xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
EH Notebook #118 April 30, 2003
oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Welcome to EH Notebook, the e-zine where e-friends who have
attended Elderhostel programs can compare notes. Please tell
other Elderhostelers about the EH Notebook and encourage them to
subscribe. Reviews and queries are welcomed from all.
There is an independent but cooperatively maintained index to old
issues at http://members.aol.com/ehindex
To subscribe to the e-mail publication and/or to submit reviews of
programs taken send an e-mail to the editor, Bob McAllester, at
EHnotebook$A$earthlink.net
Please keep all correspondence in simple e-mail text format.
################################################
From the Editor's Notebook
################################################
This is a shorter issue than usual, but I am going to be gone for
a couple of weeks again and I want the materials that I do have to
come out on a timely basis.
Bob McAllester
EHnotebook$A$earthlink.net
################################################
Comments and Queries
################################################
N O T I C E
To use an e-mail address, replace the
3 characters $A$ with a single "at" symbol.
################################################
Has anyone taken the EH Copper Canyon train trip which starts at
the Davis Mt. Center...it is about eight days...Also, anyone taken
an EH in Montana where all those Falls are. Thanks,
>From Martha in Austin, Tx.
Martas773$A$aol.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A Summer Adventure On The Oregon Coast With Your Grandchild, #4745
We would welcome any information on this program sponsored by
Southwestern Oregon Community College/Coos Bay/On Campus.
Coordinator is Sally Hampton.
Please include the word Elderhostel in the topic of your reply.
Thanks!
Fred Mary Ann Boher
fmboher$A$hotmail.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Elderhostel Bike Tour
Los Angeles Times Travel Section April 27th latimes.com/travel
A report with pictures on an Elderhostel bicycle trip on Prince
Edward Island, Canada.
Shifting into low gear on PEI. Page L11
MSteinbrug$A$aol.com
Editors note:
I went to www.latimes.com/travel and did a search on Prince Edward
Island. I was informed that to read this article, I would have to
register. I made out a form with a lot of personal data and then
was able to access the article.
It is a good descriptive article. I didn't see any pictures.
################################################
Program Reviews
################################################
N O T I C E
To use an e-mail address, substitute
the "at symbol" for the 3 characters $A$.
################################################
Del Mar College/Corpus Christi, Texas
Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins Univ, Maryland
Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks, PA
University of Texas/San Antonio City Program, Texas
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Service Program - Texas
Del Mar College/Corpus Christi/USS Lexington Museum on the Bay
All Hands on Deck: USS Lexington Restoration Project.
March 23 to March 28
Having never been on an Elderhostel trip I decided that maybe this
would be a good introduction to their programs for me. I was
wrong. There were some good things - the hotel and the meals, but
the actual restoration which was billed in the advertising as
"Many times during the year the ship is visited by retired crew
members who often donate priceless artifacts to the curatorial
department; these items need to be catalogued, stored, and
prepared for display. The variety of needs will allow hostelers
to find tasks they are comfortable with."
I saw absolutely no items to be catalogued. The only work
available was scraping rust off guns on deck that were so large
tall ladders had to be used to reach the top of them, walls torn
down in the berthing area, heavy metal classroom chairs to be
washed, primed and painted and a children's poster to be prepared
- by two people. It was hot, dirty and very disorganized.
The one day I was able to work on the guns along with four others,
after we had scraped awhile, we were given only one can of anti-
rust proofing liquid to be shared among all of us. No suggestions
or directions on scraping the rust off these behemoths - and
that's sure not something I do in my everyday life.
The next day I tried to work with a couple of women who were
washing and priming the classroom chairs. One of the women (73
years old) had to climb down two flights of ship stairs to get
water in two buckets and then climb back up them carrying the
water. The volunteer in charge of that project failed to tell her
there was water available on the same floor she was on until the
last day.
Unfortunately by this time I was sick with an upper respiratory
infection and could not stay in that low ceiling room with all
the primer paint fumes. Maybe it was because I was so sick that
everything seemed so bad, but whatever, I don't think I will ever
go on another Elderhostel program of any kind.
I did talk to a couple who had worked on a Service project in
Honolulu and they said that was much better than the Lexington,
but after that they would never go on one of those again. If
you're thinking of a Service trip be sure to ask tons of questions
before you sign up. I didn't - just took their word for it - and
it was not a good experience.
Helen Bates
hbates01$A$aol.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Maryland
Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University/Baltimore
April 6-11, 2003
Operas:
Puccini's Madama Butterfly; Verdi's 'La Traviata'/'La Boheme'
compared; and 'The Marriage of Figaro
Preface:
The Peabody Institute Elderhostel is known as a "Super-site" which
hosts 96 programs a year and is sponsored by the Peabody
Preparatory not to be confused with the Peabody Conservatory of
Music arm of Johns Hopkins. According to the Peabody Conservatory
website, the philosophy of their Dean is 'that the world already
has a surplus of musicians with fast fingers... It takes a
broader knowledge of culture, art, and philosophy to really
understand what you are doing." To quote the Conservatory's
internet message to potential students, "We do opera', but 'We
don't do 'The King and I".
The philosophy of the Peabody Preparatory Elderhostel appears to
differ considerably from the Conservatory in their range of
program as they offer programs ranging from 'Dance on Broadway' to
Chopin and if my experience is indicative of other programs, it is
unrealistic to go to these Peabody Preparatory programs expecting
to be taught by Conservatory professors. They do appear to be
trying to develop the broader focus of the Conservatory though.
Review of the Opera program:
Program:
4 operas in 5 days afforded an opportunity to be refreshed on the
storyline interspersed with segments on videos, and this was done
well. The most important focus of the musical component of opera
got shortchanged in all but one of the classes, and that was in
Holly Thomson DeClaudio's class on 'La Traviata'. With the
limited time available, she attempted to explain and let us listen
and compare elements of the music through different productions on
CD. Overall, Holly's enthusiasm and ability to create a rapport
with the class was a pleasure to behold as well. Aaron Sherber,
another instructor, had the background to provide us with a much
more comprehensive view of 'The Barber of Seville' than he did.
However, he was quite willing and able to answer questions to
provide a more in-depth examination of opera but indicated that
there wasn't enough time to go into the music, so for the most
part, the focus was upon biography and the basic story line
interspersed with video segments. Aaron is an excellent lecturer
and discussion leader. The Peabody Preparatory Institute needs to
give him more of a challenge to develop a more in-depth opera
class for Elderhostel and pay him more to do it, if need be. The
comparison between 'La Traviata' and 'Boheme' within the context
of early and late Romanticism was the most unrealistic enterprise
given the time to cover this topic. Enough said! My feeling is
that the opera programs should be re-vamped to allow a more in-
depth focus on one topic so that the music itself gets more
attention. I think most of us can read the opera and see it on
video by ourselves.
Elderhostel Participants:
We had one of the nicest and most patient groups that I've ever
experienced at Elderhostel. This camaraderie probably developed
quickly because there were only 23 of us, but Holly helped with
her enthusiasm.
Amenities:
The Peabody refurbished an apartment building near the Institute
as a facility for Elderhostel several years ago. We found the
rooms to be adequate and the staff pleasant. However, Baltimore
experienced an abrupt change in temperature...from a high in the
70's the week before to highs in the 40's during the Elderhostel
week with nights in the 20's. Unfortunately, the heat had been
turned off for the Season. No heat and no hot water were
experienced by everyone one night and part of a day. Since we
arrived and stayed overnight a day early, this occurred on two
days for us. When the first scheduled lecturer didn't show up for
class, we all wondered what was going to happen next. These
problems were remedied...and we were offered a social hour to
compensate for all of the snafus.
Coffee and tea are always available in the lobby around the clock.
Food is served in the school cafeteria, which is not heated. It is
adequate for breakfast and lunch. Dinner could be improved by
offering tickets to a choice of nearby cafes and restaurants as
there are several within walking distance. Many of the
Elderhostelers took this option on their own...many on several
nights.
Free Recitals and The Walker Museum:
The recitals are a highlight of the Peabody program. We had a
choice of two recitals and sometimes three each evening. All of
those I attended were excellent. A free weekly pass to the Walker
Museum across the street along with a docent tour is also
provided.
Construction Project:
A review from April 17, 2002, indicated that there is a
construction project going on and recommended not coming until it
is completed. The construction project means more walking from
the 'hotel' to the cafeteria, and this could be a problem for some
Elderhostelers. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2003 with
an opening in April 2004. Overall, construction was only a minor
inconvenience for most Elderhostelers.
Summary:
This Elderhostel has just hired a new director who was there this
week but not yet in charge. They are going to be putting out a
Newsletter, and I presume making some other changes...as their
attendance has dropped considerably. Whereas, they used to have
40 per class and waiting lists, there were only 23 in our class
and 20 in the other class. Anyone interested in this program,
might want to get on their mailing list for the new Newsletter by
phoning 410 659-8100 extension 3085. As for going again, I'll be
"Staying tuned and seeing what changes the Peabody Institute makes
in their program before going to another one."
The program has a lot of strengths which need to be built on...and
I 'think' they will do just that. For me, the biggest focus aside
from basic comforts should be on curriculum development and making
sure that all instructors are not only adequate but excellent!
Mary Bankston
Bankston$A$rcn.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks
April 6-11
Philadelphia Sampler and Lifestyles of the 18th Century Rich and
Famous
This was a wonderful E/H, our 24th and very well organized. Ron
Avery, our coordinator, has written one of the guidebooks to the
city and is very knowledgeable. The other course instructors were
excellent also, the most entertaining being a man that came
dressed as Charles Wilson Peale and showed us slides of his
paintings of famous people.
We were taken by private bus and public transportation to
Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, an old Quaker meeting house,
Christ Church, the 18th C. Powel, Physick and Mount Prospect
houses, a Japanese tea house, the Seaport Museum, the Art Museum,
and walking tours of Olde City and Society Hill. Ron accompanied
us everywhere and had arranged for excellent tour guides at each
stop. We felt we really saw the historic Philadelphia and learned
about its history and famous people.
Our accommodations were at the Best Western Center City Hotel next
door to the Auguste Rodin Museum and on the bus line. Meals were
adequate, and E/H furnished two nice restaurant lunches out while
we were sight-seeing. Weather was atrocious - cold, rain and snow,
wind - but that was beyond anyone's control. We shared some
lectures with another Elderhostel group in the hotel which was
studying art. As always, the people we met were one of the
highlights of the trip.
Marty Scearce
scearcedg$A$kconline.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Texas
University of Texas/San Antonio City Program
We just returned from the San Antonio and the Hill Country program
(April 5-12). It was one of the best organized programs that we
have attended, with excellent presentations. It looks as though
the program listed in the Summer Program would be San Antonio: A
Closer Look at Its History, Culture and Traditions.
We had a very congenial group, housed in a Holiday Inn Express,
which was close to the River Walk, with restaurants walkable or
available on the trolley. The coordinators were always available,
and very helpful. We had not visited Texas before, learned a lot,
and would look forward to going again! Would have liked this to
have been a Signature City Program only to have had more up-scale
restaurants on the program. But, loved the program and would
recommend it!
Gene Betty Nunziati
elnunz$A$earthlink.net