RV travels around the USA
Before our son Ross left for his sailing adventure, the three of us tried an upscale restaurant and the food specialty the city of Florence is known for: Steak Florentine. We also checked out the huge city market, a place to either buy fresh meat, vegetables, baked goods, candy, and you name it! Then upstairs is one of the largest food courts I have seen with everything. And I mean everything.
We booked a local tour that left Florence on a small 18 passenger bus headed to two of the most picturesque small towns in Tuscany. The tour also included a stop for lunch at a small family run winery. This was a couple of weeks into our European adventure and the weather has made some significant changes. From upper 70’s and humid to highs at barely 60 and nights down into the 30’s. The short pants and t-shirts are now exchanged for warmer wear. We are continuing to enjoy the fall in Italy!
The top two museums in Florence, Italy are the Accademia and the Uffizi. Entry tickets must be purchased in advance or else wait in a super long line. The advance sales tickets were being booked out a week. So, we worked in a few other museums, visited the Cinque Terre coast towns and then it was time for these two!
Continue reading “Florence – Accademia & Uffizi Gallery”
It saddens me to write this post. We have lost a dear lady, Pat’s mom and my mother-in-law died yesterday at the age of 96. She has been in some declining health since this spring when she had to leave her home and go into a care facility. Within 10 months, I have lost both my own mother and now a lady who I always considered to be a second mom. In this post, I will share a few memories and photos. A small celebration of her life, if you will.
Continue reading “Pat’s Mother”
Pat and I are continuing our European adventures along with our son Ross. In this post we spend the weekend with some more museum exploring in Florence and then catch the train to the west coast of Italy for three days exploring Cinque Terre. This is five small and very scenic towns that hug the rugged, rocky coastline and are connected by a very popular hiking trail.
Continue reading “Florence Museums and off to Cinque Terre Region of Italy”
Pat and I are now well into our almost two-month European trip with a visit from our son Ross. My plan is to get my blog up to date in the next 2-3 posts. We are having a great time but at the same time on a relaxed pace since we have plenty of time to explore.
Continue reading “And We’re Off!”
It is nearly fall as I write this update. The nights are now much cooler, and the daytime temps are not high enough to run the A/C. It is a very comfortable time of year. Pat and I are preparing for a major international trip in a few days and then of course we will leave for Florida after the holidays. So, a very busy fall for us. In this blog update, I wanted to share our rather low-key summer. It was great, but nothing too exciting! So here is a summary:
Back in June, Pat and I had the great privilege to see our daughter Audrey marry a fine young man, Brandon. We are both very happy for this young couple. In this blog post I will include a few photos from the wedding as well as some of my reflections on this memorable event. When it is your only daughter, you know that it will be something special!
It is now the middle of the summer, and the hot and humid days are lingering like an unwelcome guest. Even here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, we get into the upper 80’s for a few weeks. And nights only cool off to a very humid 70 degrees. We did have the remnants of hurricane Debbie meander through and dumping a few inches of welcome rain. As usual, I wonder how we are already well into August, and I still have many to-dos on the list. Oh well, some may remain there next year to keep me occupied! On to the blog!
Continue reading “Back Home in Virginia”
We recently had a visit from both of our sons and our daughter-in-law. A slightly early Christmas gathering on the warm sunny island. Unfortunately, our daughter could not make this trip due to some college coursework she was completing. It was great to have them here for a week to see the island sites, take a few hikes, eat many meals, have a few drinks, and walk the beach admiring the many beautiful sunsets.