Katelin Conquers Rome

Friday, March 5

Thursday night we settled nicely into our apartment at Viale Mazzini 6 after getting lost a couple of times during our walk through the neighborhood. Then we enjoyed a very thorough tour from Mr. Torri who described how to turn on the hot water in each bathroom and throw a match into the gas grill to start the flames. Hmmm...hopefully we don't burn the place down.

Friday was an early morning because we had plans to visit the Vatican Museum at St. Peter's Basilica. I have to admit one of the best parts of the trip was watching Katelin take it all in. We marveled at the buildings, the statues and finally the Sistine chapel. Of course there are no pictures allowed but Katelin snuck in a couple.

Then we were off to Piazza Navona to see Lizzie's favorite fountain, which unfortunately was covered with construction. Also to grab our 1st pizza of the trip at a little restaurant on a side street. At this point we had gotten our fill of sight seeing and the girls had shopping on their minds.

Katelin especially because her bags had never made it out of Detroit. As we scoured the shops it started to rain. We held off as long as we could without buying umbrellas but it reached a point of impossible. As we stood in the doorway of a shop we tried to barter unsuccessfully with a man on the street. He knew we were desperate and there was no way he was going to change his price. Through the rain we found a couple more shops before heading home to change for dinner and a night of dancing.

Guia had recommended a local restaurant in the Travestere area called Da Enzo.It was a small dive of a restaurant with only ten tables but it was packed. Since it was our 1st dinner we decided to do it up right with sun dried tomatoes, fried cod, followed by Caccie Pepe and Abbachio! Being true to lent I didn't have dessert but the girls had whipped marscapone and chocolate panne cotta. Both Fantastic!

With a little time to kill we went next door for another bottle of wine before heading to the Art Cafe in Viale Bourghese. I have to admit I thought Guia was a little nuts when she recommended a bar in the parking garage of one of the biggest parks in Rome but she was right.

Upon getting out of the cab we started talking to some people who had a table and could get us in. Without their help we would have been standing in line for a very long time. They also got us in to the VIP area, actually it took a little sneakiness but we were able to slip in. At this point we realized it was a rather large celebration for the Italian Idol. The next couple of hours were spent dancing and avoiding the Italian boys that were a little more forward then we were use to.

Saturday, March 6

Bright and early was not the theme for today. I woke up, got around, went out and picked up some brioches for the girls then around eleven I started waking them up. We didn't make it out of the house until almost one when Lizzie and I went towards the Spanish Steps to grab a bite to eat while we watched for the girls.

Once they joined us we wandered the streets, fed them a little something then took in teh Trevi Fountain and grabbed a little ice cream at Gialiotti's, said to be the favorite gelato of the Pope. We didn't do much more after that. Wandered the streets in search of some antiques without any success. Then grabbed some dinner at Navona Notte before heading home for an early night.

Sunday, March 7

Our last day in Rome was a whirwind. We had our final breakfast at the Patiscceria on the corner of the Piazza, then started walking to Compo di Fiori with the hopes of a great market. It didn't happen! Instead we had a great sampling of cheese, honey, olives, olive oil and salami.

Then we were off on a trek past Palacio Venezia, Monument to Emanuele and the Roman Ruis before hitting the Collusseum. Our final destination of the day before grabbing some more ice cream and a doing a little shopping.

I Feel Like Dancing, Dancing

Sushi and Cards...

Saturday, February 27

A simple sushi night is all I asked for. A delicious dinner at Yama with Beth, Sarah and Masa turned into a dance party at my house, to the IP and finally ending the night at Tito's Place.

Carol heard noises below her and decided to check it out.

It was only Beth and I trying out a couple new dance moves that had never been seen before

So much energy...we must go dancing!

Furken Birthday

Leukerbad

February 6 - 8

Everyone's birthday needs to be a national holiday and celebrated to the fullest. At least that is what I think and try to give to everyone. So that is what we did for Beth.

Friday night was bowling night. Big plans included pizza, beer, and good healthy competition. Then it started to snow. Really snow, like it does once a year. Prompting e-mails about mandatory chains on the wheels of the vans and frantic phone calls rearranging our dinner plans.

We all gathered at Beth's for some Balmelli pizza and Bio Beer before piling into Masa and Shane's car to get our bowling on. However, the focus wasn't really on bowling but rather the dance party that insued. There was a little shoulder shaking, leg kicking, and a lot of singing. Then the highlight of the night the choreographed dance!

Beginning Choreography

As if bowling wasn't enough we turned in our shoes and took on the punching bag. With some of the highest numbers coming from kicks, open handed slaps and head butts! A couple more energetic souls made it to the clubs after. Unfortunately, I didn't because I wanted my beauty sleep before hitting the road in the morning.

The wind up

for the kick

or slap

elbow?

Bright and early around 10 am Lizzie, Beth and I took off for Leukerbad, a spa town set in the mountains about 2 1/2 hours away. That is if the furken train line wasn't 2 hours long. But it was one of the coolest parts driving my car onto a train for a 20 minute journey through the center of a mountain. From there it was smooth driving.


We checked into the Hotel Astoria and then took off wandering the town. It was a little resort town with German style chalets and of course a church at it's center. We checked out all of the dinner options as well before heading to the Wine Bar to taste the local flavors and receive a little lesson on the grapes of Switzerland.

Birthday toast

Our room...just slightly outdated

Then off to dinner. I originally had my heart set on duck but upon browsing the menu we all changed our minds to a four course set menu with wine pairings. Dinner started with a beef fras gras, a cream soup, then a pork drizzled with a mushroom sauce. With it all wrapped up by a scoop of ice cream topped with black berries and raspberries. We left very well fed!

Sunday morning we had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel before heading to the Alpentherme for our Roma Irish Bath. Where we spent the next three hours in our birthday suits going through a series of relaxing stations. A little like a car wash.

My future home

Clean and sparkling we headed through town to the gondola to catch the breathtaking views. Granted the clouds kept rolling in and out so the vie was sporadic but definitely beautiful.

Christmas 2009

Family Time!

First stop, Memphis Tennessee for a couple of days at the new house. The night I arrived, Grandma and Grandpa Anstey drove in from Paris to spend a couple of days. It was really nice to see them and spend some uninterrupted time with them. It doesn't happen all that frequently anymore. As a tradition we always play board games after meals. I would say we are a little competitive as a bunch but the introduction of Bananagrams brought out grandpa's truly competitive side. I am holding firm that he was using his hearing as an excuse to not pick up tiles when someone yelled peel. But even with that advantage Grandma still used her scrabble skills and dominated almost all of the games.

After Grandma and Grandpa left, Dad and I wandered around, shopping and catching up while Mom attended some big shot board meetings and finished off a proposal that she was pushing the deadline on. One afternoon was spent driving around the lake and getting a good lay of the land. It would have been nicer from the pontoon boat but the weather was still a little chilly at 50 degrees.

Then off to Medina via car. Not the most ideal situation after sitting on a plane for many hours but I guess I should chock it up to quality time with the rents. Which it was and also quality time to finish off a couple of books.

The rest of the time was pretty typical. Days in Medina cooking and getting ready for the Christmas Eve festivities and then the Christmas day extravaganza at Aunt Sues. This year we added a little twist on Christmas Eve with a yankee swap. Thankfully, Aunt Sue is a genius and purchased gifts for Lizzie and Lauren so they could join in on the fun. I think they were the ones who made it the most interesting. They caught onto the concept very quickly, Lizzie had the first great steal from Brian, while Lauren contemplated keeping the money over the barbie doll in James' lap. He was a little nervous he was going to get stuck with a pink snuggie and barbies, but it all worked out in the end!

After a couple more days in Medina the reason for the extended visit took place. Katelin, James, Brian and I boarded a plane to New York City to celebrate Kate's 21st Birthday. Each of us took one evening and planned the events.

The first day was spent wandering around NYC to the Statue of Liberty and a little shopping

That evening, Katelin and I went out for a sushi dinner and to see The Phantom of the Opera!

After the play we jumped a cab and met up with Brian and his friends at a bar to finish off the evening.

The next day was spent wandering with Brian and James. Brian and James didn't have their shopping shoes on so Katelin and I had very successful shopping trips. I purchased a new coat and Kate found a pair of hot black boots.

Pushing to the limits, Kate and I got back to the hotel with about 45 minutes to spare before we were suppose to leave for dinner at a small Italian restaurant. Dinner was wonderful and one of the first times it was just the four of us. A very memorable experience and one I hope that we have in the future.

Then we met up with Cody and his friends at a bar before heading to Brian's portion of the birthday weekend..the Club. It was an experience is all I can say!

The Start of Winter

December 13

Celebrations are the theme of December and each year it is kicked off celebrating Carla's birthday. This one was a big one and we did it up right. A rather large group of us took off Grotto Bosco for a great meal before heading into Lugano to Underground to put on our dancing shoes.

Cheers

Happy Birthday Carla

ICS Basketball Tournament

Each year the day after Jen and I pick our varsity girls basketball team we head off on the road to Aiglon to play in our first basketball tournament. With this each year is a little surprise as to how we will perform, how the girls will hold up, and mainly how well they adapt to not having a single play against teams who are at the end of their seasons.

This year was great! During tryouts Jen and I kept saying to each other, these girls are really athletic. They really know how to move without the ball, this tournament could be a lot of fun. Then on a totally different note, we were really excited because it is our favorite tournament because of where we stay and how it kicks off our season on a very positive note.

We drove into the mountains on Friday night and stop at the base of a mountain. At this point we have to unload the bus of all of our bags and this year enough food to cook 3 meals. The place we stay is a rather large old home that consists of multiple floors of dorm style rooms, an attic where all of our girls were this year with rows of beds under the dormers, and a common area with a kitchen.

On Saturday morning, Jen and I wake up bright and early and make our breakfast. This year we got a little fancy and feasted on egg sandwiches. Then the girls start to stumble down stairs and we put them to work make a team breakfast of eggs and toast for 14. They really get into it taking different jobs of cracking eggs, making the toast, buttering the toast, cooking the eggs or dishwashers or driers. It is really amazing to watch a group of girls who have just been thrown together 24 hours before as a team and how they come together so quickly.

After breakfast and clean-up we got in a game of apples to apples which is a word association game. A very amusing interaction among the girls with the majority of them only understanding about half of the vocabulary and the jokes that were being made among some of our native English speakers.

Then comes the team picture out on the balcony of the hostel. A tradition Jen and I value and usually becomes our team picture for the year. This year the skies were not as blue but the beauty was still there.

Jen and I

The Team

Now off towards the ski resort and Aiglon college where the tournament is being held. We still don't know how it is going to turn out but we are hoping for the best. I must say it was rather successful. The girls played really well together, they listened to what we were teaching them on the fly and they talked a ton. The best teams weren't in attendance but it was a good warm-up for us. We ended up taking 3rd I believe.

After accepting our medals

High School Reunion

November 28, 2009

I took off for a long weekend in Michigan for Thanksgiving this year. My thinking was it may be the last time I am back in my home, I can hang out with my family a little bit and catch up, enjoy shopping, and with friends at my ten year reunion. Well, some of those things happened. I did have a very nice weekend, I enjoyed shopping on Black Friday, caught up with old friends, but unfortunately my parents moved to Memphis a couple weeks before I arrived.

However, the main highlight was the reunion at the community house.



One of the only pictures taken during the entire evening. So I guess you just have to believe me that I actually did catch up with other people as well.