Tour 2006

For twelve days in January of 2006, the Bubs traveled to two cities both rich with culture and fun: Istanbul, Turkey and Athens, Greece.

While in Istanbul the Bubs performed for various audiences. Some included a Tufts Alumni Association event at a social club in Roberts College and a performance at the Sarnic Hotel in the old city of Istanbul for friends of the hotel and the Deutsch Consular General of Istanbul. The Bubs were greeted by alum John McCarthy (B'68) who, with wife Aylin, took them on a few great adventures.

Istanbul is a city full of amazing sights and stellar places to go, and the Bubs took full advantage of that. They toured the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Grand Bazaar, and the Galatta Tower. The Bubs also learned what it was like to live as a Sultan in the Ottoman days by taking a tour of the Harem at Topkapi and Dolmabahce Palaces. The group also enjoyed a day spent on the Bosphorous River ending on the Asian side of Istanbul overlooking the Black Sea – this being the first time the Bubs have set foot upon Asian ground. The finale to Istanbul was spent in a Turkish bath – something everyone should experience in their lifetime.

Our incredible tour continued from Istanbul to Athens -- another city immense history. One of the first sights the Bubs saw was the Acropolis -- what a beautiful thing to see, positioned atop what was once the center of the Western world.

In Athens, the Bubs had many unique opportunities to spread our tradition of "fun through song" – a Tufts Alumni Association event, a show at Athens Backpackers Hostel, a special performance at a hospital for young children ill with cancer, and an event at American Community Schools for over five-hundred students.

The experience of being in Athens, one of the oldest cities in the world, was truly remarkable. Our thirst for learning took us to many historical areas: the Bubs toured the Acropolis with a professional archaeologist, visited Zeus' Temple, hiked up Lykavittos Hill, and marveled at the Archaeological Museum. They also took a tour of a local winery and enjoyed daily the wonders of Souvlaki. All in all, it was a great tour for everyone. The group finished their last night in Athens in a restaurant overlooking the entire city, then headed off to the airport for the trek back to Tufts.