morning we had the choice of getting up or sleeping in. It is going to be a relaxing day. The open market came to town. It is time to do some major shopping! All the items seem to be at very good bargains. not to mention, there are very good looking European men here! The food here the past few days have been, well, interesting. We have had dishes from liver to spinach. We try our best to have the courage to try at least a bit of everything. It is time to pack our suitcases yet again so we can start traveling towards the airport in Paris. The sisters packed us a bagged lunch for the road. Our bus ride was 10 hours long. Hardly any of us got a decent amount of shut- eye. We arrived in Paris at 3:30 AM. The largest thought in our exhausted brains was sleep. We were all getting quite cranky. We will be heading towards Budapest, Hungary in just a few hours!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Revised Flight Change
Once again flights have been canceled and re-booked. The following information comes from Carla at Lobstick Travel.
The group will be staying at the IBIS OLD TOWN until April 18, 2010
Insight will shuttle them from there to the
CROWNE PALZA
Koulova 15, 16000 Hl.m. Praha-Praha 6, Czech Republic
Telephone +420 296 537 111
Reservations include breakfast and dinner.
Carla will arrange for the airport shuttle on April 23, 2010 so you can fly home
Depart Prague DL 209 23APR to JFK at 10.35A arrive 1.59P
Clear US customs
Depart JFK DL2541 23APR to Minneapolis at 4.00P arrive 6.39P
Depart Minneapolis DL3369Y 23APR5 to Saskatoon at 9.35P arrive 10.55P
I would like to have a meeting at the office on Sunday at noon so I have enough time to get more updates.
As per parents outside of town they can call me on my cell 940-7506 or email me for updates,
I will be in the office or with access to my computer all weekend,
CARLA KOENIG
Travel Consultant
Lobstick Travel
# 4 -150 32nd Street West
Prince Albert, SK
S6V 7H7
1-306-763-7415
1-800-665-0171
Fax 1- 306-763-1335
carla@lobsticktravel.com
The group will be staying at the IBIS OLD TOWN until April 18, 2010
Insight will shuttle them from there to the
CROWNE PALZA
Koulova 15, 16000 Hl.m. Praha-Praha 6, Czech Republic
Telephone +420 296 537 111
Reservations include breakfast and dinner.
Carla will arrange for the airport shuttle on April 23, 2010 so you can fly home
Depart Prague DL 209 23APR to JFK at 10.35A arrive 1.59P
Clear US customs
Depart JFK DL2541 23APR to Minneapolis at 4.00P arrive 6.39P
Depart Minneapolis DL3369Y 23APR5 to Saskatoon at 9.35P arrive 10.55P
I would like to have a meeting at the office on Sunday at noon so I have enough time to get more updates.
As per parents outside of town they can call me on my cell 940-7506 or email me for updates,
I will be in the office or with access to my computer all weekend,
CARLA KOENIG
Travel Consultant
Lobstick Travel
# 4 -150 32nd Street West
Prince Albert, SK
S6V 7H7
1-306-763-7415
1-800-665-0171
Fax 1- 306-763-1335
carla@lobsticktravel.com
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
voyage MR 2010
Please enjoy the beginnings of our trip. Technical difficulties and long days prevented us from accomplishing our dreams. We will try to bring you up to date.
Day 1 & 2:
The flights to Europe were on time, comfortable and smooth going. The new to flying were brave and took to flying like fish to water. Everyone braved the airports and are now seasoned travelers. Our friend Andre met us in Toulouse. The city was clothed in brilliant sunshine. Flowers were blooming, birds were singing and the travelers were tired. Our luggage followed us, but one suitcase was ripped. Nothing was lost and the once miserable student had the promise of a brand new suitcase! France welcomed us with beautiful green scenery and hundreds of very small cars, all standard, where oddly enough the smart car fit in quite well. As we drove through the city of Lourdes all the students were in awe of how fast such a big bus could go through such tiny streets. The houses were all weathered but maintained their beauty. While the Perynanees Mountains (the natural border between Spain and France) looked over the town, it made the city breath taking. The group went the grotto the first night in France, and everyone was impressed with the huge crowds of people and the very intense faith the people displayed. The huge churches were lit up making the grotto a truly magical place. Of course the students were all extremely excited for the four course meals, including cheese and bread. French cuisine is known for its awesomeness, but for Canadian girls it presents its challenges and takes time to adapt. Some were braver than others in risking to sample unknown items.
Day 3:
The day started with tours of the churches throughout the grotto, the group visited the underground church where Marie Rivier’s banner is now proudly hung. Next we visited St. Bernadette’s first church, which was very modest but of course beautiful. The church on top of St. Bernadette’s church we visited after, and once again very big and very beautiful. To finish the morning the group prayed the Stations of the Cross, while climbing a small hill. The group all went off on their own to shop in the various shops and eat the great French food. Lunch finished and all the girls went through the castle in Lourdes. The castle was filled with old artifacts and more stairs then most were willing to count. The girls once again got free time after the tour of the castle or better known as shopping time. Later in the evening the group attended a mass in the underground church. Thousands of people worshipped in many different languages. Everyone had their own candle which was lit during the mass, making the entire underground mass full of beautifully lit candles. After the long but joyous mass everyone fell asleep very easily.
Day 4:
We woke up to the gentle rain, and took off to visit the place were Bernadette was born. The family of six lived in this four story house, but their father the best miller in Lourdes had a very big heart but was a very poor business man. The family then moved to the old cachot, an old prison cell. The previously wealthy family was now living in the very tiny cachot which was the only place available at the time. The group visited the tiny room, and was very surprised at how a family of six lived in such a small room. After a shopping break the group all gathered at the hotel to take the common transportation…the bus. While Barry and Shirley decided it would be a new experience to take a French taxi (they were late and missed the bus). The group eventually all met together and walked into the enormous caves lead by a bigger then life tour guide. As Lizzy stated in the caves “It’s like I’m in the discovery channel.” During the cave excursion the group walked through many different caves, took a boat through the cave waters and lastly jumped on a train to the end of the tour. It was a fabulous experience. We left the caves and drove back to Lourdes in the bus, which again drove on extremely narrow roads, not meant for buses. At the end of the night a few people in the group went down to the grotto once again to light a candle in prayer from Rivier. While we were lighting our candle there was a rosary procession happening, making it near impossible to walk through the grotto, but it was a very beautiful sight. After a great amount of waiting for crowds to pass the group finally arrived back to the hotel and went to sleep.
Day 5: We are up bright and early and off to Bourg St. Andeol. No passports were forgotten. Gerald, the hotel manager made sure of that. We did however had to do a search for a camera...the rest of that story will follow! In the process we saw wheere our bus driver lived and worked. The challenge in the hours ahead was to keep the passengers awake. Childhood habits are hard to break! The first big stop was at Carcasonne, the famous and well preserved walled Roman city. "Food can wait. We have to shop!" And shop they did. Quaint souvenirs were many. Finding WC's was also a challenge and no one wants to pay. Cobble stone streets and tiny shops and a beautiful bascilica were experienced by all. In the church we were given the opportunity to listen to 4 tenors enchant us with their music. This was an unexpected gift. Once more we were on the road to Mother Rivier country. (TO BE CONTINUED)
Day 1 & 2:
The flights to Europe were on time, comfortable and smooth going. The new to flying were brave and took to flying like fish to water. Everyone braved the airports and are now seasoned travelers. Our friend Andre met us in Toulouse. The city was clothed in brilliant sunshine. Flowers were blooming, birds were singing and the travelers were tired. Our luggage followed us, but one suitcase was ripped. Nothing was lost and the once miserable student had the promise of a brand new suitcase! France welcomed us with beautiful green scenery and hundreds of very small cars, all standard, where oddly enough the smart car fit in quite well. As we drove through the city of Lourdes all the students were in awe of how fast such a big bus could go through such tiny streets. The houses were all weathered but maintained their beauty. While the Perynanees Mountains (the natural border between Spain and France) looked over the town, it made the city breath taking. The group went the grotto the first night in France, and everyone was impressed with the huge crowds of people and the very intense faith the people displayed. The huge churches were lit up making the grotto a truly magical place. Of course the students were all extremely excited for the four course meals, including cheese and bread. French cuisine is known for its awesomeness, but for Canadian girls it presents its challenges and takes time to adapt. Some were braver than others in risking to sample unknown items.
Day 3:
The day started with tours of the churches throughout the grotto, the group visited the underground church where Marie Rivier’s banner is now proudly hung. Next we visited St. Bernadette’s first church, which was very modest but of course beautiful. The church on top of St. Bernadette’s church we visited after, and once again very big and very beautiful. To finish the morning the group prayed the Stations of the Cross, while climbing a small hill. The group all went off on their own to shop in the various shops and eat the great French food. Lunch finished and all the girls went through the castle in Lourdes. The castle was filled with old artifacts and more stairs then most were willing to count. The girls once again got free time after the tour of the castle or better known as shopping time. Later in the evening the group attended a mass in the underground church. Thousands of people worshipped in many different languages. Everyone had their own candle which was lit during the mass, making the entire underground mass full of beautifully lit candles. After the long but joyous mass everyone fell asleep very easily.
Day 4:
We woke up to the gentle rain, and took off to visit the place were Bernadette was born. The family of six lived in this four story house, but their father the best miller in Lourdes had a very big heart but was a very poor business man. The family then moved to the old cachot, an old prison cell. The previously wealthy family was now living in the very tiny cachot which was the only place available at the time. The group visited the tiny room, and was very surprised at how a family of six lived in such a small room. After a shopping break the group all gathered at the hotel to take the common transportation…the bus. While Barry and Shirley decided it would be a new experience to take a French taxi (they were late and missed the bus). The group eventually all met together and walked into the enormous caves lead by a bigger then life tour guide. As Lizzy stated in the caves “It’s like I’m in the discovery channel.” During the cave excursion the group walked through many different caves, took a boat through the cave waters and lastly jumped on a train to the end of the tour. It was a fabulous experience. We left the caves and drove back to Lourdes in the bus, which again drove on extremely narrow roads, not meant for buses. At the end of the night a few people in the group went down to the grotto once again to light a candle in prayer from Rivier. While we were lighting our candle there was a rosary procession happening, making it near impossible to walk through the grotto, but it was a very beautiful sight. After a great amount of waiting for crowds to pass the group finally arrived back to the hotel and went to sleep.
Day 5: We are up bright and early and off to Bourg St. Andeol. No passports were forgotten. Gerald, the hotel manager made sure of that. We did however had to do a search for a camera...the rest of that story will follow! In the process we saw wheere our bus driver lived and worked. The challenge in the hours ahead was to keep the passengers awake. Childhood habits are hard to break! The first big stop was at Carcasonne, the famous and well preserved walled Roman city. "Food can wait. We have to shop!" And shop they did. Quaint souvenirs were many. Finding WC's was also a challenge and no one wants to pay. Cobble stone streets and tiny shops and a beautiful bascilica were experienced by all. In the church we were given the opportunity to listen to 4 tenors enchant us with their music. This was an unexpected gift. Once more we were on the road to Mother Rivier country. (TO BE CONTINUED)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)