Thirty years ago today, June 18, 1984, I embarked on an exciting journey: a 30 day trip through Europe.  It was a class trip chaperoned by my principal, his wife (who was also my elementary school librarian) and the Middle School Spanish teacher.  Close to, i think, 20 other students went along, and we put with other kids from somewhere in New Mexico and....somewhere else in the states that I don't remember.

We flew to London and spent several days there.  Then we took a ferry across the English Channel and rode in buses from Calais through Belgium, through Amsterdam and spent the night in Arnheim, Netherlands.  We went down the Rhine spending the night in Heidelburg, West Germany.  Then into Switzerland, where we stayed two places (I dont remember the names).  We drove through Liechtenstein and spent the night in Innsbruck, Austria.  After that we spent at least one night in Venice and then traveled to Florence where we got to see Michelangelo's David and spend the night.  Then down the Rome for several days and nights there.  After a stop at Pisa, we spent the night in Siena.  (It was here that I put two little notebooks in the drawer of the nightstand, one a journal I was keeping, the other a list of all the photos I was taking [I took like a dozen rolls of film or so along] and I forgot them and left them there.  Possibly the low point of my trip, losing them, especially the journal). 

After Siena we went through Monte Carlo and Avignon and spent at least one, possibly two nights in Montpelier.  Then on to Barcelona for at least another night, again maybe two.  Down the Valencia, then onto Madrid, for several days.  We traveled back to Barritz, France (where most of us took off our footwear and waded into the ocean up to our mid calves.  Just so we could say we were in the Atlantic Ocean on both sides!)  Then onto Paris for several days there, including Bastille Day.  And I got to watch the fireworks of their independence day from the Eiffel Tower.  Then we went back across the channel to London and spent several more days there before flying back home on July 18, 1984.

Over the next month, if I get the motivation, I plan on scanning some pics from the trip (I have four photo albums full of them) and posting them here.  And leaving comments and stories about the trip.  Again, that's IF I get the motivation to do so.

What I can say about the trip now is...I can NOT believe it's been thirty years!  Christ!

POLT