Happy Birthday USA! - July 4th Fun

Asher and Gabriel wait for Parade to come by!

The St. Charles West Marching Band!

It was a fantastic July 4th! The rains that had been forecast stayed away and we had a picture perfect day! We started by going to the parade... and St. Charles knows how to do a 4th of July Parade like almost no other town does! Enough candy is tossed to kids on the sidelines to rival a Halloween size haul! People come from all over to watch the one and a half hour spectacle!
After the parade, we went home to enjoy the pool and eat, eat, eat. (See Gret's blog link for details on that fun!) and then about 8:30 we took the kids down to the river to see the fireworks. Three sets of little eyes were about as big as saucers as they watched the sky... oohing and ahhing! It was almost more fun to watch the grandkids' reactions than the fireworks themselves. All in all, it was a PERFECT celebration of America's 232nd year!

Katie and Dad!

Nathan and Rhylah

Uncle Sam and the Statue of Liberty even showed up!

Rhylah tries her first lolly while wearing her parade beads!

Kate and Rhylah

Indiana Jones and the Taters of the Lost Ark

Our grandsons are staying with us while in the process of moving from Wisconsin to Michigan. This is giving us all kinds of new opportunities... not only to enjoy them 24/7 but also to learn the finer points of superheroes! Today we went to Target and came home with their current favorite... Indiana Jones!!! We have two versions now... the 6 yr old version, complete with interchangeable hands, extra pistols and a crystal skull (Grandma and Papa are totally behind the times and haven't even seen the latest film!)
And we have the 2 yr. old version... also with interchangeable hands, a golden 'potato skull', and a HAT that plays the Indiana theme music! How cool is that?! So there we went, rocking through the local Target singing Indiana Jones music at the top of our lungs. (So maybe that's why Papa walked ahead of us by just a slight distance??? hmmm....) In any case.... it's such fun to learn new things from our grandsons!

Ancient Theaters, Beautiful Beaches, and Volcanoes: Sicily!

Today's post is about the days we spent on the island of Sicily! What a beautiful place! Our ferry landed in the port city of Messina. From there we drove to Naxos by the sea, a beautiful resort town at the foot of Mt. Etna on the Northeast coast of Sicily.

We stayed at the Hotel Sporting Baia, very nice and RIGHT on the beach! From here we went on excursions to Taormina, an ancient Greek city with some of the oldest ruins in Sicily, and also to Mt. Etna, a VERY much still active volcano - which managed to erupt rather impressively again just 7 days after our visit. Lava was flowing and the mountain was steaming while we were there on the island. It is remarkable to me how calmly the people of the region deal with living at the foot of one of the largest active volcanoes in that part of the world! They say the mountain erupts every year, but only in a "big" way every 3-4 years! Looked pretty "big" to me... even with just a little lava oozing out!

Taormina is about 5 miles from Naxos and higher up so it afforded some great views back across the bay toward our hotel. Sicily is definitely a place I hope to return to someday. It's beautiful and the people are very friendly!

A view of Naxos from the city of Taormina. Our hotel is marked in the photo... double click
on the photo to see greater detail!

The view from my hotel window... the beach! Beautiful!

Just one of many gorgeous walkways in the the town of Taormina.

The ancient Greek theater of Taormina. At it's height this theater could seat 9000 spectators, and as you can see it's still in use today! They hold a major film festival here that rivals the one at Cannes in France!

My students climbing one of Mt. Etna's ash cones from the 2001 eruption. They are at the 6,500 ft.

level on a 11.500 ft. volcano.

Mt. Etna by day... steaming both from its cone and from a lava flow some 1/3rd of the way down the
left side of the mountain.

The lava flow glows eerily by night! This is slow moving, oozing sort of lava.. nothing to be concerned about according to the locals. However, 6 days later, Etna erupted again!

Time Out for Swimming!

Rhylah enjoys her first time in the big pool!

Gabriel is our "fish" - give this guy a noodle and a pair of goggles and off he goes!

Taking a break from my recent travelogues to swim with the grandkids. Kate and the kids are here this week while between houses in their move to Michigan. This means that I have 3 wonderful munchkins keeping things lively around here for awhile, and I LOVE it! Add in some prime cousin interaction with Sydney at poolside and it's been tons of fun. The little people LOVE the water... well, all of them except Asher. He can't remember how much he liked it last summer and is being rather typically 2yr old cautious this summer. Anyway, it's been such fun that I had to share some of the photos!

Sydney wins the prize for best swim hat and bikini... mmmm ... tastes good too!

Asher came off the steps to float with his mommy!

Everybody (except Gabe the fish..) is all tuckered out after a busy swimtime!

The Isle of Capri (KAH'-pree)

I provided the pronunciation for today's photo stop because the Italians get a little bit riled if you pronounce this gorgeous island like we here in the States pronounce knee length shorts! They politely tell you that the accent is on the FIRST syllable (thank you very much) and then talk for as long as you let them about the beauty of the place.

The "Arch of Love"- if you kiss (or think about) the one you love while passing under it,
you will stay in love forever. Nifty!

One of the many gorgeous vistas to be seen from the top of the island.

Check out the aquamarine blue of the water!

It's breezy and beautiful up here!

The public beach in the harbor of Capri... again, lovely, clear, and gorgeously blue!

I won't argue that point one bit. Capri was THE most beautiful place we saw in the 15 day trip. It is also inhabited by some of the world's wealthiest (and beautiful) people! We visited the shoreline town of Capri and then rode up the funnicular railway to the town at the top, Annacapri, which literally means "above Capri". I want to teach school HERE someday! Wow! Gorgeous views! We also took a boat ride excursion around the north end of the island and saw the majestic rocks that rise right out of the sea. The guides and locals have named many of the rock formations after various animals that they "see" in the shapes. All in all, a place I would LOVE to return to someday!

When in Pisa.... you gotta Push!

Its' cheesy but it's true! You can't go to Pisa and see the tower without taking at least ONE tower pushing picture! The fun is watching everyone else taking theirs! Thankfully the tower is supposedly stabilized in its new position for the next 300 years or so. (give or take an earthquake or two...) So we went to the tower and had a great time. We also visited the cathedral that goes with the tower... beautiful!

As an experienced tower pusher, I can hold it up with one finger...

while it takes Hanna both hands and a LOT of extra effort!

Okay... I'll post one shot without the silly stuff. See! It's NOT as exciting!

Me and my gang - tired after a busy day exploring but still smiling!

The City of "David"

And no, I don't mean Bethlehem.... it's Florence! Michelangelo made a huge splash of an impact on this town, which has one of my favorite Duomos in all of Italy! Everywhere you look, there is color and beauty. They even have a famous pig! The Porcellino is a sort of Florentine Trevi Fountain... water drips out of his mouth and when you stick a coin in there, if it drops directly into the grate below (money going to charity, of course) it means you will return to this artsy city once more. It worked for me 2 years ago; I hope it does again!

The famous and beautiful Santa Maria del Fiore.... or Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Little Flower. Hands down, one of the most gorgeous cathedrals in Europe!

And here's the famous Pig (Porcellino) of Florence... a wild boar actually. He sits in the middle of an open air market daring all comers to put their hands (with coin) into his mouth.

Now the Photos Begin!

I have been home for a little more than 48 hours and now I can start posting my photos. Our first city was Verona on June 6. However, it rained the entire time we were there and aside from seeing Juliet's balcony, the city was rather unremarkable. In fact, much of northern Italy was rather unremarkable except for Venice. That city is certainly worth seeing and truly a wonder! We spent a full day exploring the city and touring its major sites. Included in that , we saw how the famous Venetian glass and laces were made and we took a gondola ride. Here are just a few of the many photos I took while there!

The view from our "water taxi" as we approached the city.

The Piazza San Marco with the famous St. Mark's Cathedral. (Note the also-famous pigeons)

The gang... a.k.a. the "Staude Seven" The girls (L-R): Rachel, Sammy, Hanna, Katie;
and the guys: Marcus, Greg, and Clayton. We had a blast the entire 15 days!

A scenic shot from my gondola!

A view back towards the Rialto Bridge, one of only 3 bridges that cross the Grand Canal. Note the "hunky" gondolier.... we thought about bringing him home to work on the Missouri River!

Six of the gang in their gondola! Each gondola is worth over $30,000 Euro!

As you can see from just these few starting photos, we saw many beautiful things on the trip. Stay tuned for more as I work on getting my photos all ready for printing!

Our Adventures Continue!

Hello readers!
It has been an exciting 5 days since I was last able to post! I will take you through what we've been doing as fast as my 30 minutes online will allow... (2,50 euro for that!)
June 10 - We arrived in Assisi and we stayed in the ancient town itself. The hotel had a gorgeous view of the modern town below. This was a town that the bus couldn't drive up into so we packed little overnight bags and road up on an escalator! Visited the cathedrals and basillicas dedicated to St. Clare and St. Francis of Assisi. (each of them are buried in their respective churches! - kinda creepy!! St. Clare is encased in wax and out there for everyone to see!)
Tonight's entertainment included taking the kids strolling through the streets after dinner where Sammy, Hanna, and Katie performed impromptu dances to tunes on their iPods while we cheered them on! Fun!
June 11 - A LONG drive today towards Sorrento and the sea! Stayed in what we finally dubbed ''Camp Sorrento''. which were tiny sort of holiday cabins, VERY rustic, but the kids were troopers. Besides, the place had a pool and great air conditioning!!!
June 12 - traveled to the Island of Capri by boat! Gorgeous! Rode the tram up to the top city on the island and strolled with a guide to see all the sights. Also rode smaller boats around the island to see the grottos and rock formations. The aquamarine water is truly as unique as they say!!!
June 13 - Drove to Sicily - the longest drive of the trip! We are here in Naxos at the base of Mt. Etna which is steaming above us. We had a chance to swim in the sea on our arrival last night - it was COLD!
June 14 - Today we toured the ancient city of Taormina and saw the ancient Greek theater there and the medieval city. Very Quaint! We also rode up Mt. Etna and climbed around on the largest active volcano in Europe. It is actually flowing on one side of the mountain which we should be able to see from our room tonight as a red glow on the mountain side. The kids all climbed up a crater formed in 2004. I climbed around on a smaller one formed in 2001. It was very weird - like being on the moon or someplace similar! Tomorrow and Monday are election days in Italy.. so we are interested to see what excitement that generates here in Sicily. We will travel to Palermo tomorrow... and then hop on a ferry for an overnight ride up to Naples.

Now a ''kid report'' - all students are healthy, happy, and not yet out of money! Everyone is a great traveler and I would take them anywhere!!! Everywhere we go, people compliment me on their politeness! You can all be very proud of them!!!!

I will try to post again before we leave Italy.... Ciao everyone! We miss you but are having a great time!

Here We Are!

Hello readers!
For those of you who've been checking, all 8 of the intrepid Italian travelers are having a blast! Sorry not to have reported before this, but we've been ensconced in quaint hotels and seaside spots with VERY limited (meaning NONE) internet access.

But here we are, in Florence today, spending our freetime dodging rain in an internet cafe. Now a progress report. A little something about our shopping adventures. All of you who are loved by one of us are going to be thrilled when we arrive home. The gang of travelers has hit all the best spots.... Murano glass, Leather, lace products, the works!!! We still have many days to go but we are SURE there are more treasures out there waiting to be found.

Today's sightseeing in included the ancient city of Pisa, about an hour and fifteen minutes west of Florence. We saw the tower, the cathedral, and the baptistry. Took the classic "hold up the tower"pics and had a wonderful time.

Yesterday's adventures included the Duomo of Florence and a guided walking tour around the town. We crossed the Ponte Vecchio and saw the Porcellino (that's a big bronze Pig - that you pet, sort of the Trevi Fountain Pig of Florence!)

I wish I could post photos with this entry, but my access will not allow that at this place. We are taking TONS of photos. It will be fun to share them when we get home.

Other things to note: Yes, it has rained everyday... but only a little bit everyday. Just enough to make umbrellas a needed item. We have also eaten gelato EVERYDAY.. sometimes more than once. (hmmm.. maybe there's a connection there.) We have learned that we don't like pidgeons much... especially Hanna... there's a story there we'll let HER tell when she gets back. Everyone has been on time EVERY day no matter when we need to meet. The gang.. now known as the Staude Seven is an AWESOME bunch of travelers!!!! (Parent's should be VERY proud.) Marcus has become known as the best "navigator"in our group. No matter where we are, he knows the way back... most times without a MAP! Impressive in one so young (and male!!!)

We will continue to try to post throughout our journeys... and if possible add a photo or two as we go along. Just know that the kids are having a marvelous time. They have become citizens of the world, talking with people, trying their Italian out on locals, and making new friends. It's hard to believe that just 3 days ago they looked around Milan's airport with such big eyes and today they navigated their way to the heart of Florence without even peeking at the map. Just read the signs and strolled.

Speaking of walking: we are averaging at best guess between 6 and 8 miles per day. So when we get home you'll all have a hard time keeping up with us! Love to all of you back in the states.... Ciao ciao!!!

Let Hockeytown Rejoice!

I love hockey. I grew up in Detroit. The two go hand in hand. Tonight my team won their 11th Stanley Cup... and it was their 4th Stanley win in the last 11 seasons. It was a totally sweet evening. Especially since game 5 slipped away from them in triple overtime. To see them come back and dominate the ice was awesome. Above you see Nick Lidstrom, team captain, skating the Cup around the ice. Each player gets to do this as part of the Stanley tradition. Let the party in the Motor City begin!!!!

A Sydney Photo Story

Okay... there's a story here... and just like most of Sydney's books, it's told in pictures.

The name of the story is "You Want Me to Play THAT?!?"

Here is how it goes:









Can't you just read the thoughts going on in her sweet little head as Papa tries to convince her that being on her tummy and chasing a stuffed peacock is the best thing since sliced bread?
The look on her face at the end says, "Okay, whatever you want, but I'm not convinced this is all that much fun!"

Note: Many of these faces are right out of her mother's baby book as well! The skepticism is present is only missing the classic "raised eyebrow" - but give her a few weeks... she is only 5 months old! :-)

Stay-Cation #1: Beauty Close to Home

With ever increasing gasoline prices, all the news lately has been promoting a concept called "stay-cations". In other words, don't burn gas, see the sights in your own regional backyard instead. Well, Ed and I took one of these last Sunday. We went on a long delayed tour of the Missouri Botanical Gardens. We, of course, had been there before, but it's been a rather long time since we actually walked about and checked out the garden. Mostly we go there on Wednesdays in the summertime for the Whitaker Jazz Fest Concerts. Well, the day was warm, hot actually, so we decided a stroll through gardens would be just the ticket. A large amount of other folks had the same idea. But the park was peaceful and lovely to see. Temp wise we decided the English Woodland Garden was our favorite place to sit and just relax. But the Japanese and English Rose Gardens were simply gorgeous too! Have a look and see if you don't agree.

The English Rose Garden.... a rainbow of blossoms!

The Reflecting Pool in front of the Pavillion... complete with floating Chihuly glass globes.

A totally unretouched shot of the Japanese Garden. The rainbow bridge is my favorite.

The bridge from another angle.... lovely!

So we'd have to say as "stay-cations" go... our first one was a lovely adventure. Stay tuned for more to come!