How I Spent My Summer Vacation 2008, By Cameron Baker

This is the heading we'll be reading next August after Cameron spends three weeks in France, Italy and Greece as a student ambassador with People to People.

We got the call last night that Cameron has been accepted into the People to People program (along with the cost of the trip, of course), and he's really excited about it. We first learned of the program last summer when several kids we know went to Austrialia, New Zealand and Fiji with P2P. We are excited for him, too, and realize it's really a great opportunity for a kid his age to be able to travel to Europe and see some of the great sights they have lined up, like:

Greece

• Visit Epidaurus, famous for its well-preserved 4th Century B.C. amphitheater.
• Walk through Athens and take in the majestic Acropolis. See the Parthenon and Erechtheion.
• Enjoy a performance of traditional Greek dances at the Dora Stratou Theater.
• See Mt. Olympus, the mountain where the ancient Greek Gods were supposed to live.
  Tour the arena where the Olympic Games first took place in 776 B.C.
  

Italy

• Make an excursion to the ancient city of Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius’ most famous victim.
  Rome, Italy
• Explore the Roman Forum and Coliseum.
• Visit the world’s smallest state and the home of Catholicism, the Vatican. See St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel.
• Learn about the Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain.
• Explore the renaissance city of Florence.
• Examine Michelangelo’s statue, David, and other works of art inside the Accademia Gallery.
• See one of the most famous buildings in Europe, the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
• Visit the beautiful city of Venice and take a ride on a gondola on a watery canal.
  Stay with a host family for three nights

France

• Take the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and get the best views of the city.
• Walk through the famous Latin Quarter and see the Notre Dame Cathedral.
• Explore the magnificent Château de Versailles. Built during the reign of Louis XIV, it was the seat of the royal court from 1682 to 1789.
• Go on a guided exploration of one of the most important art collections in the world, the famous Musée du Louvre. View the principal parts of the museum including the Mona Lisa.
  

Sounds like fun, doesn't it? That rat fink!!

Over that next couple of months we'll be thinking of creative ways to fund raise for the trip. The first fundraiser will be a Parents Night Out on Friday, December 14 when Cameron and Annalisse will run a babysitting program for a few hours so parents can go Christmas shopping (or just out for an adult dinner). Other ideas we're kicking around: a raffle and asking friends, neighbors and relatives to donate their cans for the 5 cent donation. Cameron also plans to get a part-time job when he's 15 (I think there are some jobs out there for 15-year olds).

Hats off to the world traveller!