Travel

Our next outing was to Luino, a short boat ride across the lake. We had been advised to go on market day. According to our guidebook, market day is Wednesday. As we mused whether the day could have changed since the book was written in 2006, M noted the market has been held since 1541. We decided market day likely hasn't changed in the last 4 years. s loved the trampoline bungie jumping experience.

On the boat.

Olives at the market.

Preparing to jump.

Waiting to return.

The next day, we set out driving south to Isola Bella, a small island on Lago Maggiore. Isola Bella is covered by the Palazzo Boromeo and its gardens. The structures were built in the 1600's by Carlo III as tribute to his wife Isabella. The island was simply breathtaking. The palace and gardens were beautiful and the white peacocks were a sight to behold.

The experince was added to favorite things to see in Italy (granted my travels there are not extensive). My other two favorites are the Bernini sculptures at the Villa Borghese in Rome and the anatomic wax models at the museum of La Spectola in Florence.

On the boat.

Approaching Isola Bella.

s eating gelato with the ducks.

Gazing out the window of the palace to the garden and lake.

Fountain.

A boy...

a girl..

Taaadaaa!

We were guessing this is Zeus.

The road up to our house, the uppermost.

Evening view from the balcony.

On Friday, back to Freiburg. A delicious dinner at L and M's. A few last cuddles with s-chan. I had to remind her I can only read the english books. Saturday was HAPPY BIRTHDAY Nana with some shopping, a trip up the Munster steps and lunch in a courtyard at a Spanish restaurant. Then goodbye and a train ride back to Frankfurt to catch the plane home in the morning.

One last fountain.

The top of the Munster.

Inside.

One more.

Still silly.

Chillaxin', like a seasoned traveler.

Travel

On day 3, the Sunday grocery shopping encouraged me to add a few more italian words to my very limited vocabulary. A walk along the lake front included s's very first gelato - caramel. A definite hit. Our walk included a trip to the park and beach.

We took pictures at all the fountains.

On day 4 we took a drive into the mountains. We saw many cyclists on the busy narrow roads, making their way up the mountain. We drove on roads which at times narrowed to a single lane, through tiny villages with houses clinging between the road and a steep drop down the mountainside. We had lunch and gelato in a mountaintop village, then made our way back the long way around, our driver hoping for less treacherous roads.

A fountain and ice cream.

Big bird says hello to the ducks.

Mango gelato

s was very curious about what could be behind the little door in the side of the clocktower.

A tiny exibition, 7 cars and 2 motorbikes on Sunday morning at the base of the clocktower.

Travel

I treasure the luxury of living so close to my most of my family. I love that my children have such close contact with their grandparents and all the other relatives who come home to visit. My brother, L, his wife M, and my 2 year old niece are not in such fortunate close proximity. So, last summer when they visited, we hatched a plan for a trip to Germany to visit and vacation. L and M kindly found a vacation destination and itineraries were formed. We decided to fly to Germany, pick up our European family, then drive through the Swiss alps to Cannibio, a small town perched on the northern shores of Lago Maggiore in Italy. Lovely!

Because of L's school break, we missed the last few days of school. K was unwilling to miss the fun filled finale and so she and S stayed home. s has never been to visit Europe, so we were quite excited about the trip.

Day 1 was an uneventful day of travel to Frankfurt. s enjoyed his first McDonalds in the Dallas airport. He decided the food was definitely worth all the hype. After landing in Frankfurt, we took the train two hours south the Freiburg, the beautiful town where L and M live. After sleeping the afternoon away we took a quick trip to the park and had dinner with two of L's friends. German salads are some of the best I've ever had, grated beets, yum!

Waiting for the train. Silly sweet super s.

L came to meet us.

Cousins, getting reacquainted.

s plays for us...

...and takes a bow. With such musically talented parents, I think the are many more bows in her future!

Day 2 was our day to travel to Italy. We loaded the big van and took off through Switzerland, through Zurich and finally through the Swiss Alps. The views were stunning and almost unbelievable; snow covered mountains melting into dramatic waterfalls descending to a pale green river, the landscape dotted with ancient castles, rustic barns and brown cattle.

s and Nana, ready to go!

Our FEARLESS driver!

We arrived at our vacation home, driving up hairpin turns to a mountain side house overlooking town, cathedral, lake and mountains.

investigating.

super silliness sometimes rubs off.

We had dinner in a lovely ristorante, bathed in golden light, listening to old Rolling Stones and David Bowie. Debate ensued over the difference between panna cota and creme brule. The verdict, not much.

remember

I don't feel like I have a particularly good memory. I remember the stories that are told in our family and facts I need to know for daily life but something specific needs to happen for information to go into my long term memory vault. If someone asks what happened the year I was 5 or when a movie came out, I have a hard time bringing up those details.

Stories, the well-worn stories turned over and over, sifted and shared like precious gems; those, I have many of. The stories of childhood, S's and my engagement, s's and K's births and countless others are told and retold. I remember times I have said to myself, remember this, this moment. Unless that moment is part of a story, though, its usually gone with the other electric signals that pass through and don't get stored in the vault. The telling of a story or the keeping of a journal or a blog helps me remember treasured moments I don't want to lose.

Yesterday when K and I went shopping and she slipped her hand into mine, I froze in the way I would if a (non-threatening, adorable) wild animal suddenly climbed on my lap.

I held my breath and said, remember, remember, remember.

My 12 1/2 year old is poised between child and woman. She retreats to her room after school to listen to music and text her friends, hisses at me not to kiss her as I walk her into school and can get herself on the bus in the morning. She probably won't be reaching for my hand much longer.

s, eight, still regularly holds my hand and loves his parents' company. I routinely wonder when he will decide he prefers sleeping in his own bed as opposed to ours. (I asked him a few weeks ago if, when he is married with kids of his own, he and his whole family will sleep in our bed. His response was emphatic; MOM, I'm NOT getting MARRIED!) (I'll be telling that story at his wedding, if he ever has one.)

I know many parents dread the signs of their kids growing up. They cry secret tears at the first haircut, the first lost tooth, the first day of kindergarten. These milestones have always been cause for celebration in my heart and I have been glad to have been spared that sadness. While I these days fly by with anticipation of the next event, the specter of the kids graduating and going off to college has reduced me to tears since they were born.

We live a block from the college dorms. One August weekend every year, the street are clogged with vehicles of parents dropping off their children for the first time. The kids always ask, why so much traffic, Mom? Then, are you OK, Mom? as the tears stream down my cheeks. The event I dread most has always been so far away, but of course creeps ever closer.

A few months ago, I realized maybe I don't have to be sad about them going off to college. Perhaps I can use the next few years to reframe this event so that I can be as excited about them going off to college (as excited as they will be) as I was about them going off to kindergarten.

So, this entry today is to remember the day we walked hand in hand and K, without being prompted, said thanks for taking me, Mom three times. Another in the string of precious memories to keep forever, and to pull out and treasure anytime. Another beautiful day to appreciate, this time, this place and not fear what is to come.

Spring break 2010

Ah, spring break! The day finally arrived, and our troop was ready to fly to Nevada where Nana and Papa spend the winter on a friend's ranch.

First, a few days in las Vegas. K and Nana got pedicures.

We saw a performance of Cirque du Soliel-Ka.

We took a plane to the Grand Canyon then a helicopter to the bottom.

Roger that.

Relaxin' on the Colorado river.

s and Kathy, ready to ride.

On a windy day, a trip to Hoover dam.

The coolest park ever! s winds his way through the (faux) topiary maze.