Thursday,
July 5th
This
is the day we have all been waiting for! After a great
farewell concert at Strawbridge UMC on Monday night, an
excited group gathered at Terminal C this afternoon to
head out on Air France, flight #33 to De Gaulle Airport
in Paris. From there, the group flew to Rome after
a short layover. The group consists of 53 band members,
family members, and friends!
Friday,
July 6th
After
a very long flight, everyone arrived safe and sound at
the Rome Fiumicino Airport a little late at about 12:15
pm. After gathering all of our bags and going through
customs, the group met up with Lucia Camporese, our tour
coordinator.
Jim and Todd, coming through customs
Lucia
had a big day planned for us. We headed for the
hotel on our tour bus that will be our home away from
home for the next ten days. After a minor change
in plans, we stopped at an Italian fast food place and
quickly swallowed some lunch. Check in at the Pinewood
Hotel in Rome went smoothly; the group also had a chance
to freshen up, then be back on the bus to be on our way
to our first real taste of Rome. We toured the Trevi Fountain,
the Pantheon, and the exterior of the Coliseum.
(Click on any picture for a larger version)
Kingwood Big Band in Rome, Italy
Our Entire Group!
After a lovely dinner back at the hotel, we were all ready
for bed (many of us not having slept in about 36 hours).
