Keuka Lake

<Callie>Hello Peepzelz!

We arrived back in the USA for our last stop in New York to see family.  We first landed in NYC but our flight to Buffalo, NY was delayed.  We got to Keuka Lake at 2:00am in the morning!  I woke up early the next morning because of the time change and was excited to go swimming in Keuka.  My favorite things to do on Keuka are sailing, swimming, driving the motorboat, water-skiing, and tubing.  I waterskiied a lot and I think that I have gotten better.

Me driving the boat with Camryn and Grandpa

Waterskiing!

Camryn getting a push from mom

Sailing with Dad

Blueberries!

One day we woke up and went blueberry picking which is our family tradition. I like it when Camryn throws them in my mouth, but I don't usually catch the them. (:

Taking a boat ride with my Aunts

 Since we missed the family reunion we didn't get to see our cousins, Makayla and Caitlyn, so they came and visited us one day. We swam a lot, went tubing, and made s'mores at the campfire.  We also got to visit with my Aunts and Uncles too!

Playing on the tube with our cousins

Dad had an app on his phone where he could track satellites and one night we got to see the International Space Station! It was really bright and moved fast.

On another day, we went to visit my Great Grandma Halleran and celebrated her birthday with her. It was nice seeing her.

Happy 92nd Birthday Grandma!

Half way across the lake

We finished our swim across the lake

On our last day at the lake, I  wanted to swim across the lake and Camryn decided to come with me.  The lake is about 7/10ths of a mile across.   We collected a rock from the other side and I was really proud of Camryn.

Earlier in the day, Grandpa, Camryn and I took a hike behind the cottage in the woods to go see a big waterfall.  Its a hidden waterfall that is super beautiful.  We did a lot of steep hiking to get there, but it was totally worth it at the end!

When we got back to Minnesota, my friend Taylor and her mom picked us up at the airport.  It was raining when we pulled in the driveway, and when the garage door went up, all of our friends were there waiting for us as a surprise welcome home party.  Its great to be home again!

Here are some things that are weird now that I'm back in the USA:
1.  Whenever a waiter comes to our table, I ask myself if they speak English- of course they do!
2.  The sidewalks look huge!  In other countries, they are really tiny if they even exist.
3.  Driving on the right side of the road again and not seeing scooters, tuktuks, and motorcycles that honk their horns at us.
4.  Not a lot of spicy food in the US!

We will have one more post to share where each of us will give a post trip review - check back in a few days to see our final post.

The Cottage

   
   

<Cathy>   Despite the daily rain showers and cooler temps, we had a fantastic time in Amsterdam.  It’s a city that definitely has its own tempo.  There are bikes, boats, and pedestrians EVERYWHERE!  If you’re not paying attention, you are sure to step out in front of a cyclist as the roads, sidewalks, and bike lanes all blur together.  The bikes and cars don’t slow down as they approach the smaller non-regulated intersections – but they navigate beautifully every time.  It’s a total mystery to me.  

Feeding the swans from our houseboat

We arrived later on Friday and went straight to our AirB&B accommodation – a houseboat!  It was crazy cool to be staying right on the canal and the place was a true gem.  A big sliding picture window both in our living area and bedroom gave us a front row seat on the canal, where we fed the passing ducks and swans, waved to the tour boats gliding by plus a few locals out for a stroll too.
Pour me a glass of prosecco with some delicious local cheeses and that was how we spent our evenings on the houseboat. 

Waving at passing boats from the houseboat

Apparently, we were in town for Amsterdam’s storm of the century with the winds gusting up to 80 M.P.H.  Lots of trees were uprooted creating some additional chaos on the road and walkways.  The next day, Camryn started counting all the broken umbrellas left on the streets – she was up to 163 the last I checked.

Broken umbrellas!

Downed tree just outside Anne Frank house

We did squeeze in a few of the tourist items too.  We took both a pizza dinner cruise and an afternoon boat tour with commentary – great way to view the city and all the cool bridges from the canals as we watched the captains navigate these narrow waterways with amazing precision.

Rembrandt square

Floating Flower Market

We explored the Flower Market, Rembrandt square, Dam square, and Rijksmuseum’s grounds where the famous “Iamsterdam” sign is located.  We also took in a cheese tasting at the Reypenaer house.  So cool and definitely a favorite for all of us!  We tasted a bunch of different cheeses paired with wines and learned about the different ways cheese is ripened that gives it its different flavors.  What’s not to love, right?

Cheese tasting - obviously a serious task for some (not others)!

Connoisseur Callie

The Anne Frank House is a must see while in Amsterdam.  Callie finished reading the Diary the morning before our tour so it was all fresh in her mind.  Being in Anne’s home and seeing where she wrote, dreamed, and cried was a moving experience for each one of us.  It’s a timeless story for all ages and religions.  It makes you appreciate freedom and democracy so many times over. 

Outside Anne Frank House

Riddle Room - success in 51:21!

The next day, we tried our hand at one more puzzle room like the one in London.   These rooms have clues hidden all over that you need to solve and work through to get to a final clue that lets you escape a locked room in under an hour.  This one was called the Riddle Room and we were lucky enough to escape this time with a whopping 8.5 minutes to spare!  They are such cool adventures.

Amsterdam has all these small neighborhoods all over the city.  We stayed in a second AirB&B in Amsterdam and we were in a great location just off the Amstel river with a few quiet pubs literally within the block.  After putting the kids to bed, Derik and I would wander down to one of the local pubs to enjoy a pint before heading to bed.  Great way to unwind and get some time together without the kiddos. 

Yes - that's a cat waiting for her pint as well!

Evening unwind time!

Amsterdam is our last stop before we head back to the states.  How blessed we are to have had this journey of 4 lifetimes.  I know I may not appreciate it fully now, but I do know it is something I will reflect on often for many years to come.

<Derik> London is a place that is close to my heart as I spent a semester there during my junior year in college.  It is a place that Cathy and I have shared together but seeing it through the eyes of the girls was awesome.

Our hotel's location was great as it was right on the south bank of the Thames near Waterloo station. This left us with a view of the London Eye from our room and a quick 5 minute walk to Parliament,, Westminster, & Big Ben.

We ended up our first evening with a pub dinner at the Red Lion near 10 Downing St (home of the Prime Minister) and then for some fun in and around Trafalgar Square.

Look kids, Big Ben, Parliament

Trafalgar Square

taking out the garbage

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The next morning we jumped on one of the double decker red buses and got to see alot of the sights throughout.  We hopped off for some chocolate at Harrods and a dog (stuffed) purchase for Camryn at a great the great toy store Hamleys.
We were also able to visit the Tower Bridge and have the good fortune to be at the top of the bridge when the lower decks raised to see a large sailboat go beneath.  Sort of rare in that the bridge only raises up a handful of times a week.

Callie sitting on the plexiglass 100' above the vehicle deck of the Tower Bridge

We enjoyed the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace:

We toured both Westminster Abbey and St Paul Cathedral including the 1052 steps to the top and back down for some great views.  Kiddos were troopers.

Westminster Abbey apparently now allows dogs

View from atop the dome of St Paul's Cathedral  - Tower Bridge in background

One of the best highlights of our visit was our afternoon at the Savoy Hotel for high tea which was awesome.  We were able to choose from 40+ different teas, and were served a wide assortment of finger sandwhichs, scones, followed by a sweets course and both girls were given a cute Savoy stuffed animal cat to remember their time.  Very memorable experience and the girls (including Cathy) felt like royalty for the day.

Afternoon Tea at the Savoy Hotel

We followed up tea with a visit to the Theatre and saw the Lion King which was a big hit for the girls.

The last afternoon we took a break from the big sites and headed for Hint Hunt.  It is a little hard to describe but it is basically a timed problem solving, puzzle, riddle, timed escape event.  You are given some basic instructions, placed into a themed room (ours was Tokyo) the door is locked behind you, and the 60 minute clock on the wall starts ticking down.  We had a GREAT time and it was fun to see how we all worked really well together.  The success rate is 50% and we were so close.  We finished our last clue and opened the door 30 second late.  A partial success in my book but a complete success have a really outstanding time with my peeps. Easily a highlight for the girls also.

Top of the London Eye - Big Ben 

We closed our visit with a ride on the London Eye and a second visit to the Bleecker St Burger stand (underneath the Golden Juilee Bridge).  I had a Bleeker Black - which is a double cheese burger made with aged beef and classic american cheese with a layer of black pudding (google it).  While I was in a line 15 deep, a local
convinced me to give it a shot and it was well worth the risk - really good.

Some newly made Italian friends experiencing their first ever hamburger

Wow good :)

All in all an amazing stopover in London, England.

 

Vatican in the background

 <Callie>  Chow (Ciao)!  Our family had a wonderful time in Rome! So many things to do, see and taste! We rented an Airb&b for the time we were there - it was small but it worked. There was a little upstairs/loft and also a little loft with a bed. The kitchen was about the size of an airplane bathroom. The temperature was close to 100 degrees the whole time we were there and the AC worked just a little bit.

Our AirBNB

     My favorite part of the apartment was the elevator.  It was the coolest and oldest elevator I've ever seen.  It was made around 1905!!! You had to manually open and close the door and you could open the door while it was in motion (even though you weren't supposed to).  I loved it!  If I was bored I would just ride it for fun!  It was really loud though.

     Let's get to the interesting part, the food. The food was amazing! The pizza, the spaghetti and gnoochi, and I'll never forget the delicious gelato! Every night we went to bed with a full stomach and a voice in our head saying why did you eat that last slice of pizza, the third ice cream cone (DAD!), the big bowl of spaghetti.


     I loved how there were so many things to do and see, everyday we had a new plan! We went to the Colosseum one day and it was cool because you always see so  many pictures of it.  Then you saw it and it was so big and amazing. Fortunately, we got our tickets at a little corner with a very little line other than the very very long line for tickets at the Colosseum.

     When we got in it felt like you were transported back to the time it was used.  The Colosseum was used for fighting against Gladiators and animals like tigers and hippos.  Inside was a huge stadium where people would come to watch the fights.   Under the stage floor you could see lifts and secret passageways where animals and gladiators would come out of the floor. It was very amazing!

Pantheon

Pantheon Dome

     We went to the Pantheon which is a church with the biggest unsupported dome in the world.  At the top of the dome there is a big hole purposefully put there and if it rains, the water comes right inside the Pantheon.  The floor is slightly slanted so the water runs right out to the drainage system that was part of the original design.  I thought it was interesting.
   
We had a tour of the Vatican one day and the guide brought us around to see Michaelangelo and Raphael's art in the Sistine Chapel and also in St. Peter's Basilica.  When we stepped into St. Peter's, I couldn't believe how big and beautiful it was.

St Peter's Square - Vatican.  So close to our place!

St Peter's Basilica

 In the dome of the church you could see a little person up in it; they looked really small and gave me perspective for how huge it is.  Our guide pointed  to a window and said that if the window was opened, the Pope was in Rome.  He was!
     Rome was my favorite place we visited.  I had a wonderful time!

Palatine Hills - ancient Roman ruins