Elizabeth Furnace Park - Front Royal, VA

One last fall outing.  No reservations, no real plans...just four or five days of enjoying life.  Packed and ready to go in less than two hours.  Into Fredericksburg for a Panera lunch....whoops...the whole point of the Panera lunch was to use the gift card that we forgot.

A beautiful sunny day for a drive into the Shenandoah valley.  The campground was one of those places...off the interstate to a divided highway to a two lane road to a one lane road to a small campground with no one there...just perfect for a little pre Halloween scare! Wait...I just saw a person  walking between the trees...it was just a hunter...I think... Definitely a lock the doors night.

Watched a scary Doctor Who episode...why are we doing this to ourselves?  Off to bed...it's a little cold and we forgot the duvet.  We have swears, and we never unpacked the sleeping bags from our Maine trip...of course we could just turn on the heat...but the fan tends to keep me up...as if I was going to sleep in the first place.

Home (10/9/16)

The day started out like any other travel day.  Bags packed and ready to go...to the airport with time to spare.  The plan is to get breakfast on the other side of security.  The line to check the bags is fairly long but moving until just before we get to the counter.  All of a sudden three families are at the only three check-in stations.  One of the families has been there for over an hour, the other two for at least half an hour, the line is growing, and nothing is happening.  Finally we check our bags, but with less than 10 minutes to boarding.  We have to get through Security and Passport control and get to the extreme far end of the airport (5th largest in the world).  We make it just in time, but no food...no potty break.  The flight leaves just a little late, but they can make up the time, we are next in line to take off....then it happens...there is a bag on the plane without an owner (possibly someone who did not walk as fast as we did, or took a potty break.  The plane heads back to some remote part of the terminal to pick up the errant passenger.  By now we are over an hour late when we get to Dublin.  Justin and Nathan's flight to SFO is scheduled 10 minutes ahead of ours so they say their goodbyes on the plane and scoot. We rush through the airport, through Irish customs, through security, through US Customs Pre Clearance.  Somehow we get the priority line (might be because I registered with the State Dept) but the kids don't...we waive goodbye, one more time as we leave the customs area.  Both our flights are in "Final Boarding" status.  Because there are so many stragglers, the flight gets delayed, but we are off to Washington (still no food or potty break).  We have no idea if the kids made their flight or not.

Airplane food never tasted soooo good!  We get to Washington, over an hour late, but the Jetway will not move...technicians are called to fix it...delaying everything for another half hour, which causes more people to miss their connecting flights (we're delighted that this is our final destination and we can take our time).

Of course, we can run through airports, but our bags can't so they got left behind somewhere.  The kids make their flight, but lose their luggage, as well.  Hopefully, we'll get our bags in a few days.  It was interesting to see how a single event in Amsterdam could have such a profound effect on the entire system.  All in all, a very angsty day....but in the end we all made it home safe and sound.

Sheraton Airport Hotel - Amsterdam, The Netherlands (10/8/16)

We said a sad good-bye to our Villa,  collected our security deposit and headed for Naples Airport. The ride was subdued...I thought it was introspection of a fabulous time together...but instead, apparently it was mounting nausea from the ride...just a little windy.

A farewell cafe americano and croissant with Nancy and Marie and we were off to Amsterdam. Checked into the hotel...a nondescript airport Sheraton (with only four hours of internet per room...a definite Trip Advisor moment)...a short train ride to Amsterdam Central...a fun dinner  of "New York meets Amsterdam"...really no idea what we were eating...but good (anything but Italian).



Then to Sherlocked, an escape room.  We had no idea of what we were getting into...the website says that you have an hour to escape from the room, using clues that you find scattered around the room.  I anticipate that our dear children will have this solved in 15 minutes and be ready to move on.  In reality it captivated us for the full hour...we escaped the room with less than 3 minutes to go.  Absolutely the most enjoyable hour I have spent in a long time.  Unfortunately,  I can say nothing about the experience without ruining it for someone else...a definite Trip Advisor moment.


Took the train back to the hotel, for a nightcap and a play-by-play review of the room.  Tomorrow we leave for home...it's going to be a long day.

Villa La Pistrice - Positano, Italy (10/7/16)

This is our last day in Italy, it's been a gorgeous two weeks.  Our plan is to take everyone to Capri, rent a boat and skipper and circumnavigate the island.  However, the weather is not cooperating.  Rough seas have canceled all ferries to Capri.  Justin and Nathan have decided to use the weather to their advantage to draw Positano.  Deb and I had found an interesting walk along the shore to another beach, west of town.  As we got there it started to rain..hard...it's 500 steps to the villa, and the stairs are becoming rivers...   Once we got back to the villa and changed our clothes, the sun came out.  The kids drew Positano from our balcony, dodging back inside as the little showers passed.  By 3:00, we got hungry and dropped into the Hotel Villa Gabrisa for a light lunch, overlooking the bay...then the wind picked up, and the rain picked up, and then we picked up and went inside to finish our lunch.

Our final dinner was at Vincenzo's, a little more upscale place that we had been meaning to go to.  It was nice to have everybody there for a final dinner.

Villa La Pastrice - Positano, Italy (10/6/16)

Justin heads to town for a shopping experience with Nancy, Marie, Bob and Michelle.  Nathan is not a shopper.  We decide to retrace one of our favorite hikes from Monte Pertuso down the mountain to Positano.  The bus ride to Monte Pertuso was the typical Amalfi ride...we're getting a little used to it, but Nathan decided it was the worse part of the trip, or maybe ever!  Lunch in the Piazza more than made up for it.

 We took a nice stroll back to Positano, stopped for a bit so Nathan could draw...meanwhile an entire troop of German Tourists with full hiking regalia passed us.

In town we bought all the fixings for a family dinner in the villa.  My most impressive score was asking for parsley in Italian and getting some from the secret stash!  Dinner was nice and plentiful.  Tomorrow we'll head to Capri, if the weather holds.

Florence, Italy (10/4/16)

Up early and out to the Cathedral to climb the 463 steps to the cupola on the dome of the cathedral.  It only took 20 minutes to get in.  Half way up you come out on a balcony inside the church, from here you can see the devil which is visible on the ground only from the alter.  The final climb goes between the inside of the dome and the outside.  Nathan explains that the outside is supported by the inside but has no comforting explanation for the cracks on the inside dome.  From here it's off to Uffizi (3-4 hour line....nope), then to the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens, then to some piazza for lunch (natch).  Back up 414 steps in the bell tower, over to the Bapistry....back to the apartment for a short break.

Okay, Justin has been talking about buying a leather jacket for a year, and now he has cold feet....so I set the bit, I feel the sleeve of a jacket on a street vendors rack..."Antelope," another "Water Buffalo," another, "lamb."  Oh wow, soft as "butter". He whips it off the rack and starts helping Justin try it on. Tan then Blue, Zippers then Straight, then the mirror, then the haggling, then the purchase.  All together, lass than ten minutes.  Off to the Medici Palace, then to dinner with Megan Hinkley at the Central Market.

We have seen as much as we can see and eaten as much as we can eat.  Tomorrow, it's back to Positano.

Villa La Pastrice - Positano, Italy (10/5/16)

Up early in Florence to catch the train...it's an easy trip to Salerno...then lunch in a piazza (of course)...ferry to Positano....short hike to the street and a taxi ride to the villa...

Our children started with moderate boredom on the the train, to amazement on the ferry, to abject horror in the taxi.

The rest of the family had visited Pompei and Vesuvious and arrived in time for cocktails.  Off to a fun dinner at our favorite little restaurant.

Florence, Italy (10/3/16)

It's Deb's birthday.  For her birthday she wants a trip to Florence, she wants to spend time with her children, and she wants to go out to a nice dinner with her husband...check, check,and check!

Turns out that most of the tourist type places are closed on Monday...but we get to see the outside, which may be enough.  The cathedral is open and we tour the inside...we try for a tour of the roof, but the line is 3 hours long...we'll try again in the morning.  Lunch in a piazza, off to Uffizi Gallery (closed), the Old Bridge (open), the Pitti Palace (closed), Church of St Cross (open), Medici Palace (closed).  Back to the apartment for a short nap.  On to the Central Market...to buy some food....no....it's actually a high end food court.  Wine, beer, cheese, meat, pasta, cookies...even squid ink rice balls.

But we have dinner reservation at some unpronounceable restaurant on some unpronounceable street, back to the apartment via the cathedral all lit up.

Florence, Italy (10/2/16)

We woke up to heavy rain and claps of thunder.  Deb's in the shower and the lights go out, then water starts pouring in under the door.  As I go downstairs to reset the tripped breaker, water starts pouring down the stairs.  Nothing seems to be horribly damaged.  We are heading to Florence to meet the kids...the ferry seems like a poor idea, so we get a taxi (€110).  Once in Florence, we have the direction to the apartment...it's sort of an Amazing Race experience...find a McDonalds, go straight for 100 meters, in the square take the alley to the left...find a number 34 under a portico.  It all worked and we are still in the race.

Florence has a specialty beef, made from the smaller section of a T-bone steak.  We ate dinner in a restaurant that had the speciality, but the smallest order was 24oz, which you split...we would need more people.

Off to the airport to get the kids...back to the apartment...they are on their 30th hour of travel and only want a shower and a bed.

Villa La Patrice - Positano, Italy (10/1/16)

Last day before leaving to pick-up the kids.  It's a little cloudy, but no rain.  We have decided to see Capri...Nancy and Marie are coming with us...Nancy says, "should I bring a sweater"....nah...wrong! It was cool on the ferry.  Of course, we had to take the Forniculare from Marina Grande to Capri (just in case you don't have Google nearby..a Funicular is two railroad cars attached with a cable so when one is going up the other is going down).  From Capri, which was at a min-max (like a saddle) with a nice cooling wind, we took a stretch covertable taxi to Anacapri, a little higher and a little cooler on a  plain.  We toured the historical part of town, eating lunch in a garden restaurant, with possibly the best pasta in the world.

Finally we took the chairlift (sort of kitchen chairs on a string) to the top of  cold Mount Solero.  Nancy and I had coffee at the top, which helped a little.

Down the chairlift...down to Capri in sardine packed Bus, down the sardine packed Funiculare, back to Positano belowdecks on the ferry, up the hills of Positano in a sardine packed bus...to our villa where Nancy immediately went to the stove to cook some delicious risoto and maybe to absorb some of the heat of the stove.

The Hinkleys returned from dinner and we had a nice little party in the dining room, until 10:00.  Brian and Allana were leaving for New Hampshire in the morning, and Megan was leaving for Florence, as were we.

Villa La Pistrice - Positano, Italy (9/30/16)

After staying up past 1:00, we were a little slow on the go.  Went to our little local grocery store for some croissants, but they were SOLD OUT.  Time for a quick back up plan!  We still had 4 huge eggs left over, so with some local bread, we made scrambled eggs with some fresh basil and oregano from the villa's garden (hopefully they won't take the pilfered herbs out of my security deposit).

We find an interesting hike....taking the bus to Monte Pertuso...which is just above Positano.

Monte Pertuso is known for a large hole in the rocks, just above the town.  After a lunch of stuffed zucchini flowers,  we climb to the hole (made by the Virgin Mary to prove her power against the devil - apparently the town of Monte Pertuso is protected by her, while the Positano is in the realm of the devil).

It's a fairly short walk down the hill, back to Positano, where we catch the bus back to the villa.  It's the same bus ride out of town with the u-turn on the mountain road.  All the Positano nubies are fearful that they are on the wrong bus, but old hand Deb assures them that things will be okay.

After a nice dinner with the Dalpé's, we return to the villa for another raucous evening on the veranda...to bed by 12:00...