AAVE Trip BLOG » Bold Europe
August 5, 2008
Bold Europe #2 - Non-Stop Adventure!
Posted by Nate at AAVE in : Bold Europe, General , add a comment
Hey Abbott, friends and family back home.
Here is a recap of what we have been up to in Spain.
After our tiring winding mountain journey to the small village of Sort, Spain, we settled into our new campsite by the river. The next day we had a blast canyoning, a unique sport involving rappelling, sliding, and climbing throughout the river canyon’s flowing water. The following day we went white water rafting, along with some unexpected cliff jumping which all of the group enjoyed. We´ve just had two scorching days in Barcelona, enjoying the architecture, gelato, shopping, gelato, beaches, gelato and did we mention gelato? Tomorrow it´s back in the Clever Goat and Dan-mobile to make our way to the French Pyrenees, for more exploring!
having fun in the sun living the AAVE life!
Anette Brock Mathisen Tvedt, Sarah Beer and Dan Weisser
July 25, 2008
Bold Europe #2
Posted by AAVE Leader in : Bold Europe , add a comment
Hello to families back home,
Our first day in Paris finished on a high, literally, as we climbed the Eiffel Tower in time for the sunset and to see Paris lit up by night. This was without a doubt the ‘glow’ of the day, especially for Paige, who had been waiting to see the Eiffel Tower all her life! We fell into bed at our hostel exhausted, but next morning were ready to hit the Champs Elysee and the Arc de Triomphe, enjoying crepes with lots of nutella and making it back to our campsite for a well-earned dinner.
After a long drive day we set up in our new camp in Vaison La Romaine. We spent a great day enjoying a river walk near our base, trying to conserve our energy for the night to come, but having too much fun to really hold back from clambering all over the place! But the highlight of the trip so far has indeed been last night’s hike up Mont Ventoux. Every camper hiked the first two-thirds of the trail, and all but four completed the mentally and physically challenging final ascent. The whole group met at the top, exhausted but exhilarated, in time to see a truly stunning sunrise in a perfectly clear sky. The general consensus from the group was that it was an awesome experience, very challenging but great for the team spirit, and lots of fun. Tonight we are in town for a very satisfying post-hike dinner out, to celebrate.
We’ll e-mail more of our adventures soon!
Anette Brock Mathisen Tvedt, Dan Weisser and Sarah Beer and the BE2 AAVE Crew
July 23, 2008
Finale from BE1 and BAP2
Posted by AAVE Leader in : Bike Amsterdam Paris, Bold Europe , add a comment
Hello Back home from AAVE Bold Europe!
Our time on the beach in Monaco and Cap D’ail was too short! But I suppose that’s something we could never get enough of. The water was clear, beautiful and refreshing. We all got some jumps off the rocky shore, including Sydney who on her b-day managed her first ever dive.
Off to the Mercantour we went to join our guides for the Via Ferratta. For those not in the know, this is a long mountain climb during which we are harnessed in, following a trail of large metal staples along sheer rock faces. Our climbing in the Caudies de Fenoulledes did little to prepare us for the staggering heights of this route, followed by the exhilarating zip line rides over deep ravines. We got another shot at canyoning, except this time it was, oh… 300% more intense! This excursion made the last seem a warm up. We rappelled down fast flowing falls, got to fly off a multitude of jumps the last of which was such a grande finale of a small man made dam.
Our next couple days; we experienced the French wilderness in an entirely new way. Our guide David (the man could be called a sage for all he knows about the wild and plant life in this region of the French alps) led us to the site where we would endure some real wild camping for a change. We went on two scenic hikes, entertained at every step of the way by David’s wisdom, sampling edible plants and identifying which ones to stay well clear of. We played capture the flag in the woods, prowling around, sneaking up on each other and having great laughs.
Finally we said our goodbyes to France to be welcomed by the culturally rich city of Firenze - well all right, we did a lot of shopping, but we’ll hit the sites on Wednesday!
We can’t believe it is almost over,
Cedric, Lauren, Nick and the Bold ones
July 21, 2008
Bold Europe 2 - July 20, 2008
Posted by AAVE Leader in : Bold Europe , add a comment
Bonjour de Paris:-)
We are now in the beautiful city, Paris. We have already seen many sights: The Sacre Coeur where there is a nice view over the city, The Louvre, Notre Damme and tonight we’re heading towards the Eiffel tower.
Yesterday we were bouldering in an incredible forest with big boulders. Boulder dashing, a newly created sport by Chris, involves sprinting at full speed at the boulder, and that’s basically all there is to it. Just kidding. It is similar to rock climbing and is a great deal of fun! It was a great challenge for everyone, but as a group we were able to overcome the obstacles.
The group is bonding very well and is having a great time meeting one another on our 3rd day. We have arrived at the youth hostel and the group has fit in very well and are enjoying the various french cultural experiences. Prior to our arrival we took a long and beautiful tour around Paris, including a long and invigorating tour at the Louvre and the Champs Elysees, and we plan to continue having fun and experiencing new adventures together.
Love from the 16 of us living the AAVE life.
Written by Joud, Alex and Anette
July 16, 2008
BE1 2008
Posted by AAVE Leader in : Bold Europe , add a comment
Hello back home,
Since we last mailed you we have taken part in each and every activity the local outfitters have to offer. First on the agenda: Canyoning. A short hike brought to the top of an amazing canyon. Then we donned our harnesses, wetsuits and helmets. All the natural slides, water pools and falls were rockin’, and seeing everyone rappel down the last waterfall was entertaining to watch and exhilarating to accomplish.
White Water: Rafting was considerably wetter for those sitting in the front of the raft giving all off us protected by these human shields quite a laugh in the back. According to the outfitter the river was running a good bit higher than usual making for much more intense runs through the rapids! We beat the water back with our pedals and finished the day nice and tired.
Barcelona: Always on the move. Barcelona rocks! We shopped all day on Las Ramblas leaving just enough time to properly hit up the beaches and sure why not, some cultural sites too. The Gaudi park was a chilled out spot but nothing compared to the Sagrada Familia cathedral. Cathedrals are Cathedral, but this one you really have to see to believe! Apparently Gaudi was inspired in his design from some of the cliffs we earlier saw during our rafting.
Crossing the border back to France we had our first true confrontation with mother nature as both the rain and then the extreme wind kicked into gear while we set up our tents and shelter (which was later blown back down during the night). No worries though, spirits stayed high since the next day had us rock climbing and mountain biking through the beautiful French countryside. The bike group sampled fresh fruit right off the trees while our climbers cast aside any notions of vertigo to conquer the tallest peak in the region.
Now, after a bit of driving, we have arrived at a hostel on the shore of the Mediterranean, in the small town of Cap d’Ail for some much needed R n’ R. Some time lounging in the sun and swimming in the sea will prepare us for our remaining challenges.
We are loving the AAVE life!
July 7, 2008
BE1 - Greetings from France and Spain!
Posted by AAVE Leader in : Bold Europe , add a comment
After meeting each other in the Paris airport we drove with our Trip Leaders’s Cedric, Nick and Lauren to the campsite outside of Paris. We enjoyed a day of R & R and then took the train to Paris.
After a day of sightseeing we slept soundly in the d’Artagnan hostel in the city, named after the famous swordsman of the 3 musketeers.
The next day we explored the Louvre in all of its glory and also did some shopping. Back at our campsite we prepared to leave early the next morning for a long drive to Mt Ventoux in the Provence region. Our campsite pool required Speedo’s so we cooled of with a river walk instead.
An afternoon of rest prepared us for the night hike that evening (11pm) to the summit of Mt Ventoux to watch the sunrise. After 5 hours of hiking we saw the incredible sunrise although many of us were already asleep.
The next day, our last one for a while in France, was spent lounging by the pool.
We were all a little stiff from the trials of the hike and we drove into the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain to spend our first night in Catalunya, Spain.
The group is great, we are all over our jet lag and the activities are packed!!! We will try to blog again soon,
Lachlan and Emma and BE1
July 1, 2008
Bonjour Bonjour! Bold Europe (BE1)
Posted by AAVE Leader in : Bold Europe , add a comment
Bonjour!
We have all come together safely and happily and cannot wait to get going on our exploration through Paris and checking out the Eiffel Tower!!!!! Yay! The chocolate is amazing and we all can’t wait to try the bread and cheese too! Be sure to check out our blog for more stories as we travel deeper into Paris (such a great culture!). We look forward to getting our bodies moving through some hiking and rock climbing. Can’t wait to share more!!
January 26, 2008
European Teen Summer Camp; Trip of a Lifetime!
Posted by AAVE Camper in : Bold Europe, General , add a comment
Everything was successful. Every aspect of the trip, the people, the cities, the camp sites and the activities were so amazing it is still hard to believe that I spent the summer in Europe with people who have become some of my best friends. On the very first day all 15 of us instantly bonded. The second we were all together at the campsite, we started to play games and talk to each other while the leaders were off cooking dinner. It was absolutely amazing how all of us were so similar and so outgoing, ready to make the person sitting next to them their best friend. Honestly, I expected that there would be a few people who didn’t really want to open up to new friendships and would kind of be off by themselves, but there was not one person with whom I could not talk about anything, personal or humorous. The activities and places we went would not have been the same without the people on the trips. When it came to the hostels and campsites, we all were very impressed with the quality and class of each place. The campsites were in beautiful locations, and in charming towns. I believe that my first experience in Europe was so special because of the small towns we went to and the long car trips through the countries. I know several people who have been to France or Spain or Italy, who have only been to the major cities and don’t understand the true beauty in a foreign country because they have not experienced the old towns with small grocery stores in which you can only speak the Spanish or French. I am grateful that for my first time overseas I was able to really experience the culture and the history of Europe with the most amazing people I have ever met.
-Camper, Genevieve Stack, BE
Peter had a ball. He loved the kids and he loved his leaders. This trip was not something I would have expected him to choose because in the past, he has insisted on doing things with a friend. And, he is a boy who likes his creature comforts so to choose such a rugged trip was a shocker. That’s why the fact that he got along so well is all the more important. He has described his AAVE experience as “the best summer of my life.” So thank you and I look forward to sending Peter on another AAVE trip next summer!
-Parent, Amy Barr, BE
Absolutly successful, it was my most amazing summer and I can’t wait to do another one, it met my every expectation and i had an amazing time!!
-Camper, Peter Barr, BE
Aaron LOVED his trip to Europe. He didn’t have anything negative to say.
-Parent, Judy Felder, BE
Andrew had a great overall time this summer. He said he really felt he got to connect with everybody in his group in addition to the trip leaders. He enjoyed the camping and being active all the time and felt that this really helped the group come together even more. This trip was extremely successful and I would recommend it to anybody.
-Parent, Eileen Eisbrouch, BE
I really loved this trip and thought it was extremely successful. I thought the group was really cohesive and we really got to know each other well. The leaders were very responsible and we were always active 24/7.
-Camper, Andrew Eisbrouch, BE
John was responsible for identifying AAVE, selecting the trip he wanted, and persuading us that this would be a great thing for him to do. We were impressed by the way AAVE is set up, the thoroughness of organization, and the level of contacts. As for the trip - I envied him the opportunity, and would have liked to join him!
The contact from the airport in Paris gave us further confidence - and because John has always displayed his own self-confidence and demonstrated his ability to deal with things, we knew that he would do well.
His reports of the trip have been glowing ones - all of his expectations appear to have been met or exceeded, and it is clear that he had a wonderful time. He is now primed to repeat some of his experiences, and has developed further confidence in his own ability to organize and travel by himself or with friends - perhaps some day he would be a good candidate for an AAVE leader.
-Parent, John Hammond, BAP
The whole trip was a success. I had doubts before we left about how the group would come together to function but all of that was lost within the first day. The organization was top notch and I can’t think of any way to improve the Bold Europe trip.
-Camper, John Hammond, BAP
The trip was well organized but not to the point of being inflexible. The counselors seemed to be able to balance friendship with the needed amount of authority. I loved that the campers had to plan, shop & prepare their meals. The CO office was also clearly well run as evidenced by the really helpful, frequent & informative emails.
-Parent, BOokman
Nicholas talked about his leaders with such joy and respect!! The activities were exciting but the counselors and kids made it a wonderful memory! Nicholas would love to go on another adventure with Nate.
-Parent, Nic Rubel, BE
I had such an amazing summer with AAVE. What was successful about my trip was the learning and bonding experiences. I learned so much about Europe’s culture and language. I thank you so much for the opportunity. It was defiantly a successful trip.
-Camper, Cyndi Ruebel, BE
AAVE fulfilled every positive expectation we had, and then some. It was impeccably organized and supervised, with intelligence, energy and wit from beginning to end. We are proud, pleased and privileged to be part of the AAVE family. Thank you so much.
-Parent, Ari Mygatt, BE
Nothing was unsuccessful. I was surrounded by great people and got to see a zillion sights that I otherwise would have had to wait years and years to see on my own. I also got to take part in activities I could easily have gone my whole life without having even heard of (IE: Via Ferrata) which were always ALWAYS enjoyable.
-Camper, Pamela Viscomi-Yates, BE
August 13, 2007
Bold Europe #2A - France, Spain, Italy!
Posted by Jenny at AAVE in : Bold Europe, General , add a comment
Hello Bold Europe Families!
Sort, Spain:
Leaving France, we headed for Sort, Spain where we camped for 4 nights. It was a relief getting to a nice campsite after a long drive and knowing that we were going to do our laundry. Our first day started off with canyoning. Alejandro and Baldo, the instructors, made canyoning fun and easy despite the wetsuits that made us feel like granolas. The next day was a full day of rafting. The views wer beautiful, and the adventure intense. Continuing our journey in Sort we kayaked putting our coordination to the test. After, we participated in a community service project as we paddled our kayaks and picked up trash around the lake to preserve the wildlife and improve recreational opportunities. We rewarded our hard work by dancing the night away in Sort. We all had a good time dancing together and it was a good way to end our last night in Sort along with everyone sleeping outside under the stars.
Barcelona:
Hola from Barcelona! In Barcelona we stayed at a really nice hostel for 2 nights. Once we got to our rooms we relaxed and showered. The next day was full of sightseeing. It started off in the Gaudi-designed Guell Park where we saw all the colorful mosaics, the long bench and the iguana. Along the way we made our usual ice cream stop and continued to the amazing La Sangrada Familia. After sightseeing we took a long walk to the beach - but it was definitely worth it! Dinner was at the beach once everyone dried off after tanning and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. Las Ramblas was next, which was an interesting experience between shopping and seeing the people perform in the street. Barcelona ended with eating paella and having a fun last night in an awesome hostel.
Leaving Barcelona we returned to France and a campsite with mountains surrounding us in every direction. This marked the half way point in the trip. The first day began with rock climbing. It was a great accomplishment getting to the top beacause it was steep and slippery. Our next activity was mountain biking with our really funny instructor, Dominique. We started warming up first doing little obstacles and competing who could bike the slowest without stopping. Some biked with ease while others struggled more, but the ride was mostly downhill so it was fun for everyone. The highlight of the bike ride was riding downhill with the wind in our hair surrounded by vineyards and nice views. It was an active two-day stay, and we were ready to relax near Nice!
The French Riviera is amazing! On the way to the hostel we got to see the beach with the light blue Mediterranean. Once we got to the hostel we met up with a lady called Geraldine who told everyone that we could call her anytime if we wanted anything. Before the next day we did our second laundry stop. The long day ended on a good note when we all went out for ice cream by the beach for Hilary’s birthday. In the morning we all got a taste of breakfast in France with hot chocolate. Later we split into groups to shop and have lunch. It was really funny watching Hilary jump into the fountain while others in other group had fun jumping on the big trampoline in the middle of the park! In the afternoon we all met up at the beach where we just relaxed or swam in the water.
The Mercantour:
Via Ferrata was a new activity for everyone which we tried after leaving Nice. At first it looked really crazy because it is literally climbing vertically up a mountain wall attached on ropes and climbing metal bars. We had a lot of fun though and it was great to see those who had a fear of heights keep going. Then we went to our new campsite which was really cool because we were surrounded by mountains and had a river to hang out by. Later we went canyoning for the second time of the trip. It was a long, hot hike to the canyon with our gear on our backs but it was lovely to get in the water once we arrived at the canyon. This time there were more jumps into the water and more slides and swimming. Some of the jumps were nerve-racking but everyone cheered and encouraged each other to do it so it was fulfilling. “Little Buddy” the bag also came with us to hold our stuff and do the jumps. After canyoning, the next two days were spent in the wilderness on the border between France and Italy. When we got there we met our guides, David and Johanne. David was really cool with dreadlocks and a lot of knowledge about the area. We went on a hike and David showed us the different berries, plants and animals in the area and we ate blueberries and red currants straight off the bushes. Dinner that night was the best one yet because David cooked so well for us. Then we went to bed in tee-pees. The next morning we woke up at 6am for an all day hike up a mountain. Then we returned to our campsite and prepared to begin the final leg of our journey in Italy Europa…
Written by Britney and Elisa
July 11, 2007
Hola!!! Bold Europe 1
Posted by Nate at AAVE in : Bold Europe, General , 1 comment so far
We are in Barcelona- currently in the most amazing hostel known to mankind!! After spending about a week in some very nice camp sites, throughout France and Spain, the old mansion on the hill top, overlooking this amazing city, is very awesome!!!
After leaving Paris a week and a half ago, we drove about 10 hours in the pouring rain to beautiful Southern France. We all agreed that those 10 hours flew by due to the beautiful scenery and great conversations and music!
In Southern France we were surrounded by gorgeous fields and vineyards. Our first day was filled with excitement! We went river walking in spectacularly clear water, and then throughout that night we hiked (with out lights) up Mt. Ventoux. It was an amazing experience that built our individual character and ultimately created trust and true friendships within our group.
Once we entered Spain we immediately began our adventures. We canyoned this past Saturday, and rafted the whole next day. Our competitive nature came through in both of these activities, which made the activities that much more exciting! In Barcelona we swam in the Mediterranean Sea and explored the beautiful city the next day. There is only more fun to come, and we cannot wait!!!
Genevieve, Henslie, Killian