Over spring break, 12 Caravan travelers – including this reporter – embarked on a once in a lifetime journey to Rome and Athens.  Although the journey started with frustrating travel delays, we made the best out of each situations, and in the end enjoyed experiences that I will always remember.

What follows is an edited version of my travel journal:

Day 1 (3/24) : Today was the first day of our much anticipated journey.  After seven months of planning and waiting, we were finally Europe bound.  It was a cold, rainy day in Chicago, and dozens of flights were delayed.  Our group ended up waiting an extra hour at the gate because of the weather problems. Once we boarded, we were halted for another hour due to ice covering the runway in Montreal, our first layover stop. Then, after the quick two hour flight during which most of our group rested, our plane touched down in Canada 20 minutes too late to make our connecting flight.  Because of this, we were forced to spend the night in Montreal.  An airport shuttle drove us down the street to the Sheraton Airport Hotel, where we were each given our own room.  After eating a midnight dinner in the hotel lobby, we hit the hay.

Day 2 (3/25) : We woke the next morning tired but optimistic that we would be able to fly to Rome today.  Mr. Sweeney and Mrs. Chappetto, our tour chaperones, reported that they were hopeful that we would be able to leave Montreal sometime in the afternoon.  To keep us busy in the meantime, Education First (EF) – our tour guide company – planned a bus tour of Montreal.  While waiting for the tour to begin, our group spent the morning playing cards, electronic device games, and enjoying each other’s company.  Once 1:30 came around, we boarded a coach bus for Montreal.  It was a very rainy and cold day, but the city was spectacular.  Montreal is on a peninsula, so there are several massive entrance bridges that surround the downtown area.  Driving across a few of these bridges offered spectacular views of the city.  Our tour guide pointed out a number of important sites, including the University of Montreal and St. Joseph’s Church, before stopping at a chicken restaurant for lunch.  As we were finishing up our meal, Mr. Sweeney informed us that we were booked on an evning flight to Zurich, Switzerland, and then a connecting flight the following morning to Rome.

Day 3 (3/26) : After a sleepless flight across the Atlantic, we arrived in Zurich.  We were running short on time, so we hustled through security and the passport check.  To our disadvantage, our gate was on the opposite side of the terminal, so we had to sprint through the massive halls and winding corners to arrive at our plane.  Finally arriving at the gate, huffing and puffing, the flight coordinator had unfortunate news for us.  She said that because of our late arrival, they were forced to give up our seats.  We couldn’t believe it. Disappointed, tired, and eager to get to Italy, we were forced to wait in Zurich’s airport for five more hours.  However, it turned out that the wait wasn’t all bad, because Zurich’s airport is astonishing.  Our terminal included a gigantic shopping mall with dozens of elegant restaurants and stores.  Because Switzerland is known for remarkable memorabilia, Mr. Sweeney encouraged us to buy something.  I purchased some famous Swiss chocolate, which was the best that I ever tasted.

The final flight of our journey to Rome was the best, not only because it was the quickest, but it offered the best views.  We flew directly over the Alps, and the spectacular view of snow capped mountains as far as the eye could see is one I will never forget.  Once we got closer to the ancient city, the scenery transformed into rolling hills with condensed villages about every mile.

After nearly two days of travel, we finally touched down in Rome!  Once we stepped outside the airport, a warm breeze swept over us.  It was a perfect day, without a cloud in the sky.  An EF representative picked us up in a van shortly after we claimed our baggage, and we embarked into the city.

We met our tour director, Photis, in the center of the city, right outside the Vatican’s walls.  He showed us where to wait in line, and gave us the name of the spot we were meeting at for dinner.  The Vatican Museum was astonishing, with paintings, sculptures, and walls decorated at every corner.  Because of our late arrival and limited time before dinner, we had to walk through the museum at a fast pace.  This was no easy task, because of the thousands of others exploring the museum.  Still, we were fortunate enough to see the world famous Sistine Chapel designed by Michaelangelo, considered by many to be his best work.  The entire masterpiece is painted in vibrant colors depicting disciples and angels surrounding Jesus.  After we exited the chapel, I was able to quickly purchase a cross necklace blessed by the Pope.

The rest of the day consisted of eating dinner in a quiet square in downtown Rome.  We met up with our partner tour group from North Carolina, and we introduced ourselves during the meal.  The evening was filled with shopping and venturing around Rome at night, which included throwing coins for good luck into the Trevi Fountain, my classmate Robert Pickert’s favorite part of Rome.

Day 4 (3/26) : Today was by far the busiest day of the trip.  We were awakened by Mr. Sweeney at 6 A.M., and after a quick Easter Sunday breakfast, we boarded a van to head into Rome for Mass in the Vatican’s square.  The entire celebration was astonishing, and we were able to see the Pope, although from afar.  He presided at the Mass in Latin, so we weren’t able to understand much, but it was amazing to be able to see the Pope from just a few hundred meters away.  The atmosphere of the ceremony is what I will remember the most, such as standing in the square and looking around at the beautiful architectural designs of St. Peter’s Basilica.  There were about 200,000 people in attendance, and senior Roberto Del Real’s noted that “when you walk in (the Vatican), the feel is much different than any other church.”  Del Real also noted that seeing the Pope was a “once in a lifetime experience.”

After Mass, we took a long walk across the city to meet Father Carl Markelz, O. Carm – former president of Mount Carmel – at the Roman Coliseum.  Along the way, we visited a few churches and shopped for some souvenirs.  We stopped for lunch about halfway through the walk, with most ordering margarita pizzas, which all agreed was the best pizza we ever tasted.   Castel San Angelo (a famous Roman castle) and the Roman Forum were also some famous Roman icons we saw while walking through the city.  It was about 70 degrees and sunny, so we didn’t have to worry about any weather problems.

When we finally reached the Coliseum, I knew that it would be my favorite part of the trip.  I had been wanting to see the ancient stadium since I was a child, and seeing it it person is something that I will never forget.  We took pictures outside and met Father Carl.  He toured us around the rest of the city, showing us various churches, and the office of the president of Italy.

To top off the day, we all ate at an elegant pizzeria and I enjoyed margarita pizza for the second time in just a few hours.  The evening then followed with eating some delicious gelato and saying our goodbyes to Father Carl.  We voyaged back to the hotel, all ready for a quick sleep before we would depart for Athens the following morning.