It’s pretty much my favorite animal. It’s like a lion and a tiger mixed, bred for its skills in magic.

Sometimes these things are really …. well….. boring …but not this one! It was fun to read AND informative. Thanks, Tom. And I really would like to know how a monkey stole your passport. Did he use it to travel under your name? And how bad was your picture that he could do that?

Diane

I suppose you favor Italy because you have not lived in Paris…but I guess I’ll let that go seeing as you and I share an admiration for Roberto Benigni. Nice to get to know a little about you, Tom!

CLOTHING AND TRAVEL
Try to co-ordinate clothes. Dark colours are best and it seems like Europeans wear mosly dark colours most of the time. You don’t stand out in the crowd that way and the pickpockets might now find you!
I always say to the students that the trip is kind of like a camping trip. Sometimes you have to wear the same thing twice……… Yes, Paris is the best!

thanks for the tip!

i would like to visit italy someday as well it seems like an amazing experience

I have to agree that Jims has the best cheese steaks.

Diane asks and you shall receive.
I was chaperoning a trip in 2005 and our group was visiting Gibraltar. For some reason, I had put my passport in the outside pocket of my backpack. (DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME)

Now, the Gibraltar monkeys associate plastic bags with food and they will go after them immediately. I had one of these in the back of my pack. Right next to you know what.

To complete the perfect storm, my camera’s batteries ran out. Guess where the spares were located?

I opened my pack and pulled out the batteries, which pulled out a part of the plastic bag. You can see where this is going.

In a flash, the monkey ripped at the bag, which was caught on my passport. My passport flew into the air and landed on the ledge of the walkway we were on, about a 8 inches from a 50ft drop.

Luckily the monkey didn’t want the passport and a student saved me from being stranded on Gibraltar.
Needless to say, my colleagues had a good laugh at my expense.

I now travel with my passport securely duct taped to my chest

And as for you Paris lovers out there…..I love it there as well. Just wish I had the language down.

bonne nuit!

I loved Italy. How long did you live there? Working for Explorica?

The wine thing for lunch was great—-not something we do here at school, ya know.

Nope, that was back in the pre-Explorica days. Most people don’t believe this next part of the story but it is 100% true.

I spent a year living in a monastery as a volunteer. Check out http://www.sangimignano.com. I lived at Convento Sant’Agostino and my housemates included a 60-year-old America priest (Brian), a 40-year-old Polish priest (Nicolai), a 67-year-old priest from Naples(Don Nicola), and a 70-year-old priest from Sicily (Salvatore). I also had another American guy (Ryan) wtih me from Statten Island.

I sometimes foget that that type of experience is not the norm for most people. I’m usually met with a look of utter disbelief and then have to find a third party to confirm the validity of the story.

If you’ve never been to San Gimignano, I highly recommend it!

wow, you have been to a lot places.
i like traveling and hope that my future career lets me travel to as many places you have.

Great weekend hosted by Explorica in Rome, Tom - hope this helps with the “contest”. Now you didn’t get to go to my favourite Gelateria - Gelateria Della Palma near the Pantheon - 100 different flavours, including 20 different chocolates! Simply go the the Pantheon, stand in the square with your back to it, walk along the right hand side and continue down the street - it’s about 1 minute walk from the Pantheon square. Well worth a visit - best Gelateria in Rome!

Hi Tom, I just want to say that San Gimignano is one of my favorite places also. I want to thank you for the wonderful time in Rome. The Orientation was terrific and very helpful. My favorite part was tagging along with you and the others on Sunday afternoon. I also thought that I better give this BLOG stuff a try and make sure you get the credit for it. Thanks to you and Explorica for giving me such an Amazing opportunity.

Hi, Tom
You have traveled a lot in Europe. I have been to Italy once(maybe twice). But, I like N.Andover much better, maybe I am biased as I have lived there too.(Merrimack’s cheese stake was good). Try to come to Japan.