Packing...

Tomorrow we come home...and although you have to turn your head to see this picture, we wanted you to see the view from our apartment where we have watched countless gondolier trains go by...I think today we counted 19 at one time. Their happy voices, or singing...or guitar playing is very hard to leave. There has been lots of giggling, EATING, good vino and reading.

We would stay...but Stubie broke a chair in the apartment indicating he has REALLY had too much pizza...so we need to go.

So for now...ciao from Venice for 2009.

4 Days and No International Incidents.

Buon Giorno! It is Friday here in Venice. We could be out enjoying the city in an open air gondola, listening to an accordian player and tenor singing O Sole Mio in the key of f sharp, BUT we are inside in an internet cafe typing. Ah...this must be how the jet setters really live.

We went to Murano island where highly skilled Italian artisans blow hot glass into ashtrays and paper weights. However, rather than to view these experts at their craft, we had a beer and watched old people walk by. Really, once you have seen a glass gondola in one shop, you are pretty much an expert at it. Every shop, except for the Yamaha shop (tell me why that was there), had identical glass products in their windows. So, we bought a window instead.

I made fast friends with a gondolier. We sang James Bond music together and made bicycle horn noises...Robin hated it and threatened suicide. But as luck would have it, we arrived at the end of our journey - JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME!

We will be coming home soon, so I must go and enjoy mid 80's weather, the smell of tomato sauce, the smiles of my 3 girls, and the smooth flavor of some pretty darned good vino.

Ciao.

Stubie...

Good Morning from Venice!

We've been on the move non-stop since we arrived in Italy. After the leaving the airport we had to take a bus and a vaporetto (water bus) to get to our appartment. After settling in (sorta) we went out to get something to eat. Let me tell you how hard it is to find BAD food in Italy. We think it's impossible and we hope to prove that hypothesis correct. So far we've been to the Rialto Bridge and market to shop for fun things for us and our friends and we had the great privelge of calling Bank of America twice (four times if you count the three times dad had to call). It's been a pretty great trip so far and we can't wait to see what's left to come.

-Dani :)-

CHEERS from London!

We made it! VERY weary from the trip....lets just say American Airlines has scooted the rows so close together that you can smell the person in front of you's breath!

We hit the ground running to the Tower of London...and then capped the night off by seeing Wicked. It was amazing! Riley is still talking about it today and asked if we could go again (at 40 pounds each...uh...we won't be going again).

Today we saw all the sights - London Bridge, Big Ben, Changing of the Guards, Covent Garden, Carnaby Street (where the girls learned some things about the red district), Westminster Abbey, and way more that I can't remember.

We're headed back to the London Eye - London's version of the Texas Star...will have a quiet dinner and prepare for our trip to Venice tomorrow.

The camera keeps freezing...so I'll load a pic or two when we get to Venice where I'm not using the hotel's computer.

Right now we're taking a little rest... Stubie snoring on the bed while the girls play gameboy and giggling their heads off.

So for now...

Cheers from London!

Graduation Day!

Ms. Dani Doak....now an official Freshman. :)

Our Trip

Our trip begins tomorrow afternoon! We are celebrating Dani"s graduation she is in 8th grade.We are going to London for 2 days and we are going to Italy for a week. This summer is going to be the best. We are a family of travelers!

Riley