Journeys for the mind, heart and soul, continued...

“The pace was excellent, the attention to detail great,” she notes. “We actually went into peoples’ homes and became immersed in the culture. We didn’t do the ‘touristy’ things. We definitely went off the beaten path. We don’t tend to be tour-type people, so this was new for us, and we were not disappointed.”

Having brought along her three children, Reichheld says she also appreciated “a really good balance” of fun and education, as well as the overall tone of the tour—which was intentionally a classroom at times—but not strident or overreaching.

“The scholars added another dimension, but it wasn’t over anyone’s head,” she continues. “Susanna (the Italian scholar) is a passionate art historian. She was so knowledgeable about Italian history and art—she brought something unique to the experience.”

One day in a restaurant in the Roman Forum “surrounded by incredible history,” Martin had lunch with Reichheld and her children.

“And, all of a sudden, he’s on this dissertation about gladiators,” she says. “Battles, swords, the whole thing—he really sparked the kids’ interest and got them to see (the vacation) as an incredible learning experience.”

Once in Tuscany, the group stayed several days at the Relais alla Corte del Sol, a small hotel outside Cortona, which is a converted monastery—touring local places of interest. In Arezzo, a modern Tuscan town, the participants first visited the archeological museum in the Roman amphitheater and then went to see an early Renaissance church with frescoes of The Legend of the True Cross.

The group traveled by bus and van, visiting Roman, medieval and Renaissance sites along the way, and even the homes of the Italians they met and with whom they shared meals.

Mark Holowesko ’82, who made the trip with his wife, Nancy ’84, was particularly impressed with how the trip’s itinerary blended culture and history with contemporary Tuscan life.

“ Tuscany was a special place, and it was fun to be with the Italian people we met there,” he says. “The history of their homes was staggering. We visited a little castle, owned by an elderly woman. Having lunch there, you realized that there was probably nothing in the house—none of the furniture, none of the paintings—that was younger than the United States.”

In the homes of local Tuscans, the group was welcomed with conversation and meals, adding an exquisite dimension to the trip—traditional Tuscan food. The participants were invited to the villa of a local Tuscan woman for wine and hors d’oeuvres, a tour of her home—and, then, a lesson in making picci, a Tuscan pasta.

“The villa was magnificent,” says Deb Reichheld. “Her husband was a sculptor. And there was a big room with his work all around, as well as boards and tables and aprons set up for everyone. We made pasta, and they cooked it for us.”

“We had expert instruction from a picci master,” says Martin. “Her name is Pia, and she has been doing this all her life. She was 70- or 80-years old, with hands and wrists like Hercules and the touch of an angel. She was a magician. Most of us managed to get a lot of flour on ourselves and the floor, but Fr. Brooks’ picci came out pretty good.”

The group bonded as the trip unfolded, sharing memorable experiences, conversations, elegant pasta dishes and wine.

“The people were as much fun and interesting and enjoyable as the whole Tuscany region,” says Holowesko, who knew several of the other participants from his Holy Cross days. He also praised the small size of the group as another strong point of the trip.

“I don’t think I would’ve gotten as much out of it if there’d been 20 couples versus 10,” he says. “Spending a whole week with Fr. Brooks was a treat. It was a nice way of combining vacation with knowledge and seeing some old friends.”

“I think when the trip was over, people could say they knew Tuscany rather than they saw Tuscany,” says Crimmins, who feels that the Alumni Travel/Study Program has gained momentum, given the success of the Tuscany tour.

Based on his time in Tuscany, Martin says that there is interest in future Holy Cross journeys that would bring together intellectually vibrant and adventurous alumni who have a real sense of joy on a trip, where they can learn and have fun. And eat very well.

Alumni will soon have that opportunity.

“We’re going to Portugal next spring,” says Crimmins. “That’s where the Jesuits got on board the ‘Age of Exploration’—which was the result of the scientific endeavors of the time, and spread their values through the Far East and the New World. We are very fortunate that Fr. Brooks is going to travel with us once again. And that Janine Shertzer, the Anthony and Renee Marlon Professor of the Sciences at Holy Cross, and the past chair of our physics department—and a renowned quantum physicist in her own right—will join us. They will explain the roles science and religion have played, and continue to play, in our personal lives and communities. And we will enjoy chatting and dining with them in the beautiful country that is Portugal.”

Maria Healey is a freelance writer from Northampton, Mass.