That's basically how I remember learning it. The Wikipedia article mentions that also, but only after one of the children who apparently had visions from God a

That's basically how I remember learning it. The Wikipedia article mentions that also, but only after one of the children who apparently had visions from God and said the Mediterranean Sea would part into two and leave a path (sort of like the Red Sea for Moses) for them to march directly to the Holy Land...when that failed they settled on hitching a ride on ships from people who turned out to be slavers.