10 days to go!

Just ten days until we depart. Here's a few updates.

1) There's a slight change to our itinerary. Our first full day in Rome will be on a Sunday. We'll be able to do all the main things listed on the EF itinerary, but the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel are closed on Sundays. I wanted to be sure that we'd see those sights too, so EF tweaked the schedule just a bit. Before we leave Rome on Monday, we'll stop by the Vatican again to see the sights that were closed on Sunday. From there, we'll head to Assisi.

2) We delivered your shirts along with a packet of important trip information, so check your front porches if you haven't already gotten them. Please read all the info, and have your parents do the same.

3) You'll be getting another packet of info when we meet up at the Grand Rapids airport. That will contain some background for tour-related sites and some travel tips -- good reading for the lay-overs.

4) Southern Europe is in the midst of a heat wave, and it doesn't show any signs of breaking. Yesterday, high temps in Rome, Florence, and Madrid were near 90 and Barcelona was in the mid 80s. The 10-day forecasts for all four of our main destination cities show more of the same - hot and dry in Rome and Madrid, hot and humid in Florence and Barcelona. Here are some tips for traveling in European summers.
* from the BBC: "Wear a hat. Floppy cotton ones with brims are the most practical, and if it's all becoming too much you can just run it under a tap or dip it in a stream before putting it back on your head. Not only does the cool water give instant relief, but as it evaporates from the top it'll act like a tiny refrigerator."

* from Italy Heaven: 1. Carry a fan (if you're male and this would embarrass you, try to find a suitably sized and rigid booklet or piece of card). These are especially useful on public transport where air conditioning is inadequate and Italians don't like to open windows.

2. Always carry some water, ideally in a bottle that you can refill at the public drinking water fountains you'll find throughout Italy. These are perfectly safe to drink from, and are life-savers on baking summer days.

3. Keep some suntan lotion in your bag in the daytime for frequent re-application, and insect repellent in the late afternoon or evening.

4. A pale-coloured umbrella can double as a parasol when the sun gets really hot, and is a useful thing to pack in your suitcase.