Quinn with one of the Gargoyles that Victor Hugo describes in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"
Monday, June 25, 2007
At the Top of Notre Dame
Quinn with one of the Gargoyles that Victor Hugo describes in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"
Hunch Sighting #3
After climbing about 400 stairs to the top of the tower at Noter Dame we saw this...
Hunch Sighting #2
While passing "Rue Victor Hugo" we stumbled in to this... a face that even a mother could not love.
Whistler's Mother/Crew's Mother
Paris.Crew's mother with Whistler's Mother, during Crew's daily mobile nap.
Check back soon for Hunch photos, we have been reading "Hunchback of Notre Dame" at night to the kids.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Favorite Swimming Hole
Swimming hole Italian style, Vernazza, Italy's Cinque Terra. We spent all day here. We swam, relaxed, had a picnic, lots of cliff jumping and just hung out all day long---super fun. All the kids jumped like crazy. Fish did the big cliff. Quinn did the big one a million times. Maia took a while to get the guts, then jumped off the big cliff. The biggest cliff I have ever seen a 7 year old jump. Some Italian lady was worried sick about Maia sitting at the edge of the cliff---she though I was a crappy parent letting her do it. Maia did it, said it was easy. Love the swimming Euro style!
Americans in Paris
Sorry about the long silence, it's amazing how fast a day goes by when you're trying to fit everything in, the daily chores and seeing ang going everywhere you have planned- especially in a group of 6. Without backtracking, let me give an update of where we are right now, then fill in the blanks with pictures and stories later when we get to the Ream's house in Denmark and getting online is easier.
We have make it to Paris! The weather is a little chilly and rainy- but that's because we just came from the Cinque Terre in Northern Italy, hot, sunny and beautiful.
Our first intro to France wasn't a good one. We parked in a rest stop on the side of the autostrada about 150 km outside of Paris to sleep for awhile. While we were sleeping we were broken into (creepy). Luckily all they got away with was the cell phone, Quinn's purse and Steve O's pants (with belt). The robbers grabbed the backpack with the laptop in a sneaky side zip compartment (thanks OGIO! you make great bags), didn't find the laptop and left it in the woods next to the RV- thank goodness! 1500 photos of our trip so far are in that computer, among many other things. We learned an important lesson there- never pull over to the side of the road to sleep!
So, we got extremely lucky, we won't do that again. Bottom line- we don't have a cell phone. Email us if you need to get in touch.
We went to the Eiffel Tower yesterday, wandered around a bit, then went to a free local production of Les Miserables in the Versaille area where we are staying. I think the kids liked it although they don't speak French or really know the story, I wasn't very helpful because it's been so long since I've seen it. Steve O and I were loving that the whole thing was lip-synced to the soundtrack. It was good silly fun.
We have make it to Paris! The weather is a little chilly and rainy- but that's because we just came from the Cinque Terre in Northern Italy, hot, sunny and beautiful.
Our first intro to France wasn't a good one. We parked in a rest stop on the side of the autostrada about 150 km outside of Paris to sleep for awhile. While we were sleeping we were broken into (creepy). Luckily all they got away with was the cell phone, Quinn's purse and Steve O's pants (with belt). The robbers grabbed the backpack with the laptop in a sneaky side zip compartment (thanks OGIO! you make great bags), didn't find the laptop and left it in the woods next to the RV- thank goodness! 1500 photos of our trip so far are in that computer, among many other things. We learned an important lesson there- never pull over to the side of the road to sleep!
So, we got extremely lucky, we won't do that again. Bottom line- we don't have a cell phone. Email us if you need to get in touch.
We went to the Eiffel Tower yesterday, wandered around a bit, then went to a free local production of Les Miserables in the Versaille area where we are staying. I think the kids liked it although they don't speak French or really know the story, I wasn't very helpful because it's been so long since I've seen it. Steve O and I were loving that the whole thing was lip-synced to the soundtrack. It was good silly fun.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Breakfast
Breakfast at camp, Flaminio Village, Rome Italy.Picnic lunches.
Dinner at camp (usually pasta) or pizza in town if we are out late.
the RV.
by Maia
We got our rv in Rome. We slept in the parking lot
at the airport in Rome. The next day we went to Italy. We
started at Sorrento for a few days then we went to
Flaminio village we stayed there one day longer then
we were supposed to, then we are heading to
Tuscany.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
rome if you want to...
We have been in Rome for 4 days. The campgroung we are staying in is just outside of the city, about 15 minutes by train, in a shady quiet campground. The bathrooms are the kids favorite because there is a special bathroom just for kids. They call it "kiddieland". The whole place is kid-sized, tiny toilets, sinks, showers and tubs. All super deluxe tile and multiple shower heads. Very cool.
Yesterday we wnt to the Vatican Museum, to see some art and definitely the Chappela Sistina. When we finally made it to the famous chapel we had mazed thru hours of museum and everyone was a little feisty, especially Fischer- not really appreciating the art. The Sistine Chapel was jam packed full of tourists, guards shhing people, and busting folks for taking pictures (supposedly not allowed, but everyone was doing it) Maia and Steve O had made a plan...to pull out her semi-loose tooth while in the Sistine Chapel. They started trying to wiggle it out right away. Crew, just woken up from a fabulous nap in his stroller was looking around, getting mauled by the other other kids as usual. Quinn is craning her neck trying to get a good look at the ceiling. Me- reading the guidebook trying to get my bearings on all of the walls, panels, ceiling. Fischer asking me when we are going to go. Maia now crying because she really wants to loose a tooth in the Sistine Chapel but is scared to let her Daddy yank it out. Quinn is now frustrated because she can't hold the binoculars still enough to get a good look. Guards shhhing. Me- getting choked up to finally be standing in this place. Maia and Steve O still working the tooth. Fischer- ready to leave 15 minutes ago... Quinn can't look up for one more second because it hurts her neck. Everyone around us trying to figure out what is happening with the crying little girl and the guy sticking his hand in her mouth. What a circus!
In the end, Maia's tooth didn't come out until the next morning at the campground. Fischer recovered from the art overload with some time in the park running around. Quinn's neck is back to normal. Steve O got a few moments of wonder looking around in the end too.
We are heading north to the Florence area today. The kids are excited because this campground we are going to comes highly recommended from some American students we met in Sorrento, there are like seven swimming pools and a waterslide. Can't wait to see it.
Yesterday we wnt to the Vatican Museum, to see some art and definitely the Chappela Sistina. When we finally made it to the famous chapel we had mazed thru hours of museum and everyone was a little feisty, especially Fischer- not really appreciating the art. The Sistine Chapel was jam packed full of tourists, guards shhing people, and busting folks for taking pictures (supposedly not allowed, but everyone was doing it) Maia and Steve O had made a plan...to pull out her semi-loose tooth while in the Sistine Chapel. They started trying to wiggle it out right away. Crew, just woken up from a fabulous nap in his stroller was looking around, getting mauled by the other other kids as usual. Quinn is craning her neck trying to get a good look at the ceiling. Me- reading the guidebook trying to get my bearings on all of the walls, panels, ceiling. Fischer asking me when we are going to go. Maia now crying because she really wants to loose a tooth in the Sistine Chapel but is scared to let her Daddy yank it out. Quinn is now frustrated because she can't hold the binoculars still enough to get a good look. Guards shhhing. Me- getting choked up to finally be standing in this place. Maia and Steve O still working the tooth. Fischer- ready to leave 15 minutes ago... Quinn can't look up for one more second because it hurts her neck. Everyone around us trying to figure out what is happening with the crying little girl and the guy sticking his hand in her mouth. What a circus!
In the end, Maia's tooth didn't come out until the next morning at the campground. Fischer recovered from the art overload with some time in the park running around. Quinn's neck is back to normal. Steve O got a few moments of wonder looking around in the end too.
We are heading north to the Florence area today. The kids are excited because this campground we are going to comes highly recommended from some American students we met in Sorrento, there are like seven swimming pools and a waterslide. Can't wait to see it.
Sorrento
We spent our first days getting over jet lag in Sorrento, a cute little town on the Amalfi Coast, south of Rome by about 250 km. It was beautiful, good swimming and wandering the streets, acclaimating to Italy. The kids are being great, watching them jet lag was a bit comical. Falling asleep anywhere, at the table, on the bus, or just standing there. We went to Positano for a day and sat on the beach, Capri another day and saw the Blue Grotto, green grotto and lots of amazing cliffs and water.
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