"Amazingly, they loved it," she said. "Even the 7-year-old."

University Provost Harvey V. Fineberg '67 will also travel overseas, as part of a two-week visit to Southern Africa with his wife. The excursion is a travel and study program sponsored by the Harvard Alumni Association.

"This will be our first trip to the region, and we are really looking forward to it," he said.

The trip will begin in South Africa, and continue through Botswana and Zimbabwe. Fineberg said he is particularly looking forward to visits to Chobe National Park and to Victoria Falls and traveling along the Rovos Rail.

But while University officials said they enjoy their getaways, they also said they return to full inboxes and plenty of projects to be completed.

"The work of University Hall continues, even though the summer allows us to shape plans for the coming year, and to catch up on a myriad of neglected projects," Knowles said.

And even while traveling, Knowles said, it is difficult to escape entirely.

"There are always College issues cooking, but in these days of cell phones, fax machines, and email, I never really get very far away from them," Lewis said.