Handel Travels

Cruisin'!

2010-12-07T14:24:00.007+11:00

Here's where we went:

Had lots of good food:

Parked in some tight spaces:

Had to "tender" to get to land once:

... to go zip-linin'!!

Maps:

All aboard!

2010-11-22T05:35:00.000+11:00

Pete skis the Matterhorn... Julie goes hiking...

2010-09-12T13:05:00.005+10:00

Okay - just under the Matterhorn - not down the face... but we do have video evidence...

He also skied in "Italia" but the GPS was recording "Svizzera" at the time...

Meanwhile, Jason, Natalie, Julie and Leo go hiking.

And Sabrina too!

We stopped for lunch at a little place with a little view.

They also had great places to lounge :)

Night in Zermatt

2010-09-11T23:56:00.002+10:00

No cars here - but the electric shuttles are deadly!

We had a great view of the Matterhorn from our room!

Yes we will always remember this as the trip that Leo discovered fries!

Drive to Zermatt

2010-09-11T22:47:00.001+10:00

This was the route.

Another view of the "wine country" portion of the route. Lakeside vineyards = double beauty.

We took a few pictures...

There were a few wineries to choose from on the path we walked.

This is a tasting room we visited. Who can say no to VinoRAMA :)

We all enjoyed some wine at lunch - okay Leo's was water but he did an excellent job drinking from the wine glass (with a little help).

A Day in Geneva

2010-09-10T22:40:00.001+10:00

We took a boat from the Horawaths to downtown :)

It was a great ride!

We had great Chicken and Calvinus beer at a local spot.

Pete visited the local Apple store :)

Visiting Chamoix

2010-09-09T22:20:00.001+10:00

The drive was spectacular...

Leo didn't stick with us to enjoy it long...

We passed "Area of Passy" - I guess kids their really like their pacifiers. Leo would enjoy living there.

Sabrina enjoyed the ride up a little more fully than Leo - head out the window and all...

We took a train, then a gondola, saw spectacular views of the glacier, walked through an ice house in the glacier, had a meal in a restaurant overlooking the glacier. Great afternoon!

Walking through town was spectacular - God's beauty is unescapable here!

We grabbed a beer on the way back to the car at a fun place:

We had dinner at Le Denieu in Sciez - it was extra quant.

Leo was having a rough night so Natalie gave him some extra snuggles - it cheered him right up.

Geneva Switzerland and Visiting Jason, Natalie and Sabrina

2010-09-08T21:14:00.001+10:00

We're so excited to spend a few days with Jason, Natalie and Sabrina discovering Geneva and the surrounding area. Leo is already over the moon because there will now be a canine around 24/7.

He was also impressed the with the local goats, sheep and donkeys...

Dorint Resort & Therm in Freiburg

2010-09-08T06:03:00.001+10:00

We had a great time at the Dorint Resort - it's connected via and underground tunnel to a Therm (natural springs water resort) that we enjoyed two days in a row - we are spoiled now!

The resort also had a wonderful buffet breakfast that we all enjoyed - especially Leo, who is busy mastering the art of the fork.

German night on the town... Er our hotel lobby

2010-09-07T21:13:00.001+10:00

Things are different when you travel with a kid. This time we scored with a room whose door was visible from the lounge action. We even have our baby monitor going - only cute peeps so far - keep your fingers crossed :)

Yes that is "fußball" on a big screen in the background. 3 goals and I'm still breathing - only for the cultural experience - or for spending time with my Alicia :)

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Leo enjoys hotel buffet breakfast

2010-09-07T20:21:00.001+10:00

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Location:An den Heilquellen,Freiburg,Germany

Exploring Freiburg

2010-09-07T18:15:00.005+10:00

We walked around town in a light evening drizzle. Fun!

They still have 5$ (er €5 which is a bit more) but they're trying...

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Location:Weberstraße,Freiburg,Germany

Kebab a la hotel room...

2010-09-07T18:13:00.001+10:00

Leo likes döner, kebab that is - not donner party...

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The way things ought to be...

2010-09-07T17:55:00.001+10:00

Women's parking places... This is the life!

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Location:Weberstraße,Freiburg,Germany

Breakfast on the road

2010-09-06T09:45:00.002+10:00

Dinner in paradise

2010-09-06T04:30:00.001+10:00

Dinner our first night in , well we didn't make it all the way into town but we stopped at the first restaurant that we saw and it was great!!!

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Walk in the German countryside...

2010-09-05T23:45:00.002+10:00

My niece and nephew, Matthea and Markus, are very fast runners.

Some of us are not so fast... Especially with a babe in tow.

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Puppy love

2010-09-05T23:26:00.001+10:00

Luckily many Germans like dogs, this has kept Leo entertained in a few serendipitous situations.

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Cafe käfer

2010-09-05T22:28:00.002+10:00

This is the second time we've visited this great cafe overlooking a German agricultural valley speckled with quant nestled villages. They specialize in cakes and coffee shakes :)

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Cousins!

2010-09-05T06:27:00.001+10:00

Can't wait for a retake in a few years- I'll have to bulk up a bit to keep this going for long...

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Another picture from the besen

2010-09-04T06:28:00.002+10:00

Blogging from iPhones is tricky half the pics are on pete's phone and the other half are on mine... Sorry for the discontinuity - life without proper data connection is rough!

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Gifts for the Hettingers

2010-09-04T03:53:00.001+10:00

We went with to a local winery called a besen in German which seasonally offers local Swabian food. We took the festive opportunity to present some of the American treats we had brought over.

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Friend cousins

2010-09-03T21:04:00.000+10:00

Lukas is the cousin closest to Leo in age - only 4 months younger. They had lots of fun together!

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The Cousins had fun

2010-09-03T20:03:00.001+10:00

This is the lovely walk up to the Hettenger's front door. Germans take such pride in the immaculate cultivation of their outdoor spaces.

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Time for a family self-take

2010-09-03T19:13:00.001+10:00

We still have the knack for it!! All three faces clearly visible - still working on the smile on command from Leo.

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Yes, we are still all about the food

2010-09-03T06:26:00.003+10:00

Here we are with our beer and flammkuchen. Love the biergartens!

Where's Leo? He was fast asleep (or at least playing quietly)
off camera in our awesome travel tent from the Sauders. Thanks guys!!

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All this travel makes Leo tired!

2010-09-03T03:56:00.001+10:00

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Wunderbad

2010-09-02T14:27:00.007+10:00

The Hettingers have a fabulous local pool. Leo had a great time on the water slide and in the baby swim area...

Cutsie Whootsie

2010-09-01T06:26:00.002+10:00

The baby is fading fast but I love when I catch glimpses forward or back...

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Playing

2010-08-31T18:17:00.002+10:00

Inside, outside - the world is so big through their eyes!

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Bike-ride through Winnenden

2010-08-31T06:25:00.004+10:00

We took a lovely Bike-ride through he Hettinger's town. I love europe - a fantastic bike path wove it's way though town.

What - a picture of you??? Hehe blogging from pete's phone now...

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Playground fun

2010-08-30T23:43:00.001+10:00

This little playground is right around the corner from the Hettingers in "Tuscany" (a local Italian styled development)

All the cousins together.

How is it that when you're having the best time you're looking your worst - this swing has done a reverse lipo on my thighs.

Plane ride #1

2010-08-30T07:52:00.003+10:00

Volume of sleeping pictures is proportionate to our joy at this happening rather than reflective of the portion of time relative to other less restful activities.

One of leo's new hobbies is "feeding mommy" - wonder where he got this idea for a game!?!

Our Travel Map

2010-04-13T05:20:00.001+10:00

I thought I had lost this but was suddenly able to log in and update it again!

Yay!

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Royal Coastal Walks: Evening repast

2010-02-20T19:00:00.000+11:00

Incredibly tasty marinated lamb, complete with Australian beer & wine, replenished us weary travelers.

Royal Coastal Walk

2010-02-20T15:00:00.000+11:00

We then took a stunning 2-day hike down the coast ... incredible!

An Ultimate Good Time!

2010-02-18T19:00:00.000+11:00

Pete got a chance to play some pickup Ultimate Frisbee in Manly, Sydney!

Churros!!

2010-02-16T16:12:00.000+11:00

Self take over choclate shake :)

2010-02-16T14:26:00.000+11:00

This is a swingin' beach!

2010-02-16T12:23:00.001+11:00

Leo diggin' the beach

2010-02-16T11:03:00.000+11:00

Half my kingdom for a passie :)

2010-02-14T21:11:00.000+11:00

Aussies got it right!

2010-02-14T21:07:00.000+11:00

Visiting friends

2010-02-12T21:18:00.000+11:00

We're staying with our friends the Corkins in Melbourne. The dads
looked awefully cute with their sons in papoose mode :)

Crocodiles!!

2010-02-11T08:00:00.002+11:00

Kangaroos!! (warning 30 sec limit exceeded!!!)

2010-02-11T07:57:00.000+11:00

Koala Time!

2010-02-09T20:02:00.000+11:00

Swimming by the bay...

2010-02-09T19:38:00.000+11:00

Throw another steak on the barbie Leo!!

2010-02-09T19:37:00.000+11:00

Walking around town...

2010-02-09T19:33:00.000+11:00

The bridge...up close and personal

2010-02-08T11:10:00.000+11:00

Even mcDonalds is better in Sydney

2010-02-08T11:09:00.000+11:00

Breakfast continues...

2010-02-08T07:17:00.000+11:00

We we're at breakfast at 7... Apparently that is not very Australian
as we were the only folks there at sydney's #1 rated restaurant.

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate!!!

2010-02-08T07:12:00.000+11:00

Wish you were here Amers!

Are we in Europe??

2010-02-07T19:31:00.000+11:00

French for lunch, German for dinner... Where are we again??

The bridge and opera house... Check, check

2010-02-07T14:33:00.001+11:00

The train

2010-02-07T09:54:00.000+11:00

First he hid in fear...

Then he warmed up and was happy...

Then hunger set in... I can relate...

Battle stations!!

2010-02-06T16:01:00.001+11:00

Operation Australia commences.

Visit to AZ to see the Formicas

2009-10-13T16:25:00.000+11:00

We had a great time with the Formicas. One of our outings was a trip
to the local Oktoberfest celebration :)

Aloha Hawaii!

2009-10-09T08:22:00.000+11:00

Leo left his heart on the sandy shores...

On the boat...

2009-10-08T10:23:00.001+11:00

Leo and Pete ready for the shuttle boat to the uss arizona memorial

2009-10-08T10:22:00.000+11:00

Visiting the uss arazona memorial

2009-10-08T10:12:00.000+11:00

Crowd around the cocoanut...

2009-10-08T10:10:00.000+11:00

Mom holding the frisbee in paradise

2009-10-08T10:09:00.001+11:00

Leo at the china man's hat

2009-10-08T10:08:00.001+11:00

My new baby friendly beachwear...

2009-10-08T10:07:00.000+11:00

Omi comfort post swim...

2009-10-08T10:02:00.000+11:00

Schwimi, Schwimi

2009-10-08T10:00:00.000+11:00

Leo and his traveling companion...

2009-10-04T08:12:00.000+11:00

Amy brought along a friend for Leo to play with - 'flat bridget' is here for a first grade school project, it's been very educational so far :)

Out our hotel entrance

2009-10-03T11:57:00.001+10:00

The other side of the cars is beachfront :)

On the water

2009-10-03T09:25:00.001+10:00

Mom, Amy and I misusing the surf board to relax in the water :) our
hotel is the tall tower on the left... We're on the 32nd floor!!!!

Ready for the beach...

2009-10-03T07:23:00.001+10:00

Our very own washlet for a week...

2009-10-02T17:07:00.000+10:00

We've been laughing at the website for a few years, now it's time to
experience the product for ourselves... No more 'distributing the
problem' :)

Only the costco in Hawaii

2009-10-02T14:41:00.000+10:00

Leo enjoying dedicated omi time :)

2009-10-02T13:35:00.001+10:00

Our traditional apple stop :)

2009-10-02T12:52:00.000+10:00

Off to Hawaii

2009-10-02T12:50:00.000+10:00

Hawaii '09: Day 10

2009-05-05T16:59:00.000+10:00

Left our dream house early, and drove down to visit Pearl Harbor:

Then had a tasty brunch at Kapiolani Coffee Shop, hit a neat beach close to the airport called Sand Island State Recreation Area, and then caught our flight back home.

Hawaii '09: Day 9

2009-05-04T13:23:00.000+10:00

Last full day in paradise! Even though this was a Relax-day (we alternate Activity and Relax days), we decided to try one last event - boogie boarding! Now, to find the perfect boogie boarding beach ... After visiting and rejecting the Turtle Bay beach (waves were too small!), we decided to hit Sunset Beach near Haleiwa, the "Surfing capital of the world". Some waves were pretty big (4-5'), but nothing huge like on TV :-)

After laying out a bit, hunger got the better of us, so we drove into Haleiwa-proper, looking for grub. We stumbled on a farmer's market - yay! - where we got tomato & fresh-stretched mozzarella pizza, and crepes for dessert. Yum!

A short drive away, we found the "Wiki Wiki Java" coffee shop (more of a stand), and sipped a tasty iced mocha.

Traffic was pretty heavy driving back, so Peter read a chapter or so of The Prodigal God, while Julie drove. We had such a good time, we kept driving, discussing, and reading all the way down to Chinaman's Hat beach park (aka Kualoa).

Julie: Thanks for providing my camouflage outfit for the day Judy - I fit right in with all the other babes :)

Hawaii '09: Day 8

2009-05-03T16:59:00.000+10:00

Went to Waimea Falls:

Hung out at Waimea Beach. Ate at Ted's Bakery. Relaxed at home. Yum!

We found a little buddy to hang out with us :)

Hawaii '09: Day 7

2009-05-02T16:59:00.000+10:00

Made yummy croissant-wrapped-sausages and sweet croissants for breakfast:

Read and relaxed for a bit, and then headed back to our favorite beach: Goat Island.

Came back, swam in our pool, relaxed more. Pete played guitar.

Went to bed. Life is rough! :-)

Hawaii '09: Day 6

2009-05-01T16:49:00.000+10:00

Today was an "activity" day. We started out the day by heading over to the Dole Plantation...

We took a walk through the fields out back and found some baby pineapples :)

On our way back we stopped at the famous "Giovanni's" crab shack.

And a fun lookout over Waimea Bay....

From there we headed out to the Polynesian Cultural Center - here are some extra pictures just for you Ruth :)

Pete threw spears:

We got tatoos (don't worry mom, they wash off)

took ukulele lessons

played the polynesian version of shuffle board...

We both watched hula dancers on floating rafts.

We also saw the "Horizons" show - which was fun. We I was exhausted at the end of the day :)

Hawaii '09: Day 5

2009-04-30T16:59:00.000+10:00

Today was our relax day. We started out with breakfast:

And moved on to an enjoyable day reading and lounging! We had so much fun we didn't take any more pictures ;)

Hawaii '09: Day 4

2009-04-29T16:59:00.000+10:00

Up early, off to Hukilau Cafe for some authentic Hawaiian fare.

From Handel Travels

God poured extra awesome on Goat Island. Absolutely gorgeous white sand beaches + completely deserted = totally awesome. We waded across this corral reef:

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To find these beautiful spots:

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Julie wasn't feeling so great so we settled in for an afternoon of 24 and baked brownies in a 2 qt stove pot :)

Later we took a drive up the coast and saw these beautiful sites/tastes:

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From from that side of the north shore the sun sets over the ocean :)

Hawaii '09: Day 3

2009-04-28T16:59:00.000+10:00

Up early! We made it out of bed shortly before sunrise, so we took the 30-second walk to the end of Laie Point, and watched that beautiful globe ascend into the sky.

From Handel Travels

Next, it was off to grocery-ville, named Foodland here in Hawaii. We could have walked, as it's a pretty big shopping center at the other end of our street, but our purchases would have gotten the better of our carrying ability, so our trusty steed was saddled with the goods instead. Pete quickly worked our purchases into a lovely breakfast:

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Today is our lounging around day! We lay by (and in) the pool and worked on our tans.

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Lunch was Hamburger Helper (Hawaiian style), and for dinner, we walked to the same Foodland and picked up a loaf of French bread, cheese (they didn't have any artisan cheeses, so we settled on a shredded cheddar & mozzarella), and tomatoes. Early to bed again, right after a short sonnet played on a guitar graciously provided by our host.

Hawaii '09: Day 2

2009-04-27T16:59:00.001+10:00

Climbed out of bed :-) and rolled poolside for the free continental breakfast. Chatted with a nice older couple from Georgia. Then, headed out to Waikiki Baptist Church for a nice hour-long contemporary service. We then took a quick trip to Urgent Care, and discovered that Julie had a minor bacterial infection.

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After stocking up on groceries and antibiotics, we set sail for the North Shore, with lots of beautiful roadside views/foods on the way.

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We checked in to the Ocean View Paradise in Laie. What a great place!

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We put our stuff away, and started our search for grub: Peter's hunger fell victim to a giant yellow truck hawking shrimp, and Julie's was bested by a roadside chicken curry stand.

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Yum yum! After such tasty fare, sleep was in order, and we willfully complied to a severely early bedtime.

Hawaiiii '09, here we come! Day 1

2009-04-26T02:01:00.000+10:00

It's Saturday morning, time to ship out! Plane leaves SJC @ 9:10am, direct to HNL, yipee! Flight was uneventful, although Hawaiian Air is rapidly becoming our favorite airline to fly - free meals, friendly crew, and lots of nice small touches (like flowers in the bathroom!).

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After landing @ 11:30am, we quickly mounted our Budget-supplied trusty grey steed (Ford Contour), checked in at the hotel (Aqua Palms Spa), donned beach attire, picked up sandwiches, and BOOM found ourselves on the beach, soaking up rays, at 12:59. Woot!!

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We lounged around the ocean for a bit, then shifted over a few feet to the gorgeous (even from space!) Hilton Lagoon:

Waikiki is wonderful - the beach is great, the people friendly, and the water is very clear. We ran into lots of friendly tourists, and chatted with one couple for quite some time, gleaning tips as they looked back over their highlights.

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One theme keeps emerging from everyone we talk to: Go to the Polynesian Culture Center - a Polynesian version of the Epcot Center.

We headed back to our hotel to relax for a bit, and then it was off to dinner at Duke's Waikiki, a short 15-minute walk away. The walk took us down Kalakaua road, by the huge Spam Jam 2009, and by the amazingly well-situated Royal Hawaiian Apple Store. Dinner wasn't bad: Maui-onion soup, chicken & steak teriyaki kebabs, and a crazy ice cream "Hula Pie":

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After dinner, we took a short detour to Chip and Cookie - a new venture by the Amos who started Famous Amos cookies. Then, Pete threw his sneakers in our car, and we both jetted off in search of an Ultimate Frisbee game Pete found at the Ultimate Players Association. Pete: "It was a blast! Some strange things like horizontal stacks were interesting, but even without cleats, it was a fun and fast game."

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NYC-Boston Day 5

2009-04-13T04:11:00.000+10:00

After a tasty breakfast chez Saylor, we're off to Church (with the prerequisite Dunkin' Donuts stop). Fun service, with the pastor giving great reasons for the resurrection, and with the congregation belting out the Hallelujah chorus.

An hour later, we're back on the Freedom Trail. Historical museum after oldest house in America after tasty tourist-trap (but still amazingly tasty) food court after canoli and cappucino, we feel like we've gotten a good high-level overview of Boston. It was time to head home - thanks for the great memories Formicas and Saylors!

NYC-Boston Day 4

2009-04-12T16:59:00.000+10:00

Phil's breakfast was a crowd-pleaser, as usual - yum! Eggs a la maison, fresh fruit, and fun fellowship were on the menu, and each was perfectly presented, providing sustinence for the rest of the day. We then saw some amazing stuff on Harvard's campus: an exquisit glass flower exhibit, the 300k+ ft2 main library, and the history-seeped campus square.

We ended up lunching at a student favorite burger joint: Mr Bartles Burgers.

The continuing rain drove us to explore the warmth of a few local bookstores, each brimming with character. Dinner was a few hours later, at a tasty Betty Boop-inspired noodle place. The SS Snoozer set sail shortly thereafter, bringing back refreshing sleep from a far away land.

NYC-Boston Day 3

2009-04-11T16:59:00.000+10:00

Last day with the Formicas :-( Wesley was in a great mood, and Pete took a turn playing father :-) Yummy lasagne encore for brunch, then packed our bags and headed out to the Bolt Bus.
Ah yes, the Bolt Bus. We actually really liked it. However, what promised to be a svelte 4-hour wifi-enabled breeze from NYC->BOS, ended up being a 5.5 hour slog through traffic (broken wifi, PTL for tethering!), with one quick pit-stop at a pizza and burger joint. I'm so glad we didn't have to drive, and you can't beat the price ($18 per person per way)!
Laura picked us up right at the bus stop, and her pick-up timing was impeccable. After a very short but sweet city tour, we sat down to a tasty lasagne dinner with the Saylors, along with a fun bottle of vino. Then, it was off to dreamland- we chartered a huge & very comfortable queen-sized air mattress, and shoved off almost immediately.

NYC-Boston Day 2

2009-04-10T16:59:00.000+10:00

The next morning we slept in and meet little Wesley after his 3rd feeding for the day. What a cutie! Ru's mom made us eggs and we chilled for a bit. Quiches were on the menu for lunch (Ru's mom was really working the kitchen!).

Ru packed the little guy up in her new carrier and we took a tour of the neighborhood. What a fun area! The view on the waterfront was fabulous and Long Island City seems to be putting a lot of money into great amenities like streetside parks, grassy knolls on the river, soccer/baseball fields. We were back to the apartment for another feeding.

That night, we supped in the SoHo district, and stumbled into a really cool restaurant that had only been open for 2 days. While they definitely had quite a few kinks to work out, the food quality and atmosphere were top-notch, making for a memorable evening with great friends.

Afterwards, we braved a new New York trend - rice puddin'! - in the "Rice To Ritches" incarnation. After sampling a few flavors, we decided the neighboring Pinkberry was more our speed.

NYC-Boston Day 1

2009-04-09T16:59:00.000+10:00

Julie and Geri picked Peter up at work, on the way to SFO to catch our 3:15 flight to NYC. The flight was great we had good seats next to the stewardess staging area and even got first class fresh cookie left overs :)

We arrived in NYC and took a very curcuitous taxi ride (Pete had prenegotiated the rate so we're baffled why this happened) to Matt and Ru's place. We had yummy homemade lasagne (Ru's mom was in town and keeping the Formica's awash in yummy dishes) and crawled into bed.

Anniversary Celebration in Sonoma

2008-09-14T14:23:00.000+10:00

Pete and I had a getaway overnight this weekend (yes we are back already, one night really cuts down on the hotel bill :)

We took off a daring 1 hour before 5 PM and found the commute grand until little old Sausalito. But that was okay, we had a few eating/delaying options up our sleeves thanks to Yelp. We finally landed at Avatar's Restaurant. It was a really fun experience. Then to make sure we really avoided the rest of the traffic we enjoyed a coastal stroll and went to see "Bottle Shock".

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We found a great little B&B thursday (yes I was a little delinquent on the planning... had a few things going on). Creekside Inn & Resort was an awesome place to stay. We woke up a little earlier than the B&B's 9:30 breakfast time :). Being up to early was a first for us. We even had time to explore a local redwood grove!

Breakfast was divine! Red bell pepper and corn strada, and an assortment of homemade scones.

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Then we were off to see the wineries. Here is us with an indecipherable Russian River behind us:

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First stop was a little winery suggested by the B&B owner: Porter Creek.

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After that we visited Arista.

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Followed by Twomey.

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Where we were inspired by the art.

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We then had a barrel tasting (thief and all) at Zichichi.

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And then stopped in at Quivira. We splurged on a wine barrel top lazy susan. I'm so excited to use it.

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Our final stop of the day was Seghesio Family Vineyards.

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We were so impressed we joined the wine club and signed up for the food and wine paring.

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It was such a lovely day. On the drive home we hit up a Thai food restaurant and got a 1/2 Gallon at Mitchell's.

Oregon with the Bernard and Sue

2008-09-01T14:55:00.000+10:00

We flew up to Oregan to spend a week relaxing with Bernard and Sue. Our first night we stayed with Scott and Elisa in their beautiful home in Corvallis.

From Snooling

Then we were off to our final destination: Canon Beach... here are Pete and I in front of Haystack rock - the third-tallest monolith in the world!

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Here is another one with Bernard and Sue.

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Bernard and Sue looking cute...

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We took this killer hike... I know it doesn't look hard but it was steep!

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This tree was interesting looking.

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The views were breathtaking.

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On of the highlights of our trip was lunch at this cool little culinary school called EVOO. YUM!

From Snooling

It was such a lovely time!

Camp in Michigan With Family

2008-08-19T14:47:00.000+10:00

We had an awesome time up at Portage Lake Bible Camp with Pete's side of the family. Why camp in Michigan you ask? Pete's sister Susanne and her husband Michael have been planting a church in Germany that has a sister church in Detroit. Being the frugal lot that we are a camp was the cheepest source of Lodging, food and entertainment that could be had so they asked around at the church and they suggested Portage Lake. We had a blast! Here is some evidence.

On the bigger lake (lake Michigan)

From Snooling

Mami looking stellar

From Snooling

Susanne, Michael, Matthea and Marc

From Snooling

I was so excited to pick blueberries while we were there... Matthea totally bested me a the picking contest, I could barely pick one without eating two :)

From Snooling

We had so many fun hours sitting out on the camps deck just chatting and watching the kids play in the littler Lake Portage.

From Snooling

It was so fun guys!

Day 17 – Homeward bound

2008-07-28T16:28:00.000+10:00

Caught a bus at 7:30 this morning to Munich airport. Sad that the trip is over and a Long plane ride is ahead of us, but we will be glad to be back home.

From Moldiva July 08

We almost missed both of our flights! We were so relieved to have made it onto each aircraft!

From Moldiva July 08

It was so fun to see Hillary reunited with her little ones!

Day 16 – Gmunden Day 4

2008-07-27T16:27:00.000+10:00

Our last day of R&R we actually made it out of our room before 10 today, enjoyed a nice leisurely breakfast on the terrace overlooking the lake with our fellow teammates. We deceided to take the Gondola and lake hike despite the thunderous forecast. It was breathtaking.

From Moldiva July 08

Lots of fun and fellowship along the way. After the hike we engaged in various leasure activities, reading, journaling, napping etc till dinner time. That evening we followed the established MO for dinning accommodations. Carmen shared her story.

Day 15 – Gmunden Day 3 / Salzburg

2008-07-26T16:24:00.000+10:00

The next morning we left with Mark and Hannah to enjoy a day in Salzburg. We stopped along the way to pay a visit to Mondsee Chapel where the wedding in the Sound of Music was filmed.

From Moldiva July 08

We walked through the town and along the lakeshore. Once near Salzburg we visited the two mansions that served as the respective back and front views of the hollywood Von Trap family.

From Moldiva July 08

Hannah and I did lots of renditions of “I have Confidence” and “Do Ray Mi”.

From Moldiva July 08

We then made our way into Salzburg proper and explored the gardens there…. Yet more frolicking and musical reenactments ensued.

Pete and I split off to peruse a used German bookstore and sit in a local café. We rejoined Mark and Hannah for a lovely dinner and a capstone classical concert to top off a magnificent day.

From Moldiva July 08

The ride back to our hotel was a chronicle of Showtunes… Mark and Pete are such troopers. Pete and I utilized the hotel sauna before bed and slept marvelously as a result.

Day 14 – Gmunden Day 2

2008-07-25T16:23:00.000+10:00

We slept so soundly that we missed the 11 o’clock cut off for breakfast. So thoughtfully our team mates had prepared some plates from the buffet for us and Pete and I ate them in the “upper room”. It was our day to relax and Pete and I started by renting the little electric boat and tooting around the lake.

From Moldiva July 08

It was sooo fun to see all the beautiful houses with private docks and beautiful gardens right up to the lakeshore. We headed back when the sprinkles became a little much for our little nautical canopy. When we got back we found Rares and he drove us into town. We looked at the German bookstore and picked out a bunch of books to buy. After that we met up with the rest of the group who had visted the woodcutters house and were now finishing up a visit to the pottery shop. We picked up a few gifts to bring back home and visited a few shops and the grocery store on our way home. Dinner was again nice and we had a private room in the back of the restaurant all to ourselves. We again retired to the “upper room” to eat dessert and hear Rares’ story. It was a fabulous evening together.