O, Blog Reader, today is the day!   Some of you probably thought the whole trip was a fiction to make our little organization seem more international and cosmopolitan, but the proof is in the pixels — please see below!   (Note:   the email that I received from Nick suggested that there was more than one picture attached, but we received only this one — many apologies to parents of students on our Tuscany trip not depicted here!)   More on TSA:   when I talked to them whilst the group was preparing dinner by the shore of Lake Trasimeno, Nick reported that the group enjoyed their best day yet today — great riding, and much more moderate as they followed the lake shore for much of the afternoon.   He said that they enjoyed an amazing multi-course meal at their agriturismo last night — lots of homemade penne, farm-raised lamb, and a berry pannacotta that should probably be illegal…   They’re back in the hill country tomorrow as they wind there way through the famous Crete region and into Siena.)

In the “Groups we did not get pictures from” category:

• Our Downeasters are camping for the second night on the islands off of Stonington, Maine.   They’ll be off of the water tomorrow afternoon, so I hope to have an update for you tomorrow night.
• Our Caribbean Service Adventurers are doing very well and headed offshore to Vieques tomorrow.   We heard from Wyatt today, he said they had a fantastic final day of service in the rainforest.   The day was capped off with a ceremony where the Forest Supervisor personally presented each student with a certificate thanking them for their service.
• Our Capers have left the cobblestone streets and draped sweaters of Nantucket for the Cape proper, they’re back on the mainland and making their way up the arm of the Cape.
• We spoke briefly with Hannah and Shem’s Coast to Quebecers today — they had rocked their miles and were hanging out by the Pemaquid lighthouse early this afternoon.   We were told ice cream was in the works.
• Finally, Andy and Danika’s Pacific Coasters similarly crushed their miles today, even though it included some substantial hills.   Andy sent a text saying that despite the 500-foot climb, “spirits are as high as our summit.”   (Excellent use of simile in a text message, Andy!)

To the pictures!

TSA – The long-awaited Tuscan Service Adventure picture — missing lots of people and in an unknown town, but it is a picture, dang it!   More to come, I promise.

VH — Jillian and Sam took to the woods today, hitting the Long Trail for five days.   We’ll try to post an “After” shot when they hit the northern trailhead, too!   (Note:   we’re not likely to hear anything from these guys until they come out of the woods — no news is good news!)

CQA — continuing with our backlit theme, here is Laura and Pat’s group leaving Pemaquid in the gorgeous early morning sunshine today.

VM — Rachel and Mason’s intrepid Vermont to Montrealers made it to the shores of Lake Champlain this afternoon and were enjoying a rather intense mini-golf game this afternoon.   Here are two of their crew enjoying the post-lunch repose before finishing the day’s miles.

PCB — I am not sure what it is about the air out west this week, but it is making for some weird photos.   Here’s a select number of Anna and Lucas’ crew doing their best aluminum eagle impressions (or Karate Kid ending kick impressions – you remember, Ralph Maccio was down but not out and, after taking all of the “wax on, wax off” lessons to heart, he wallops the big blonde bully with that special kick he practiced on the dock pilings.  But I digress…).

MSA — David, Anna, & Co. were working at the Helena Food Share where half of the group was organizing food and while the other half helped to spruce up the property.   David said the weather was breezy today, but clear and beautiful.

ACC — Bonus ACC day — two pictures!   Here’s our dauntless crew tackling one of the long slow rollers in Georgia.   They have a much-anticipated day off of the bikes tomorrow that will be used to rest sore legs, resupply at the local bike store, and eat — a lot.

After they got in yesterday afternoon, there was apparently time to work on their London 2012 Synchronized Swimming group routine.