See Italy/Greece tour photos. See more photos and information about the tour on the Blugold Marching Band Web site. Band member Josh Myers also has posted online photos from the trip. |
Blugold Marching Band members check in
during Italy/Greece tour
The following two e-mail messages were received from UW-Eau Claire Blugold Marching Band members Mark D. Lefeber and Nicole E. Margelofsky during their tour of Italy and Greece from Dec. 28-Jan. 6.
Also read an account of a Blugold engagement in Rome below.
Dec. 30, 2007
Hi! First off, Flight 4 Rocks! We were the only flight to make it here with all people, luggage, and instruments on time! Good news is everyone and everything got here safe, though some were missing instruments and luggage.
First actual day here, which we were really tired for since we didn't want to go to sleep and let jet lag get to us, we did a quick tour of the city on the bus and went to the hotel. Some of us took naps (not me and my friends) and some of us went into town. My friends and I were pretty much clueless. We knew where the bus station was, and where to buy metro tickets. We got into town and ate at a nice little cafe. We tried reading menus, but looked at pictures instead, and pointed. The waitress was very nice about everything, but we're pretty sure she was making fun of us at some points. Our walk to and from the cafe involved passing the Colosseum at night. It was really pretty, and it had a Christmas tree lit up next to it to, made it even better. We also stopped at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers (as well as a bunch of other little stops at ruins and such). The tomb is guarded 24 hours a day by two guards.We weren't allowed to go up very far since it was night. Some of us tried staying up later than that, but everyone was pretty much ready for bed at 9.
Today was the second day. We had a guided tour of Vatican City. It is really pretty. Everything is great. We saw pictures of dead popes, St. Peter's Square filled up at noon for the Sunday Papal blessing (not to be confused with New Year's Day blessing), St. Peter's Basilica, art since the beginning popes, and probably most importantly, and most impressively, the Sistine Chapel. Unfortunately, NO PHOTO! As one of the security personnel told us multiple times. Many people who claimed not to understand did it anyway, or snuck pictures. I'm pretty sure our group was good though. After lunch and visits to a few souvenir shops we went to the ancient part of town. This is back by the Colosseum and the Forum. Without a tour guide, the ancient part of town pretty much is a bunch of junk. But she told us stories to make it fun. Like Julius Caesar getting killed and everyone rejoicing because he was a dictator. After he died they found his will. It said that all of his money was to go to all the citizens of Rome. Now they kind of felt bad, so they cremated him (a high honor). People threw wood, clothing, and jewelry on the fire. Years later people still threw stuff on the place where Caesar was cremated. Later on Augustus decided to build a monument on the place where Caesar was cremated for people to throw stuff. Then he got sick of people "living in the past" and built a wall in front of it so that couldn't happen anymore. We also got to see a pickpocket attempt getting thwarted. A lady caught a man trying to steal her phone. The pickpocket looked ill with his expression and his shakes, but he wouldn't let go of the phone. After it was dropped he picked it up and threw it, then booked out of there. No worries, from what I know everyone is being smart and safe about money and valuables. We also saw a bunch of street vendors running from the police for trying to sell counterfeit goods. There were 6 or 7 who would run past us, see something they didn't like, or get stuck, then run back the other way. It was funny. Again, everyone is being smart about what they're doing, and from what I know no one has been cheated or stolen from.
Tomorrow is more tours and New Year's Eve. Should be fun.
We play in 2 days! YAY!
Jan. 7, 2007
Sorry we didn't get Internet to e-mail again til now, but we'll give you a brief synopsis of the rest of the trip.
We played for the Pope. AMAZINGLY FUN! Everyone loved us. Unfortunately color guard (what Nicole is part of) couldn't perform due to the thousands of people around us. We played towards the Pope's window, and during our songs people were begging us to turn around. We played all of our songs probably three times. Once facing the Pope's window, once turned around there, and then we moved to the other side of St. Peter's Square and played there. We then left the square and played one more song outside of Vatican City. We all felt a little bit weird playing Justin Timberlake's song "Sexy Back" in the Vatican. That night we did our last shopping and things in Rome.
Florence was the next day. We didn't have much time at all. We arrived, ate lunch, performed, and then had about two hours of free time before we had to leave. Again we were loved by the masses. We also got group pictures on the steps of El Duomo. It was really fun.
We flew to Athens (very early) the next day. My friends and I went out right when we got there, and did some shopping. That night we went on a walk to see a great view of the Parthenon at night. My camera stinks, so I didn't get any good pictures, but friends did. We ate some good Greek food, and that was the day.
The next day we started with a tour of Athens. We saw the 1896 Olympic Stadium (the first for modern Olympics) and went into the Acropolis. Unfortunately the Parthenon is being redone, so we didn't get to see it for all of its beauty. After a quick lunch we performed in Syntagma Square (Constitution Square in English). Guess what? They loved us! They especially loved the song "Yassou Maria," Greece's entry in the Eurovision competition last year. We had more free time after that to shop and what not.
The last full day in Athens we took a tour of three of the Greek Islands. It was pretty cool. We shopped lots and the photographer in me came out on the second island we stopped at. I took some fun pictures of the lemon and orange trees, and many other things too. The second island we went to cars weren't allowed. But donkeys were. So, there were a lot of donkeys around. Also, they had many stray cats and dogs. We found out that in Athens the reason for all the stray dogs is that they don't have dog pounds. Instead they give the dogs shots and what not and let them loose. Many of them claimed us as their "masters" for a while. Some of the groups named them good Grecian names, like Sparticus. That night a few of us went into Athens after the day cruise and ate our first real Greek gyro. They were amazing. I'm told they are nothing like American gyros. Moral of the story ... everyone needs to go to Greece to try a gyro.
Our flight back went pretty well. However if we would have waited for 20 more minutes we apparently would have felt the effects of an earthquake. My group only lost one snare drum. Everything else came in. We didn't have enough room for people on the way back, but it worked itself out in the end.
I think that pretty much sums it up. Thanks for all the support. 
A New Year's engagement in Rome
The following is an account by UW-Eau Claire senior and Blugold Marching Band color guard member Claire Parda of her New Year's Eve engagement to senior trumpet player Joe Lasley at the Coliseum in Rome.
Jan. 15, 2008
(Recounting events of Dec. 31, 2007, and Jan. 1, 2008)
(Up to this point we had toured the Vatican — Sistine Chapel, museum, and Basilica — Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, ruins, and other monuments throughout Rome. At this point my favorite place was the Forum and the ancient ruins.)
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| Claire Parda and Joe Lasley had already been happily engaged for several days when this photo was taken at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, during the Blugold Marching Band's Italy/Greece tour. |
OK, so on New Year's Eve, we all (Liz Pluedeman, Andrew Sazama, and other guard members) decide to spend it at the Coliseum. So we have our champagne and such, watching the gypsies with their fireworks, and someone starts a countdown. Now Joe is quite flustered, but being that I had had some wine ... I didn't think TOO much about it. He tells me to stand in front of him, and that I should "have someone else do that" (regarding opening the champagne bottle). I was like "absolutely not!" and he gives in. So, the countdown happens, and after everyone opens champagne and says "Happy New Year!" Joe pulls out a box and, holding it quite close to him, looks down and then back to me saying, "Will you marry me?!" I don't remember saying yes, partly because I couldn't hear myself, and partly because I was very speechless. But he says I did. I do remember giving him a very large hug and then saying, "Put it on!!!" Liz and Saz, Abby Richards and Jake Kolstad, and a bunch of other band people were standing there and already realized what happened, so congrats happened (and lots of New Year's hugs).
After that, everyone on the train and bus back to the hotel was like, "Let me see" and "Tell me the story!" Especially all the parents/chaperones. There was one point that I heard "Claire!!!" in the train station, and I turned around to see my guard members running up to me! What a feeling!
It's actually funny that Joe decided on New Year's, because he had been very adamant about going back to the Trevi Fountain, or dinner at the Pantheon. We had decided earlier that day, in order to stay up late for New Year's, we needed to nap and miss dinner at the Pantheon. Joe had been finicky about "which place I've liked most so far," so I knew something was up!
