Summer Madness Continues

I don't have much time, but I wanted to let (the dozen) of you know that we're not going to be very accessible for the next two weeks - we'll be learning Italian in Florence! I got back from the States on Thursday. Ryan, Jeremiah and I went to Alpe d'Huez, France on Friday and Saturday (see picture above - Ryan and Jer completed a pretty grueling leg of the Tour de France). And we returned yesterday to pack and leave for the next few weeks. Little crazy.

Ryan doesn't think we'll have internet in the Florence apartment, so there may not be multiple posts while we're there, but I"ll try my best. I'll really try to post pictures of the temporary accommodation... it's a studio, really cheap, and I'm a little nervous. So those pictures should be interesting. We'll be in Italian class the first half of the day, then out galavanting. I hope to squeeze one more mini vacation to he south of Italy over the weekend, trying to take advantage of the fact that we're already in Florence (the Southern cities shouldn't be too far).

Have to run... we are literally catching a train in 30 minutes. AGGHHH!! Wish us luck.

Home and Away

Ryan and I are in different countries... I took my sister back to the States, and he stayed behind in Switzerland. There are three things on my must accomplish list: catch up with friends/family, eat my way through the city, and shop 'til I drop. I've been in since Sunday and I've managed to put a dent in all three.

I've had a snow ball, eaten Rocky II at Sake Cafe, bought Mock Chicken Salad at Whole Foods, and boxed brownies. These may seem ridiculous to some of you reading, thinking the list should be more sophisticated, especially considering I am in New Orleans. However, all of these things are craved at some time or another when I'm away. All that's left is Bill's crawfish pie and dobash cake from Poupart's.

Bizzy and I spent the day shopping on Magazine Street. REALLY big dent there.

Meanwhile, Ryan's at work, anxiously awaiting our friend Jer's visit on Saturday. I meet them in Milan next Thursday. Although they may not recognize me... I'll be 5 pounds heavier and much better dressed.

Happy Birthday Ryan - Switzerland Salutes You!

Today's a big day... it's the Swiss National Holiday (their version of the 4th of July) and Ryan's birthday! He turns 29, and we've been celebrating all weekend. Yesterday, we rented a boat and FINALLY got out on the lake. I've been wanting to do this for a while, and it totally lived up to my expectations. Ryan was the only one brave enough to get in the water (too cold for me and Bizzy). We drove around the mountains, packed a lunch, and sunbathed on the small deck. It was perfection.














Last night we went to our favorite restaurant, sat outside, and enjoyed the BEAUTIFUL weather (which is cool enough to need a sweater in the mornings and evenings, yet really warm during the day). Ryan ordered the house special, which was a huge stick of spicy, delicious meat.


Today we stopped by a bakery on our way home from church. According to the advertisements, if you don't eat this holiday bread on the 1st of August, you're not really celebrating. We have a lot to celebrate, so we got two.


We've opened presents, so all that's left is to make dinner, bake the cake, and go watch the fireworks being set up in the center. Not too shabby, having the whole city celebrate with you. I hope Ryan likes it, because it's really hard to do birthdays away from home. Those of you who emailed me birthday messages - THANK YOU - made his day.

I can't compete with his birthday post to me, so I won't even try. Let's just say, I'm REALLY glad he was born.

Best Vacation Ever

There's no real way to sum up three weeks of vacation, so here goes.

First, let me introduce Mary and Greg. They are long time family friends who came along for the ride.


We started in Florence, and it was HOT. Here's Mom, Mary and Greg trying to cool off in the sliver of shade provided by a lamp post. Do you see that green tarp behind them providing a lot more shade? They didn't see it.












Even the stray animals tried to beat the heat. This is the first in a series of "cats in a plant box." Can you see him in there? It's not easy, unless you're trained animal finders like us.














We hit lots of museums in Florence (the renaissance history there is amazing). The bridge behind me and Bizzy has a private passageway built on top of the storefronts (you can see the small row of square windows at the top)... that was so the Medici's could walk from their house to their offices without encountering the public.














We walked up LOTS of steps to see the top of the city. It was worth it.














Our next stop was Cinque Terre. It was hot there too, but luckily a swim in the Mediterranean made you feel a lot better. We took one after a pretty grueling hike. The views were unbelievable.

























After Cinque Terre we moved on to Lugano, and tried to slow down a bit. We spent one day at the beach and another on a boat to Bellagio. We never get to have family over, so a dinner at the apartment was high on the list as well. It did not disappoint.



From here, we moved to France. The first stop had our jaws dropping... the beautiful vineyards of Puligny-Montrachet.




We rented bikes one day. The plan was to stop at each little wine town, pack a lunch in our bike baskets, and just enjoy the scenery. Success! Best day of the trip for me. The sky was rediculously blue, and everywhere you looked was green.




The rest of our stay in Montrachet was just as nice. We had a tasting dinner. I was determined not to let any wine go to waste, which was ridiculous. I think they poured about 14 different types... lots of glasses on that table.



The next night was a dinner with more courses than we could count. They all looked this pretty... even the snails.























The rest of our time was spent walking around the cute little town. It just kept getting prettier.
















Next up - Amboise. The highlights here are the hotel (to the left) and the castle (to the right).














And here's a view OF of our hotel, FROM the castle. It ties the whole thing together.




We found more animals and a another bar. Surprise, surprise. The dog's name is Olga and she HATES hot air balloons. Which, unfortunately, Amboise has a lot of.



















Now, for the piece de resistance - Paris! We hit all the must sees... the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Musee d'Orsay, Notre Dame, the catacombs. The result? WE WERE EXHAUSTED!




After the second day, we needed a break. Everyone split up, had no specific agendas, and REALLY enjoyed themselves. Me, Mom and Bizzy went shopping. We walked around the cutest area, stepped in any shop we wanted to, and stumbled upon what are quite possibly the best macaroons in the world (ice cream is pictured - there were lots of desserts involved). Bill and Ryan walked around an equally attractive neighborhood, and went to the mecca of all kitchen stores.


















We found even more animals...






We spent our last night revisiting the Eiffel Tower. It might be touristy, but it sure is fun. At night, you just lay on the lawn and wait for the lights. Then, if you're really excited about your time there, you buy tiny towers an put them on your head. Don't knock it till you try it.


















All in all, it was an amazing vacation. Pretty hard to come back to an empty apartment after spending all that time with family and friends. Good news for us is that it's not too empty - Bizzy stayed behind! And we've been loving every minute of it.

We're on Vacation!

You probably won't see a post for a while... we've been in Italy, are now playing in Switzerland, and are heading to France on Thursday. Can't wait to fill you in.

We Got Giant Spaghetti

Happy Independence Day

Guess who we spent it with? The English! We realized the irony too late. Next year, we'll tell them to come wearing red coats and beating drums.