tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102018704799629392024-03-14T19:42:51.886-07:00Shalom and BonjourMarissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.comBlogger320125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-3666620621440558622024-03-11T19:58:00.000-07:002024-03-11T19:59:01.404-07:00Swamps and Sugarcane<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>It was a breath of fresh air to travel again after a year-long break to have baby Rosalie! </span><span>We are happy at home with our babies, but even happier to get to see the world with them.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Although to be honest, we were nervous about traveling with 2 kids for the first time. Thankfully, my mom volunteered to come with us and help out.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We decided to venture to New Orleans, Louisiana to check a new state off of our bucket lists and to check out a historic city and the interesting French/Spanish/Cajun (and more!) cultural hybrid found there.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">On our first day, Mom offered to watch the girls so we could do a non-kid friendly tour.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">First on the schedule was an airboat ride on the bayou. The boat went surprisingly fast and got surprisingly close to a lot of alligators. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToqYsC7zBBYLXZajoECtqppKOCRSYHV9-vN_oYdU2jiZ9ITXAiLTFIN_ZCbWwN8GLiyqE6zpwqYsDOVSggKuDpWliRgVmUS2WMDT0FV8rwqSe5uobO8R0GtuHk4RgtoN4Y4TTnfL40rD0-phoE3WAomokJb0eLAEoIBHsWjoHWj_8Dl-NXyQ3gn5Rcvur/s4032/IMG_6344.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToqYsC7zBBYLXZajoECtqppKOCRSYHV9-vN_oYdU2jiZ9ITXAiLTFIN_ZCbWwN8GLiyqE6zpwqYsDOVSggKuDpWliRgVmUS2WMDT0FV8rwqSe5uobO8R0GtuHk4RgtoN4Y4TTnfL40rD0-phoE3WAomokJb0eLAEoIBHsWjoHWj_8Dl-NXyQ3gn5Rcvur/w640-h480/IMG_6344.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tB8tJ7Y_KEOapWRRtrSHjTzgKSxezw5sBu9xRgmPb6Jd7IVKSjwu4mfkbnZZ0SElc7dxHzGc1Yu0T_dZf-SmQw1tkHJTk8d23C7d2ezB7H4v9t4Tveq4JneLBGlpTIhucK5LRqfn0Ktrj4faCZdyQVo7PwhICqy8u-QIz_RvuA4nCSughyxoh3eHNMsb/s4608/IMG_8448.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tB8tJ7Y_KEOapWRRtrSHjTzgKSxezw5sBu9xRgmPb6Jd7IVKSjwu4mfkbnZZ0SElc7dxHzGc1Yu0T_dZf-SmQw1tkHJTk8d23C7d2ezB7H4v9t4Tveq4JneLBGlpTIhucK5LRqfn0Ktrj4faCZdyQVo7PwhICqy8u-QIz_RvuA4nCSughyxoh3eHNMsb/w640-h480/IMG_8448.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZoeUxOEMFFwjF3Zg8IRjULUHk_oHanFlVRSWCvsMOpDVF_eeX7xqIWPlaYNnjaoS07P5-Ex8wgCRDCfLGmNjJsp482xJLV4CnwZvvuUfV3PErrRzedOQJ9YWHLrXJZww7RdlmHnag-gM4oBtFEEAA-LT8cQMJ6LLAVvBxZ5kW4Hvt3wcT4iwnaSnSE4d/s4032/IMG_6359.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZoeUxOEMFFwjF3Zg8IRjULUHk_oHanFlVRSWCvsMOpDVF_eeX7xqIWPlaYNnjaoS07P5-Ex8wgCRDCfLGmNjJsp482xJLV4CnwZvvuUfV3PErrRzedOQJ9YWHLrXJZww7RdlmHnag-gM4oBtFEEAA-LT8cQMJ6LLAVvBxZ5kW4Hvt3wcT4iwnaSnSE4d/w480-h640/IMG_6359.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;">We enjoyed speeding through the swamp, looking for glimpses of gators, and also seeing a ton of birds and pretty Spanish moss.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAX5OsFjeBxOLMNA45Hq-LGhrbZ7SXykNiCv7-BUgiQQ0E3aZB2OEIM91uV-kBtn65rYOazMLtbNCfyTiiBqEiXZMAPQnsKwzOIZ4JLLGf3fz2Wwt6k4bOXfjNvz1pIvjLMxyWfYMY8VzaGf7-CRZXq00Qu0IVTwS05gy0X8Xff_wDipp6r5IkayrkteWj/s4032/IMG_6347.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAX5OsFjeBxOLMNA45Hq-LGhrbZ7SXykNiCv7-BUgiQQ0E3aZB2OEIM91uV-kBtn65rYOazMLtbNCfyTiiBqEiXZMAPQnsKwzOIZ4JLLGf3fz2Wwt6k4bOXfjNvz1pIvjLMxyWfYMY8VzaGf7-CRZXq00Qu0IVTwS05gy0X8Xff_wDipp6r5IkayrkteWj/w640-h480/IMG_6347.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lTWTtCfTQAdSo1HhLoYkp-gWUt0ttQr4HAI_d1IFyJODv0clYKgA-sYgw-AksaX4N2BjMUMVC2X9d_4mXwIqGAW5y3PjxXWlDZiDXb17oftXLb6TC4eCANzip1ZaEnZFxRw3m9ql1K6lANW_QitdKmDorwV0oazvQ4kNc0pYE3fUwQ8N72ldJdPhak7O/s3986/IMG_8453.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3051" data-original-width="3986" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lTWTtCfTQAdSo1HhLoYkp-gWUt0ttQr4HAI_d1IFyJODv0clYKgA-sYgw-AksaX4N2BjMUMVC2X9d_4mXwIqGAW5y3PjxXWlDZiDXb17oftXLb6TC4eCANzip1ZaEnZFxRw3m9ql1K6lANW_QitdKmDorwV0oazvQ4kNc0pYE3fUwQ8N72ldJdPhak7O/w640-h490/IMG_8453.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT88aVpNHcKmVenyGGk2eeK9z27Sz0S6fotiiGA4b6AQNOwE-cE2xgfz3o804GQeUPmJ4ijDTpL2dY6BfM5P4N9iEyWqlHnt_jme32tLO-Y6M3t_GpH32zm3Q_kyT3kwHpsrvat9Of4LXsAgv4j5SZw7eq1SOoZslaegV8EgjZsVyFAU_aJrxyD1HylsVb/s4608/IMG_8433.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT88aVpNHcKmVenyGGk2eeK9z27Sz0S6fotiiGA4b6AQNOwE-cE2xgfz3o804GQeUPmJ4ijDTpL2dY6BfM5P4N9iEyWqlHnt_jme32tLO-Y6M3t_GpH32zm3Q_kyT3kwHpsrvat9Of4LXsAgv4j5SZw7eq1SOoZslaegV8EgjZsVyFAU_aJrxyD1HylsVb/w640-h480/IMG_8433.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcmKJ-NJz_uEkqI5UmB9MPfVI14Rpes1Q_Crh4uJ71PGk0zTSzpG0ALYS_He-SF3mTaJryagMxVtu8s7_gb8XWnhyrzwgtDTSwI2lCp5iqTL3PgEv7A1YlLLQm2kLAKqH1u4Fk2bNnfzN9pYmaThDMkjyD_2pJuwHpbhusPeh8lxecqOL3iYSQlOlYG1N/s4285/IMG_8437.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3214" data-original-width="4285" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcmKJ-NJz_uEkqI5UmB9MPfVI14Rpes1Q_Crh4uJ71PGk0zTSzpG0ALYS_He-SF3mTaJryagMxVtu8s7_gb8XWnhyrzwgtDTSwI2lCp5iqTL3PgEv7A1YlLLQm2kLAKqH1u4Fk2bNnfzN9pYmaThDMkjyD_2pJuwHpbhusPeh8lxecqOL3iYSQlOlYG1N/w640-h480/IMG_8437.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJD9sYm7FjMxOLA54qJzp2r-PCJGIFkvHaeDaLssvXnnwgMTUpNG4Fhj_wXSB-6EhNWCUIebNMoD51BjMiBq0zKtI85g2R9-7qW4vwaoUcbbJQbNQ5DJqYk8BqTSXzB4IIkNf8TxdKf1bYOMIG4Co5iVBGR6SzIHILlK4-glWz285IJSlBnrTlCKTA4VZZ/s4608/IMG_8440.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJD9sYm7FjMxOLA54qJzp2r-PCJGIFkvHaeDaLssvXnnwgMTUpNG4Fhj_wXSB-6EhNWCUIebNMoD51BjMiBq0zKtI85g2R9-7qW4vwaoUcbbJQbNQ5DJqYk8BqTSXzB4IIkNf8TxdKf1bYOMIG4Co5iVBGR6SzIHILlK4-glWz285IJSlBnrTlCKTA4VZZ/w640-h480/IMG_8440.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The highlight for me were the tiny baby alligators- apparently born the same month as Rosalie (last September).</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4rCEY6XRM0WqurtfPm3Rz6II13vA93g7PJLRIdXcPR2pXW8rL3zSc52SUKZhuC3vRYY33rjXpQ5_FjuwVx-iCl2qdY0H7Ofxs-_i23X7IiJtj2CyIKEEoGo2Ph46bYXWBMlUenWC9BKRZqiKvk3_NDSQGbiRQuWAQekaKsPhnD18VbdtTdYafaJFlPXQ/s3790/IMG_8443.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3368" data-original-width="3790" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4rCEY6XRM0WqurtfPm3Rz6II13vA93g7PJLRIdXcPR2pXW8rL3zSc52SUKZhuC3vRYY33rjXpQ5_FjuwVx-iCl2qdY0H7Ofxs-_i23X7IiJtj2CyIKEEoGo2Ph46bYXWBMlUenWC9BKRZqiKvk3_NDSQGbiRQuWAQekaKsPhnD18VbdtTdYafaJFlPXQ/w640-h568/IMG_8443.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Next up was a visit to Destrehan Plantation- a former sugarcane plantation about 30 minutes away from downtown New Orleans and right on the banks of the Mississippi.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggylNk5WLo4QSe5f_-SO-liEo5vvWu2ppwW9aPmWpX5E5G2H3_eO71wAWMuUcg0s9HnBt4WvtDP2XTuts_DKmlJr-pko_x1I-Db2lpDMfaOA1tgQI9kCS-R6DZ53Mmkgpoohh5sK30k1clum3y_E4FFmGHQpANiDD1Lepoj6MK1xPcIIMpzHY8WXyNhqdM/s4032/IMG_6390.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggylNk5WLo4QSe5f_-SO-liEo5vvWu2ppwW9aPmWpX5E5G2H3_eO71wAWMuUcg0s9HnBt4WvtDP2XTuts_DKmlJr-pko_x1I-Db2lpDMfaOA1tgQI9kCS-R6DZ53Mmkgpoohh5sK30k1clum3y_E4FFmGHQpANiDD1Lepoj6MK1xPcIIMpzHY8WXyNhqdM/w480-h640/IMG_6390.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sLuu0yiurOcebVtzZi96SqutgtYQIUTpbDGknsXhb6Nr-9gtQro_Y8G4e0N2RJHBEuEdYF6L6Df8CxC76kmlRbFRrkj3kGFUrVv1Xi3VKsXJYfol-4TyAFO9We2AhX_t91YApAfOhK8sjclRGMZ5OnStLsfBa00sdbkNwwjkXgoB82OG3MOK9H65uFtW/s4032/IMG_6368.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sLuu0yiurOcebVtzZi96SqutgtYQIUTpbDGknsXhb6Nr-9gtQro_Y8G4e0N2RJHBEuEdYF6L6Df8CxC76kmlRbFRrkj3kGFUrVv1Xi3VKsXJYfol-4TyAFO9We2AhX_t91YApAfOhK8sjclRGMZ5OnStLsfBa00sdbkNwwjkXgoB82OG3MOK9H65uFtW/w480-h640/IMG_6368.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We learned a lot of Louisiana history, but one of the things we found the most interesting were the differences between Louisiana law (based on French civil law) and the rest of US laws (based on British common law).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">One difference was the Code Noir, which governed slaves in LA before it became a state. In many ways it was less cruel than the American system. For example, working hours were limited and slaves were able to buy their own freedom by earning money for themselves outside of the time spent working for their masters.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The architect who built this beautiful house, Charles Paquet, was a slave when construction started but a free man by the time it was finished.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6-nclneGLOp6ELYNc0z1t0W0YvPX6e1bC_LZMP9yB8KGcto18EB0DDV4PgFQ4uWEf6somDiqIX0p53d6Ak4z0ziD1cXqbc75M48n2ovOc-sRs4_AhVzBDkOdGhQ6oGVMhHnkHXj4Ffh6uV-q82YPc1tYEU_7iayv6TPv2OUZVbR4_k2UpIQdithBDYEL/s3939/IMG_6375.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2954" data-original-width="3939" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6-nclneGLOp6ELYNc0z1t0W0YvPX6e1bC_LZMP9yB8KGcto18EB0DDV4PgFQ4uWEf6somDiqIX0p53d6Ak4z0ziD1cXqbc75M48n2ovOc-sRs4_AhVzBDkOdGhQ6oGVMhHnkHXj4Ffh6uV-q82YPc1tYEU_7iayv6TPv2OUZVbR4_k2UpIQdithBDYEL/w640-h480/IMG_6375.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span><p><span style="font-size: medium;">There was a document on display listing the prices of Destrehan's slaves. The least expensive was a 60 year old blind woman at $5. The most expensive was a 28 year old cooper (barrel maker) at $1500.</span></p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We visited several plantations on our last trip to the south (in Charleston and Savannah), and I had a lot of déjà vu. Every one that we've seen has been fascinating to me because they are otherwordly beautiful despite their brutal histories.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gi3tQpI43SQi9qy_xcSAyPfwA1ZifmFgKo0tkk2_XujtvQByWLK1rEdIMOu1yJSSbmwzYb-Bd9FqyIEvedWWv8CTY_IEjW1xmQKH53IN6H01SrMi1qoB-Q9Jsye89H3WhAIHj2EPx_0l0qk5Tq2TcM88LVTtvne3es2qulYSiwAqlC7TVgiFz1QAW1ut/s4032/IMG_6372.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gi3tQpI43SQi9qy_xcSAyPfwA1ZifmFgKo0tkk2_XujtvQByWLK1rEdIMOu1yJSSbmwzYb-Bd9FqyIEvedWWv8CTY_IEjW1xmQKH53IN6H01SrMi1qoB-Q9Jsye89H3WhAIHj2EPx_0l0qk5Tq2TcM88LVTtvne3es2qulYSiwAqlC7TVgiFz1QAW1ut/w480-h640/IMG_6372.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SofXO7NlJdsK_r6Vh0HMiHEadocc8_F77nGQOeWBFGxCdbJSZGEnpC6RAah4mY20Ke32dRZeO24uthKRlCsDg7I_GwU8xyjtzdXS1XE2_7O8EeCQ4vr8iS7bQQwqv35iu-c9pzFJegHo3ISEz1E9xt4k8KbXyxIA372PaJT5RMAL12iNRQ8K7vjsP8p0/s4032/IMG_6380.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SofXO7NlJdsK_r6Vh0HMiHEadocc8_F77nGQOeWBFGxCdbJSZGEnpC6RAah4mY20Ke32dRZeO24uthKRlCsDg7I_GwU8xyjtzdXS1XE2_7O8EeCQ4vr8iS7bQQwqv35iu-c9pzFJegHo3ISEz1E9xt4k8KbXyxIA372PaJT5RMAL12iNRQ8K7vjsP8p0/w480-h640/IMG_6380.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">My favorite part might be the live oak trees. This first one is supposedly at least 800 years old.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbblYQ7KNSG-e0yJMzFdlL8wQVdDllilqKD3ywhOSSB0lSUq_kP_ZylvQ0WgO2WmxFT6kbt9fOWIRf_ucuNtLvrcQ9-aTbq-0SgIcQKw9cP6swd9rOBs_MrAy73wXThj9CsNLgS2LxCs0CWxsUhklGjxo-gzHgPhM-KxCJK7wgAhFM8AJiqbSlFAWUPky/s4032/IMG_6364.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbblYQ7KNSG-e0yJMzFdlL8wQVdDllilqKD3ywhOSSB0lSUq_kP_ZylvQ0WgO2WmxFT6kbt9fOWIRf_ucuNtLvrcQ9-aTbq-0SgIcQKw9cP6swd9rOBs_MrAy73wXThj9CsNLgS2LxCs0CWxsUhklGjxo-gzHgPhM-KxCJK7wgAhFM8AJiqbSlFAWUPky/w640-h480/IMG_6364.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlmI7DBQcGgp58zcTh-fNGRRajpa9harUvl9HjfddPKS6XuTw-tPCTPHLJUoU5fV9nedAObotQikHRgK47vwA2JCRBShyphenhyphenbMYRrjWgMoj-DFuXb72Hch-5_3QWMtbBfUrNbhOyy6XWpYcML8HwfUXYAWKIB-cvv5gkZbREoOLYZy5xFYymx6TnYTUC-WSg/s4032/IMG_6362.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlmI7DBQcGgp58zcTh-fNGRRajpa9harUvl9HjfddPKS6XuTw-tPCTPHLJUoU5fV9nedAObotQikHRgK47vwA2JCRBShyphenhyphenbMYRrjWgMoj-DFuXb72Hch-5_3QWMtbBfUrNbhOyy6XWpYcML8HwfUXYAWKIB-cvv5gkZbREoOLYZy5xFYymx6TnYTUC-WSg/w480-h640/IMG_6362.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">One last bit of history we learned- this area was the location of the 1811 slave revolt. It was the largest slave revolt in US history, involving about 500 slaves. It was inspired by the Haitian Revolution and the thousands of free black people that had recently immigrated to Louisiana from Haiti. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Despite being a history nerd, I had never heard of this event. Apparently it had a lot of influence in regards to both giving slaves hope for a future without slavery, and towards slave masters cracking down even more harshly to cling onto their way of life.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCxNjMqvqiD8f1JOx1LzS49DQbMhEvXn6pFTPdQgGVoZK3oO1WY2LirOL3ZNUabY1F-Vvw_8ES4N8f7pgjL7GUNIw2douwvSL-OrfdZbLpsk2ZMfUSyLh8xPV60PmsWX7PPkCkI4GBmYkPBpxuKM2_aFSW77Qee279_83q9i4Olzge1j0tmqJ5_NbNOxT/s4032/IMG_6367.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCxNjMqvqiD8f1JOx1LzS49DQbMhEvXn6pFTPdQgGVoZK3oO1WY2LirOL3ZNUabY1F-Vvw_8ES4N8f7pgjL7GUNIw2douwvSL-OrfdZbLpsk2ZMfUSyLh8xPV60PmsWX7PPkCkI4GBmYkPBpxuKM2_aFSW77Qee279_83q9i4Olzge1j0tmqJ5_NbNOxT/w480-h640/IMG_6367.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slave cabin</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We had a wonderful day seeing and learning interesting things, but we missed our babies all day and had fun sightseeing with them the rest of the week. More on New Orleans coming soon!</span></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-42025519983097679142024-01-28T18:23:00.000-08:002024-03-08T19:22:49.835-08:002023: A Year in Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fQ1uZJRnrQ_FyIeCDW-AWU_8IUrMXD5-TsZmoXM-SRwkxEdYIKoYp2HZ8DbcIM2UExTXWoR9IeEL3Q8maL05QasVc3JodXlW_dF6lfhc5JWdZRxXIGS56PaPQnICvTXi6qAUfZWhePXIR869VIA_w14kYmrarRV9I7QzOnLefY70GDi_cXv11OgKXAL_/s1200/2023.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fQ1uZJRnrQ_FyIeCDW-AWU_8IUrMXD5-TsZmoXM-SRwkxEdYIKoYp2HZ8DbcIM2UExTXWoR9IeEL3Q8maL05QasVc3JodXlW_dF6lfhc5JWdZRxXIGS56PaPQnICvTXi6qAUfZWhePXIR869VIA_w14kYmrarRV9I7QzOnLefY70GDi_cXv11OgKXAL_/w640-h640/2023.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>On <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">January</span></b> 1st, we celebrated the one year anniversary of bringing our precious baby Magnolia home from the hospital. On January 5th, we transferred another embryo in an attempt to have another miracle baby. 5 days later, I had my first positive test. </p><p>At the end of the month, we heard Rosalie's heartbeat for the first time and Magnolia took her first steps. These represent the two major themes of our 2023- growing baby Rosalie, and watching Magnolia transform from a baby into a little girl.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyl9qJrymd2pNRQxtuZj4G_W-MJqSyPDZbKWQFcqVyq_26z8RO5DVXnIEAGZTmoQWzUXPNzey0xjJDScrtlmE3U-ll2ZP6iCKrV9CQqddxMDkRadyLBD9ZqUons25JoFe5mNFfd8U3SuJPGrhBBOnImR6Y8wBJjw7nXSgNrMdMBDCdY2GzbKdXWXSICvf/s4032/IMG_9537.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyl9qJrymd2pNRQxtuZj4G_W-MJqSyPDZbKWQFcqVyq_26z8RO5DVXnIEAGZTmoQWzUXPNzey0xjJDScrtlmE3U-ll2ZP6iCKrV9CQqddxMDkRadyLBD9ZqUons25JoFe5mNFfd8U3SuJPGrhBBOnImR6Y8wBJjw7nXSgNrMdMBDCdY2GzbKdXWXSICvf/w480-h640/IMG_9537.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYwcpS6TOQJWKvhvrjfT9sM_HZl0oomO909ux_pdPh4Vf1-7StBNza2gbZbycAd2_yMvlJdw3jDsMwaeUOoM0_GBqYt0kP2k3hs-nVTm8yYGikkNMUHTi-kENysGpOw2x4L2VAQi4z1d7DFTf6FbglsllD1r2CC0FJ8TV2KeX3UEcLsOIcNWVkSkoJJLh/s1200/jan.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYwcpS6TOQJWKvhvrjfT9sM_HZl0oomO909ux_pdPh4Vf1-7StBNza2gbZbycAd2_yMvlJdw3jDsMwaeUOoM0_GBqYt0kP2k3hs-nVTm8yYGikkNMUHTi-kENysGpOw2x4L2VAQi4z1d7DFTf6FbglsllD1r2CC0FJ8TV2KeX3UEcLsOIcNWVkSkoJJLh/w640-h640/jan.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><b style="font-size: xx-large;">February</b> (and the next few months) were spent coping with morning sickness while keeping up with a busy toddler. We spent many mornings at library story time, had lots of play time with Grandma and Grandpa, and were delighted by Magnolia's language ability starting to explode.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDLedCQuk5UoI8nMLGYi7uXFmcC3ExT-ZerR-b1fjpqtjkdzrgKnd4IrnrNr8h5HO-oIGIyf5QhyQH3aJ06MeJh-kk4LZtr0LXCl9bkWnJ8ohdrkB_a2lO4jpyYp84a1W44WUu5VrO7dU75db4XzBfb_n1yD-Yo40FqqVtTDGSidpWEmUiNOGo2a9Xn8R/s1200/feb.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDLedCQuk5UoI8nMLGYi7uXFmcC3ExT-ZerR-b1fjpqtjkdzrgKnd4IrnrNr8h5HO-oIGIyf5QhyQH3aJ06MeJh-kk4LZtr0LXCl9bkWnJ8ohdrkB_a2lO4jpyYp84a1W44WUu5VrO7dU75db4XzBfb_n1yD-Yo40FqqVtTDGSidpWEmUiNOGo2a9Xn8R/w640-h640/feb.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>In <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">March</span></b> we officially found out we were having another girl, although we already felt pretty sure about it and had her name all picked out. I also had my cerclage surgery to keep baby Rosie safe, and finally finished up my IVF shots.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0QBXMzUFPxuYTAtrDGD-iRRf7UE7PCMJD15HXrEFHYOO8pG5FiMO_7-hN_qRwndps-ncVXoTYmphyphenhyphenMJev4WE8UcGi0UDwFv1FdLc-aY2Rbm8DbrTcqUODEpBj5cU7dOMZ4fmwCnX5nsQQYsafmz6bMctuVS_8xnyKm-Pqk059Wr9v5n9LGjjeBTb9nzG/s1200/mar.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0QBXMzUFPxuYTAtrDGD-iRRf7UE7PCMJD15HXrEFHYOO8pG5FiMO_7-hN_qRwndps-ncVXoTYmphyphenhyphenMJev4WE8UcGi0UDwFv1FdLc-aY2Rbm8DbrTcqUODEpBj5cU7dOMZ4fmwCnX5nsQQYsafmz6bMctuVS_8xnyKm-Pqk059Wr9v5n9LGjjeBTb9nzG/w640-h640/mar.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDA-pWrtADXMtJZeZlBg50Xsy9IgXDEsIPSm6YNGJqf7iJlkG-ad0-MpcIPpQgyxLZagYwrZiNZybKHrnhnEE88S0hUm5z_77Y5SMoIEYdID-3D7V-XxG8VbFOHEu-C37aoKmJplvsav7f9ihWeH08whU4FJXt8sYOHlwEmftpW7L0NevwvEGS-rAxrWW/s3663/3DCAD41B-72A9-4AA2-9AF0-9CF201CE29F1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3663" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDA-pWrtADXMtJZeZlBg50Xsy9IgXDEsIPSm6YNGJqf7iJlkG-ad0-MpcIPpQgyxLZagYwrZiNZybKHrnhnEE88S0hUm5z_77Y5SMoIEYdID-3D7V-XxG8VbFOHEu-C37aoKmJplvsav7f9ihWeH08whU4FJXt8sYOHlwEmftpW7L0NevwvEGS-rAxrWW/w640-h528/3DCAD41B-72A9-4AA2-9AF0-9CF201CE29F1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">384: the official tally of how many IVF shots I've done.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>In <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">April</span></b> we enjoyed celebrating Easter together with family, and soon afterwards enjoyed some unseasonably warm weather. Magnolia discovered the delight of playgrounds for the first time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6g56ItqykitCJ-tCyuwgi5YrOZ_IANOLXTP8ZjkkrthAQwbD5cuiLN2NvmnSDKcq69odu9-bePqwwDS3YBhYEz7vv62OUL9Tq5MF0G2OeTpc9vwt7n771tr-XOFjBBos8d1G5jF98U8oF4iRha0XNsA69w0-dsH9A5yklkZquIu_HbiC7xQaMCEgcDZwV/s1200/april.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6g56ItqykitCJ-tCyuwgi5YrOZ_IANOLXTP8ZjkkrthAQwbD5cuiLN2NvmnSDKcq69odu9-bePqwwDS3YBhYEz7vv62OUL9Tq5MF0G2OeTpc9vwt7n771tr-XOFjBBos8d1G5jF98U8oF4iRha0XNsA69w0-dsH9A5yklkZquIu_HbiC7xQaMCEgcDZwV/w640-h640/april.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5VK2c49zB3adIMBTtPQ1TFQx1he2zjcer8ev-Wdjnx5Qkp1v69Qonn0t-TDUaLLJ1iVWSxYrtxqcFAS33ozbPRefgE6B_YB2Yt3bNceDXtcQAgcl729rXZk1q0Mm8JR4gJv1FBaQtCbLXPtwQUIGEvwd8RJd02_231GPejOfH1wnQk63lJuKhQg-3fgL/s4032/IMG_2357.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5VK2c49zB3adIMBTtPQ1TFQx1he2zjcer8ev-Wdjnx5Qkp1v69Qonn0t-TDUaLLJ1iVWSxYrtxqcFAS33ozbPRefgE6B_YB2Yt3bNceDXtcQAgcl729rXZk1q0Mm8JR4gJv1FBaQtCbLXPtwQUIGEvwd8RJd02_231GPejOfH1wnQk63lJuKhQg-3fgL/w480-h640/IMG_2357.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>In <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">May</span></b>, I passed the halfway point in my pregnancy. Always a cause for celebration, and it also prompted us to announce the news to everyone who didn't know yet. Later in the month we had fun venturing out for our birthdays and for a town Memorial Day festival and parade. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2tR1nfa-QSVRvewEjwJ6yXlj5PK_5P6K-WTGAZDI8i8KbWUwPAf0XCQ-aARldRd1eTOyjGlLkI8mwIqYH2jbxpfQota3QTexXFPywUg8coNZnJvDWDUvb5PACQCpnw_ZvCxTqR7lX_XcmOWTOqpJ6R1hp-sf1yU7h10xKhkqd2v_MbKph30VmHps2btt/s1200/may.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2tR1nfa-QSVRvewEjwJ6yXlj5PK_5P6K-WTGAZDI8i8KbWUwPAf0XCQ-aARldRd1eTOyjGlLkI8mwIqYH2jbxpfQota3QTexXFPywUg8coNZnJvDWDUvb5PACQCpnw_ZvCxTqR7lX_XcmOWTOqpJ6R1hp-sf1yU7h10xKhkqd2v_MbKph30VmHps2btt/w640-h640/may.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>In <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">June</span></b> we said goodbye to Magnolia's era of multiple naps a day, and I got a lot more tired. We said hello to splash pads and a wading pool and water table in the backyard, and had a fun family outing to Port Washington despite the heat and gross air that Canada's wildfire's sent us. At the end of the month our beautiful little toddler turned one and a half!!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisz1mmliSO4430_egERadtpBdEJe6nnDzy7hBpG48viC6IT8BCf-Oq3ZVEyEwfa9gLtLsMRXE9qLdu7Q0B8F0amxC5hHVqetpAMJIq0JhB-9yZgndRio9oYedju3myq9FIVevfquz5JnrWbywSt2TUeXG-f9vbSUJ6vhZPDXk5mlmxuiV_vmPjL8neKnrx/s1200/jun.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisz1mmliSO4430_egERadtpBdEJe6nnDzy7hBpG48viC6IT8BCf-Oq3ZVEyEwfa9gLtLsMRXE9qLdu7Q0B8F0amxC5hHVqetpAMJIq0JhB-9yZgndRio9oYedju3myq9FIVevfquz5JnrWbywSt2TUeXG-f9vbSUJ6vhZPDXk5mlmxuiV_vmPjL8neKnrx/w640-h640/jun.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RpIg3pQ-xO4_molisREKiZU36wtI3MZ2ljyNiyfl76zQRGAT1feDugnkoL4wMEDvRsDRkDwmrqvAcUqkWjwx4WIbMh8MvnspUHdn48A5CHyCTNcwL9RKw9rX-vx3vUrki46nvONa3hc3rRvUn3-cWc1I_5_jnsNKbFJPOZ2TcgybwkBXkHND0fL80H1A/s4032/IMG_1419.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RpIg3pQ-xO4_molisREKiZU36wtI3MZ2ljyNiyfl76zQRGAT1feDugnkoL4wMEDvRsDRkDwmrqvAcUqkWjwx4WIbMh8MvnspUHdn48A5CHyCTNcwL9RKw9rX-vx3vUrki46nvONa3hc3rRvUn3-cWc1I_5_jnsNKbFJPOZ2TcgybwkBXkHND0fL80H1A/w480-h640/IMG_1419.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>In <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">July</span></b>, said toddler started nursery and LOVES it. She also tried a toddler art class, but mostly spent every class happily wandering around the room instead of doing art. For the 4th year in a row, we visited Kelley Country Creamery for their sunflower field and homemade ice cream. This year, Magnolia hated stopping to take pictures, but loved getting out of the stroller to run and to see the cows.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9vEl6cSuLCj8ZpMoOpkXcwDF23e4AGKnzn6geXCg9UwcQi5sW5po1G3ZHDXz0PBtm_vB-UapdWy2rBVfSFWwjzrGAJi4G4O9vwD8LiDBB7aEkTwiIct1iPsfEZJE-BYDqupmHwg6_zw3_h5-SfGSi9iqiJYDmOt7OVWc8CuaYuSuoiDreifE18n08rcx/s3482/IMG_1836.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3482" data-original-width="2612" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9vEl6cSuLCj8ZpMoOpkXcwDF23e4AGKnzn6geXCg9UwcQi5sW5po1G3ZHDXz0PBtm_vB-UapdWy2rBVfSFWwjzrGAJi4G4O9vwD8LiDBB7aEkTwiIct1iPsfEZJE-BYDqupmHwg6_zw3_h5-SfGSi9iqiJYDmOt7OVWc8CuaYuSuoiDreifE18n08rcx/w480-h640/IMG_1836.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proof that she does indeed repeat outfits sometimes.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrmDs6CYwATVJnrVmbWZSgXGhjum21VzngZ5frJLXfynI-4E6OcrJOj1EeE5ldQZ6fikNsDHcrDfE3IIdk-aUbooHp58VhWSF6KIc3B-DgdaXYRKg_pCGJHkd2xUyvTYD1Ah8srbvfY7CwIepFrv4cFSlMIt1Gi8kyq5w8AlI5Y0VejwbQk7hHELsqjgb/s2048/BC6D7865-3361-49AE-A1F1-398ACF00D743.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrmDs6CYwATVJnrVmbWZSgXGhjum21VzngZ5frJLXfynI-4E6OcrJOj1EeE5ldQZ6fikNsDHcrDfE3IIdk-aUbooHp58VhWSF6KIc3B-DgdaXYRKg_pCGJHkd2xUyvTYD1Ah8srbvfY7CwIepFrv4cFSlMIt1Gi8kyq5w8AlI5Y0VejwbQk7hHELsqjgb/w640-h640/BC6D7865-3361-49AE-A1F1-398ACF00D743.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">August</span></b> was crunch time to get ready for baby girl #2. After moving David's office to the family room (he works from home), I was able to start decorating the nursery and joyfully getting all of Magnolia's tiny and adorable baby clothes out of storage. Not quite as fun was when my feet got so swollen that only about 2 or 3 of my probably 100 pairs of shoes fit anymore.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclCeNIxWfc3Vl8MI5-mFZnX0mbQw7OAKu01qwTtxR4xh9jBgmSn4np6cwPY2mUEM4piBmvgPTtgzrsuo3-TgFka4i25oYo4vuXu-81XEEHG40LtIudLFIAQvIkUYY4nKwPkG_vuXwzCMJIlQks0onp60Kbvee7p55duJVal_P719WG81TTDAbSzXkRJCy/s4032/IMG_2038.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclCeNIxWfc3Vl8MI5-mFZnX0mbQw7OAKu01qwTtxR4xh9jBgmSn4np6cwPY2mUEM4piBmvgPTtgzrsuo3-TgFka4i25oYo4vuXu-81XEEHG40LtIudLFIAQvIkUYY4nKwPkG_vuXwzCMJIlQks0onp60Kbvee7p55duJVal_P719WG81TTDAbSzXkRJCy/w480-h640/IMG_2038.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is cuter to look at than my feet lol.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">September</span></b> 5th was by far our most momentous day of the year. Our sweet baby Rosalie Belle was born at 11:29pm after a long labor. She gets to share a birthday with her grandma, which made it extra special. The next day my parents brought Magnolia to visit, and she was automatically an incredibly loving big sister. It blew my mind that a 1 year old could be so caring and nurturing, and it continues to be heart-melting to watch them interact. The rest of the month was a blur getting used to having 2 kids under 2. We were tired, but happy tired. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRmd1OxUzrs8baPKHrWu2eh0T4uG8oRiCSagMolZNBYYNbgrRc_rL-JRtJhBwUk1wyIpwufsWBJ05jivPa7uDxGyYqPK31NVFN9U1vlBlbnlLQiEBqnhUNlgnIgboO_Nzla3bJuU4CnMyCufqt1VoyfkkRR6MCUoHrQpjx7SPlSmNiHMFDC9P4rFj1zZQ/s6720/DQ3A3702.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4480" data-original-width="6720" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRmd1OxUzrs8baPKHrWu2eh0T4uG8oRiCSagMolZNBYYNbgrRc_rL-JRtJhBwUk1wyIpwufsWBJ05jivPa7uDxGyYqPK31NVFN9U1vlBlbnlLQiEBqnhUNlgnIgboO_Nzla3bJuU4CnMyCufqt1VoyfkkRR6MCUoHrQpjx7SPlSmNiHMFDC9P4rFj1zZQ/w640-h426/DQ3A3702.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpAuIATZiGiWgtCYS3Ec8rZFKkDjxpk9HLRiIoto3F4daI6_OHFAjx7p9pxZ7zkuvkXJT4NvESyCb4cwdx-0NHSiiLU_wZxjuiDXio-BxqJNdxdxJGuXu7Z_7HDyjavAWHziTmef0hp_S_ct561jy2howNWQTH3ZK1gP6P_KMoV5_yL3tD-fnyJ0DHltr/s1080/IMG_2289.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpAuIATZiGiWgtCYS3Ec8rZFKkDjxpk9HLRiIoto3F4daI6_OHFAjx7p9pxZ7zkuvkXJT4NvESyCb4cwdx-0NHSiiLU_wZxjuiDXio-BxqJNdxdxJGuXu7Z_7HDyjavAWHziTmef0hp_S_ct561jy2howNWQTH3ZK1gP6P_KMoV5_yL3tD-fnyJ0DHltr/w640-h640/IMG_2289.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">October </span></b>is my favorite month, and this year was no exception. We got more into the swing of taking care of 2 babies, and managed to get about and about to do lots of fun fall activities like an apple orchard, pumpkin patch, and walks to see the leaves. I never thought I would willingly "hike," but I love fall enough to give it a try. Their costumes were Little Bo Peep and her sheep- although unfortunately trick or treating got derailed due to snowy weather.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMUvFYDQIih3sZLEd8TbvD2KYbEqZa7_ktoZBTKXZuz5odYZIinsNVA-0hruA2OpkQrzGpsZMmQOkZi5B9pDOJmdqm1rlakU1z0UA0426WhtOgbi4RPVM61hXJJybPia5lv5cwJR03omAGVpV8PBLBN6ASsTFsFfCmlSyJZzX2z0sEWf2iyvzeG3c9gbz/s1200/oct.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMUvFYDQIih3sZLEd8TbvD2KYbEqZa7_ktoZBTKXZuz5odYZIinsNVA-0hruA2OpkQrzGpsZMmQOkZi5B9pDOJmdqm1rlakU1z0UA0426WhtOgbi4RPVM61hXJJybPia5lv5cwJR03omAGVpV8PBLBN6ASsTFsFfCmlSyJZzX2z0sEWf2iyvzeG3c9gbz/w640-h640/oct.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUmxsm9v-iPK6zxYLBYyckudZBHuRs2YPrGbiRPJBBAnklKkZMq0uUytNIhbb27QQbLkZ79wcYsbQyKjF_HKlg7UqVrLJLe9zd6zGRDXY9CAcBJXXiW8NxUNeyc03uFLTHQxSzkF_Gz9saHisOI6EBbsBdzTtOgpKLoCmjgoW5oH8vv4M4nGj4hzs7Y1l/s1200/octy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUmxsm9v-iPK6zxYLBYyckudZBHuRs2YPrGbiRPJBBAnklKkZMq0uUytNIhbb27QQbLkZ79wcYsbQyKjF_HKlg7UqVrLJLe9zd6zGRDXY9CAcBJXXiW8NxUNeyc03uFLTHQxSzkF_Gz9saHisOI6EBbsBdzTtOgpKLoCmjgoW5oH8vv4M4nGj4hzs7Y1l/w640-h640/octy.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>In <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">November</span></b> we ventured out to many playgroups and toddler activities with baby sister in tow. We hosted Thanksgiving because David LOVES cooking (and eating) the Thanksgiving feast. It's a win for me because I have no desire to cook.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWMNKUUhIwHAaQ0vGG74xAkRY3hAt-JLArkjChJiimSEyRHh0RpPcNaO2omhttv-hcWm2Xfc_2Vqi3aP9Y9QLEj9r1AasjRTx9e7wtjU_xFcWydJ134TTFxRNkx463kwaY59zUgdpI3Bh5N9n1t7mrVDglX64XANNERCAH-cCi_qzPlaTvs3-WL6xo5v8/s2048/404720358_10222376416271358_6839697587367054207_n-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWMNKUUhIwHAaQ0vGG74xAkRY3hAt-JLArkjChJiimSEyRHh0RpPcNaO2omhttv-hcWm2Xfc_2Vqi3aP9Y9QLEj9r1AasjRTx9e7wtjU_xFcWydJ134TTFxRNkx463kwaY59zUgdpI3Bh5N9n1t7mrVDglX64XANNERCAH-cCi_qzPlaTvs3-WL6xo5v8/w640-h640/404720358_10222376416271358_6839697587367054207_n-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>In <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">December</span></b> we welcomed David's parents for a long visit to meet Rosalie and spend the holidays together. We had a merry Christmas with our babies. Magnolia turned 2 at the end of the month- we can't believe how grown-up, smart, beautiful, and amazing she is. Baby Rosie woke up from her sleepy newborn phase and is becoming more interactive, smiley, and adorable all the time. We had her baby blessing while all of her grandparents were here, which was very special for the family!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1N59dZoNoIM0mPN7bklqUt1E1WcpkfRN0lOU2nE8jcENTB_YCDdtwJZ8qgVs0w-6p41KzlnirPMkVwyr9dC9pdvN9zI_OzcGDbWzTHGiC-DBp4o9I75O7kY4NMLMc9Ciwxj4lpnpq7GLVP6QsLNF7W4p-k6JkYHDz-7fhHsQqJjJE11v8NruSAgOP8jC/s1200/christmas.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1N59dZoNoIM0mPN7bklqUt1E1WcpkfRN0lOU2nE8jcENTB_YCDdtwJZ8qgVs0w-6p41KzlnirPMkVwyr9dC9pdvN9zI_OzcGDbWzTHGiC-DBp4o9I75O7kY4NMLMc9Ciwxj4lpnpq7GLVP6QsLNF7W4p-k6JkYHDz-7fhHsQqJjJE11v8NruSAgOP8jC/w640-h640/christmas.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7iKIWgtUyskrwlbWV_Nhj9_aItBbUR7sV6HndYmD48LRFpzmDEolXLmh4HK7ojl8oaIMbRz2UuB7EuekeEGjKi_x8xW43i_T1TcZvXBmO-mSPPT6hEi24Q4ApiHHWPYRqjz_S8kLzHGcZcIaEuEWIs99D7NaNyahxC-HuaxWjcVVihE6N6jk2Pexsjtw/s2904/IMG_5323.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2904" data-original-width="2344" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7iKIWgtUyskrwlbWV_Nhj9_aItBbUR7sV6HndYmD48LRFpzmDEolXLmh4HK7ojl8oaIMbRz2UuB7EuekeEGjKi_x8xW43i_T1TcZvXBmO-mSPPT6hEi24Q4ApiHHWPYRqjz_S8kLzHGcZcIaEuEWIs99D7NaNyahxC-HuaxWjcVVihE6N6jk2Pexsjtw/w517-h640/IMG_5323.jpg" width="517" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9bueKeJ7IWDvlbqD6U1UDB55wBUNQQSobOt5MYSl3wwHjMV8j4OHWQG9dZIgzyQ_cbdCheh3uigyVzzmG-1Jltj8IsiTHvQpcR3o2bayqn-6uJNFhY8tLWwGsapHq9u0oj-tMv-r6JdstY81rQRF3b7-D8p7OPb2B4GkYJMSZTjZs3PpHYloOnPV7JhZi/s4032/IMG_5353.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9bueKeJ7IWDvlbqD6U1UDB55wBUNQQSobOt5MYSl3wwHjMV8j4OHWQG9dZIgzyQ_cbdCheh3uigyVzzmG-1Jltj8IsiTHvQpcR3o2bayqn-6uJNFhY8tLWwGsapHq9u0oj-tMv-r6JdstY81rQRF3b7-D8p7OPb2B4GkYJMSZTjZs3PpHYloOnPV7JhZi/w480-h640/IMG_5353.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>Although we stayed close to home this year due to pregnancy and having a newborn, 2023 was a lovely and momentous year for our family. We are overjoyed to be parents and to have 2 healthy and happy girls.</p><p>We're looking forward to some traveling in 2024- stay tuned! </p><p><br /></p><p>Past years in review... can't believe it's been 10 years since I started this!</p><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2023/03/2022-year-in-review.html" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">2022</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> (Magnolia's first year, Texas, Las Vegas, Utah, Paris)</span><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2021/12/2021-year-in-review.html" target="_blank">2021</a> (Tragedy and joy- losing a child and bringing one home, Charleston and Savannah trip)</p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2021/01/2020-year-in-review.html" style="background: transparent; color: #ca4a4c; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">2020</a> (Quarantine, Mississippi River road trip, IVF)</span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2019/12/2019-year-in-review.html" style="background: transparent; color: #ca4a4c; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">2019</a> (Seattle trip, David's parents visit, Mackinac Island, road trips)<br /><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2018/12/2018-year-in-review.html" style="background: transparent; color: #ca4a4c; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">2018</a> (Poland, Sicily, moving back to America, NYC, Hawaii)</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2018/01/2017-year-in-review.html" style="background: transparent; color: #ca4a4c; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">2017</a> (Paris three times, Milan, Bruges, Italian Riviera, Carcassonne, London, Geneva, Florence, Venice, beach, Provence, Naples, Denmark, Cinque Terre, David gets a green card! phew)</span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2017/01/2016-year-in-review.html" style="background: transparent; color: #ca4a4c; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">2016</a> (Israel, moved back to US, got engaged, got married, moved to France, Paris, Provence, London)</span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2015/12/2015-in-review.html" style="background: transparent; color: #ca4a4c; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">2015</a> (Living in Israel, 2 trips to France)</span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2014/12/2014-in-review.html" style="background: transparent; color: #ca4a4c; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">2014</a> (Living in France, Brussels, Amsterdam, Munich, Vienna, Prague, meeting David, Switzerland, Paris moved home, moved to Israel)</span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2014/01/2013-in-review.html" style="background: transparent; color: #ca4a4c; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">2013</a> (Jerusalem study abroad, moved to France, Rome, Florence, Siena, Luxembourg)</span></div>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-13068063834637616122022-12-31T18:50:00.003-08:002023-04-25T19:10:21.869-07:002022: A Year in Review<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">There is no possible way that a year could ever start any better than my 2022. On January 1st, we brought home baby Magnolia June from the hospital, after a 5 year struggle with infertility, IVF, and loss.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TrVfdpudso_KfTxUtUHdHpyTG3VZGbnQlHkJf3Y8_2dA4oKxgCsjgM92_Srg5SNJqyf3hd_po0iXgEJlrFr1CyQ_wKmZGa8u_e6JzgjnJDEGRr1OTRPQejOxGCf-0e4a4xtXu1UeAKXQ4AYZ5gAJADpAGOH2Lc-ZvudHLE3XJXN1WDU2Hxwt4jj6jA/s4032/IMG_1454.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TrVfdpudso_KfTxUtUHdHpyTG3VZGbnQlHkJf3Y8_2dA4oKxgCsjgM92_Srg5SNJqyf3hd_po0iXgEJlrFr1CyQ_wKmZGa8u_e6JzgjnJDEGRr1OTRPQejOxGCf-0e4a4xtXu1UeAKXQ4AYZ5gAJADpAGOH2Lc-ZvudHLE3XJXN1WDU2Hxwt4jj6jA/w480-h640/IMG_1454.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">If we had done absolutely nothing else for the rest of the year, it would still have by far been the best year of our lives.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Although we spent the majority of our time learning to take care of and enjoying our little daughter, we were lucky enough to have some other adventures as well!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">In May, David's parents came over from France to meet Magnolia. We traveled with them down to Texas to check off a new state, show them more of America, and attempt our first ever trip with a baby.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">It was a success! We made it to <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2022/05/dallas-texas.html" target="_blank">Dallas</a> and <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2022/05/san-antonio.html" target="_blank">San Antonio</a>, and also saw some of the <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2022/06/texas-hill-country.html" target="_blank">Texas countryside</a>. It was great to travel again after about a year break.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbfJ7XA_klZrYSprrfLoZsn2xWcpF0gE7M2JI9eDGG1Ip3XLcnRaEa5H3WTKyiy4R6TyNzp9xdYroUIalKaw1rqvGyKi7JPixQqUBRnIqOBK5Oeq4xr-uG273OWluKFo8C2gLMaI6t2gYaCNy3_2oYGBS46x6IzoGJS4MEt_Styiy4QwkVwnb966rFw/s1200/texfam.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbfJ7XA_klZrYSprrfLoZsn2xWcpF0gE7M2JI9eDGG1Ip3XLcnRaEa5H3WTKyiy4R6TyNzp9xdYroUIalKaw1rqvGyKi7JPixQqUBRnIqOBK5Oeq4xr-uG273OWluKFo8C2gLMaI6t2gYaCNy3_2oYGBS46x6IzoGJS4MEt_Styiy4QwkVwnb966rFw/w640-h640/texfam.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVhOjQ71JIT7M9_7HJEVr9gw7WVd7dNP5QCO6BRUvV71t-uBNNvC5b9JJV0J7giHNxcZ3yU7UrqcpNAGbV9EOobJqekTKyCfIyP_BOn1NNGO0JkyHmfZX3AWok2VLnxCfqrzrNhA71JMWzYNW6V1m7N7_lCuMG0PiqwvmyHpQFH17SIri1fdICP3phw/s1200/texi.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVhOjQ71JIT7M9_7HJEVr9gw7WVd7dNP5QCO6BRUvV71t-uBNNvC5b9JJV0J7giHNxcZ3yU7UrqcpNAGbV9EOobJqekTKyCfIyP_BOn1NNGO0JkyHmfZX3AWok2VLnxCfqrzrNhA71JMWzYNW6V1m7N7_lCuMG0PiqwvmyHpQFH17SIri1fdICP3phw/w640-h640/texi.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Over the summer we did our traditional (third year in a row) trip to Kelley's Country Creamery sunflower field, as well as checking out a beautiful lavender field in Baraboo for the first time. Who knew Wisconsin had lavender??</span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbASe3Kg0yjTkWm90RTPv_He5jGf3qT6GrVrjFJFPutTkoUBKdXrCG5pmuyQcoJ_Qa9JsjNlZj3MCFppZnWjq8Z1jEj2IRr9MI9Zsfwnxto_tiRTj8sS6tnJX_5dQzyfn7dL0GxPu5GCsqlqmy7Wnqz6Sim9AlsaDi15Ps32TAfnl2H1_IICV5EoDZA/s1200/sun.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbASe3Kg0yjTkWm90RTPv_He5jGf3qT6GrVrjFJFPutTkoUBKdXrCG5pmuyQcoJ_Qa9JsjNlZj3MCFppZnWjq8Z1jEj2IRr9MI9Zsfwnxto_tiRTj8sS6tnJX_5dQzyfn7dL0GxPu5GCsqlqmy7Wnqz6Sim9AlsaDi15Ps32TAfnl2H1_IICV5EoDZA/w640-h640/sun.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ldDw62fyUHrEg0XFQMlbMINtf96n3SO8nnsJR3OMXqmH3RA7z54kjyO31LyQiYoCWuNqed03NCLyZnqGRnFKLKVMuiw6JTFdQusePuUg17gsIPwlKZCr2gSuXunS9NLeCteU5ZTgKpzgqa09ulZybpviXtKC1OLvoc1aDt21N6xokuabXwAYbj6MfQ/s1200/lav.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ldDw62fyUHrEg0XFQMlbMINtf96n3SO8nnsJR3OMXqmH3RA7z54kjyO31LyQiYoCWuNqed03NCLyZnqGRnFKLKVMuiw6JTFdQusePuUg17gsIPwlKZCr2gSuXunS9NLeCteU5ZTgKpzgqa09ulZybpviXtKC1OLvoc1aDt21N6xokuabXwAYbj6MfQ/w640-h640/lav.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">In the fall we did our traditional outings to an apple orchard, a pumpkin patch, and Holy Hill to see the colors.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfHo3srF3Hs-AEKjYRAI0CwJYisr30Hqm5l_V1UDaAo_LQ2rPL2qRdNYrpo6Gu2TWeAn3JJ9vAdKl1AA9gBz5Wz8OKnLS-7sFj83FsU1bSjWApoURmPBF-CS5a2quQccRidXvDF45kgrNmGJlpt7OKKrueHYCFXPl77KZ9YVKADA15WDo7d8WzCPKow/s1200/fall.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfHo3srF3Hs-AEKjYRAI0CwJYisr30Hqm5l_V1UDaAo_LQ2rPL2qRdNYrpo6Gu2TWeAn3JJ9vAdKl1AA9gBz5Wz8OKnLS-7sFj83FsU1bSjWApoURmPBF-CS5a2quQccRidXvDF45kgrNmGJlpt7OKKrueHYCFXPl77KZ9YVKADA15WDo7d8WzCPKow/w640-h640/fall.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">In November we checked off another new state- Nevada! We explored some of <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2023/04/viva-las-vegas.html" target="_blank">Las Vegas</a> before driving up to <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2022/12/things-i-dont-hate-in-utah.html" target="_blank">Utah</a>. </span><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Highlights of the trip included the fancy Vegas hotels, St. George, Zion National Park, David getting to play the Conference Center organ, and Magnolia getting to meet her great-grandparents.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHGoEmo9Cb3UnUGu8Pbc9r4xEjNdpFPkL9Y6hbhoAxNFplHttgclrfm61ldolUPqx-gZAnuWgM9CLQab9E7FLRN0WNRuOt7QvK_dNk6MyNWLSi6rfqW8NNWaNkHb7ZpyXZ7d5GXrUopPVMX4fwcCfZBKiKF7Zl7CXsPPlxXbF0j720bZRbfqXzAMxjgw/s1200/vegas.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHGoEmo9Cb3UnUGu8Pbc9r4xEjNdpFPkL9Y6hbhoAxNFplHttgclrfm61ldolUPqx-gZAnuWgM9CLQab9E7FLRN0WNRuOt7QvK_dNk6MyNWLSi6rfqW8NNWaNkHb7ZpyXZ7d5GXrUopPVMX4fwcCfZBKiKF7Zl7CXsPPlxXbF0j720bZRbfqXzAMxjgw/w640-h640/vegas.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSrIJ2AvyN_OGxvdjNleLHfcu4eWppfpePkL6HqGtdVI0s369lQ-BtqleLYHl5dDn9mz0r7R184B5Wm52IPSTR_dJK1IN_CopOorzug4yyiywj8LqodnXVStHiMY_7mEhMwvcp-1VsbM7gyk47YIRrDIJiwzDcNMuvzF81GVgefAclc6uYTTDqllePw/s1200/utah.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSrIJ2AvyN_OGxvdjNleLHfcu4eWppfpePkL6HqGtdVI0s369lQ-BtqleLYHl5dDn9mz0r7R184B5Wm52IPSTR_dJK1IN_CopOorzug4yyiywj8LqodnXVStHiMY_7mEhMwvcp-1VsbM7gyk47YIRrDIJiwzDcNMuvzF81GVgefAclc6uYTTDqllePw/w640-h640/utah.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HM1E8s4FnFmYxOAm8StjzNveTsxVBRpDqn3an_Mx6L-CEN-rFrQn4UnOYhrAlKFVQWQokK0jGYhRRNNGjfdh_mSRX-RUnCeWsghfGr_0HZRBelVJFz5Mnx2h5R3u3-ceS6CrLLETU-kwMnjqdM8HrnYEdrcV5Bz0YWldj_JSyotygb1AblOOPLwQPw/s1200/zion.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HM1E8s4FnFmYxOAm8StjzNveTsxVBRpDqn3an_Mx6L-CEN-rFrQn4UnOYhrAlKFVQWQokK0jGYhRRNNGjfdh_mSRX-RUnCeWsghfGr_0HZRBelVJFz5Mnx2h5R3u3-ceS6CrLLETU-kwMnjqdM8HrnYEdrcV5Bz0YWldj_JSyotygb1AblOOPLwQPw/w640-h640/zion.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">In December we ventured even farther- Paris- for Magnolia's first international trip. It was amazing to be back in my happy place after 5 years away.</span></div><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We spent most of our time touring some of my old favorites- the Sainte-Chapelle, the Marais, the Opera house, les Galeries Lafayette, and the Champs-Elysées. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7aiVARh1MR1T0BrUXXGUE78Fam47Sffu43lVH1TZUHqXZM5GsOhgCVOZycif9lRCJPkAgbR9ECGjWE4yugqwbTDJ4NKtZh8s942eBfkst-3nvFofc_bwGyhUmof_cnbjdGYU00D2TQ1_GlpHUNckxodWYCr8Snzx99erOglFVIhdn8WxxzTZRIWsHg/s1200/marsc.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7aiVARh1MR1T0BrUXXGUE78Fam47Sffu43lVH1TZUHqXZM5GsOhgCVOZycif9lRCJPkAgbR9ECGjWE4yugqwbTDJ4NKtZh8s942eBfkst-3nvFofc_bwGyhUmof_cnbjdGYU00D2TQ1_GlpHUNckxodWYCr8Snzx99erOglFVIhdn8WxxzTZRIWsHg/w640-h640/marsc.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGO4ERAftSaUKKEKCRZFRRG72ghZLibyJs1hEO2PFDS3RbtQLx6YkUXwLTsqc2_KKTjhBRv10OGhbyK1gt7_Rqi789aCJ8mw5uf1fyjaXJeyOQTnbAOMgGZYpexF3I7fjmNzGOMNGjvxg4AkEKSqpaBnsp45N84rxe7vEhZag3huRalZxbLkVLHt_2Rw/s1200/pair.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGO4ERAftSaUKKEKCRZFRRG72ghZLibyJs1hEO2PFDS3RbtQLx6YkUXwLTsqc2_KKTjhBRv10OGhbyK1gt7_Rqi789aCJ8mw5uf1fyjaXJeyOQTnbAOMgGZYpexF3I7fjmNzGOMNGjvxg4AkEKSqpaBnsp45N84rxe7vEhZag3huRalZxbLkVLHt_2Rw/w640-h640/pair.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uElkuzfM4E0anqtCeYr1sHiyif2EasZ_7ugDGsXhAbvajSWJOclgDvaDLi7bedBAJXVRi7G-dQG_GVZsNjAq2YJ4NwJUeqUVcdaUs8m1STDHrdZ3Iep_nVil68W5DKR8GDcfVLDrDer6j0ZBuwcUHtKPATW0wnlGg-WA0oprfkfhsLTT5WwK7nVjPg/s1799/D4501FEF-458E-4606-815A-8ED21DACCFF7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1799" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uElkuzfM4E0anqtCeYr1sHiyif2EasZ_7ugDGsXhAbvajSWJOclgDvaDLi7bedBAJXVRi7G-dQG_GVZsNjAq2YJ4NwJUeqUVcdaUs8m1STDHrdZ3Iep_nVil68W5DKR8GDcfVLDrDer6j0ZBuwcUHtKPATW0wnlGg-WA0oprfkfhsLTT5WwK7nVjPg/w512-h640/D4501FEF-458E-4606-815A-8ED21DACCFF7.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">We also stopped by a few castles we'd never been to: Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Château de Vincennes. Let's not forget that I also basically ate my weight in pastries and baguettes and was utterly thrilled and filled with nostalgia to visit some of my favorite French stores and landmarks.</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6uBWLcABI9UEQHqTltSLj8fwI_vHjzaWef6S9HefpniBwvXk0dlVSBRH5cMVpjO_UlbfwBF3L9Pd-MORDyHD9hbE_XviWazqVo5IBr45c7IZHcQ7mqNDuFevBW8MHQx-5Azd74YKcBvNSkiDNjzFx4dnrBdd4U35U1HJvaj5gx7Rc0g_uvEGaP9fslw/s1200/castles.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6uBWLcABI9UEQHqTltSLj8fwI_vHjzaWef6S9HefpniBwvXk0dlVSBRH5cMVpjO_UlbfwBF3L9Pd-MORDyHD9hbE_XviWazqVo5IBr45c7IZHcQ7mqNDuFevBW8MHQx-5Azd74YKcBvNSkiDNjzFx4dnrBdd4U35U1HJvaj5gx7Rc0g_uvEGaP9fslw/w640-h640/castles.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The end of the year was a whirlwind of holidays and Magnolia's first birthday. What an amazing privilege it was to watch this girl grow from a tiny newborn into a toddler. She is so smart, funny, beautiful, and happy. We're excited to continue exploring the world and enjoying life with her.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0AoqiFvkK3UKuRne3ous1y7tKq28lTjWUwrdx-EDFA2SCodanZeGFEW5dgcBGC2sAbWSpqD7WHyKxz2fe4g_MQO0fyk0Skpg3bptmoXYBP_aFXVhvwETWyNh-evLlHV6ELdRlND4rkKHJbvpUlqmFnE1YkwDiQHix99LtbGq0pe8cL9LmjLS_EuvFjA/s1080/months.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0AoqiFvkK3UKuRne3ous1y7tKq28lTjWUwrdx-EDFA2SCodanZeGFEW5dgcBGC2sAbWSpqD7WHyKxz2fe4g_MQO0fyk0Skpg3bptmoXYBP_aFXVhvwETWyNh-evLlHV6ELdRlND4rkKHJbvpUlqmFnE1YkwDiQHix99LtbGq0pe8cL9LmjLS_EuvFjA/w640-h640/months.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p></div>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-61312037401867611082022-12-01T14:53:00.007-08:002023-04-25T19:02:20.942-07:00Things I Don't Hate in Utah<p><span style="font-size: medium;">After a few days exploring Las Vegas, we headed into the desert wilderness to check an item off of David's bucket list: the Hoover Dam.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgys_NqW24aJfTLdpR6w0D7FPEghZyE4f4jMPkHNmHFGSkV34dpR-wVG9UUqMjqe5wHnPPT5WbxBNie9p0ntaXfFqoZaQhASMScfx5mgj1QGo6aOfcM_1_epc9QMEi8TCLOZJbA4oXKG0CIkoz3R7Ww5zwRhqH2JJzptc1dWhVaLoKySnfhYqWvxtKTA/s4172/IMG_8354.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3127" data-original-width="4172" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgys_NqW24aJfTLdpR6w0D7FPEghZyE4f4jMPkHNmHFGSkV34dpR-wVG9UUqMjqe5wHnPPT5WbxBNie9p0ntaXfFqoZaQhASMScfx5mgj1QGo6aOfcM_1_epc9QMEi8TCLOZJbA4oXKG0CIkoz3R7Ww5zwRhqH2JJzptc1dWhVaLoKySnfhYqWvxtKTA/w640-h480/IMG_8354.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I had no idea it was quite the tourist attraction. There were lots of other visitors, and a gift shop and restaurant. This has to be one of the most unique places I've ever eaten lunch.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6y1ZQOPikYzfZncHXH5RluHqYN7TMfkDfQq7Vr9oPPRLusxlDF1JzpenLDkgrfR_ERcDj8AehN6W2jxqxuRsm5lkbpO1OhUyvdVFCl416ASEx_0hL4lmUmZF7dHNqlw6KkB_6onRc6_aTuGA6rHtfq7VqTzunpGTRjcyUK6lRayr-y_u-vcdHF0q4ww/s1024/hd.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6y1ZQOPikYzfZncHXH5RluHqYN7TMfkDfQq7Vr9oPPRLusxlDF1JzpenLDkgrfR_ERcDj8AehN6W2jxqxuRsm5lkbpO1OhUyvdVFCl416ASEx_0hL4lmUmZF7dHNqlw6KkB_6onRc6_aTuGA6rHtfq7VqTzunpGTRjcyUK6lRayr-y_u-vcdHF0q4ww/w640-h320/hd.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The dam was built during the Great Depression. It still provides water and power to millions of people across Nevada, Arizona, and California. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnc_zxdz-pfOlz5NlhNJDys3wir4xV_6XTg3onPR7K5Za7ptDHwoKCtKmXlOZGpOTCONTOsenvucoxfkXUnMIfNnx1C17gb9WZAPVRlSbxPnrmTWZyWbpwfSKzou4OMuahF0w2zG2OjVCii25GuJoMA3u4My9blnUq4SvBOxjU8LNEncwo5sEhckOkQg/s4608/IMG_8357.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnc_zxdz-pfOlz5NlhNJDys3wir4xV_6XTg3onPR7K5Za7ptDHwoKCtKmXlOZGpOTCONTOsenvucoxfkXUnMIfNnx1C17gb9WZAPVRlSbxPnrmTWZyWbpwfSKzou4OMuahF0w2zG2OjVCii25GuJoMA3u4My9blnUq4SvBOxjU8LNEncwo5sEhckOkQg/w640-h480/IMG_8357.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Mead<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">When we walked across, we actually walked to Arizona! The dam lays on the Nevada-Arizona border, and there are clocks that show where the time zone switches.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwu7Qptm6M1S0wYvTSesawrjvr_HtWgPO6SZShc4vxLJ2FIGrD5W4cIurgGlJ3tgf5VRWoqrgf8kYO8M2PUJMguIY0laohqAA_blT0t6Yg7YXYzcw62zCOD_JfSWexhcjZIImAntglcKYSXy03unnSwvMAcHPglEZyzikvswhxBFjy53R0bj_glgF-Q/s1448/image000003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="1086" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwu7Qptm6M1S0wYvTSesawrjvr_HtWgPO6SZShc4vxLJ2FIGrD5W4cIurgGlJ3tgf5VRWoqrgf8kYO8M2PUJMguIY0laohqAA_blT0t6Yg7YXYzcw62zCOD_JfSWexhcjZIImAntglcKYSXy03unnSwvMAcHPglEZyzikvswhxBFjy53R0bj_glgF-Q/w480-h640/image000003.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;">After seeing all there was to see, we headed north to St. George- another new city for us.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Before it got dark, we made it to Red Hills Desert Garden. Besides the pretty scenery, the park overlooks the city and we enjoyed some nice views. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-syAAikP8onvLpWMfNBnSACkbp0WHLzxet-77bZPWZTrP5nKPWfOtb8Jdr5DpHDP95CxorsyK5y4qHo7SYaehgYw8Rqz3gd2esOhb7oyB8XtXKBZ2OquVoHSNEM6pgaI78FVDS1jo_HRS2V_b8PYchA48SD3_TF24p6hX8W5cEhxZO3_KjNitsBDTfg/s1200/georgie.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-syAAikP8onvLpWMfNBnSACkbp0WHLzxet-77bZPWZTrP5nKPWfOtb8Jdr5DpHDP95CxorsyK5y4qHo7SYaehgYw8Rqz3gd2esOhb7oyB8XtXKBZ2OquVoHSNEM6pgaI78FVDS1jo_HRS2V_b8PYchA48SD3_TF24p6hX8W5cEhxZO3_KjNitsBDTfg/w640-h640/georgie.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Magnolia was thrilled to be out of the car after a few hours of driving.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqNw4Spc9nfjxuSzZq-uT-vW5Og3mYC3NXV2Z5l03cqFXSYp14EdiqKDWvESNw70yyjaBpZ-sIgxC2p3bpUZRVNT4oK2F-DrGjy5AyYus-JwDi0FqdOE0rCmrFxOEwEMcjq1077DpinSIxqLENa0FR0Lw0pijm-n6kGSPANmsazJH4gvr8tMiQEk9zg/s3128/IMG_7719.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3128" data-original-width="2566" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqNw4Spc9nfjxuSzZq-uT-vW5Og3mYC3NXV2Z5l03cqFXSYp14EdiqKDWvESNw70yyjaBpZ-sIgxC2p3bpUZRVNT4oK2F-DrGjy5AyYus-JwDi0FqdOE0rCmrFxOEwEMcjq1077DpinSIxqLENa0FR0Lw0pijm-n6kGSPANmsazJH4gvr8tMiQEk9zg/w526-h640/IMG_7719.jpg" width="526" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The next morning we visited the St. George tabernacle and temple to hear about some of the city's pioneer history.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The tabernacle took over a decade to build and was finished in 1876.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkT61iHdhSXnDOP7CSKu38yTgtqEhPNrHz0sjURu2F4SqNAWGvrCyY0NwhbusqmTS6Qg5sdhSDg-1qOAtsMHSgkwA_0d89oPw6sEhA-9PMvnn4P7XgsdlDzn3ylSOl3D6UYtxFQTdg81HBbBNMV9ihCk9LbU8dzx1eVjyB8MJYh_U59US5ithH8XA6Q/s4032/IMG_7749.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkT61iHdhSXnDOP7CSKu38yTgtqEhPNrHz0sjURu2F4SqNAWGvrCyY0NwhbusqmTS6Qg5sdhSDg-1qOAtsMHSgkwA_0d89oPw6sEhA-9PMvnn4P7XgsdlDzn3ylSOl3D6UYtxFQTdg81HBbBNMV9ihCk9LbU8dzx1eVjyB8MJYh_U59US5ithH8XA6Q/w480-h640/IMG_7749.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The temple dates back to the same era, and is actually the oldest LDS temple still in use (although it's currently closed for renovations). We stopped in the visitor's center, and the most interesting thing was that everything there was in both English and French!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINHjDUnQogLv2vlUMygU_0GqPHmqV123C2vlrqESF848HwlcDdmPQC6yR6MSnT2LqKwxo3T06YCOQwSp7kX3u4XQDBIrSPC6It_WcugHRbYJwiUmVeFk4A39c2kRC_HPC8_UWmgs51AGZ0EHGwLj_PAfUjrdJMJgAjL7AtltM5S9EOORIYfWBwKB0FA/s4608/IMG_8375.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINHjDUnQogLv2vlUMygU_0GqPHmqV123C2vlrqESF848HwlcDdmPQC6yR6MSnT2LqKwxo3T06YCOQwSp7kX3u4XQDBIrSPC6It_WcugHRbYJwiUmVeFk4A39c2kRC_HPC8_UWmgs51AGZ0EHGwLj_PAfUjrdJMJgAjL7AtltM5S9EOORIYfWBwKB0FA/w640-h480/IMG_8375.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I've been to a lot of church sites, and this is the only one where I've seen French. We asked why, and apparently this part of Utah gets a ton of French tourists every summer to see the nearby national parks. They generally come as part of tour groups, and all of them make a stop at this visitor's center. They said they give out more French Book of Mormons here than anywhere else in the world.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Speaking of national parks, our sightseeing for the day was far from over. Our next stop was the very famous Zion National Park. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9A7LRWBskqNxTGLZBrZeWBekjF_LBvn2WJHwPPPAxCuhm9paag53u02uWrw_-Ul6HqhtUQbMKTumSLBKfoODL7QXroeADQBE-mScrfzFp2gG2gxf3--o-yTtfqb3h9zTXWZrwGfUiYrnL9HacbfDaEP4gQGCOpWfBh9HC8-hrSwg70qOPpHkW82DKw/s4032/IMG_7758.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9A7LRWBskqNxTGLZBrZeWBekjF_LBvn2WJHwPPPAxCuhm9paag53u02uWrw_-Ul6HqhtUQbMKTumSLBKfoODL7QXroeADQBE-mScrfzFp2gG2gxf3--o-yTtfqb3h9zTXWZrwGfUiYrnL9HacbfDaEP4gQGCOpWfBh9HC8-hrSwg70qOPpHkW82DKw/w480-h640/IMG_7758.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Everyone knows I am definitely not a nature or hiking person, but this place is impressive enough to attract even me. There are a few short hikes that are stroller friendly. We chose the Lower Emerald Pool hike.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZRXNDHJg_uqAh1i9lA4mxfQ2NH9Q2Ts1XgVlwciyVP6Z3xbUeh7FsHK8wNRtpgthYaye2r-mSgSchpeiEW4tZntxSFCQyO_LNXVW7AW-hNY-je2uyOxf1GVG0QFu2rLPxQkvZAtp7WlslSb5NTybd7l43lmA100OhsIHurp4T1R9yLdFybPhpGICIQ/s1200/hike.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZRXNDHJg_uqAh1i9lA4mxfQ2NH9Q2Ts1XgVlwciyVP6Z3xbUeh7FsHK8wNRtpgthYaye2r-mSgSchpeiEW4tZntxSFCQyO_LNXVW7AW-hNY-je2uyOxf1GVG0QFu2rLPxQkvZAtp7WlslSb5NTybd7l43lmA100OhsIHurp4T1R9yLdFybPhpGICIQ/w640-h640/hike.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DC2wM0543v4OS7jTwItS5l1EvyacFzKB3rUTJDum-gGhsUAuH32K187lODnBZbW0PzUL_3zuGt93BPa0AMyFwBxP3UpHA1VWG24trsaQSrkZuTUaaqbakOY_d0_0NoRvllBATe_HXClyYqIU9UTQ7MTJjSfYWP9EAkAQ4Iurwm4qyk_DZUDa-Do33Q/s4032/IMG_7777.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DC2wM0543v4OS7jTwItS5l1EvyacFzKB3rUTJDum-gGhsUAuH32K187lODnBZbW0PzUL_3zuGt93BPa0AMyFwBxP3UpHA1VWG24trsaQSrkZuTUaaqbakOY_d0_0NoRvllBATe_HXClyYqIU9UTQ7MTJjSfYWP9EAkAQ4Iurwm4qyk_DZUDa-Do33Q/w480-h640/IMG_7777.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9MkOWTKvSOm18GbeqQqL-o5D8dhQx-MK5PSoQvbvGsWKrVZAMhSJoqIC7goJxq_q2w3Pe8oB_A43MtPNoqFTr4Ni8ya1F0NhEA4omQAy_viZujI1oxQOVEDz9f_fil1lo6hYWq0oY6QlrHLFV3g0e4d0mjqjJC70Ce6JROvLDXBsKXQb1zwt7LPN4Q/s1200/fam.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9MkOWTKvSOm18GbeqQqL-o5D8dhQx-MK5PSoQvbvGsWKrVZAMhSJoqIC7goJxq_q2w3Pe8oB_A43MtPNoqFTr4Ni8ya1F0NhEA4omQAy_viZujI1oxQOVEDz9f_fil1lo6hYWq0oY6QlrHLFV3g0e4d0mjqjJC70Ce6JROvLDXBsKXQb1zwt7LPN4Q/w640-h640/fam.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;">We also rode the shuttle bus for the whole route and got out at a few stops for more views.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4PE57xS_OsOeN_GORlJK6DUG_-adSJGCux7MCbvxYuYFFU6F6_hwXF8p7EeL3Syh4FG3ItfoHDXjYPUzBCEC25sILCFc2EQ0lA_Jgr7jmS-cmdfqlG35vuoy3P98kksRKSKMBqh8QSktPlYhn41rkLU9DI4W70MZm9R6f206O63OOY3UN_EaJdvS8Q/s4032/IMG_7784.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4PE57xS_OsOeN_GORlJK6DUG_-adSJGCux7MCbvxYuYFFU6F6_hwXF8p7EeL3Syh4FG3ItfoHDXjYPUzBCEC25sILCFc2EQ0lA_Jgr7jmS-cmdfqlG35vuoy3P98kksRKSKMBqh8QSktPlYhn41rkLU9DI4W70MZm9R6f206O63OOY3UN_EaJdvS8Q/w640-h480/IMG_7784.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmGLCQkpVt_eo3k3z3ct-gIOA35SIdQx-_VrvtBenZh7teccz9G4JJppMqSP6NK85eC7f92eoVqceG1b5f_DykQYL-Uh7MUOW2qXK6k4QMSsKbqQLBnNZCUzKXL6Fr04ifQZ1csFGXEv6_9ftuPyjZ8qp20tiH_-NtRuMS9somElu-_q-z_XtAyS85g/s4032/IMG_7785.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmGLCQkpVt_eo3k3z3ct-gIOA35SIdQx-_VrvtBenZh7teccz9G4JJppMqSP6NK85eC7f92eoVqceG1b5f_DykQYL-Uh7MUOW2qXK6k4QMSsKbqQLBnNZCUzKXL6Fr04ifQZ1csFGXEv6_9ftuPyjZ8qp20tiH_-NtRuMS9somElu-_q-z_XtAyS85g/w480-h640/IMG_7785.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It was the perfect time of year to visit! Fall colors, 60 degree weather, and not crowded at all. We were in awe the whole time, and it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. The pictures don't do it justice.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We spent the rest of the week in northern Utah mostly spending time with friends and family. I was so happy that Magnolia got to meet my grandparents! We were also able to see other extended family and some friends of David who served as missionaries in France, which was great.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4-a96QuSgOtI6M8NgaqqAZ3F7JM0pm7suq0CoE-2bXEh0bjrVWEkbxOFATKdFpMwLArdqS1sBEikfeJFfG6XkczkcDVOXfXdX6W-6a3fuZdOylJBESrJ1wF5FssiGMjmDtviNOwfdI7IhHaKRAvGMm43UK05qufVu5kuV1yJNmqlSkx7bZbQ2ItFHg/s1200/magj.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4-a96QuSgOtI6M8NgaqqAZ3F7JM0pm7suq0CoE-2bXEh0bjrVWEkbxOFATKdFpMwLArdqS1sBEikfeJFfG6XkczkcDVOXfXdX6W-6a3fuZdOylJBESrJ1wF5FssiGMjmDtviNOwfdI7IhHaKRAvGMm43UK05qufVu5kuV1yJNmqlSkx7bZbQ2ItFHg/w640-h640/magj.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the grandparents and my cousin's son who is close in age.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Our only other sightseeing was in Salt Lake. We went to an organ concert in Temple Square... which ended up being an unexpected highlight of our trip! David got the chance to play the Conference Center organ- one of the biggest in the world, and one that we see on TV multiple times a year.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszSF0RUbFf25zVzGYtK9jnRHeya5HlQJWuXsKsWrVlVDG2bPtvCoiDF6uhtJwp8gu8fWqfSREdGLtlKthCRyaMPJdbzSfQZltyh6q4Zzguq-nLL1vIJs6Re4p3BMcP25ERMb8r3eA9AOo9ijOhByrBWzPd4eeZippVKijKHcHr9cSjkajoDWncBeoqg/s4032/IMG_7877.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszSF0RUbFf25zVzGYtK9jnRHeya5HlQJWuXsKsWrVlVDG2bPtvCoiDF6uhtJwp8gu8fWqfSREdGLtlKthCRyaMPJdbzSfQZltyh6q4Zzguq-nLL1vIJs6Re4p3BMcP25ERMb8r3eA9AOo9ijOhByrBWzPd4eeZippVKijKHcHr9cSjkajoDWncBeoqg/w480-h640/IMG_7877.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;">The last sightseeing stops were the Cathedral of the Madeleine, a view of Salt Lake from the bottom of Ensign Peak, and my alma mater.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6D9SkZWZHgqE6qT6eM0rWxqS6a8RCgeOOoDL8aqwPS2iuPKZiWRUlEMhXsE-Y7r7N1ijhDRH-Ob4YGg7CiT8KkIWazumU00yty7bSgw07wkzMgUZN904sYRZaj7dE8nC20CeWGDvbQNWXbA8BkGVyKiTQ9XNVfe3swmRFw5p56Klvxb4QHmLtUf4n9g/s4032/IMG_7887.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6D9SkZWZHgqE6qT6eM0rWxqS6a8RCgeOOoDL8aqwPS2iuPKZiWRUlEMhXsE-Y7r7N1ijhDRH-Ob4YGg7CiT8KkIWazumU00yty7bSgw07wkzMgUZN904sYRZaj7dE8nC20CeWGDvbQNWXbA8BkGVyKiTQ9XNVfe3swmRFw5p56Klvxb4QHmLtUf4n9g/w640-h480/IMG_7887.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE23jNKfFqlY2BxiCuWHdN_-sydGITuiZLx8pbXfGRsBu5-YlWmME_8gIKoVCXSJ5_jzNPrYul3Vy2WKvC5hNV_U3yKN3uEw3TJEAcvmzh7TYFatXss7XWKoST8SV0V3gtBpBjCmfQ0DYqpPzK01YE66S0T8UF2lZc9HaI59Qz40rVpzu5eligaRt9BA/s1200/mounty.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE23jNKfFqlY2BxiCuWHdN_-sydGITuiZLx8pbXfGRsBu5-YlWmME_8gIKoVCXSJ5_jzNPrYul3Vy2WKvC5hNV_U3yKN3uEw3TJEAcvmzh7TYFatXss7XWKoST8SV0V3gtBpBjCmfQ0DYqpPzK01YE66S0T8UF2lZc9HaI59Qz40rVpzu5eligaRt9BA/w640-h640/mounty.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAuWKccASD3eBK1aEzV0ZdMxgNe7op62pLnku53FxvZsXZQx7w28k72jL-mDfzbYBjTIXTlaSmXhTdS4GQ9OrwlC71dZR8P5Dy7L8Nvd7fVWZwoHI5wAznN0wPIOLBh8aCgNBxQo2jfMRX-RtfnVBsWyPkL_NqClxv3vgzUK3_rGNhmlOKYw--54qPw/s1190/IMG_7842.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="807" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAuWKccASD3eBK1aEzV0ZdMxgNe7op62pLnku53FxvZsXZQx7w28k72jL-mDfzbYBjTIXTlaSmXhTdS4GQ9OrwlC71dZR8P5Dy7L8Nvd7fVWZwoHI5wAznN0wPIOLBh8aCgNBxQo2jfMRX-RtfnVBsWyPkL_NqClxv3vgzUK3_rGNhmlOKYw--54qPw/w434-h640/IMG_7842.jpg" width="434" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><p>You know, I lived in Utah for 5 years and I never did anything cool. Better late than never.</p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-21339450975808964682022-11-30T18:35:00.000-08:002023-04-25T14:07:41.596-07:00Viva Las Vegas<p><span style="font-size: medium;">What do you do when you're trying to find flights to Utah and there aren't any good options? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">You change up your plans to fly into a different airport and manage to see another new state and some famous landmarks in the process!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">That's the short story of how we ended up visiting Las Vegas- a first for us.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Since we had never been before, we wanted to stay somewhere fancy in the middle of the Strip. We chose Caesar's Palace because of the location and because it looked like the nicest hotel that could fit into our budget.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJfHNhtJhQpW9IzOFtnmcrHcnt7i56QMbssl6SDJyC3VIPq5ibgSCTLQjGxRgzYFz45muqMaybvWnNLJUKL57fEYkwpYPZM7DNzbCtvB7AMcKx0FauxGFFM0vBT-jf-BC56IDQjR_Z76m7A-rtiPMpzkiJx7luroGD-_1CWCrhqOjrwXInkQ1okpJ4w/s4608/IMG_8305.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJfHNhtJhQpW9IzOFtnmcrHcnt7i56QMbssl6SDJyC3VIPq5ibgSCTLQjGxRgzYFz45muqMaybvWnNLJUKL57fEYkwpYPZM7DNzbCtvB7AMcKx0FauxGFFM0vBT-jf-BC56IDQjR_Z76m7A-rtiPMpzkiJx7luroGD-_1CWCrhqOjrwXInkQ1okpJ4w/w640-h480/IMG_8305.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNRSR7jSsAQijksvTcZAIBtzSRdNDMKubBsHrwBMuxtnwd4EuPFm1EpNgQa8g7m3O8qU-idCOT9h1Jb0U4hePMmbqq7iynhrtsQF6tKzT5SdHEXs0SnWjE3_YMOJztyV_TGRRvIMF-5hmLS_eFnBLOHTWKP7Fo_KtZq40NyEt_WkWdL_P5qIzkzU-qw/s1200/cease.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNRSR7jSsAQijksvTcZAIBtzSRdNDMKubBsHrwBMuxtnwd4EuPFm1EpNgQa8g7m3O8qU-idCOT9h1Jb0U4hePMmbqq7iynhrtsQF6tKzT5SdHEXs0SnWjE3_YMOJztyV_TGRRvIMF-5hmLS_eFnBLOHTWKP7Fo_KtZq40NyEt_WkWdL_P5qIzkzU-qw/w640-h640/cease.png" width="640" /></a></div><span><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Traveling went very smoothly until we landed in Vegas. By then we had a very tired baby and we were tired of lugging all of the luggage that accompanied said baby. We learned an important lesson: never arrive in a party city on a Saturday night. </span></p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">After waiting forever for the shuttle to get to our rental car, we hit a ton of traffic near our hotel. We circled the hotel and parking lot for at least an hour, at which point David had to bribe the valet people to park our car somewhere only hotel members were supposed to park.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Thankfully it worked... but then we spent another eternity getting lost trying to find the reception desk and then our room. By the time we found the right elevator, I was almost in tears because I felt so terrible that Magnolia just wanted to go to bed and hadn't been able to.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Of course, our angel of a baby didn't cry, despite not getting to bed until about 8 hours later than usual. I'm much more of a baby than she is.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The next morning, the hotel was much more beautiful and enjoyable after some rest. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1INAfgPCYajSWgBVvTyDCh3RBCT2HWx007Y2WgmD8iYWxTnCRjfSohD1EVwth3c0rf_9KbNVR8tBZ60pD2guYVIlma2k37kehVR-mKN3L5qhzztViA9e0xvYO1X4zhmux_SqHCcQRNLBdmxErmjXqnF66IjJUAwDBHVGAt0OQuRXMdV1oK_ln9k-Osw/s4032/IMG_7626.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1INAfgPCYajSWgBVvTyDCh3RBCT2HWx007Y2WgmD8iYWxTnCRjfSohD1EVwth3c0rf_9KbNVR8tBZ60pD2guYVIlma2k37kehVR-mKN3L5qhzztViA9e0xvYO1X4zhmux_SqHCcQRNLBdmxErmjXqnF66IjJUAwDBHVGAt0OQuRXMdV1oK_ln9k-Osw/w480-h640/IMG_7626.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt35SZjtpSEkfBXucsNA3rj2-phZrrpz9UPi-9Z134bYCTqKOg93v2OlIKm1BkPX8IoW5ifUtDrIuxCoY_ydE0mnivi0wtqAbcmywYk5ifkPmRp4FY13gx5BTid863uQP0gyOS-9CAib4uWBsGeZyz0l8dJff_Wq2gbLAY9JnBIQ5C30A5qQQPfOj_Ig/s1200/ceasey.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt35SZjtpSEkfBXucsNA3rj2-phZrrpz9UPi-9Z134bYCTqKOg93v2OlIKm1BkPX8IoW5ifUtDrIuxCoY_ydE0mnivi0wtqAbcmywYk5ifkPmRp4FY13gx5BTid863uQP0gyOS-9CAib4uWBsGeZyz0l8dJff_Wq2gbLAY9JnBIQ5C30A5qQQPfOj_Ig/w640-h640/ceasey.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;">We explored our hotel for a bit before venturing outside to see the Bellagio...</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnlC853UfTQALiNVavTMfGsItp3ELZ_4xFZV7BsVHBdYjnYkyzaXTv5_cXmv46GUSyHuewO0jwhKbYgec-rupYuuCKxtIylyc66Q_LGq3o-rhc3VunmzY_pxaohcDNxMRlFfuO5Ww_jdAAQlcl8f82FEIXF_qWnF3uAaI5xOKREME1dm8R9mBtaR5SDA/s4032/IMG_7539.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnlC853UfTQALiNVavTMfGsItp3ELZ_4xFZV7BsVHBdYjnYkyzaXTv5_cXmv46GUSyHuewO0jwhKbYgec-rupYuuCKxtIylyc66Q_LGq3o-rhc3VunmzY_pxaohcDNxMRlFfuO5Ww_jdAAQlcl8f82FEIXF_qWnF3uAaI5xOKREME1dm8R9mBtaR5SDA/w480-h640/IMG_7539.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaW8L68sHw7PBrBjO2pdSsmL_oRBXjJmWx5BciPnYIh2RRDmf6Na8w8ELcFnvIw39KF3Hiozef7MSGT4tTPlLys3RkXXLh-v0cYFcO5dvwLFRfhCrPhZpjbszdqx7KOZYAnm8AxtL1s8oT2eiQAGO88AimUK_J_SlPYDvUuUntBi5O6v0DOqEXAQrzA/s1200/belle.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaW8L68sHw7PBrBjO2pdSsmL_oRBXjJmWx5BciPnYIh2RRDmf6Na8w8ELcFnvIw39KF3Hiozef7MSGT4tTPlLys3RkXXLh-v0cYFcO5dvwLFRfhCrPhZpjbszdqx7KOZYAnm8AxtL1s8oT2eiQAGO88AimUK_J_SlPYDvUuUntBi5O6v0DOqEXAQrzA/w640-h640/belle.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqCPoJg6VVTzy9QMvUEK_V_0rQO-h8H0juWgeSTwiRzwILn7DCpsbmDlk90If6Qp7JnzL8Ko2Mrzoti-v-teRk2CCRAul04lqaOvWCsv9TKEDvl1I_ytgUlinOquVWT93S_5JsgwT866_slcLqp6fD-Ky5BB8ieqh9m6WLWg-A0CGr4lur-rBmxZong/s4032/IMG_7529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqCPoJg6VVTzy9QMvUEK_V_0rQO-h8H0juWgeSTwiRzwILn7DCpsbmDlk90If6Qp7JnzL8Ko2Mrzoti-v-teRk2CCRAul04lqaOvWCsv9TKEDvl1I_ytgUlinOquVWT93S_5JsgwT866_slcLqp6fD-Ky5BB8ieqh9m6WLWg-A0CGr4lur-rBmxZong/w480-h640/IMG_7529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span><p><span style="font-size: medium;">...and Paris hotels.</span></p></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZUsPx2v9QGNMSJjaFkkkvlybmpXS7aOkoXyY-uHjOPyC_0RtvFehdPgAc0fZY-qTrqgsDpqju_h1RmJ8sdgMaOy9P6o_EtkEJnAhxY-jmkvEO7BQ9A-i1aggr7c7jS4MlW1GDJpb1BPWX7nY-IBGxse0IUHRZE3eXs7Ho3r7fIG_RQt-QmY27fPJ1w/s4032/IMG_7569.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZUsPx2v9QGNMSJjaFkkkvlybmpXS7aOkoXyY-uHjOPyC_0RtvFehdPgAc0fZY-qTrqgsDpqju_h1RmJ8sdgMaOy9P6o_EtkEJnAhxY-jmkvEO7BQ9A-i1aggr7c7jS4MlW1GDJpb1BPWX7nY-IBGxse0IUHRZE3eXs7Ho3r7fIG_RQt-QmY27fPJ1w/w480-h640/IMG_7569.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglu3paTsRTULGnlD7peidRAWdENnPQVP9ZTrWRpL2EY_NmjhoWGGpJPyUt8i43mfhuAqZoShMDNLeH_7LvwIf2GddSXGm_Bs_7sv1LPhLw5z7J5B1-W-pAl5Hc9K_3JcRvQMW0Iow9vtjngQBf5mKTbkBPXpFybx_K1vNLAtsce1dra1WUm7iJfg3NDg/s1200/pari.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglu3paTsRTULGnlD7peidRAWdENnPQVP9ZTrWRpL2EY_NmjhoWGGpJPyUt8i43mfhuAqZoShMDNLeH_7LvwIf2GddSXGm_Bs_7sv1LPhLw5z7J5B1-W-pAl5Hc9K_3JcRvQMW0Iow9vtjngQBf5mKTbkBPXpFybx_K1vNLAtsce1dra1WUm7iJfg3NDg/w640-h640/pari.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYFmdSHbdSThA79RmsGexilsAJ9Z3AM_J_TMMYuBIM8adruKpTkzwaaflXJdgjaXuF9c_6Uoc_g869jA68TyHtaHFhWp_q7JY-TFPhK2IYbuh51NV6ST7tIWVeQIv_66J6StKqAKkCLW2OnWD5cHrXC0cft50Tg-FGmfOzMNfydj7xBXNUszP3r_QTw/s1130/IMG_7795.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1130" data-original-width="815" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYFmdSHbdSThA79RmsGexilsAJ9Z3AM_J_TMMYuBIM8adruKpTkzwaaflXJdgjaXuF9c_6Uoc_g869jA68TyHtaHFhWp_q7JY-TFPhK2IYbuh51NV6ST7tIWVeQIv_66J6StKqAKkCLW2OnWD5cHrXC0cft50Tg-FGmfOzMNfydj7xBXNUszP3r_QTw/w462-h640/IMG_7795.jpg" width="462" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Magnolia even managed to gamble before getting kicked out by security for being underage. ;)</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcB2cz15dAjMnmyRTGLQksAtNYt5olAl864Fwbse5o0ypkS4GBqr9SGDvWU6j1awjWCo6o4ZB0Z4a4WHMr42o63SfhBnfOq0uTdJKL2NpgKyKLITnfvJzzkxcXFbvYZB4viuNAUtGWYAMWn68qY4LfhMTzAn9kFH97S5K1kIFhfbiJCMRDaV3NO_z_hw/s4032/IMG_7559.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcB2cz15dAjMnmyRTGLQksAtNYt5olAl864Fwbse5o0ypkS4GBqr9SGDvWU6j1awjWCo6o4ZB0Z4a4WHMr42o63SfhBnfOq0uTdJKL2NpgKyKLITnfvJzzkxcXFbvYZB4viuNAUtGWYAMWn68qY4LfhMTzAn9kFH97S5K1kIFhfbiJCMRDaV3NO_z_hw/w480-h640/IMG_7559.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">After nap time, we went back out and saw the huge mall attached to Caesar's Palace. The sheer size of these buildings is so impressive! You could spend days never leaving the hotel and never getting bored. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53TjWJjADmR8qxyf2IGGaUk0YHtoJ2hAUn7tNh8A_-Y5wRslyv5ickV1vQVkFNw80waeXbW_xBOX66SM7a0eCydiZx_ZFu_HrlkevZN6Ww_0XK4Uytbudj4RUuoLiErn0szEdF2r1kphFZhCMygL4HwjBY34d7INNpfQMIKjduR9gjoM_8uAnC2tzZQ/s4032/IMG_7579.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53TjWJjADmR8qxyf2IGGaUk0YHtoJ2hAUn7tNh8A_-Y5wRslyv5ickV1vQVkFNw80waeXbW_xBOX66SM7a0eCydiZx_ZFu_HrlkevZN6Ww_0XK4Uytbudj4RUuoLiErn0szEdF2r1kphFZhCMygL4HwjBY34d7INNpfQMIKjduR9gjoM_8uAnC2tzZQ/w640-h480/IMG_7579.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjImxoY3iqN4ce7UpzVWDTg9uZg3LJiVXyEvZom2RXPpTaOliEro3Byun3FM90U1d3_dNyRINtG_87NgTQjIeimq8a2rG7aHKbseeFkCjzRCLLf75UjUm-RgFei7IwhtCTt_2USaPZfUNwnV8CJcBmcV-H8BoOo4nq7TxnW4pp2JrdLxqzaMHTVcdm2g/s4032/IMG_7620.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjImxoY3iqN4ce7UpzVWDTg9uZg3LJiVXyEvZom2RXPpTaOliEro3Byun3FM90U1d3_dNyRINtG_87NgTQjIeimq8a2rG7aHKbseeFkCjzRCLLf75UjUm-RgFei7IwhtCTt_2USaPZfUNwnV8CJcBmcV-H8BoOo4nq7TxnW4pp2JrdLxqzaMHTVcdm2g/w480-h640/IMG_7620.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsvtUdlQTw4sgD4juJRQdG5j-P5VwdO9l80BIoWwBGAtxHuY3u_OJ7-RLWJ-Uo4h03Xx1DwkmPx4OV-J2zFpPc5EKj0f3DeJW1GMhYRnkKqDcyqTPvhTFDoKPmRM9ouU1A_zzsA5lMOYhCR_V0SWLxhSfL5bCuxx5fblfmXWOoon3PFKlYdHKRIyR1A/s1200/rubbega.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsvtUdlQTw4sgD4juJRQdG5j-P5VwdO9l80BIoWwBGAtxHuY3u_OJ7-RLWJ-Uo4h03Xx1DwkmPx4OV-J2zFpPc5EKj0f3DeJW1GMhYRnkKqDcyqTPvhTFDoKPmRM9ouU1A_zzsA5lMOYhCR_V0SWLxhSfL5bCuxx5fblfmXWOoon3PFKlYdHKRIyR1A/w640-h640/rubbega.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuN8t9xYoJnz-qmFfoU9jMEcV8-NioBhWQxtV8HTgxLHe-8mYO6I46G0XFc8OktsF30DvBG40AWEbGLh8RhJ9x22fuGySHvxG_-mf1mUrf9JLmc3G3oRQPxdIXWTD6teM9cmu5rm7s4uvng9YHV6B31rCjDkv34W5WgHMQGdpP8brj71wJaCUgvVJYQ/s1130/IMG_7723.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1130" data-original-width="849" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuN8t9xYoJnz-qmFfoU9jMEcV8-NioBhWQxtV8HTgxLHe-8mYO6I46G0XFc8OktsF30DvBG40AWEbGLh8RhJ9x22fuGySHvxG_-mf1mUrf9JLmc3G3oRQPxdIXWTD6teM9cmu5rm7s4uvng9YHV6B31rCjDkv34W5WgHMQGdpP8brj71wJaCUgvVJYQ/s320/IMG_7723.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzpHgmywCx-8uGynO149gvQT4IL6whC5uDSbUEjC0R8xRkXV5JU6_VRzGWqoLkSwEkHPqTz2s9OI6owNpulhp0mhJ8mTLC0VHdltehnCsSFJ6P0jsn4u61QvKLSNZwmbRGypkwFVtXrql811PzxL61n9xjVr4hSilRdYK9azG8gpPiJtNRxR_48tfhw/s1130/IMG_7722.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1130" data-original-width="849" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzpHgmywCx-8uGynO149gvQT4IL6whC5uDSbUEjC0R8xRkXV5JU6_VRzGWqoLkSwEkHPqTz2s9OI6owNpulhp0mhJ8mTLC0VHdltehnCsSFJ6P0jsn4u61QvKLSNZwmbRGypkwFVtXrql811PzxL61n9xjVr4hSilRdYK9azG8gpPiJtNRxR_48tfhw/s320/IMG_7722.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /></div><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">To get some more of fake Europe, we also visited the Venetian. I think this one was our favorite.</span></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYitAY797ZGCc84TEU4BXvxDyx9fqoXmjL4Ojw7IQSjsI4FJPTGbJcJn1J8bH__iRlV6H81CRNc2CCiBZSqhMsmGD6fTQEyP8L92Oao1NQgPTvlo0JSPaw3Fn6yuFSNMWGE3Pa_gxt-Or7cxdkjhGhczr8g5Zd03MiBNOL5KjifCHVP_iCMZMsTAuDcw/s1200/Facebook%20Post.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYitAY797ZGCc84TEU4BXvxDyx9fqoXmjL4Ojw7IQSjsI4FJPTGbJcJn1J8bH__iRlV6H81CRNc2CCiBZSqhMsmGD6fTQEyP8L92Oao1NQgPTvlo0JSPaw3Fn6yuFSNMWGE3Pa_gxt-Or7cxdkjhGhczr8g5Zd03MiBNOL5KjifCHVP_iCMZMsTAuDcw/w640-h640/Facebook%20Post.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Y3v-bvB6mJ0_N0iQpkaAossHHzkn3Urf_uXP5dxjiZmRWo-KNodpTJehFVSh7XN7ZMd6TtUJiyUaw8cpQ47e26SlJeflDGGXPjE1Eo3VSuVn2W85d-NmRhBvjZFESMXS7shm73T7TNjh40ZUh1ipyF4cbzFpuY-bCCjgLdLbqa9OuWS4hYwH5ph1JA/s1200/veni.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Y3v-bvB6mJ0_N0iQpkaAossHHzkn3Urf_uXP5dxjiZmRWo-KNodpTJehFVSh7XN7ZMd6TtUJiyUaw8cpQ47e26SlJeflDGGXPjE1Eo3VSuVn2W85d-NmRhBvjZFESMXS7shm73T7TNjh40ZUh1ipyF4cbzFpuY-bCCjgLdLbqa9OuWS4hYwH5ph1JA/w640-h640/veni.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>So anyways, that's what people who don't drink or gamble do in Vegas. Walk through the pretty hotels haha. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We would have also liked to try more of Vegas' many restaurants, but we learned that a 10 month old can either be patient in her stroller for sightseeing or eating: not both. Thankfully our hotel had plenty of options for takeout and room service; we were still well fed!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I would have also liked to do some shopping, but in that case both the husband and the baby lacked the necessary patience. Not to mention that we spent all of our extra money for the year on travel (which I am fully content with).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Las Vegas is so impressive and has a ton to do! With only one full day to spend there, we barely scratched the surface. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcbqNqYBNz-ofrcYcR7opyleYa3OmHFV2IPsO5u4aLWgXhjcOdmpz_uj0zZDZ43aSxCMV0zIolSnPQdSYPTr5ZOpNI4MGUmHOadxnpGvZbD6lT7ZTJvJkI2XIU_j6Kz8N6kioDDU-bycEVxD-ubQtRvymBCVp6gs59rfZxEj-4wsgPfXLGXtTvjwYgA/s1200/vege.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcbqNqYBNz-ofrcYcR7opyleYa3OmHFV2IPsO5u4aLWgXhjcOdmpz_uj0zZDZ43aSxCMV0zIolSnPQdSYPTr5ZOpNI4MGUmHOadxnpGvZbD6lT7ZTJvJkI2XIU_j6Kz8N6kioDDU-bycEVxD-ubQtRvymBCVp6gs59rfZxEj-4wsgPfXLGXtTvjwYgA/w640-h640/vege.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Although it was great, I wouldn't be myself if I didn't conclude by telling you to, if at all possible, GO TO REAL EUROPE. At the very least, hotels and food are cheaper. And the culture and history are real. ;)</span></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2017/06/new-favorite-city.html" target="_blank">Real Venice</a></p><p><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2021/07/my-favorite-paris-walk.html" target="_blank">Real Paris</a></p><p><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2013/11/roman-holiday-ancient-rome.html" target="_blank">Real Ancient Rome</a></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> </span></p>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-83939835527254419932022-05-31T14:57:00.012-07:002023-03-18T07:15:51.519-07:00San Antonio<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Our first stop in San Antonio was pretty obvious: the Alamo.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hL02f6ZrxJVsWrBWInxPnbhGU-kk3BgHG6Jr9zGmdGlh4U57P9v3gn8zFOQVcLEVczqYOBjo-cujaOmzw-XLbTkZjhB4iOyIW4kkNfC6i9RdpeRsIR0VBo0dqk2Spr5A5ofUXmIJlbG04ut6pnvSFqXoEPsdNs_XxfIMNO-xQOZr_QpgRztbu3iqZg/s4032/IMG_4123.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hL02f6ZrxJVsWrBWInxPnbhGU-kk3BgHG6Jr9zGmdGlh4U57P9v3gn8zFOQVcLEVczqYOBjo-cujaOmzw-XLbTkZjhB4iOyIW4kkNfC6i9RdpeRsIR0VBo0dqk2Spr5A5ofUXmIJlbG04ut6pnvSFqXoEPsdNs_XxfIMNO-xQOZr_QpgRztbu3iqZg/w640-h480/IMG_4123.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91RVtsqg2FU5nZXWt4xJTomQIJy49kgdj0L-ZLWywIjD6VLu14SWyg_4ffeqOoq7ZpzM87U01n_tvmJaB2xrWiLNrTddVkQJM80JUx2I70ZTOmysE6kJRhAszLZ-vFu4GY5HujvDx8KVQ_dOiPv95VGD8yLR1dWlhUx-kRn6DmmshWlhRaVxhvc24RA/s4032/IMG_4093.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91RVtsqg2FU5nZXWt4xJTomQIJy49kgdj0L-ZLWywIjD6VLu14SWyg_4ffeqOoq7ZpzM87U01n_tvmJaB2xrWiLNrTddVkQJM80JUx2I70ZTOmysE6kJRhAszLZ-vFu4GY5HujvDx8KVQ_dOiPv95VGD8yLR1dWlhUx-kRn6DmmshWlhRaVxhvc24RA/w480-h640/IMG_4093.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQb6Sku4lgaADdHnE5hYBMciadURjAWh-aoHuWfpOi9FrobVvWEFM9H1iq5Lvh49Hw1rHIT-UJ0BuMTq3TAWMBAhoc62QEC54d7PVI_rwM6Jo-Y3GhrZtpgyPk4YTYPJDPVydqU0G8vgiXk7vKliL66e4wY4H-z65Gp0GTF4BYjx7Cd0WN99yMhQT8zw/s4032/IMG_4121.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2955" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQb6Sku4lgaADdHnE5hYBMciadURjAWh-aoHuWfpOi9FrobVvWEFM9H1iq5Lvh49Hw1rHIT-UJ0BuMTq3TAWMBAhoc62QEC54d7PVI_rwM6Jo-Y3GhrZtpgyPk4YTYPJDPVydqU0G8vgiXk7vKliL66e4wY4H-z65Gp0GTF4BYjx7Cd0WN99yMhQT8zw/w470-h640/IMG_4121.png" width="470" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">For those who need a refresher, the Alamo was an early (18th century) Spanish mission- built for the purpose of converting Indians. It was eventually abandoned and became a military fortress. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Its claim to fame was the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, when all 200 Texans inside refused to surrender and died defending it against the Mexican army. 'Remember the Alamo' became the battle cry for the rest of the Texas revolution.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Magnolia will not remember the Alamo. She slept through most of it. :) </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgft9b5tdqG1ol2-AtMWtp5XnOyCkxSwT47zsoiqBb0nIt0_KN7SIgiqulA6gvpXjcvfjDlYKn3qibNcmtmF8Rqw2GZCcMhuBbH-3fIl4nGWVydqFdGS5kjfieGcDSdvEmqRfUs7p-kA__kJ4vhEtlalq1_D_5GdDjYl4J68AeDMWpW-JtweLzwgyh57g/s4032/IMG_4102.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgft9b5tdqG1ol2-AtMWtp5XnOyCkxSwT47zsoiqBb0nIt0_KN7SIgiqulA6gvpXjcvfjDlYKn3qibNcmtmF8Rqw2GZCcMhuBbH-3fIl4nGWVydqFdGS5kjfieGcDSdvEmqRfUs7p-kA__kJ4vhEtlalq1_D_5GdDjYl4J68AeDMWpW-JtweLzwgyh57g/w480-h640/IMG_4102.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">It was pretty sparse inside, but we were surprised by how pretty the surrounding garden was. It was a nice place for a bottle when Sleeping Beauty awakened.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpQ9tgWVIViJZz_ihFXvBegYgshBM392muH4YW5Glsjo-4jb6P0bMZjfyOxo-vyYYKTQY0df8SOF_HBDXhHacldxlbidaSmBOiNDdC-BK1sCfFMOzBk2o2prJXektQLPDvdrZy3Q6X-4NoFqjxKoVYoXTM_aPnR2t7Vwv9KetAO1jJWm1GWqT_LgLDA/s4032/IMG_4096.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpQ9tgWVIViJZz_ihFXvBegYgshBM392muH4YW5Glsjo-4jb6P0bMZjfyOxo-vyYYKTQY0df8SOF_HBDXhHacldxlbidaSmBOiNDdC-BK1sCfFMOzBk2o2prJXektQLPDvdrZy3Q6X-4NoFqjxKoVYoXTM_aPnR2t7Vwv9KetAO1jJWm1GWqT_LgLDA/w480-h640/IMG_4096.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qGKvHjGDpjFH2xKE4b_r-0I-u4myUCUp_4OVTOkYnbcLZgxBw3Vy_Trh82OGIGLMTvnTtII8WiuTZq0-vTORFPlvWB0Jk1nAunBQVrSZhHP2_vdZiJ8H97OHZUb28s_sTADsenRFme1NJ2Hi_SMklayoyE7-16rrycyxLXbLYj93PGqgnLcTisKzXg/s4032/IMG_4103.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qGKvHjGDpjFH2xKE4b_r-0I-u4myUCUp_4OVTOkYnbcLZgxBw3Vy_Trh82OGIGLMTvnTtII8WiuTZq0-vTORFPlvWB0Jk1nAunBQVrSZhHP2_vdZiJ8H97OHZUb28s_sTADsenRFme1NJ2Hi_SMklayoyE7-16rrycyxLXbLYj93PGqgnLcTisKzXg/w480-h640/IMG_4103.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXIasmPj23INuvGoPGZ5syWHLyxGTmK13sz4dTGOVIiIrNYxy00O5VDmKDMJe0pjF5e4PeJSdGq_ExZb4-K6Ie0p6QjOqR4KDzBQbBMI0J7W_Q4zRn5hwhf7gdBXuHqQWzWxJFBFVyTqK6xhFKq-zbKerwqSYYlrqqASZXuYvUmJU_2rIcve7n-wwrQ/s1042/IMG_20220522_092811.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="1042" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXIasmPj23INuvGoPGZ5syWHLyxGTmK13sz4dTGOVIiIrNYxy00O5VDmKDMJe0pjF5e4PeJSdGq_ExZb4-K6Ie0p6QjOqR4KDzBQbBMI0J7W_Q4zRn5hwhf7gdBXuHqQWzWxJFBFVyTqK6xhFKq-zbKerwqSYYlrqqASZXuYvUmJU_2rIcve7n-wwrQ/w640-h360/IMG_20220522_092811.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUCfe3wG_QJENxtzYiKXddiDk1bdAoGajwhGNCvY8nhp9Un6rMSyz_U5XUoFd4uUDxkSTt6vF2yhM4o_vhyZQFBh2D4SsAT6G7iOtE8-YC386f8ucxztewyAz7MethvNP12UP0NgNh-QZwsYWrPeOvVilD83om-fjLoi-ygU_0ZPdoGazGKc3SX1g2w/s1130/IMG_4114.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1130" data-original-width="849" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUCfe3wG_QJENxtzYiKXddiDk1bdAoGajwhGNCvY8nhp9Un6rMSyz_U5XUoFd4uUDxkSTt6vF2yhM4o_vhyZQFBh2D4SsAT6G7iOtE8-YC386f8ucxztewyAz7MethvNP12UP0NgNh-QZwsYWrPeOvVilD83om-fjLoi-ygU_0ZPdoGazGKc3SX1g2w/w480-h640/IMG_4114.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">A lot of history was learned as David and his parents slowly listened to the entire audio tour. I definitely did not feel impatient at all as that happened because I am so zen.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The Alamo was not the only Spanish mission in the area. The others aren't as famous due to their lack of bloody battles, but you can visit more of them in the Missions National Historical Park.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We made it to 3-</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><b>San Juan</b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKcCye4grYwwVgrCWPU_Ew0o-DXwR_hW6qMNaiCZwDLe-PlEnW5dGavWjanTyJlEMlBfYGXoZrBtxDoytQ2kc8WBXCxhGZdIIBLz_OsgXgaFk4AO5PfDZ6TelDZ-WUHXhctGXOGaZo55wULw9-1geiJy8Vhs0TXLPp_MePqsCUx4IPdlVMoZG9lbTZg/s4032/IMG_4169.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKcCye4grYwwVgrCWPU_Ew0o-DXwR_hW6qMNaiCZwDLe-PlEnW5dGavWjanTyJlEMlBfYGXoZrBtxDoytQ2kc8WBXCxhGZdIIBLz_OsgXgaFk4AO5PfDZ6TelDZ-WUHXhctGXOGaZo55wULw9-1geiJy8Vhs0TXLPp_MePqsCUx4IPdlVMoZG9lbTZg/w640-h480/IMG_4169.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNT1F7GBrdXyzW2D5NyJhWYCeH8ww1-t2Hdsnejmyre5L3t5y42n6A_J8mmZh4dj0pzmPfUGTQh0F7Rtq4ffuOZPAW8o4A19VfVdA_nujl3lo-cnsS4q046upjS3ANF-hsee0oIMOaw4RDA5rsXRaRC1iTq9BP4qbucM5uumm_961C4tPUfa1Xh4Tlw/s4032/IMG_4179.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNT1F7GBrdXyzW2D5NyJhWYCeH8ww1-t2Hdsnejmyre5L3t5y42n6A_J8mmZh4dj0pzmPfUGTQh0F7Rtq4ffuOZPAW8o4A19VfVdA_nujl3lo-cnsS4q046upjS3ANF-hsee0oIMOaw4RDA5rsXRaRC1iTq9BP4qbucM5uumm_961C4tPUfa1Xh4Tlw/w480-h640/IMG_4179.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><b>Concepción</b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnFRQIqPYQGx0N1Vz3WTxnGuIMxTEjbVjtFwVKAzZ5GeRHTKwc5bl7Uz591RLKvRjmLIb0tccs_2wPhZLauLEYaXv3Ehe8Qu9RiRyxWN2QcEcTqlu2XGcPy8FKNKV_5VCzhZ_IhyWNQHGwsifcAPmuzImz3ykJMKBnADxeYadMp5SgwyTdcmTF3-Zfg/s4032/IMG_4224.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnFRQIqPYQGx0N1Vz3WTxnGuIMxTEjbVjtFwVKAzZ5GeRHTKwc5bl7Uz591RLKvRjmLIb0tccs_2wPhZLauLEYaXv3Ehe8Qu9RiRyxWN2QcEcTqlu2XGcPy8FKNKV_5VCzhZ_IhyWNQHGwsifcAPmuzImz3ykJMKBnADxeYadMp5SgwyTdcmTF3-Zfg/w640-h480/IMG_4224.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegNr_A9Fgeop0IkssY-f6IdhSbKkd987Kt6dY5-Kon32kcinnQFk0lmkxLenzZe10iAhI5udQjX2RZ17f5_HtUuOWIpnIxxUMIcYTomR1wlqpkc-FbpBv__Fn4SyWFuXVnmGTKjLNcsZftE7jCSqPRchMlUFaGYiKdG4-FLq4D6hTO3OyI2KSDoF6xw/s1200/conc.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegNr_A9Fgeop0IkssY-f6IdhSbKkd987Kt6dY5-Kon32kcinnQFk0lmkxLenzZe10iAhI5udQjX2RZ17f5_HtUuOWIpnIxxUMIcYTomR1wlqpkc-FbpBv__Fn4SyWFuXVnmGTKjLNcsZftE7jCSqPRchMlUFaGYiKdG4-FLq4D6hTO3OyI2KSDoF6xw/w640-h640/conc.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And our favorite, </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">San José</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;">.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMlWJ6ITXkeMR6M4g4j4I7kf5lAEpMqIzA7DSS7fnkmmLN7adVEf2fo4ZxQqVq7HsH96ZK_wMj9Z9EWgGOnnl6RbihC8WCYAp7WiIBd3mBVNQankGFOI_Jpsn8M6V1uIlCVVFIO5dCbPn4eS3MD8565N28-UTj-le1cR3mVIADjp3vm4J5b9az8gZ3A/s1062/IMG_4243.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="783" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMlWJ6ITXkeMR6M4g4j4I7kf5lAEpMqIzA7DSS7fnkmmLN7adVEf2fo4ZxQqVq7HsH96ZK_wMj9Z9EWgGOnnl6RbihC8WCYAp7WiIBd3mBVNQankGFOI_Jpsn8M6V1uIlCVVFIO5dCbPn4eS3MD8565N28-UTj-le1cR3mVIADjp3vm4J5b9az8gZ3A/w472-h640/IMG_4243.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lXscaWY5zVfU85OEXv5ltV1s4EUYe-oFxQS7uEShJaRiOG8HZsGd3uXXGHDsBA7X2d79C4j8AKveTXxEPC1BVuA9adguGmK0wG_rJEh0SnT8ptR0qT5DfMsar8JQRNvLJo3CEifr-01t4rex5lNdrSVFZQMHc6CzLICl118MNFFKYidYY-lyJbuH1Q/s4032/IMG_4185.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lXscaWY5zVfU85OEXv5ltV1s4EUYe-oFxQS7uEShJaRiOG8HZsGd3uXXGHDsBA7X2d79C4j8AKveTXxEPC1BVuA9adguGmK0wG_rJEh0SnT8ptR0qT5DfMsar8JQRNvLJo3CEifr-01t4rex5lNdrSVFZQMHc6CzLICl118MNFFKYidYY-lyJbuH1Q/w640-h480/IMG_4185.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">It was our favorite because there was more to explore and the façade of the church was so detailed and pretty. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7lauXA0doSBhVP15OZfkhUZ8K_mqpWs-98J_7vKvbCVBxAuv621jKDOlX5FwHX82-r96_dr6nsZU-TAwfJSBOUj-DfaY7KstEzIlZdOJmUaUUP6bbjwgYLhEO3-kf8D6A1xOBwRAxgyVQJmCB8vXcBxaXerQeJToVwzWD9wA20ZEl-OuM_tYm5C0Bg/s4032/IMG_4190.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7lauXA0doSBhVP15OZfkhUZ8K_mqpWs-98J_7vKvbCVBxAuv621jKDOlX5FwHX82-r96_dr6nsZU-TAwfJSBOUj-DfaY7KstEzIlZdOJmUaUUP6bbjwgYLhEO3-kf8D6A1xOBwRAxgyVQJmCB8vXcBxaXerQeJToVwzWD9wA20ZEl-OuM_tYm5C0Bg/w480-h640/IMG_4190.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMx9FVnE8_Q_dhZLP9cNWkQYhtCtaIyZsNyi4kysQP3RC2s9epM7yJyAC5FlNIsQ3LRUmt0gXT7_9exKKtGlAwlgWia_CMLK5PB4YnYnj2UbI9bn5tqHyYufvNonYbTIWPNRpl2ympR6DrMgnXPWs_p2GXWJ3glnqynj10bQFCFsmncLfGvsI7t025bg/s4032/IMG_4192.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMx9FVnE8_Q_dhZLP9cNWkQYhtCtaIyZsNyi4kysQP3RC2s9epM7yJyAC5FlNIsQ3LRUmt0gXT7_9exKKtGlAwlgWia_CMLK5PB4YnYnj2UbI9bn5tqHyYufvNonYbTIWPNRpl2ympR6DrMgnXPWs_p2GXWJ3glnqynj10bQFCFsmncLfGvsI7t025bg/w480-h640/IMG_4192.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5GpDUW8JVHUdRNQ0y0Zg0vsDbmC-9zb94Xu1uPb_KLsb0KWF--TWVDSMgsY2ulAlUz_rGGzS8hS3QBCvUNPYpWYHYmshR4MrzTpjCzH9XGR47Raf2dFyDnCUbpq9jYSAZFhSOrXR3TnbXWc_5nhe5HM5bsEGEWBQW8raC2R3F1jJ1IWZ04xfAg_0_A/s1200/sj2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5GpDUW8JVHUdRNQ0y0Zg0vsDbmC-9zb94Xu1uPb_KLsb0KWF--TWVDSMgsY2ulAlUz_rGGzS8hS3QBCvUNPYpWYHYmshR4MrzTpjCzH9XGR47Raf2dFyDnCUbpq9jYSAZFhSOrXR3TnbXWc_5nhe5HM5bsEGEWBQW8raC2R3F1jJ1IWZ04xfAg_0_A/w640-h640/sj2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXx-lyKX1K3qB2nWOUwYbz-OvrgjSlVL1r_MtvIMJ7dz1X7cVXJcvrLup8AfJ-WJ_74rJ8JdjIQ65R6n4sSzB__xD55DvzD1ljLrN0iLXHSUjjmCIXoLsNLAuBJPVTGAa3FJlKOAPzZokeq-yo9NgvJD14UDT8IzD7BLPHrFXTK8-MCZhWjSugMkYlQ/s1200/sj.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXx-lyKX1K3qB2nWOUwYbz-OvrgjSlVL1r_MtvIMJ7dz1X7cVXJcvrLup8AfJ-WJ_74rJ8JdjIQ65R6n4sSzB__xD55DvzD1ljLrN0iLXHSUjjmCIXoLsNLAuBJPVTGAa3FJlKOAPzZokeq-yo9NgvJD14UDT8IzD7BLPHrFXTK8-MCZhWjSugMkYlQ/w640-h640/sj.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">I loved visiting these places because I felt transported to Europe! It's so rare in America to come across anything built in the 1700s. We also loved the lack of crowds. We were pretty much the only tourists at all 3 missions, and it was so peaceful and quiet to walk around.</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The cathedral in downtown San Antonio also made me feel like I was back in Europe.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzyqFGur-GgR45mS2ywECaj12_YwhTZPfM1OTaHEjTDPebmX0vIkqNFy9T3pvny6AHES8rslACf8M0CiIBlFjnCc6Qr9b9lF-HTjPcC8rO1_bAfMQjizZiG2fUgHQ5n3QOBotYPnsq8wIedB46eha_4qvNX30xJNccDChLC31pH3MdLD5oq-7gU1XTA/s4032/IMG_4130.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzyqFGur-GgR45mS2ywECaj12_YwhTZPfM1OTaHEjTDPebmX0vIkqNFy9T3pvny6AHES8rslACf8M0CiIBlFjnCc6Qr9b9lF-HTjPcC8rO1_bAfMQjizZiG2fUgHQ5n3QOBotYPnsq8wIedB46eha_4qvNX30xJNccDChLC31pH3MdLD5oq-7gU1XTA/w480-h640/IMG_4130.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">After visiting "Spain," it was time to feel like we were visiting Mexico. We took a trip to the colorful Historic Market Square. It was the opposite of the missions- very loud and crowded! But it was a fun atmosphere and we all loved it.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggANjcztBv8XXkeTLvaPAZbq7JcpFpJlstFUTVQjbQ6V0P-5iWKfUlGFL6ddV5HS8JNz7zIRw2OoESbB7cseuyt7ArnMSBbH5iTBxICS1FFRd0YpLzxd5BC0WjimDdX00FEeH25zEVD-pyqBQ92PG1zLKZCE1g7OWymtMJobNWJz9RzIu6_BJ0lWSdAQ/s4032/IMG_4134.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggANjcztBv8XXkeTLvaPAZbq7JcpFpJlstFUTVQjbQ6V0P-5iWKfUlGFL6ddV5HS8JNz7zIRw2OoESbB7cseuyt7ArnMSBbH5iTBxICS1FFRd0YpLzxd5BC0WjimDdX00FEeH25zEVD-pyqBQ92PG1zLKZCE1g7OWymtMJobNWJz9RzIu6_BJ0lWSdAQ/w480-h640/IMG_4134.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hqwj9tNJGXeZcpJndlfYke0242DDQ9I91x6oub-OzT9_Lz8aTaR7FQP-drj7HShWZq_cQ2TBFzzln7CgLwRO9bC-wV1OIX4b2_4bKDaBXR3l7QMLPFLrGswOqXnu6oq5pgIhsiwrdf649eJ_pr_y0YqkoVAWMuGgnxbAKCIWpeElAVssxRTczfbE-Q/s1200/mm.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hqwj9tNJGXeZcpJndlfYke0242DDQ9I91x6oub-OzT9_Lz8aTaR7FQP-drj7HShWZq_cQ2TBFzzln7CgLwRO9bC-wV1OIX4b2_4bKDaBXR3l7QMLPFLrGswOqXnu6oq5pgIhsiwrdf649eJ_pr_y0YqkoVAWMuGgnxbAKCIWpeElAVssxRTczfbE-Q/w640-h640/mm.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">We had some good Mexican food and got to look around the shops a little bit before baby was ready for a nap. I did manage to find souvenir outfits for both of us, so that was a success.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DeBKP3Sh0Cpk1QmCYzYZmYbfnpThMx0G4psQdBuQqg7kaj9gSzqI2W-rEsgY2GwmzWdrcbDPXe27upgMsczuxGE3WfFndwvga-lDe0jRFCzq0fvMN5US1pFnh7N_HVarELbPKui9MP1rc-4Ss1OFu93GSjBnhecspCPeKuBf9NQT3mijtZQbts358g/s4032/IMG_4349.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DeBKP3Sh0Cpk1QmCYzYZmYbfnpThMx0G4psQdBuQqg7kaj9gSzqI2W-rEsgY2GwmzWdrcbDPXe27upgMsczuxGE3WfFndwvga-lDe0jRFCzq0fvMN5US1pFnh7N_HVarELbPKui9MP1rc-4Ss1OFu93GSjBnhecspCPeKuBf9NQT3mijtZQbts358g/w480-h640/IMG_4349.jpg" width="480" /></a></div></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Besides the Alamo, the River Walk is probably San Antonio's next most famous place. I had seen pictures, but they don't do it justice. Mine don't either. It's really a unique and beautiful spot! </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijOWgOfwRoBZc3WiMq648xMv9mpXxHsX-8nWHLJX_ri3tql_LBBI8Jz_MaUjFTb8OinNcbjVCJ5SNqbdBlhPtc0nn2dIzqc-AlwDyKoO-jZ2aVurUeLtrP_Ww8z5ZX4wPOdg_QxE34XCBse-cY72qQvzYzZIIp1G4DHUhHVNqJH8Z4uIiF6uXUY-rpA/s4032/IMG_4231.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijOWgOfwRoBZc3WiMq648xMv9mpXxHsX-8nWHLJX_ri3tql_LBBI8Jz_MaUjFTb8OinNcbjVCJ5SNqbdBlhPtc0nn2dIzqc-AlwDyKoO-jZ2aVurUeLtrP_Ww8z5ZX4wPOdg_QxE34XCBse-cY72qQvzYzZIIp1G4DHUhHVNqJH8Z4uIiF6uXUY-rpA/w480-h640/IMG_4231.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zp3tr-9ZKQzWfD5y7dG-h2EUWgNp67WC64ICaA4jTbmk2EWVKX8TS2EIYEiZgRrwOsDbRZ1VNrN-aVXf6MXt7IsDt8w8g63jaDqq-UdgW0LXCSRTHvbVcr70YiunIxPLF6PyVQ4fRZ8SuC0CRPVknRnoxjHR9JigaeTyo-WwICFMqVzb-6k5MNM8PA/s4032/IMG_4238.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zp3tr-9ZKQzWfD5y7dG-h2EUWgNp67WC64ICaA4jTbmk2EWVKX8TS2EIYEiZgRrwOsDbRZ1VNrN-aVXf6MXt7IsDt8w8g63jaDqq-UdgW0LXCSRTHvbVcr70YiunIxPLF6PyVQ4fRZ8SuC0CRPVknRnoxjHR9JigaeTyo-WwICFMqVzb-6k5MNM8PA/w640-h480/IMG_4238.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcEdEx3tmk9swwlprg-ytZeMSXbUWHMVknKIzrU0qwtLF5-VBtq47pCi4ggNG8VuklLBbJvkzPW6mJR6zIF8qmG-Yx7nXNwyIEl-v-nxCkKrEL6dQ6VLBT9EQYkHO4zAKRjpfmXNjQQDV1kDPEE8QMj2d0Z_pKUsTzWGTJYINm79_5W_zpMFzcis1fw/s4032/IMG_4233.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcEdEx3tmk9swwlprg-ytZeMSXbUWHMVknKIzrU0qwtLF5-VBtq47pCi4ggNG8VuklLBbJvkzPW6mJR6zIF8qmG-Yx7nXNwyIEl-v-nxCkKrEL6dQ6VLBT9EQYkHO4zAKRjpfmXNjQQDV1kDPEE8QMj2d0Z_pKUsTzWGTJYINm79_5W_zpMFzcis1fw/w480-h640/IMG_4233.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">We were looking forward to a boat tour but got rained out. Bonus: the rain ended the awful heat wave we experienced on the first few days of our trip and made the second half of our week much more enjoyable.</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">On the way back to Dallas to fly home, we had to see Magnolia Market. It was a fun stop, and I have to say that I love their taste in names.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwFfaS5Fgr_5Gz8hSOtI-Yrq51SBoiX0ETEFUtVXVr_QAe8lfzntipV3161r_d4mrh6u5vmlFK5jnv9M4Po_etG1rYZEw5cx7ha_QexGLuhLtMQx-mDOnoPqhZV99d-PmNiShVvHubvR7vHViCEhirwqEKqaxc1dtHzEZs7GSoE1D-D98Sm1XT8qEvg/s1200/mag.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwFfaS5Fgr_5Gz8hSOtI-Yrq51SBoiX0ETEFUtVXVr_QAe8lfzntipV3161r_d4mrh6u5vmlFK5jnv9M4Po_etG1rYZEw5cx7ha_QexGLuhLtMQx-mDOnoPqhZV99d-PmNiShVvHubvR7vHViCEhirwqEKqaxc1dtHzEZs7GSoE1D-D98Sm1XT8qEvg/w640-h640/mag.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">This little Magnolia did so great on her first trip! We're proud of her and can't wait to travel more with her.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmGMR4xQGwZvAahALjLPfDg3RH3Hp43G5OBKplb6OMN-M0-jbBllRfaf1TFqZ_p0Axua1Bgsq2SDb5hX0bG2ITrVH4-ngM7ppUcqYi0Xwx9ineInRVNAxUW3ZhvVVw7Tb1nIjC7j_ySfwC4ZuYBi7op8ywbynKKzrKZD-TV1tU6WHYMusMukJ2lmN2g/s4032/IMG_4273.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmGMR4xQGwZvAahALjLPfDg3RH3Hp43G5OBKplb6OMN-M0-jbBllRfaf1TFqZ_p0Axua1Bgsq2SDb5hX0bG2ITrVH4-ngM7ppUcqYi0Xwx9ineInRVNAxUW3ZhvVVw7Tb1nIjC7j_ySfwC4ZuYBi7op8ywbynKKzrKZD-TV1tU6WHYMusMukJ2lmN2g/w300-h400/IMG_4273.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-64244674919862161682022-05-30T17:46:00.001-07:002023-03-19T18:47:54.376-07:00Texas Hill Country<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We had one week in Texas and wanted to see as much as possible. That was easier said than done since it's such a massive state! In order to get a taste of the countryside as well as some of the big cities, we decided to spend a few days at a cabin in the middle of nowhere.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ILdZY6v3fQ5VAaUQWXueJjJh39-_soFwYHVr4xD4fFijD9Asjcm9KhO6ihNwIBK_-jl5QxUhGH28dgcPMwqcZsoiOL8-hVyocWbt9Dohy_kywWx9iKdEHljlYvwbjpRWTpIy01C6zj1yemJjvrvDXdru2f5kCkdbPkzFxcnEcYX0jtBcWRS8Q4ZIyQ/s1131/IMG_4069.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1131" data-original-width="848" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ILdZY6v3fQ5VAaUQWXueJjJh39-_soFwYHVr4xD4fFijD9Asjcm9KhO6ihNwIBK_-jl5QxUhGH28dgcPMwqcZsoiOL8-hVyocWbt9Dohy_kywWx9iKdEHljlYvwbjpRWTpIy01C6zj1yemJjvrvDXdru2f5kCkdbPkzFxcnEcYX0jtBcWRS8Q4ZIyQ/w480-h640/IMG_4069.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I am not typically a cabin person, but as long as it had electricity, plumbing, and air-conditioning... I was up for having an adventure.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglU2afHLzWLEi4r9lG-5vEtbF85gxo6w6LzqxHcUao2C0T6sDWVBL0AMoDqmWpcXoDfTe8LRyEdVnm1gNH1SwL0qyWyDAP79mpQUwWHM7SVFq2hToANsIUeYCz2rCH86WNYaajjnnDMsS9SHAxzvZk3pKqwIZvPa8DE_hdfDxmpjB1o2DKJEc_DXu7iQ/s1200/cabin.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglU2afHLzWLEi4r9lG-5vEtbF85gxo6w6LzqxHcUao2C0T6sDWVBL0AMoDqmWpcXoDfTe8LRyEdVnm1gNH1SwL0qyWyDAP79mpQUwWHM7SVFq2hToANsIUeYCz2rCH86WNYaajjnnDMsS9SHAxzvZk3pKqwIZvPa8DE_hdfDxmpjB1o2DKJEc_DXu7iQ/w640-h640/cabin.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">This was the view from our cabin's back porch. There was really nothing around besides the occasional wildlife. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMzRqS7wMnVDiJKcu8sB3a65qnobmYfP3TtL7skEmivOIq6xQE-fS-MvE6SUbJ1ay7pd5y7jzUA6UW8kIbe4igdfBhMn6KtL8W2OW60PAWK1SmtPgFglAijf_w-Idhx8Kweh9pSpSl7_j6fvEhgwPUwbCpB91TleptwAkMyUVUJUg2vWjnAlMOewE5w/s3936/IMG_4061.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2952" data-original-width="3936" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMzRqS7wMnVDiJKcu8sB3a65qnobmYfP3TtL7skEmivOIq6xQE-fS-MvE6SUbJ1ay7pd5y7jzUA6UW8kIbe4igdfBhMn6KtL8W2OW60PAWK1SmtPgFglAijf_w-Idhx8Kweh9pSpSl7_j6fvEhgwPUwbCpB91TleptwAkMyUVUJUg2vWjnAlMOewE5w/w640-h480/IMG_4061.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDEj6jo45gBWbypjQwPZ9aLuHNc2hqGZmoJrng4nIx6jHvmGUjhy--mpp4SSpElEzlYpLGPaFHQqcvL6FjI5hxxZ-u4_vJXg78CD8TFy4z36BnrLmslOO-hzxDPsmeZbJwPIWgAEEm-twJRd3XVUJYxUMa2iPLpvQQhVP_IyfOQFHSjsPfymBR1RkIw/s11284/IMG_4062.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3708" data-original-width="11284" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDEj6jo45gBWbypjQwPZ9aLuHNc2hqGZmoJrng4nIx6jHvmGUjhy--mpp4SSpElEzlYpLGPaFHQqcvL6FjI5hxxZ-u4_vJXg78CD8TFy4z36BnrLmslOO-hzxDPsmeZbJwPIWgAEEm-twJRd3XVUJYxUMa2iPLpvQQhVP_IyfOQFHSjsPfymBR1RkIw/w640-h210/IMG_4062.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We stopped by Texas' smallest town, Luckenbach, to start off our Hill Country sightseeing. How small? It has a population of 3.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">There is a general store that used to be the town's post office back when it had a few more residents. Seemed like a good place for a Mommy and Magnolia photo shoot!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSEFTfMI77ub7YQoYPpVmhJ5F-xg2biqX-ux618m9OWK4z_xNoRMowHLr1_z5tK6LtWH9zzLow5T9ogSkwnm7s8qtvHiScl91TzmZD5GW6DPZ5BlXDoC__IQfAfTuWay5yj6h1134WOVobAzib893OC9V7o8ijeJDVZpgPbmgp3mw8opFOMSAka9KaQ/s3560/IMG_4005.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3560" data-original-width="2827" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSEFTfMI77ub7YQoYPpVmhJ5F-xg2biqX-ux618m9OWK4z_xNoRMowHLr1_z5tK6LtWH9zzLow5T9ogSkwnm7s8qtvHiScl91TzmZD5GW6DPZ5BlXDoC__IQfAfTuWay5yj6h1134WOVobAzib893OC9V7o8ijeJDVZpgPbmgp3mw8opFOMSAka9KaQ/w509-h640/IMG_4005.jpg" width="509" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuuwX9hYB5g1939GEXcZ2njsR8afUCcSq4OvVbPo4SDk5WCm9TW3qp7qfXJXQ06p4g6s7mkSy1iX5HnUIjoHKcOzZTMDMassKYfhDEqAW49FBznQXpk-l8c8pL42lYAsteBMuOlForFdiMLwLoHgPqnlK3QHIBHmR2i1yTS6c6TdVk6i91zHkFV7ND4w/s4032/IMG_4013.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuuwX9hYB5g1939GEXcZ2njsR8afUCcSq4OvVbPo4SDk5WCm9TW3qp7qfXJXQ06p4g6s7mkSy1iX5HnUIjoHKcOzZTMDMassKYfhDEqAW49FBznQXpk-l8c8pL42lYAsteBMuOlForFdiMLwLoHgPqnlK3QHIBHmR2i1yTS6c6TdVk6i91zHkFV7ND4w/w480-h640/IMG_4013.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl049prKVbQK8YVhAWuRvJMko6_vTyTDtv4QHGGMHofU_uNqfv7uxC2i2mDNDGhYL3tFjwqQy1oezP-DIeVWy_FfCevGrrFMqV2J-CKeHsVMSHyoOYTwwCJqzEjsTsjQ1VCl8UZv2UuVbORvZkrrnp18Y8TJSaUmX811p_Q599FRiFBqXMMeZ-UV-11A/s4032/IMG_4020.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl049prKVbQK8YVhAWuRvJMko6_vTyTDtv4QHGGMHofU_uNqfv7uxC2i2mDNDGhYL3tFjwqQy1oezP-DIeVWy_FfCevGrrFMqV2J-CKeHsVMSHyoOYTwwCJqzEjsTsjQ1VCl8UZv2UuVbORvZkrrnp18Y8TJSaUmX811p_Q599FRiFBqXMMeZ-UV-11A/w480-h640/IMG_4020.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We also explored some of the shops, restaurants, and a pretty church in nearby Fredericksburg. Both of these towns were founded by German immigrants.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4D7eXMXxlTqBXJpV1ATKLN9U73vP4aHSD2bKfT9JOC-JBCSZdBDEjEef5BYQuYp3yb-HdJqadAFsAkz_OagRpdw_kBOAtZZ11QAaNjQXbkinvixtqtnaijiitl5ErQ-HuS_eYDdFcj4WNZmobC_x0-OHCYmSuYN1ojWCjamdDF1fAxgvz0p2BGiTqyQ/s4032/IMG_4028.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4D7eXMXxlTqBXJpV1ATKLN9U73vP4aHSD2bKfT9JOC-JBCSZdBDEjEef5BYQuYp3yb-HdJqadAFsAkz_OagRpdw_kBOAtZZ11QAaNjQXbkinvixtqtnaijiitl5ErQ-HuS_eYDdFcj4WNZmobC_x0-OHCYmSuYN1ojWCjamdDF1fAxgvz0p2BGiTqyQ/w480-h640/IMG_4028.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnK7Vt1_jTN1k57_5QtH9O2oVrUmAn081mZGzgTPdiy2JScHxMQHiG7kiUSuUh1csj3-5IdIJgfKIZUHNm-nQLJ7MClZFOp66SZ99hoWKfnTiWnBUbrOOdChghuF3mQQ9hgBFj24Kv_dmx_uGkkIPGntt9nlJYFxrPyJyBehQPeyMtkep94p7eBuw_2w/s3680/IMG_4029.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3680" data-original-width="2760" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnK7Vt1_jTN1k57_5QtH9O2oVrUmAn081mZGzgTPdiy2JScHxMQHiG7kiUSuUh1csj3-5IdIJgfKIZUHNm-nQLJ7MClZFOp66SZ99hoWKfnTiWnBUbrOOdChghuF3mQQ9hgBFj24Kv_dmx_uGkkIPGntt9nlJYFxrPyJyBehQPeyMtkep94p7eBuw_2w/w480-h640/IMG_4029.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Fredericksburg is home to the very impressive Museum of the Pacific War, thanks to being the hometown of Admiral Chester Nimitz (commander of the Pacific fleet during WWII). As a WWII nerd, I was very excited to see this museum.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">In fact, I specifically planned our trip itinerary so that we would go to the museum on my birthday. Magnolia had other plans. After long 3 days of traveling, she was done. She had been such a trooper during hot and tiring sightseeing days that I couldn't blame her. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XDT66cP07rhozYC3k8wlczzTZD2Ycd-4sKhsKMgaOtryk44UkCnqP1FK-DAtoth3ef5tev-eg3Jed2yOIwLYqaNiVzjiuPgpDryr_Zl0YO4gzSeGnre3PgJXsqBdmTL8k7aicl6NtYHmBdOdtGcQo0jFe4Zsr8DFGnt05WfIUsAbTvHC2avqwFbNzA/s4032/IMG_4074.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XDT66cP07rhozYC3k8wlczzTZD2Ycd-4sKhsKMgaOtryk44UkCnqP1FK-DAtoth3ef5tev-eg3Jed2yOIwLYqaNiVzjiuPgpDryr_Zl0YO4gzSeGnre3PgJXsqBdmTL8k7aicl6NtYHmBdOdtGcQo0jFe4Zsr8DFGnt05WfIUsAbTvHC2avqwFbNzA/w480-h640/IMG_4074.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoB6SDlW7f1KZPjrkAOA0Jap2ZV1pNkJBt70euyeIHnuQTXWJ6sGwizmhFCmLfOiVHwUoAh2N7uVow1-HpsrZ1MWIDWnJ5nmd3bpKOB_7xxWWMczTdgSNJ8WZKpI45isxIamH6b1ngc0Tkw71bItWZToukbU8vwJRVxIGyB3ErpPZD3WF1aiofh7tpIQ/s4032/IMG_4076.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoB6SDlW7f1KZPjrkAOA0Jap2ZV1pNkJBt70euyeIHnuQTXWJ6sGwizmhFCmLfOiVHwUoAh2N7uVow1-HpsrZ1MWIDWnJ5nmd3bpKOB_7xxWWMczTdgSNJ8WZKpI45isxIamH6b1ngc0Tkw71bItWZToukbU8vwJRVxIGyB3ErpPZD3WF1aiofh7tpIQ/w640-h480/IMG_4076.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We ended up leaving after seeing maybe half of the museum. But the half we did see was spent stressing out over trying to soothe our sad baby and not actually seeing the museum. The little bit we did see looked very cool. If I ever find myself in this corner of the world again, I will be back!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">David and I both picked out a book from the gift shop to learn some more instead. :) </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9NKkW3nYvaeQxNl-Z_ORxnJnvnFh30kjKmq0wbZKJd3UMDPYu_KgWTDeBi7dQ83agetAs5mfQEMLIryhPhkb09AK_h6ga2wS-ojNsw4dnOMJw89nmxJ-3iumIl3ugdJx43l0w8Op7ZNzoqgCZ4c_RjWUjXEtEf025DJRJxiZcMbJbKGTFcDyaoWUUg/s571/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-06%20at%209.10.08%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="568" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9NKkW3nYvaeQxNl-Z_ORxnJnvnFh30kjKmq0wbZKJd3UMDPYu_KgWTDeBi7dQ83agetAs5mfQEMLIryhPhkb09AK_h6ga2wS-ojNsw4dnOMJw89nmxJ-3iumIl3ugdJx43l0w8Op7ZNzoqgCZ4c_RjWUjXEtEf025DJRJxiZcMbJbKGTFcDyaoWUUg/w637-h640/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-06%20at%209.10.08%20PM.png" width="637" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Magnolia passed out later that day:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCitK8W4NoaJh08UVxPBs4qXVC4s4I0W4TkA077sKnhgw_iTbgORA15-4jPKC57XOIYoMDQv2REknI16iB6gzN66tQiUiUt5esTSTnmn-2UC2aspLC0hX-OECxRtE2lKZ5IPz7Y4R9hnrfv_TD6xHk8H1iaBSLCSBml84LUo_9nTu_qaJo-lDZN1LMg/s4032/IMG_4083.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCitK8W4NoaJh08UVxPBs4qXVC4s4I0W4TkA077sKnhgw_iTbgORA15-4jPKC57XOIYoMDQv2REknI16iB6gzN66tQiUiUt5esTSTnmn-2UC2aspLC0hX-OECxRtE2lKZ5IPz7Y4R9hnrfv_TD6xHk8H1iaBSLCSBml84LUo_9nTu_qaJo-lDZN1LMg/w480-h640/IMG_4083.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The last thing on our agenda before heading to another big city (San Antonio) was to see some nature. We made it to Enchanted Rock State Park to see some Texas terrain. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We did one short hike in the 100 degree weather and were satisfied with at least getting a taste of the park.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje40jybu7zACSiJ1oSswtjEweir9BEKjaHceWtuhX8OBrmdpB4kxeVHuDRcf0CeVDEllNqYbZG4KZ2nCfv1lchvxv-Hip5Gsbuwq0em-paSrEy0AU7kGD7UQmPKZ9wJQuZW_Vqa8c9OPCZ-gA6MS5n99pupxzS5o6x6LFemxH1YQYn8HZt0TqH8NUOaQ/s4032/IMG_4037.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje40jybu7zACSiJ1oSswtjEweir9BEKjaHceWtuhX8OBrmdpB4kxeVHuDRcf0CeVDEllNqYbZG4KZ2nCfv1lchvxv-Hip5Gsbuwq0em-paSrEy0AU7kGD7UQmPKZ9wJQuZW_Vqa8c9OPCZ-gA6MS5n99pupxzS5o6x6LFemxH1YQYn8HZt0TqH8NUOaQ/w480-h640/IMG_4037.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDDfc0Zsa68gF-5aNpIf2jpK9dFZUIyvxtU38gPiUhn7SLD1qYsrhAYW9lh2Hr-HzUeMEj664_62iz_EYwjwH0TJBlDL68BqTxdiHC2rvAVxDixrBCDB9hrA0gu5XLl44_ahkn2Ovr1KffGIe7p8z170zjxtbdAeUFcQrspqaS0k3KldDXAVmdCsl3A/s3088/IMG_4039.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDDfc0Zsa68gF-5aNpIf2jpK9dFZUIyvxtU38gPiUhn7SLD1qYsrhAYW9lh2Hr-HzUeMEj664_62iz_EYwjwH0TJBlDL68BqTxdiHC2rvAVxDixrBCDB9hrA0gu5XLl44_ahkn2Ovr1KffGIe7p8z170zjxtbdAeUFcQrspqaS0k3KldDXAVmdCsl3A/w480-h640/IMG_4039.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYboIDrOilITbx11LD7Oz4IjFOWnsYq-ulrwWLktSbpXFzWc1A_7uDWj6SegcqB4rmbItxF0oDXcwSzvKcf5G9teEpC1i14v_BRwnBjEhbSYcfq1vq--avjrFkNDTPUl--dCsWFKekKw50uWlCEWiRGoL-FpcfJsgXFimevy2t1z2Ob7P39FsPItjNqQ/s4032/IMG_4046.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYboIDrOilITbx11LD7Oz4IjFOWnsYq-ulrwWLktSbpXFzWc1A_7uDWj6SegcqB4rmbItxF0oDXcwSzvKcf5G9teEpC1i14v_BRwnBjEhbSYcfq1vq--avjrFkNDTPUl--dCsWFKekKw50uWlCEWiRGoL-FpcfJsgXFimevy2t1z2Ob7P39FsPItjNqQ/w480-h640/IMG_4046.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZFsbWt311zJLrhE7g9xFCyRczWZY7kw5ApJmw6gzAVMZPPxtnygY0hJl9qsWc7utWueWpv3ob1qXVqvP4_0Jum5LYHQ7IioYI0kSNQn-mxEQtTdgkgvW8ylY6zlZozgtCCcNcODCt66IOJETl4moXSZvaBeqwOFQ_vWCQsL8XYDF0vknlbvjTjP8Wg/s4032/IMG_4047.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZFsbWt311zJLrhE7g9xFCyRczWZY7kw5ApJmw6gzAVMZPPxtnygY0hJl9qsWc7utWueWpv3ob1qXVqvP4_0Jum5LYHQ7IioYI0kSNQn-mxEQtTdgkgvW8ylY6zlZozgtCCcNcODCt66IOJETl4moXSZvaBeqwOFQ_vWCQsL8XYDF0vknlbvjTjP8Wg/w640-h480/IMG_4047.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-10009499089463523912022-05-29T11:14:00.001-07:002023-03-19T18:52:31.631-07:00Dallas, Texas<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">After a year of staying close to home, we were overdue to do some exploring! For our first trip with Magnolia, we decided to check out a new state: Texas. David's parents were visiting from France- it seemed fun to take them to the most American place on earth. </span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-7c64823d-7fff-e496-e754-c459d1b77495"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Right after landing in Dallas, we headed directly to the Fort Worth Stockyards to get a taste of Texas cowboy culture. You can get a taste of historic Fort Worth in this little neighborhood, especially during the twice daily cattle drive featuring gigantic Texas longhorns. Their horns can span more than 8ft!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJLU0FlQmOGwxKMiUQNbuWB56agwkctbCAcMYgeAC1G1skb9Nsau6nqArdXeuVDISm_QBM4aGHQCNmJu4FviDWvbiBN5rlOUQhgNXcvjeC6vDVXtqDGI5fnicTAi1gvU_InzePVktMtg2QZiDy-ingMme0wbS22Ps7tKrs0BLc5_uz9UbqOva6v2geA/s4032/IMG_3923.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJLU0FlQmOGwxKMiUQNbuWB56agwkctbCAcMYgeAC1G1skb9Nsau6nqArdXeuVDISm_QBM4aGHQCNmJu4FviDWvbiBN5rlOUQhgNXcvjeC6vDVXtqDGI5fnicTAi1gvU_InzePVktMtg2QZiDy-ingMme0wbS22Ps7tKrs0BLc5_uz9UbqOva6v2geA/w480-h640/IMG_3923.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We weren’t sure if we could make it in time for the cattle drive after getting turned around on the Texas-sized freeway that had a lot more lanes than we were used to. We pulled into the parking lot at 4pm on the dot and ended up getting there right as it started… and as we walked towards it we accidentally became part of the parade.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3tc0h4R_VAkuD8z0t_shBF6qEL3s-jeOdsAuY4elJwSXaHLW_l9W7Iep7heL2FI-dARGxy7BXYSjqr22jQQsN5H6CnEuopx8k0aIJ4Z5RiwyTN8n0hDp64RZw89tm6nDeVUcJqk0sGCTXQMWIbn3hp4IkLbjOFYtJwFBYuItDitmpQTZ7jANpZvqCA/s4032/IMG_3920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3tc0h4R_VAkuD8z0t_shBF6qEL3s-jeOdsAuY4elJwSXaHLW_l9W7Iep7heL2FI-dARGxy7BXYSjqr22jQQsN5H6CnEuopx8k0aIJ4Z5RiwyTN8n0hDp64RZw89tm6nDeVUcJqk0sGCTXQMWIbn3hp4IkLbjOFYtJwFBYuItDitmpQTZ7jANpZvqCA/w640-h480/IMG_3920.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbLahanmYYB3q10mjl-jSziydh4MLxocIxwei6QXPW-0gzEqNQe_qP5vz6HKonlUix9Sa6fN-Y3g7PqlRWi8O1GTq4QbXikfGIJELp9Bh7XarKi90LGrtUHxw1HA2wLSGhlbqBwW5R2uMOyC_04dW5JrmT0vrfD0u2KFoMhWBEzTzyc18WXqH05BUAQ/s4032/IMG_3921.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbLahanmYYB3q10mjl-jSziydh4MLxocIxwei6QXPW-0gzEqNQe_qP5vz6HKonlUix9Sa6fN-Y3g7PqlRWi8O1GTq4QbXikfGIJELp9Bh7XarKi90LGrtUHxw1HA2wLSGhlbqBwW5R2uMOyC_04dW5JrmT0vrfD0u2KFoMhWBEzTzyc18WXqH05BUAQ/w640-h480/IMG_3921.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The cattle drive was short-lived but worth seeing. Afterwards we browsed some of the many western-themed shops and enjoyed the short bursts of air-conditioning each store provided in between swimming through the intense humidity and temperatures at least 40 degrees warmer than current Wisconsin weather.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-158jeNh5DocfS6yDRoe-6d2RuJKvKXNd3x4U79LZJLtnRRTJIaALWBU7xfx1GVG6N0ux7NeXyr0jrCMsr8CCYtux4cnDZEJoOrhF7p5tYZXVrkz5V3EKQ8oXLNo_nBAsOr66mxMFgPBT-yb4Z867TyLOMpJK-4_XlPxhiuCC9kgjs9uYI8SsH_94iA/s1200/fws.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-158jeNh5DocfS6yDRoe-6d2RuJKvKXNd3x4U79LZJLtnRRTJIaALWBU7xfx1GVG6N0ux7NeXyr0jrCMsr8CCYtux4cnDZEJoOrhF7p5tYZXVrkz5V3EKQ8oXLNo_nBAsOr66mxMFgPBT-yb4Z867TyLOMpJK-4_XlPxhiuCC9kgjs9uYI8SsH_94iA/w640-h640/fws.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">We ate dinner at Billy Bob’s, which is apparently the world’s largest honky-tonk. I didn’t know the word honky-tonk… but it seemed like something the French should experience. I think I figured out that it's just it’s a bar with country music?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicBXET8PrVSEvprc_wSe3lhtNcnU0xOdt5mHyw87Hr_M6pO3YHBXMx7eIMdpFDHnn5ZZeiGlmjNm97HH2JL-XI2fWt1NTYbyHjOMOuGpFa6cDmkRNW8nzUGIC0sgk7EoayOjPZM7Tckg0vy4LI2N30VjNZkkvJ3pIXKjwlD6WMdVVd7UrM-Gq0cMT6Q/s4032/IMG_3933.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicBXET8PrVSEvprc_wSe3lhtNcnU0xOdt5mHyw87Hr_M6pO3YHBXMx7eIMdpFDHnn5ZZeiGlmjNm97HH2JL-XI2fWt1NTYbyHjOMOuGpFa6cDmkRNW8nzUGIC0sgk7EoayOjPZM7Tckg0vy4LI2N30VjNZkkvJ3pIXKjwlD6WMdVVd7UrM-Gq0cMT6Q/w640-h480/IMG_3933.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVzkV01RItdsJcHHaqssnMsVXa6jd22OH-eExkW-P7ZvWJHqd0_ygcvTuSYQzPsjcbrjVeVL2J8SQ9Ee9WBvWV0530Cz8q3hQx7-uLsDW9Q_Mxb3CgZkG0jlE7z7wLnSrOr6CS8_9pCQLLzaFrkbhHBp-iXwHB1hIyFOKqtgDe1NksfTJ8E31CteHmg/s4032/IMG_3934.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVzkV01RItdsJcHHaqssnMsVXa6jd22OH-eExkW-P7ZvWJHqd0_ygcvTuSYQzPsjcbrjVeVL2J8SQ9Ee9WBvWV0530Cz8q3hQx7-uLsDW9Q_Mxb3CgZkG0jlE7z7wLnSrOr6CS8_9pCQLLzaFrkbhHBp-iXwHB1hIyFOKqtgDe1NksfTJ8E31CteHmg/w640-h480/IMG_3934.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">It was definitely huge- 100,000 square feet (they even have rodeos inside!). David ate his first Texas brisket, Magnolia was mesmerized by the plethora of neon signs, and we all enjoyed watching the line dancing. I might have joined in if Magnolia hadn’t been feeling a bit needy after her first time ever traveling and feeling heat.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyoac9Qjzl-uyMlQoZI2gdb_5T85TJ3nd6STX6xjZri824YxbpaNoMWxqnk3pfV_rLncTet3p7P1Th9AF0ncUktimc-kzFPKYt5NjQaDC-2Ndo_pR1zV4sEk3UeHvuShPzTs78KJ41xAslojPAZZQW0WzN-0p6UxpQJ2CUfpyNRQmyhm-klUZHfmsBA/s4032/IMG_3929.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyoac9Qjzl-uyMlQoZI2gdb_5T85TJ3nd6STX6xjZri824YxbpaNoMWxqnk3pfV_rLncTet3p7P1Th9AF0ncUktimc-kzFPKYt5NjQaDC-2Ndo_pR1zV4sEk3UeHvuShPzTs78KJ41xAslojPAZZQW0WzN-0p6UxpQJ2CUfpyNRQmyhm-klUZHfmsBA/w480-h640/IMG_3929.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The next day we headed to Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas to visit the location where JFK was assassinated and then check out a museum about his life and death.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Dealey Plaza is sometimes called the “birthplace of Dallas” because it’s the location of some of the very first houses in the city. This pretty park and the Dallas County Courthouse (built in the late 1800s) are right outside the Texas School Book Depository, the building that Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK from.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHsz_BngyNlO7dg60Yfb8u7KPNnyM_mqZgdOPWK6946sFyvdb8dSS3VnzRbA0rnu0PhAwW3fzX1cyxS-TrX6EBoz00K3-ooU_WrrPToAxcYXCyd_TSaRBaM1Ll2FU2O16wkpBXzTJG3MeGXjrgS557sw9rH3TFGP7E42Yj-Q39KvhXzTTPP0q_-fMzw/s4032/IMG_3962.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHsz_BngyNlO7dg60Yfb8u7KPNnyM_mqZgdOPWK6946sFyvdb8dSS3VnzRbA0rnu0PhAwW3fzX1cyxS-TrX6EBoz00K3-ooU_WrrPToAxcYXCyd_TSaRBaM1Ll2FU2O16wkpBXzTJG3MeGXjrgS557sw9rH3TFGP7E42Yj-Q39KvhXzTTPP0q_-fMzw/w480-h640/IMG_3962.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDGx4c0n8ZkKeEgiDgsifm55Fp3KDNOsHBoglupxFATmj0TvT0aMxiRNmEpUoJkOjyVWsz_cXf-jWGBYO5br9Sk_RcqaEBhZJ96WzKoHeTBjThaqr6uaRZ60e1hjJlUupBqgJ1OLUy8OCcUapbSpazMgshUA635hgvREr3PqjemmImZGPp9wJ2L51XA/s3834/IMG_3961.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3834" data-original-width="2876" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDGx4c0n8ZkKeEgiDgsifm55Fp3KDNOsHBoglupxFATmj0TvT0aMxiRNmEpUoJkOjyVWsz_cXf-jWGBYO5br9Sk_RcqaEBhZJ96WzKoHeTBjThaqr6uaRZ60e1hjJlUupBqgJ1OLUy8OCcUapbSpazMgshUA635hgvREr3PqjemmImZGPp9wJ2L51XA/w480-h640/IMG_3961.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We learned a lot at the Sixth Floor Museum, located on the floor where Oswald took the shot. There are exhibits about the 1960s, the Kennedy family and JFK’s early life, his presidency, and of course his assassination. And even some information about various conspiracy theories!</span></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">You can see the window that Oswald shot out of. An X marks the spot on the street below where the fatal shot hit Kennedy in the head. David’s parents remember hearing about this event, even as elementary schoolers in Europe. It was so interesting to visit a place that had such an effect on world history.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAD5IC0IGIrFo0ODIigNVQezA1wwdvsFpzvl8R_R2kZhEAphG6fqyN3AhA6trAgDPcwn1yfML_6p9SDvhIAJRFJR8jtGNMzbSm_vg-30N1lQTGa0Cl_U-6DiDg_YUFl689AO1e34smfvkLZHtERORGzzki71Eh3RTr3jrvIviFXv24AZMczIbd2QMzag/s4032/IMG_3964.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAD5IC0IGIrFo0ODIigNVQezA1wwdvsFpzvl8R_R2kZhEAphG6fqyN3AhA6trAgDPcwn1yfML_6p9SDvhIAJRFJR8jtGNMzbSm_vg-30N1lQTGa0Cl_U-6DiDg_YUFl689AO1e34smfvkLZHtERORGzzki71Eh3RTr3jrvIviFXv24AZMczIbd2QMzag/w480-h640/IMG_3964.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq2yyMijsDvsLUuTe7BmhIaznBCGWvJgWwo3J2fhHh8p6JuRWqJyvMzX5_GsoZt-DKndjW5r9_KrF9y9P2Tt8fVlh3No8sjxxOH4XGlKoNvhm8LxzIsMo2hyteE8aPasKTFWwEu3pZZB7KT868OX7d4YluSJMg-mfqTD3mjUDmRcyBtxef1C6fhzQbmw/s4032/IMG_3965.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq2yyMijsDvsLUuTe7BmhIaznBCGWvJgWwo3J2fhHh8p6JuRWqJyvMzX5_GsoZt-DKndjW5r9_KrF9y9P2Tt8fVlh3No8sjxxOH4XGlKoNvhm8LxzIsMo2hyteE8aPasKTFWwEu3pZZB7KT868OX7d4YluSJMg-mfqTD3mjUDmRcyBtxef1C6fhzQbmw/w480-h640/IMG_3965.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Magnolia’s favorite part of the museum was the huge video screen that played JFK’s funeral. She’s fascinated by big screens and loved sitting in front of it to have her bottle. It made me laugh that she was so delighted to watch a funeral.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Our last stop in the city before heading into the Texas countryside was the Dallas Farmer’s Market for lunch. It was a cute place that was perfect for us because David could have his cowboy burger and the rest of us could have Italian pizza. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzJLT20vTttp3HE7ExTYtOTjcPT9_4Jr2FdCAFcxxRUNyqgCnyqF7YD5YfOkZAO0_XscIDIDrnN0dO0BuCbC6Fhji8-GIhmaUvDZdzvyER0duqLGpBpJhVNEq0Z1S5l7HtmRtfyUpqGxYJXfdnoJ9fjirh8intVvqHfaOEHEzAzLMGSgdNYrtMCEPAA/s4032/IMG_3971.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzJLT20vTttp3HE7ExTYtOTjcPT9_4Jr2FdCAFcxxRUNyqgCnyqF7YD5YfOkZAO0_XscIDIDrnN0dO0BuCbC6Fhji8-GIhmaUvDZdzvyER0duqLGpBpJhVNEq0Z1S5l7HtmRtfyUpqGxYJXfdnoJ9fjirh8intVvqHfaOEHEzAzLMGSgdNYrtMCEPAA/w640-h480/IMG_3971.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNwqlfnRDeeRuXxXq2ZM7INBvsYx72K1UCY11GlNIw6A_q3vSkKdnEWAe0hEUZeevPr87Z764am-2E8117XFi9blFSamhYWaDz6geGo0Q9S6lon3I4B3qyVb0IKj2ejb2RHyAJ7YYyVAyGH9x6xIKrZPC1smfRhUIzyBlJoYKQx3QEVUxZDW6lfzPSQ/s4032/IMG_3967.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNwqlfnRDeeRuXxXq2ZM7INBvsYx72K1UCY11GlNIw6A_q3vSkKdnEWAe0hEUZeevPr87Z764am-2E8117XFi9blFSamhYWaDz6geGo0Q9S6lon3I4B3qyVb0IKj2ejb2RHyAJ7YYyVAyGH9x6xIKrZPC1smfRhUIzyBlJoYKQx3QEVUxZDW6lfzPSQ/w480-h640/IMG_3967.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">This is where I learned that in English somehow we really messed up translating the word “pepperoni.” My Italian father-in-law was very confused when he thought he ordered a pizza with peppers (doesn’t it make more sense that it means peppers?) and instead received a pizza with sausage. The more you know. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">After a last glimpse of the Dallas skyline, it was time to head to the middle of nowhere! Next up: staying in a cabin in Texas Hill Country.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXkYq7-7qV3Ax-N306cJtvDDvYEwzJKY6IrrXxoUjJg9ZWp1JhhaEW85TXKQMOKpgpNvrXBFU48APPS8IQ-7usOMOkR2L8g1ezqU7ceCPrHMfxxtkTrB35vXPpyCkAB_jCRcV9ZtBlDy7k0NBrReS4n3_k2zmiJS2z13dnVg6JQqcSaffTZGo5d-mhg/s3654/IMG_3972.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3654" data-original-width="2828" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXkYq7-7qV3Ax-N306cJtvDDvYEwzJKY6IrrXxoUjJg9ZWp1JhhaEW85TXKQMOKpgpNvrXBFU48APPS8IQ-7usOMOkR2L8g1ezqU7ceCPrHMfxxtkTrB35vXPpyCkAB_jCRcV9ZtBlDy7k0NBrReS4n3_k2zmiJS2z13dnVg6JQqcSaffTZGo5d-mhg/w496-h640/IMG_3972.jpg" width="496" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Bonus: a few pictures of my very happy baby enjoying her first hotel stay. After patiently enduring being cooped up in her stroller and car seat for most of the day, she was thrilled to wiggle around on the big bed. Love this baby. :) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2dUzJB9lR8eXoxIHHLB0-t6U1dSwzPRjBkV2mirSOk7rPMmmLe0PJL9Lk9U8P2faD2ewJR-LrPXOpLj_-Z5_3or6UwYe1LYoXUZ6jpwvGjqD5f1cUjVbhMRGnZFltPIsddMICYsSU6QJg01qEnMx5gi4I_9iVsiE7qq_wrGXVfWbOjoZgCgXsM_Nnw/s1200/Facebook%20Post.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2dUzJB9lR8eXoxIHHLB0-t6U1dSwzPRjBkV2mirSOk7rPMmmLe0PJL9Lk9U8P2faD2ewJR-LrPXOpLj_-Z5_3or6UwYe1LYoXUZ6jpwvGjqD5f1cUjVbhMRGnZFltPIsddMICYsSU6QJg01qEnMx5gi4I_9iVsiE7qq_wrGXVfWbOjoZgCgXsM_Nnw/w640-h640/Facebook%20Post.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: Alegreya, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-43232488049851046292021-12-31T18:12:00.006-08:002023-03-26T18:36:49.343-07:002021: A Year in Review<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I’ve written a Year in Review every year since having this blog, even though I haven’t been as active here since moving back to the US in 2018.</span></p><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I never thought I would have a year as nightmarish as 2021. Now that some time has passed, I feel like I can write about it and want to continue the tradition. As always, I include links to the posts about our various trips.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I started out </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">January</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> by quitting my job. I was 16 weeks pregnant after 4 very difficult years of infertility and IVF, and was struggling with nausea too much to keep working.</span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">February</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> 2nd, we found out we were having a little boy. The week that followed was one of the best of my life. A fun gender reveal with my family, baby shopping for the first time, and daydreaming about names and nursery decorations.</span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">After one week of happiness, he died.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">My water broke prematurely. He passed away on the 10th and was born February 11th.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The next few months, especially </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">March</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> and </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">April</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;">, were so dark and terrible.</span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We did have the chance to go on a lovely trip to <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2021/04/southern-trip-biltmore-estate.html" target="_blank">North Carolina</a>, <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2021/04/southern-trip-plantations.html" target="_blank">South Carolina</a>, and <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2021/04/southern-trip-savannah.html" target="_blank">Georgia</a> at the end of March. I was thankful for the distraction and the chance to see some very beautiful places.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUlD_kcyaQJTGQl-ILe6qhK2V7xzPr5FPaOFNFJv7rf53FMZxMkxUbuOiTe1XjAd3a3thqsGU-b9PW2hbxYq3of6Qp4cFHVk27CW8V9iyRYJ4OMJ3vjvUyymf0I8tWJ2xhrR9Mf7j-_Hg8pjyjDt1yg_hNYxgUU1kKvV2M38t4JxerUJdnHIbDX6tPg/s1200/south.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUlD_kcyaQJTGQl-ILe6qhK2V7xzPr5FPaOFNFJv7rf53FMZxMkxUbuOiTe1XjAd3a3thqsGU-b9PW2hbxYq3of6Qp4cFHVk27CW8V9iyRYJ4OMJ3vjvUyymf0I8tWJ2xhrR9Mf7j-_Hg8pjyjDt1yg_hNYxgUU1kKvV2M38t4JxerUJdnHIbDX6tPg/w640-h640/south.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">May</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> 3rd, we felt some hope as we transferred another precious embryo. It worked and I spent the rest of the year growing our baby.</span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQa5hHptUXX9eH_vpIoWPqGdGBtnHyEWi8BM3Tk-Ay5KlMAt9L6znkJwZ2jQQW6gJ4gsayhB5TABhawBuXAXnoDmw3vSzmcdjez_UrgnVET478etPNKEyzehnl7wznEby-SyRHZGyPHl1yAiIQfUMpMqNyL2yh7V9TxvGHpoJ5_5JeAuhpqUiMyi0fTw/s621/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-08%20at%208.17.15%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="462" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQa5hHptUXX9eH_vpIoWPqGdGBtnHyEWi8BM3Tk-Ay5KlMAt9L6znkJwZ2jQQW6gJ4gsayhB5TABhawBuXAXnoDmw3vSzmcdjez_UrgnVET478etPNKEyzehnl7wznEby-SyRHZGyPHl1yAiIQfUMpMqNyL2yh7V9TxvGHpoJ5_5JeAuhpqUiMyi0fTw/w477-h640/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-08%20at%208.17.15%20PM.png" width="477" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">June</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;">, we drove to Indiana to bring home a tiny, fluffy ball of energy: Poppy the Westie. She was as crazy as she was adorable, but she really helped me get through a sad and stressful time in my life.</span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9Ael3qnZJxVrcRtWjzlQ0bdpqfarffnB4Z8Wf3D6pv2sGEGmyD6KSNM7r8xLkNMaVXDleyaOiDCs9svuTz7BrrHtTOHezfTtSOYGazKUOdMd4mWynAJtcQLUzbaf-Fe9Qt2TJn5GlCESFmRPjQvJhxdAryyEzaQg_Biq5ES6obadcjhYLWqk9bUNAg/s4032/IMG_9217.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9Ael3qnZJxVrcRtWjzlQ0bdpqfarffnB4Z8Wf3D6pv2sGEGmyD6KSNM7r8xLkNMaVXDleyaOiDCs9svuTz7BrrHtTOHezfTtSOYGazKUOdMd4mWynAJtcQLUzbaf-Fe9Qt2TJn5GlCESFmRPjQvJhxdAryyEzaQg_Biq5ES6obadcjhYLWqk9bUNAg/w480-h640/IMG_9217.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We found out our baby was a girl at the end of </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><b>July</b></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"> and right away named her Magnolia after a beautiful place we visited near Charleston, SC.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30v97JChsYvvw22LzgV5AbOoXbViH9ItgUPCJUOKWlEPRchyEZmH_MoXjytkr82PdKMDmOOVeOZw7oRTajdZouLzxq9vld9TEo_Nxd42LKKJYFypLbF5e2kB7Jb7b3NUhYxYTF4QO1dioTFICAmjfxFMfOiWv8TbdULP6cKvEZ71iINL8GYHHpJz_pA/s824/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-08%20at%208.16.36%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="824" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30v97JChsYvvw22LzgV5AbOoXbViH9ItgUPCJUOKWlEPRchyEZmH_MoXjytkr82PdKMDmOOVeOZw7oRTajdZouLzxq9vld9TEo_Nxd42LKKJYFypLbF5e2kB7Jb7b3NUhYxYTF4QO1dioTFICAmjfxFMfOiWv8TbdULP6cKvEZ71iINL8GYHHpJz_pA/w640-h478/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-08%20at%208.16.36%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">August</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> I held my breath all month and hardly moved as I reached and eventually made it past the point of my previous loss.</span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBxX3SFMTvX8FoeUgccaaVST5Alkw6C5HDpEJp7efjQdREAYYZHfYTQRN4ngItFO1-p-Nk_Z9q_eY4gDrDONdo9wodWgjKqioCQ6ykqYoyIWExJzdBqKcAmaOMt9W7Z0X7tUKrX9upwFr6dXMAIWvxxzBxOyFqplXNbPOIrklFuaR6lIWpgkUhgp94A/s742/IMG_9820.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="453" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBxX3SFMTvX8FoeUgccaaVST5Alkw6C5HDpEJp7efjQdREAYYZHfYTQRN4ngItFO1-p-Nk_Z9q_eY4gDrDONdo9wodWgjKqioCQ6ykqYoyIWExJzdBqKcAmaOMt9W7Z0X7tUKrX9upwFr6dXMAIWvxxzBxOyFqplXNbPOIrklFuaR6lIWpgkUhgp94A/w390-h640/IMG_9820.png" width="390" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">September</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> we celebrated our 5th anniversary and took some pictures to commemorate the occasion!</span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDY9rRQxKx-3ZXxuS4KihAWWHOB5aJK3XOlvjlInc17I-KN5n-eCwF9_vgCnUcaMnsyTsh2ZsZfWRCzofm7yFfBSx8vNRoDgvJsgSKzL2APj-jEnQ4YW_yb1vwr2hWz3KWcsydF9EqP9EG0pdomBtcBLLi0FyUq4k01drYLMa3hRec9kYHsplzK2MKg/s1200/5a.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDY9rRQxKx-3ZXxuS4KihAWWHOB5aJK3XOlvjlInc17I-KN5n-eCwF9_vgCnUcaMnsyTsh2ZsZfWRCzofm7yFfBSx8vNRoDgvJsgSKzL2APj-jEnQ4YW_yb1vwr2hWz3KWcsydF9EqP9EG0pdomBtcBLLi0FyUq4k01drYLMa3hRec9kYHsplzK2MKg/w640-h640/5a.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">October</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> we traveled to nearby <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2021/10/fall-in-door-county.html" target="_blank">Door County</a> for the first time. It was so good to get out and see some new things after spending the whole summer taking it easy and trying to keep our baby safe. David also achieved his longtime dream of becoming an American citizen this month!</span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyI7OXtV5OJo9sTgNBwvvi_aA3ph5GEBBoedo6NajCSit8PN2FCNf-tWJSRhMBCNYa1NubGigxEzE_R-WNgJ1Vi7r6Ck2ka4lwd3xC-rGzQbG1Fc3mWJT7FGQDVjS7SOV45ASdsVMDYN40pft9pk2tstLFcHEGalJNescW37fG_y4Rlh04HE7kM28Tdw/s1200/door.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyI7OXtV5OJo9sTgNBwvvi_aA3ph5GEBBoedo6NajCSit8PN2FCNf-tWJSRhMBCNYa1NubGigxEzE_R-WNgJ1Vi7r6Ck2ka4lwd3xC-rGzQbG1Fc3mWJT7FGQDVjS7SOV45ASdsVMDYN40pft9pk2tstLFcHEGalJNescW37fG_y4Rlh04HE7kM28Tdw/w640-h640/door.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">November</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> I had a baby shower- a surreal experience. People were so generous and it was a happy day.</span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNgAoSJQXP5tkScy8NAQCicm8XEDRbeHDrfVbUflwcsgggEfeZkt6faZm1jjc6LqpVaXcCm0c5NGNqrR3Z8tNWq1ufT2rnq6Be9xkE3Yp-WoeUbnAQheO-oWejezNLoaz8GDAUHQVbd-trmxvCrvKgoNA3UOI0dMm3qHBBYEdk_4smCgzYj4YnmH-AA/s746/0-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="501" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNgAoSJQXP5tkScy8NAQCicm8XEDRbeHDrfVbUflwcsgggEfeZkt6faZm1jjc6LqpVaXcCm0c5NGNqrR3Z8tNWq1ufT2rnq6Be9xkE3Yp-WoeUbnAQheO-oWejezNLoaz8GDAUHQVbd-trmxvCrvKgoNA3UOI0dMm3qHBBYEdk_4smCgzYj4YnmH-AA/w430-h640/0-1.jpg" width="430" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">December</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> I ended up in the hospital 4 times. Twice for bleeding and preterm labor, once for reduced movement, and then...</span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">On December 30th, our amazing, precious, beautiful, perfect daughter Magnolia June was born at 11:04am. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccn5ISMhj3JV6l0SJoJ3yUAkefH_TvJj8tGiq0osPf7SCovnomV8bTnzLzxLc4qihm29jb7tccwWW-QM0Dm3gvOu6T0jnfvUGR9mkpqH6uf13j6nVVQ93I_s3izmeTWUUPDcuMOneztnPlaWFraI4YlZl2_l6XZ22VbWKXR6HQVTxPqLRLl_p_a2YLg/s4032/IMG_1425.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccn5ISMhj3JV6l0SJoJ3yUAkefH_TvJj8tGiq0osPf7SCovnomV8bTnzLzxLc4qihm29jb7tccwWW-QM0Dm3gvOu6T0jnfvUGR9mkpqH6uf13j6nVVQ93I_s3izmeTWUUPDcuMOneztnPlaWFraI4YlZl2_l6XZ22VbWKXR6HQVTxPqLRLl_p_a2YLg/w480-h640/IMG_1425.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">It was a year of the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. I had two babies. I buried a child, made it through a very stressful pregnancy, and finally welcomed a healthy baby after years of struggling.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Magnolia’s due date was actually January 19th. I like to think it was a special little blessing for me that she was born at the very end of 2021. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Our first IVF cycle resulted in an early miscarriage. That baby was due April 15th, 2021. Our stillborn son was supposed to be born on June 21st, 2021 but was born on February 11th, 2021. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Through a series of miracles, I ended up surviving way more than I thought I could... and even ended up bringing home my 2021 baby after all. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Past Years in Review:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2021/01/2020-year-in-review.html" target="_blank">2020</a> (Quarantine, Mississippi River road trip, IVF)</span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2019/12/2019-year-in-review.html" target="_blank">2019</a> (Polar Vortex, turned 30, Seattle trip, David's parents visit, Mackinac Island, road trips)<br /><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2018/12/2018-year-in-review.html" target="_blank">2018</a> (Poland, Sicily, moving back to America, Hawaii, buying a house)</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2018/01/2017-year-in-review.html" target="_blank">2017</a> (Paris three times, Milan, Bruges, Italian Riviera, Carcassonne, London, Geneva, Florence, Venice, beach, Provence, Naples, Denmark, Cinque Terre, David gets a green card! phew)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2017/01/2016-year-in-review.html" target="_blank">2016</a> (Israel, moved back to US, got engaged, got married, moved to France, Paris, Provence, London)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2015/12/2015-in-review.html" target="_blank">2015</a> (Living in Israel, David visits, parents visit, 2 trips to France)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2014/12/2014-in-review.html" target="_blank">2014</a> (Living in France, Brussels, Amsterdam, Munich, Vienna, Prague, meeting David, Switzerland, Paris moved home, moved to Israel)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2014/01/2013-in-review.html" target="_blank">2013</a> (Jerusalem study abroad, moved to France, Rome, Florence, Siena, Luxembourg)</span></div></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /></div>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-61471064514645738252021-10-15T18:19:00.000-07:002024-03-08T19:25:06.236-08:00Discovering Ancient Turkey<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Turkey was one of the most surprising places I’ve ever visited- surprising in a good way! </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">It’s not a place I ever learned much about or thought much about, which is a shame. Because it didn’t take long after landing in Istanbul to become completely fascinated by stories of the sultans, conquerors, and empires that make up Turkey’s centuries of history.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BR4yIHHV4s4GFCdYZo8OWm-VSy36G0Y4EtKJoGGLrqkON0aG7rKjdAhhQabmRcPV2NOltZlGpFLE6ZqlxCXP1jhVlXv0eze-OyP0HOkFqHQEY839tFw3hQlPPe_r8ZAKbwSJwyWQI0P3RgYcRfHSSolYVXWHxnUbnUghGKzwxakGiQ-et03UefWnWg/s768/turk-768x768.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BR4yIHHV4s4GFCdYZo8OWm-VSy36G0Y4EtKJoGGLrqkON0aG7rKjdAhhQabmRcPV2NOltZlGpFLE6ZqlxCXP1jhVlXv0eze-OyP0HOkFqHQEY839tFw3hQlPPe_r8ZAKbwSJwyWQI0P3RgYcRfHSSolYVXWHxnUbnUghGKzwxakGiQ-et03UefWnWg/w640-h640/turk-768x768.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I haven’t been back since visiting several years ago, but with so much left to discover, it’s near the top of my travel bucket list. While Istanbul is brimming with amazing things to see (the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, and Topkapi Palace… to name a few), there are destinations worth discovering throughout the country.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Turkey’s western coast is home to many well-preserved Greek and Roman ruins (yes, the Greeks and Romans really got around!). Here’s a small glimpse into the remains of some of Turkey’s ancient temples, theaters, cities and more- all set among stunning natural backdrops </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: trebuchet;">Ruins of the ancient city of <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Assos</span> lie on the northwest coast of Turkey on a hill overlooking the Aegean Sea and the modern village of Behramkale. </span><span color="var(--color-neutral-text-contrast)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: trebuchet;">On a clear day (unfortunately not when I visited), you can see the very nearby Greek island of Lesbos in the distance.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span color="var(--color-neutral-text-contrast)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheU90skhUKQEFl8P-1KGdMSiI0rBb5d7kHgOmir3K8hlxGwma5AS92Msjv7kgdoAzxaEo06VWjx4vKxwKB3DYveE3Urrx7mjCyEqDwYWhrw7e16Io4wwm0dShi7GcyH8soCN6MrkJViWwuh5yYLbK9QUFL8mj9hHm60ruAWtBSFIl1NDdKPHFpPBC5Lw/s686/DSCN2079.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="505" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheU90skhUKQEFl8P-1KGdMSiI0rBb5d7kHgOmir3K8hlxGwma5AS92Msjv7kgdoAzxaEo06VWjx4vKxwKB3DYveE3Urrx7mjCyEqDwYWhrw7e16Io4wwm0dShi7GcyH8soCN6MrkJViWwuh5yYLbK9QUFL8mj9hHm60ruAWtBSFIl1NDdKPHFpPBC5Lw/w472-h640/DSCN2079.jpg" width="472" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5zJvQdE2RjFG1EwEUGt0k7MyYAg1WhRMRcgyYh_5gO8EM9QYbwh46g1rDAldR1XKRYcFbeGWlnoQGI5Txx9j9OZdobFe3E2gwNBGTngthFd9RZgAc2_UN3YmjvywyOz8GqDkR7VjFiYFU1fAFTCAijPJJg6ikK_JxWhGv0uHHsKW8VY9uZ3uDbQT9w/s768/DSCN2068-768x576.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5zJvQdE2RjFG1EwEUGt0k7MyYAg1WhRMRcgyYh_5gO8EM9QYbwh46g1rDAldR1XKRYcFbeGWlnoQGI5Txx9j9OZdobFe3E2gwNBGTngthFd9RZgAc2_UN3YmjvywyOz8GqDkR7VjFiYFU1fAFTCAijPJJg6ikK_JxWhGv0uHHsKW8VY9uZ3uDbQT9w/w640-h480/DSCN2068-768x576.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I haven’t been back since visiting several years ago, but with so much left to discover, it’s near the top of my travel bucket list. While Istanbul is brimming with amazing things to see (the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, and Topkapi Palace… to name a few), there are destinations worth discovering throughout the country.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Turkey’s western coast is home to many well-preserved Greek and Roman ruins (yes, the Greeks and Romans really got around!). Here’s a small glimpse into the remains of some of Turkey’s ancient temples, theaters, cities and more- all set among stunning natural backdrops </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ruins of the ancient city of <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Assos</span> lie on the northwest coast of Turkey on a hill overlooking the Aegean Sea and the modern village of Behramkale. </span><span color="var(--color-neutral-text-contrast)" style="box-sizing: border-box;">On a clear day (unfortunately not when I visited), you can see the very nearby Greek island of Lesbos in the distance.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-TcPKMzmJ0MNV5WpWtDrfTmRqLOprlVDZ6GxiJVwDZd3bQrkFxRLqO50O56tr7io_Tc9_jKjTMY3wuVOZDdSxmJXYas5-TnxqOdLcXxQxMYz8Pl2ZO8k36AMjMAGFpvMKBuwallwgilXdTxlbzF2B8KxHxVyiMQxvwealnm1H-TKZpQig330wq344Q/s800/DSCN2072-1-800x600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-TcPKMzmJ0MNV5WpWtDrfTmRqLOprlVDZ6GxiJVwDZd3bQrkFxRLqO50O56tr7io_Tc9_jKjTMY3wuVOZDdSxmJXYas5-TnxqOdLcXxQxMYz8Pl2ZO8k36AMjMAGFpvMKBuwallwgilXdTxlbzF2B8KxHxVyiMQxvwealnm1H-TKZpQig330wq344Q/w640-h480/DSCN2072-1-800x600.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Fun fact: the famous philosopher Aristotle lived in this city at one time. He fled the city when Persians attacked it and went on to be Alexander the Great’s tutor in Macedonia.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">An even more fun fact: I saw an actual Turkish turkey (or two) wandering around near the ruins.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rvMuGpKh9uKVKBFUix28qT3s0IpYJE7PGyXulQy2widmulQG1YfFUFd0zqXIY8d0-V8BXM4I0ysDpPNTUO7uJi9UIFtDK47D_MDEqaubC8tXZqYPKaUTY1c-Yu4_zLwrWrbMgJlmlFD6kDQgNoG3yJotM5rz-eIQ29vU7LWwqtEfkF1NWR-v76OiCA/s550/1014214_10151631326088907_1160468940_n-550x348.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="550" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rvMuGpKh9uKVKBFUix28qT3s0IpYJE7PGyXulQy2widmulQG1YfFUFd0zqXIY8d0-V8BXM4I0ysDpPNTUO7uJi9UIFtDK47D_MDEqaubC8tXZqYPKaUTY1c-Yu4_zLwrWrbMgJlmlFD6kDQgNoG3yJotM5rz-eIQ29vU7LWwqtEfkF1NWR-v76OiCA/w400-h253/1014214_10151631326088907_1160468940_n-550x348.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">There aren’t a ton of ruins still standing, but because I had no expectations of what Turkey would look like I found the surrounding views and countryside pretty interesting on their own! </span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DycoXjap2a4uehBXi4QivaFvkz8EJ0k_cIlfI9hDvJWA8Ikcijj2-d84dKjRQ36gV1hJMJxOu-hvhAzEeWPQ5gjjbhFW2NnPIFZXXUMbIoQ6TpIexkYSm-Hzu6dJw6anMxxyPG564srPZ9Iz00LFouOsBONh0QMFOBts5BzNVbxVL8tv7h9Hf5rCfA/s768/DSCN2081-768x576.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DycoXjap2a4uehBXi4QivaFvkz8EJ0k_cIlfI9hDvJWA8Ikcijj2-d84dKjRQ36gV1hJMJxOu-hvhAzEeWPQ5gjjbhFW2NnPIFZXXUMbIoQ6TpIexkYSm-Hzu6dJw6anMxxyPG564srPZ9Iz00LFouOsBONh0QMFOBts5BzNVbxVL8tv7h9Hf5rCfA/w640-h480/DSCN2081-768x576.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOmLrrcQv9YDxjvwUpD5m7dByX3cL5V6b75QMXBc_PZgXg6CGiphX9tK5ZxOVI57KM3ZroA9civb2C1ZUs2Rmnv6ARiH1CvQs9HgCk7efJl0mypNRD1-QdADLwTrGALzcPpDHWgbSgTfSsu79ib4_hI5ohZmGu_hImmkyEyJhyYYnkGJELTvHZ2I2xg/s768/ahso-768x768.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOmLrrcQv9YDxjvwUpD5m7dByX3cL5V6b75QMXBc_PZgXg6CGiphX9tK5ZxOVI57KM3ZroA9civb2C1ZUs2Rmnv6ARiH1CvQs9HgCk7efJl0mypNRD1-QdADLwTrGALzcPpDHWgbSgTfSsu79ib4_hI5ohZmGu_hImmkyEyJhyYYnkGJELTvHZ2I2xg/w640-h640/ahso-768x768.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">About 65 miles southwest of Assos, take a gondola ride up a steep hill to reach the ancient site of <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Pergamum Acropolis</span> (the modern city is called Bergama).</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv655h9FgRkejuLE_IF7pHZ1XzGTUDCFJjMouBBL8EjqcbKPq_xYPQk5GvT24M2_FDXoyZm6JevGDXWy-eTP-J18DNFqWgRriB-Ge13OIJzYpb5vjT1uBGM3NaqG_Z2IJFbPwLU53PcQAr7nCEFjL7ZVj8NvmQ5ckXjP2cHtnTzOZC5DHUkl3Ox9yBng/s800/DSCN2097-800x600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv655h9FgRkejuLE_IF7pHZ1XzGTUDCFJjMouBBL8EjqcbKPq_xYPQk5GvT24M2_FDXoyZm6JevGDXWy-eTP-J18DNFqWgRriB-Ge13OIJzYpb5vjT1uBGM3NaqG_Z2IJFbPwLU53PcQAr7nCEFjL7ZVj8NvmQ5ckXjP2cHtnTzOZC5DHUkl3Ox9yBng/w640-h480/DSCN2097-800x600.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Greek mythology says that Telephus, the son of Hercules, was the founder of the city! History says that the earliest ruins found here date back to the 8th century BC.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jSvnDpWi5twBM3bnnOFbTaamH00Ks2XWVQVGoFGwZmEMiKLJT0xGcdr19yBkamcbiZxDqB2VpstCk9EU03e7dYbtJOVuUlB40No0V0nXkkieT2lnFKL4ss7L0C_LESLTP0bemb7GDKKyMUGZRskyeRUQbow08EGEVE2hS5lxAzIhhqFS0eHZ2H9nmg/s768/DSCN2088-768x576.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jSvnDpWi5twBM3bnnOFbTaamH00Ks2XWVQVGoFGwZmEMiKLJT0xGcdr19yBkamcbiZxDqB2VpstCk9EU03e7dYbtJOVuUlB40No0V0nXkkieT2lnFKL4ss7L0C_LESLTP0bemb7GDKKyMUGZRskyeRUQbow08EGEVE2hS5lxAzIhhqFS0eHZ2H9nmg/w640-h480/DSCN2088-768x576.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCOJFzf4j6DPET_HOX7Qv8_spAI_CGe4x3dmGE-1Y65SyZrl98SUoJbXdpoIeXEMOZSrihAKN2OZFgedGWqxy_OxdrYPMWT5zdC8L_zcCh0MO8v-2zj0A8dNj1jycGWjXDym48gfrB87Jf2bO-jJLEFCFRs5KGtG47-hE7icZoaEdiwf1NDeuv3OiPQ/s592/1235530_10101041286280919_654410735_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCOJFzf4j6DPET_HOX7Qv8_spAI_CGe4x3dmGE-1Y65SyZrl98SUoJbXdpoIeXEMOZSrihAKN2OZFgedGWqxy_OxdrYPMWT5zdC8L_zcCh0MO8v-2zj0A8dNj1jycGWjXDym48gfrB87Jf2bO-jJLEFCFRs5KGtG47-hE7icZoaEdiwf1NDeuv3OiPQ/w476-h640/1235530_10101041286280919_654410735_n.jpg" width="476" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The highlight of Pergamum is its 10,000 seat theater built into the slope of the hill. It’s the steepest theater ever discovered from the ancient world and has extremely impressive views of the valley below.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Fxke2nb5YVAELg8mU9w59f6GoKVad_AiNJ5FudEtFCKCddVp5v6TCbcAOWhDkeRNWHCHdwf6JCnXxasszndl0cwZwyaHe6dWtzhfFjdvz_JgJbtpAAgwNf5mEBUVPoi7fJ-Fa6297SJdx44fTbY2Cg9NYjBslRmq7703247RmhJb0N0h5poW2fK7ww/s768/DSCN2090-768x482.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="768" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Fxke2nb5YVAELg8mU9w59f6GoKVad_AiNJ5FudEtFCKCddVp5v6TCbcAOWhDkeRNWHCHdwf6JCnXxasszndl0cwZwyaHe6dWtzhfFjdvz_JgJbtpAAgwNf5mEBUVPoi7fJ-Fa6297SJdx44fTbY2Cg9NYjBslRmq7703247RmhJb0N0h5poW2fK7ww/w640-h402/DSCN2090-768x482.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Ephesus</span> (called Selçuk nowadays), is probably the most well-known and therefore most crowded of Turkey’s archaeological sites.</span></span></p><div><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2IGeN7C78oxSK-tAPaogVrV7HnNTEyzXW-X6OP93pH1hvoK9Cu_otJAeFEwG-LOLhretGcb94A-DKBXo2Dw4Mvhlw1ftvrFRRkEX2Cj-MgHvFj6Y8AGyQjjis4udMA66crBaGNb7QeszKLLUGmXZiprV5iSISaEOIGeAgSfpOdvqv4OLlYVJz6vTR7g/s651/DSCN2108-651x500.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="651" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2IGeN7C78oxSK-tAPaogVrV7HnNTEyzXW-X6OP93pH1hvoK9Cu_otJAeFEwG-LOLhretGcb94A-DKBXo2Dw4Mvhlw1ftvrFRRkEX2Cj-MgHvFj6Y8AGyQjjis4udMA66crBaGNb7QeszKLLUGmXZiprV5iSISaEOIGeAgSfpOdvqv4OLlYVJz6vTR7g/w640-h492/DSCN2108-651x500.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Its popularity might have something to do with how well-preserved it is. Walking down the colonnaded streets, you can get a feel for what it must have been like to visit this city in its prime. That would have been in the 2nd century BC, when Ephesus was one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire!</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7Qwn3zb7TvnXxhtvIpJKhKpZBWXtfg2Dz6gB5rVGUzr-fNFYopogmuBYCDASvEPqLQTOUsIweLYFVZ2V41yiFe1uGtvtaWY_2Q3-wLYThsAu-zVTOuR50gt-0c-sDhZCWrg7Y-8WGuvst_XjhrrNDcDVhGFJPS-IZakz3PValOHgh6gaFYEAVnQL0A/s768/DSCN2109-768x576.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7Qwn3zb7TvnXxhtvIpJKhKpZBWXtfg2Dz6gB5rVGUzr-fNFYopogmuBYCDASvEPqLQTOUsIweLYFVZ2V41yiFe1uGtvtaWY_2Q3-wLYThsAu-zVTOuR50gt-0c-sDhZCWrg7Y-8WGuvst_XjhrrNDcDVhGFJPS-IZakz3PValOHgh6gaFYEAVnQL0A/w640-h480/DSCN2109-768x576.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0djYpoxgGjgsOh9lA8MOHPYRjs1iTlWfTH26w5qoCaPwrNF5tMSwnDvArKlIiavs8FntSzxi4H3FVGdmWOmCqk4LYI0JzqbxezKp6-jz8JSIWhzcJsE_wIEKfHY62xMzanVwwepl2CAySbykeTWJhFY6GJyiq32t4IncI1lQuGX97gRjkkGiYe8UIRg/s763/1209147_10101041123497139_1676951650_n-763x500.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="763" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0djYpoxgGjgsOh9lA8MOHPYRjs1iTlWfTH26w5qoCaPwrNF5tMSwnDvArKlIiavs8FntSzxi4H3FVGdmWOmCqk4LYI0JzqbxezKp6-jz8JSIWhzcJsE_wIEKfHY62xMzanVwwepl2CAySbykeTWJhFY6GJyiq32t4IncI1lQuGX97gRjkkGiYe8UIRg/w640-h420/1209147_10101041123497139_1676951650_n-763x500.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The highlight of Ephesus for me was the lovely facade of the Library of Celsus.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTuegezZZmkuEtGOd8G_r-vxJjdnlkq0wriYKoG3BsQy7roQwb84MjOu8esc9lKEMkB-jTL2is1CKnFgf5qv476YzZa7e7ZUcuqyasTtQEd96_9BaLT51FZ7c2LbjHOBU85sZzNeI-mX4Ykc8t9Q2agBw5z3u2qGsvGmBC8jlPcx8B6DZKamiDUdYb7A/s698/1003916_10101041231346009_1065193387_n-698x500.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="698" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTuegezZZmkuEtGOd8G_r-vxJjdnlkq0wriYKoG3BsQy7roQwb84MjOu8esc9lKEMkB-jTL2is1CKnFgf5qv476YzZa7e7ZUcuqyasTtQEd96_9BaLT51FZ7c2LbjHOBU85sZzNeI-mX4Ykc8t9Q2agBw5z3u2qGsvGmBC8jlPcx8B6DZKamiDUdYb7A/w640-h458/1003916_10101041231346009_1065193387_n-698x500.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRDPweWX_7ClG36hhg4MjoM2Jh4fNzqfGTsgj5G6UIx9tXZJYHLydtGWCyo8b5HUxXEUmVYO7_aQgrU3lj9vDZbFt4DotbSGaGSe4YqfdOomLdbpy8WdXZr8K2v8Ug65AwkxpWNYpW_IqZgHFrEyEUsJ8sXHwZMKG4aUmJAY9zQU4wdk3_d_UhlIiRw/s768/DSCN2114-copy-768x564.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="768" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRDPweWX_7ClG36hhg4MjoM2Jh4fNzqfGTsgj5G6UIx9tXZJYHLydtGWCyo8b5HUxXEUmVYO7_aQgrU3lj9vDZbFt4DotbSGaGSe4YqfdOomLdbpy8WdXZr8K2v8Ug65AwkxpWNYpW_IqZgHFrEyEUsJ8sXHwZMKG4aUmJAY9zQU4wdk3_d_UhlIiRw/w640-h470/DSCN2114-copy-768x564.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></p>Pergamum may have the steepest, but Ephesus wins the award for the largest theater. With 25,000 seats, it is believed to be the biggest in the ancient world. </span><p></p><div><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eLhpGfXzA3T7VKW4rASxGDJmm6RKDZwG6ApvXGpr2QmwTkhk1nKNmicbdibNZ4UkmLrFNF0Yi6a3BL9eNQIkER73TpeKi8CxeyQmu6OiwULRqLXgrdXWmcEBvHaFM1D8G-oDIFl4TXr_JS_RecMq5Bo-qJI0xA5kZE6Q5gclD7mJ6sPZ8Fy1jX9_4g/s915/1150842_10151631325463907_1319442210_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="915" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eLhpGfXzA3T7VKW4rASxGDJmm6RKDZwG6ApvXGpr2QmwTkhk1nKNmicbdibNZ4UkmLrFNF0Yi6a3BL9eNQIkER73TpeKi8CxeyQmu6OiwULRqLXgrdXWmcEBvHaFM1D8G-oDIFl4TXr_JS_RecMq5Bo-qJI0xA5kZE6Q5gclD7mJ6sPZ8Fy1jX9_4g/w640-h442/1150842_10151631325463907_1319442210_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUy1PEKIfGUKtO9eOgNp3le8S3i9K7oW11qTpkH7iZn2SLZTNQumIU6kUzcxwf_fAjljbB390s9EI4G37P3ZSprStCv2fkaqN2ouQw42oCXCC-YX6ukOGO2KNlSGMyLevdlkpUSSST_kDp5o3z2lsw-ck0WUsMDLlgETyBH5M7m14x2On7sR4abegYeg/s768/DSCN2117-768x623.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="768" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUy1PEKIfGUKtO9eOgNp3le8S3i9K7oW11qTpkH7iZn2SLZTNQumIU6kUzcxwf_fAjljbB390s9EI4G37P3ZSprStCv2fkaqN2ouQw42oCXCC-YX6ukOGO2KNlSGMyLevdlkpUSSST_kDp5o3z2lsw-ck0WUsMDLlgETyBH5M7m14x2On7sR4abegYeg/w640-h520/DSCN2117-768x623.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ephesus used to be home to one of th</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">e seven wonders of the ancient world- the Temple of Artemis. It was dismantled to construct the 4th century AD Basilica of St. John. This lone column is all that remains of the pagan temple.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd7DHnRdnLPy2_5H6rG1tKfMyDJvlGj20UFWlf1tUjJDuUe5BcjaAmWIrUOoahJHE1gq4h1W4iIOaI5bL5DYOLEQlPS8_sW1CYKbp5p2x-ONVG0-WiGfErGOTliogpuXGdE6LD443uwn8i2SFuvUhwjehTvi4ldPCc3fYe8y4DCrQocQJwNinUCtfVVw/s709/1236338_10101045265870789_1528128080_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="532" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd7DHnRdnLPy2_5H6rG1tKfMyDJvlGj20UFWlf1tUjJDuUe5BcjaAmWIrUOoahJHE1gq4h1W4iIOaI5bL5DYOLEQlPS8_sW1CYKbp5p2x-ONVG0-WiGfErGOTliogpuXGdE6LD443uwn8i2SFuvUhwjehTvi4ldPCc3fYe8y4DCrQocQJwNinUCtfVVw/w480-h640/1236338_10101045265870789_1528128080_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">For Christians, Ephesus’ claim to fame was being the one-time home of the apostles Paul and John (though not at the same time).</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">In <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Sardis</span> (near the modern city of Sart), most of the remaining ruins are from the Roman and Byzantine periods. The largest building still standing was a Roman bath and gymnasium complex.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurJVxeXSrlFQ4EY4ZnO4D7Ozblr9FpYKv60F70VgIjzzRudFgewOQuWE_mLztAG3FYF9BqT2usGvXARACZTFQ9oWBBsozZWdREDRo5cNlRFzOtwsy4VSfWTlbTXkGT0_xU5wAp_tcj3smIdgDjr5WDkdkQnr7OQyoaTnOxJizohv5wpQRjokkd-5BPg/s768/DSCN2145-768x589.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="768" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurJVxeXSrlFQ4EY4ZnO4D7Ozblr9FpYKv60F70VgIjzzRudFgewOQuWE_mLztAG3FYF9BqT2usGvXARACZTFQ9oWBBsozZWdREDRo5cNlRFzOtwsy4VSfWTlbTXkGT0_xU5wAp_tcj3smIdgDjr5WDkdkQnr7OQyoaTnOxJizohv5wpQRjokkd-5BPg/w640-h490/DSCN2145-768x589.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Interestingly, part of the gymnasium was converted at one point into a synagogue. This is the largest ancient synagogue ever discovered outside of modern-day Israel, which means that there must have been an important Jewish community in Sardis. Some of the floor mosaics and marble wall inlays can still be seen.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtP39hujEsf_Tk5xgMCMV325-n4WEeMD5si4VPmsHEWhGGr6ti2d-IIUwalDf5PPJvCBksrDw4xTnUoizkKRga6GxlxF4B6n7GvgzkcvrYqCyJbak4LDy-4g2WAQlsYxeFEV0F6hchAtRn6YZdS8biH0X623zt19yJVueDlFaxhQSqPw8LcXIgf2WNUg/s709/DSCN2147.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="532" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtP39hujEsf_Tk5xgMCMV325-n4WEeMD5si4VPmsHEWhGGr6ti2d-IIUwalDf5PPJvCBksrDw4xTnUoizkKRga6GxlxF4B6n7GvgzkcvrYqCyJbak4LDy-4g2WAQlsYxeFEV0F6hchAtRn6YZdS8biH0X623zt19yJVueDlFaxhQSqPw8LcXIgf2WNUg/w480-h640/DSCN2147.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSVdV-7g6LA-I8S4dBWzVVespmuyuUEVVYeplBVcrOy3KDUPItCFf2JrfcnlWSWtvCBwn_JsytYGUv0s1jJkz6qgiauIPRv2xkAaUk3kZoNcTLo5zq8z0luqZvAkWe6V11BkcxEV6nZAEiAOEP8r1WIo9dDCveb_wcHtpfMNQ2jV-BtacA3QDNewGKA/s768/sart-768x768.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSVdV-7g6LA-I8S4dBWzVVespmuyuUEVVYeplBVcrOy3KDUPItCFf2JrfcnlWSWtvCBwn_JsytYGUv0s1jJkz6qgiauIPRv2xkAaUk3kZoNcTLo5zq8z0luqZvAkWe6V11BkcxEV6nZAEiAOEP8r1WIo9dDCveb_wcHtpfMNQ2jV-BtacA3QDNewGKA/w640-h640/sart-768x768.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Nearby, a collection of massive columns are all that remains of an ancient pagan temple. I was so impressed by their scale and can’t imagine how things like this were built so long ago.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NSsVa2o-CM-q8bMvFp8NGLatWoSVPRaUOGjftCEEkqM2_bl4lI3dDavnhFbaJzmID36VR7oTsxVrcfNUoAPlQlLdyy6TZ444VIGhMe7xPt_kvst35Qjz1CamdfBHxZLfmpvHVMFK2lP_j-YkDpLCOGAKiZfonCBmJ0qNFbGThM2WXOtVqwstY3SwNw/s768/DSCN2138-768x616.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="768" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NSsVa2o-CM-q8bMvFp8NGLatWoSVPRaUOGjftCEEkqM2_bl4lI3dDavnhFbaJzmID36VR7oTsxVrcfNUoAPlQlLdyy6TZ444VIGhMe7xPt_kvst35Qjz1CamdfBHxZLfmpvHVMFK2lP_j-YkDpLCOGAKiZfonCBmJ0qNFbGThM2WXOtVqwstY3SwNw/w640-h514/DSCN2138-768x616.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dEinQfhkcTL6f9As2dMNiOfQcbor-EuuAemiKdGltikRkjhifCn3ORPj4lZ3cAIXgkdHPtaEvSTKMV6VUB7vh5iz3vM8CSToMdrlItCNa2hhSNDBG8HzSfJ7W5uwdeVWV42lWmKI8XHRVIyG7mwAl4B-C09zvp2QX9WXfTI92_nCTYm4b7ALEQeMaw/s768/1237629_10101045274822849_1734196720_n-768x576.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dEinQfhkcTL6f9As2dMNiOfQcbor-EuuAemiKdGltikRkjhifCn3ORPj4lZ3cAIXgkdHPtaEvSTKMV6VUB7vh5iz3vM8CSToMdrlItCNa2hhSNDBG8HzSfJ7W5uwdeVWV42lWmKI8XHRVIyG7mwAl4B-C09zvp2QX9WXfTI92_nCTYm4b7ALEQeMaw/w640-h480/1237629_10101045274822849_1734196720_n-768x576.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">It took a fair amount of driving, but I managed to see all of this in less than a week. If ancient history is your thing, definitely put Turkey on your list!</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div><br /></div></span></div></span></div>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-40468256225849368462021-10-15T18:06:00.003-07:002023-03-26T18:41:22.740-07:00Fall in Door County<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I've been lucky enough to visit 20 countries and over 30 states... but it took me over 3 decades to visit one of my home state's most popular destinations. In fall of 2021, we finally made it to Door County!</span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Our first stop was Cave Point County Park to see its limestone cliffs and the turquoise water. I may be from the Milwaukee area and used to Lake Michigan views, but this park was pretty special!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnUORRua32f9OTi5EbCwmzkqOjAKJwJb4hpgu_dgBnGT9PZhF3B7dAXotG7Cc_PhSfHaCxTzWEGW4OsDSu4jldIy6q2QL4Ny3PP1w0O5IssbXJEZC_ghQqG6uyCU1SeX2M-lKDBhmajhTuJ070rGg45fDDVOT5KgKu-AAdA_N4gGq3qesLWkmOaAFxw/s4032/IMG_0513.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnUORRua32f9OTi5EbCwmzkqOjAKJwJb4hpgu_dgBnGT9PZhF3B7dAXotG7Cc_PhSfHaCxTzWEGW4OsDSu4jldIy6q2QL4Ny3PP1w0O5IssbXJEZC_ghQqG6uyCU1SeX2M-lKDBhmajhTuJ070rGg45fDDVOT5KgKu-AAdA_N4gGq3qesLWkmOaAFxw/w640-h480/IMG_0513.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dpUG_CDmCKlVYONbxD2cFJQ1D937f23rowVmIM9mVIaBHHjEaqqkwjMx2DOaLdqwuqXAgjd_wzI4oTwpdBsDALRiQ3cA21i_pgdBYmp3b-sBwkG4NKIcDy2069iFSR5nzY0nX96wC2BCq-sH1w6j6V4jXWnTYhHHEodiRDvym6JdsjZ_b9lvzM1uaw/s4008/IMG_0517.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4008" data-original-width="3006" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dpUG_CDmCKlVYONbxD2cFJQ1D937f23rowVmIM9mVIaBHHjEaqqkwjMx2DOaLdqwuqXAgjd_wzI4oTwpdBsDALRiQ3cA21i_pgdBYmp3b-sBwkG4NKIcDy2069iFSR5nzY0nX96wC2BCq-sH1w6j6V4jXWnTYhHHEodiRDvym6JdsjZ_b9lvzM1uaw/w480-h640/IMG_0517.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>One of the towns we spent the most time visiting was Fish Creek. The town itself was very charming, especially with the added ambience of fall leaves and decorations.</span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq7DbXpiWozKvGcWTDR_MHwF7HGAWtXOywimGP8P4kRQv4_NYyKjgTPdCWTDlM_Ex6cMXhrW6KofS1oYO-HFECYUs8mBZdOxGDE1rSrYdIb6oQj8lSnTJ-eqDPU2anyLf0LP-MtIqTkTVGpXwEEeZrEEsSPRjpu4i4oL0mVpho0Xqm6pervGJglwjYXw/s4032/IMG_0630.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq7DbXpiWozKvGcWTDR_MHwF7HGAWtXOywimGP8P4kRQv4_NYyKjgTPdCWTDlM_Ex6cMXhrW6KofS1oYO-HFECYUs8mBZdOxGDE1rSrYdIb6oQj8lSnTJ-eqDPU2anyLf0LP-MtIqTkTVGpXwEEeZrEEsSPRjpu4i4oL0mVpho0Xqm6pervGJglwjYXw/w480-h640/IMG_0630.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0glwkm07iBiNiuR2Xn42niughdnY4nWabmnMG6CwYiQkVFh3m0xXGDbsJNgfDt-hCJ9pZQ1q24cI8wmFkQAuyo9tZZKxaW0RJCdbvq3UlQCMcr3Yx_eVUAPVs93T7iIS_5_1AeUjpzpoUHNSFObhw3WnJ2dGUxh2ReW6Fr9l_s0jp0ruhZIrDYQQSXQ/s1200/fishcreek.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0glwkm07iBiNiuR2Xn42niughdnY4nWabmnMG6CwYiQkVFh3m0xXGDbsJNgfDt-hCJ9pZQ1q24cI8wmFkQAuyo9tZZKxaW0RJCdbvq3UlQCMcr3Yx_eVUAPVs93T7iIS_5_1AeUjpzpoUHNSFObhw3WnJ2dGUxh2ReW6Fr9l_s0jp0ruhZIrDYQQSXQ/w640-h640/fishcreek.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSoJunYaSmEK28-VEbCwODnEwngoCzg-jdKql90KhFqoZH_ItFj0ZwQV-wlNh8OJhlgk-i1NFIyntcnR5hDYzzILxvtgYb0IzewJrbpHed4HZmyyC9ZbtnXY6jGEf2RHNnhUQIxfIP-P0CrJJvnodaEdU34Wtskp5IKLqOVVPqgRj2KknHcAieII2Lw/s4608/IMG_8059.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSoJunYaSmEK28-VEbCwODnEwngoCzg-jdKql90KhFqoZH_ItFj0ZwQV-wlNh8OJhlgk-i1NFIyntcnR5hDYzzILxvtgYb0IzewJrbpHed4HZmyyC9ZbtnXY6jGEf2RHNnhUQIxfIP-P0CrJJvnodaEdU34Wtskp5IKLqOVVPqgRj2KknHcAieII2Lw/w640-h480/IMG_8059.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ImFMAsT5KUHtE30TYtDLBl48FPEdGqxHDlyzCHpeUR7JfQMgSaoXoBsJWV-9kZIq2EstkyXh2CSub4MrHhHuM3xnFVYpll4YrzYkdyJUX5mqBa5aIo4MEx-_rgR0gcThI_QP6uYp5QirZuIUJjS_HeUXRvtgaRyC18D14bJeNtPG7lci9JiEGcFe-g/s4608/IMG_8063.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ImFMAsT5KUHtE30TYtDLBl48FPEdGqxHDlyzCHpeUR7JfQMgSaoXoBsJWV-9kZIq2EstkyXh2CSub4MrHhHuM3xnFVYpll4YrzYkdyJUX5mqBa5aIo4MEx-_rgR0gcThI_QP6uYp5QirZuIUJjS_HeUXRvtgaRyC18D14bJeNtPG7lci9JiEGcFe-g/w480-h640/IMG_8063.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-cb575c30-7fff-e90b-f067-776f65fe07ef" style="font-size: medium;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">We took a sunset boat ride from Fish Creek and cruised around the nearby Strawberry Islands and Peninsula State Park. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg926s8ONsCyBtWWKExunYdPBZxdsTfP8GmnQdyamZAZOxFHB-FBdqA5rN-T4ktEvfujCO93cmqhJuKelH9jxb36G3lGR3tZhmIlehP--t--eEZxZRsgvuuwQaXQOI_ZiSfprx9t9qxezVczZMs7OWYAVmIGZhG9QtZKsrs9YqLaHCEt3vPbqPLRY-uXA/s4608/IMG_8108.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg926s8ONsCyBtWWKExunYdPBZxdsTfP8GmnQdyamZAZOxFHB-FBdqA5rN-T4ktEvfujCO93cmqhJuKelH9jxb36G3lGR3tZhmIlehP--t--eEZxZRsgvuuwQaXQOI_ZiSfprx9t9qxezVczZMs7OWYAVmIGZhG9QtZKsrs9YqLaHCEt3vPbqPLRY-uXA/w640-h480/IMG_8108.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span><p></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The Eagle Bluff Lighthouse (inside Peninsula State Park) has been around since 1868! That’s pretty old when your state wasn’t created until 1848. It’s possible to tour the inside and see what life was like for the lighthouse keepers who manned the light until it was automated in 1926.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIz2k2UreRIYwGe3c1k-XYOngSeL3qcdsD8bO501J5KdxOceunov9cXbhVq07tm43EHVMDLdFiMbPYxwrrZCLIR7VAVXJ09IyUFPeMXMj5TgVHpXJj5t-egdE09FFOvZcYEFKF5nDAlXRs1Pn3Y_RqXj6bIq1hv7Nu5bRSnqkf3LksEAhl5n-5Hkq-Cw/s4523/IMG_8099.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3392" data-original-width="4523" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIz2k2UreRIYwGe3c1k-XYOngSeL3qcdsD8bO501J5KdxOceunov9cXbhVq07tm43EHVMDLdFiMbPYxwrrZCLIR7VAVXJ09IyUFPeMXMj5TgVHpXJj5t-egdE09FFOvZcYEFKF5nDAlXRs1Pn3Y_RqXj6bIq1hv7Nu5bRSnqkf3LksEAhl5n-5Hkq-Cw/w640-h480/IMG_8099.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Although the cloudy weather prevented a colorful sunset, we had a relaxing time and enjoyed seeing more of the area.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEoPFDhl6EyNdHbD3nbSL7U2RBSoZ2IfsPM-dQvq6rVGmcrCznddw9Wit6-tEZ6woHDVeq93UEb-bhvrr5SXU85ou6WL6ZGbnOhW1VhMaks8FdQakQlsqMGXeeDPEP7D2bRuYgTICNXwp8OHOH33dfyEmojnYGdAn37qGoOvJ0IwzXNOPa0Iqw6JAmg/s3674/IMG_0545.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2755" data-original-width="3674" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEoPFDhl6EyNdHbD3nbSL7U2RBSoZ2IfsPM-dQvq6rVGmcrCznddw9Wit6-tEZ6woHDVeq93UEb-bhvrr5SXU85ou6WL6ZGbnOhW1VhMaks8FdQakQlsqMGXeeDPEP7D2bRuYgTICNXwp8OHOH33dfyEmojnYGdAn37qGoOvJ0IwzXNOPa0Iqw6JAmg/w640-h480/IMG_0545.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3EXdj-F9DZp-By6vohN9OJMfToHXW2B9LGBWtoH60YfrcxMNe5LVWl_UbdWakvoASoalwDLa4vNiL-qpEdTIy0gbOQR7uvtWMGdEqAbtIvW-W8jWsX5h1q-pqMnL2jMS31hO6JHoIy7GYaNkBA2ku3qnQp3TbE-E6shppxAl2QkhWtPaZ1NKH-MDqjw/s4608/IMG_8078.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3EXdj-F9DZp-By6vohN9OJMfToHXW2B9LGBWtoH60YfrcxMNe5LVWl_UbdWakvoASoalwDLa4vNiL-qpEdTIy0gbOQR7uvtWMGdEqAbtIvW-W8jWsX5h1q-pqMnL2jMS31hO6JHoIy7GYaNkBA2ku3qnQp3TbE-E6shppxAl2QkhWtPaZ1NKH-MDqjw/w640-h480/IMG_8078.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">A highlight was seeing a few bald eagles in the wild! I didn’t even know that Wisconsin had any… but apparently out of all 50 states, Wisconsin is tied for the third highest number of bald eagles.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhURuwp49t6q4kkOAKJBZShxJB_aSnjPIbHMY71Nw5RBoOlLZNv2GDEZOz3JlouyaHGNdnXUFzfkhiiTH6dQhRWbh-XQs7c4zmmvMY_4AY0qwsftUMpb3WOdnTn-soaBt8qpQ9vAhE8wSspF8pvCZ_LQcYAEHdUla3ugyFJfTAYTJguBM0h8aMTyJqiWQ/s3212/IMG_8096.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2298" data-original-width="3212" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhURuwp49t6q4kkOAKJBZShxJB_aSnjPIbHMY71Nw5RBoOlLZNv2GDEZOz3JlouyaHGNdnXUFzfkhiiTH6dQhRWbh-XQs7c4zmmvMY_4AY0qwsftUMpb3WOdnTn-soaBt8qpQ9vAhE8wSspF8pvCZ_LQcYAEHdUla3ugyFJfTAYTJguBM0h8aMTyJqiWQ/w640-h458/IMG_8096.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The next day we saw more of Peninsula State Park by trolley. It was a fun and unique way to get a guided tour from someone who knows the area.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCM05QDOL7h1HmHpkGkSrwV4koT4NAwvH4hTWNs5cKM4w5w9bqGwzoTNbRAarxemvUTR0fG1x-WSmUdZDZ0pjQebtx6XJ15XmNghbx2C27Gpfkst474TxMRi55meiVv619axD_Wt9OYbX1XNt9klaKrYKxKTfGU-E3VHvNSU89y5SLvulF6J9KBjq0w/s4032/IMG_0608.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCM05QDOL7h1HmHpkGkSrwV4koT4NAwvH4hTWNs5cKM4w5w9bqGwzoTNbRAarxemvUTR0fG1x-WSmUdZDZ0pjQebtx6XJ15XmNghbx2C27Gpfkst474TxMRi55meiVv619axD_Wt9OYbX1XNt9klaKrYKxKTfGU-E3VHvNSU89y5SLvulF6J9KBjq0w/w640-h480/IMG_0608.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXiUiPq3Q5kY_PVqZDnEoG30wyTmSe5PpYCFRvd1K6BZ2Mfw22JSI3McZNKdA_Dh-lXEBLmVf9ja9fvCthFh2p2Hnc8tzb6DhQ7B7QY85i4THfq4q_J9cpbjg7Nopin3ePGpmX_haD_8hXeJGBRJ6FGkIfPxEWy0bS4IUxO4F9OWZ-2uRYZZ--kPYcoA/s1130/IMG_0682.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1130" data-original-width="849" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXiUiPq3Q5kY_PVqZDnEoG30wyTmSe5PpYCFRvd1K6BZ2Mfw22JSI3McZNKdA_Dh-lXEBLmVf9ja9fvCthFh2p2Hnc8tzb6DhQ7B7QY85i4THfq4q_J9cpbjg7Nopin3ePGpmX_haD_8hXeJGBRJ6FGkIfPxEWy0bS4IUxO4F9OWZ-2uRYZZ--kPYcoA/w480-h640/IMG_0682.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We made a stop at Sven’s Bluff Overlook- named for the Sven who once chose this spot to build his cabin. I can see why it’s one of the most popular views in the park.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Pu-YTGc1rOXennCZqvJ4DWkI2sFXteAIWPUf_psSybwb0_MCoRL8mgPp4xNoNnoY5SIY-J2kZvayqz_TIiTceHwmy6372vocExSJyc6mjKH4C28zFYfDg4bN_4RUgQCOH0mdznpuxRbMo0nUR1rTX1p_Wi9C1x8wJDKrTOkxc-kK2atvDEFO82yI4Q/s4013/IMG_0612.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3010" data-original-width="4013" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Pu-YTGc1rOXennCZqvJ4DWkI2sFXteAIWPUf_psSybwb0_MCoRL8mgPp4xNoNnoY5SIY-J2kZvayqz_TIiTceHwmy6372vocExSJyc6mjKH4C28zFYfDg4bN_4RUgQCOH0mdznpuxRbMo0nUR1rTX1p_Wi9C1x8wJDKrTOkxc-kK2atvDEFO82yI4Q/w640-h480/IMG_0612.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">My favorite view was this one because of the fall foliage! The colors are coming out a little later than normal this year, but even with only about 50% color it was pretty spectacular.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQv_ibDMUw_9C2uqyPlclUeg3dcZiEBWykNTU7X6iagiW0sh_fYdFmEBmTPFaP0WgX92CsBAJLuP9Pb0U-fFmNAv62RxQHYF1mfAPxTeCDuR8xPxEbOMUM7Qv6O6f3UqzYON2bFgRWvzdnhzP98QHJbav9xwy2dWORi8ABK4RBfgPeMP1Fg2FHCcCT0w/s4608/IMG_8148.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQv_ibDMUw_9C2uqyPlclUeg3dcZiEBWykNTU7X6iagiW0sh_fYdFmEBmTPFaP0WgX92CsBAJLuP9Pb0U-fFmNAv62RxQHYF1mfAPxTeCDuR8xPxEbOMUM7Qv6O6f3UqzYON2bFgRWvzdnhzP98QHJbav9xwy2dWORi8ABK4RBfgPeMP1Fg2FHCcCT0w/w640-h480/IMG_8148.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Just north of Fish Creek, the tiny town of Ephraim has less than 300 residents. It was founded in the 1850s by a group of Moravian immigrants from Norway. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnueiIYYIypbAjdf5YFmNB9XFAy_uusOyE49Tb0T-Z_3wf5NpD-XkPIO62XFt3B0Zn28SOuMkOLKi2uCDi-lqpa8PufS8xpTS_XGdir8zmzkXiRm6YW4PxuNa8tUzZLbQ_dxD525EetpRVR4XtOvuE4SDwq3sZ42oMlOgbn8BUedDxrJPcopw5DqvC5g/s4608/IMG_8051.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnueiIYYIypbAjdf5YFmNB9XFAy_uusOyE49Tb0T-Z_3wf5NpD-XkPIO62XFt3B0Zn28SOuMkOLKi2uCDi-lqpa8PufS8xpTS_XGdir8zmzkXiRm6YW4PxuNa8tUzZLbQ_dxD525EetpRVR4XtOvuE4SDwq3sZ42oMlOgbn8BUedDxrJPcopw5DqvC5g/w640-h480/IMG_8051.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmF713jNntTzzFwz__eE6AtqVTWLDXb8urJCC801Ic6NxK3yNGc0Z3w1ZuLtZDeMmHrMLosqq5c8aVGax21s5KbL4dA-rI77ZUVvIL-_Kx1xdI0OSGC_r2QbelMS5LUWi8dI5NzUEKaWX3Rmj1SfEVsTEzMZyX-q6Dw5K55-q98QsQwNuWEtgTJyVzMQ/s4608/IMG_8054.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmF713jNntTzzFwz__eE6AtqVTWLDXb8urJCC801Ic6NxK3yNGc0Z3w1ZuLtZDeMmHrMLosqq5c8aVGax21s5KbL4dA-rI77ZUVvIL-_Kx1xdI0OSGC_r2QbelMS5LUWi8dI5NzUEKaWX3Rmj1SfEVsTEzMZyX-q6Dw5K55-q98QsQwNuWEtgTJyVzMQ/w640-h480/IMG_8054.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Moravians are a strict Protestant sect. Part of the reason the town is cute (I think it has New England vibes!) is because it used to be a rule that people could only paint buildings white. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzvIZNSISLnN4o8z8z78PGdkS0tuE_t0lA9Jw-PjOKkTVvonSAbePgmvrr2ln3YnO2aLCR2QgQU8eL0mzUWswfI6EM_tNbOq3vWljGjEwbogzhuw3S7q2By-gBd9C7ecC4xHk72om8leF3ProCxS8LQCvV2PnwF35Xf9SOGoTe7e4Kt-RahkWWaG5PA/s4032/IMG_0633.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzvIZNSISLnN4o8z8z78PGdkS0tuE_t0lA9Jw-PjOKkTVvonSAbePgmvrr2ln3YnO2aLCR2QgQU8eL0mzUWswfI6EM_tNbOq3vWljGjEwbogzhuw3S7q2By-gBd9C7ecC4xHk72om8leF3ProCxS8LQCvV2PnwF35Xf9SOGoTe7e4Kt-RahkWWaG5PA/w480-h640/IMG_0633.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruqKq67zaEdhou4oT4JUWcMopL_xZomNUyCDg7j-k4zQxXXsI2H0z55xuBxa2khIo0D3Dzrh9qYvGbOnZuCE7k-zYZsGzHgy8HqccJCpkBEKQ8U6UMjLfgxMHi22RUqtqTzf9dALoeL45MvQacVqaUk3fK_Cvp2iYBft-sPF9dOnUrCFmyte-9zpH4w/s4032/IMG_0641.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruqKq67zaEdhou4oT4JUWcMopL_xZomNUyCDg7j-k4zQxXXsI2H0z55xuBxa2khIo0D3Dzrh9qYvGbOnZuCE7k-zYZsGzHgy8HqccJCpkBEKQ8U6UMjLfgxMHi22RUqtqTzf9dALoeL45MvQacVqaUk3fK_Cvp2iYBft-sPF9dOnUrCFmyte-9zpH4w/w640-h480/IMG_0641.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYlt2zN88JuEV3zpS4BKf-PIzy07eR2n11ENe-W6V1Zhd49POTh55gpZd-4YYtRnBUWopnTkFUdQoHfTtvp5IkinrZHr-Pqu6USmNz_zfUIJMdCs2FemfxZMwt9e11rr79qONAOLeUs-ujdK8QeYU78sV7Q4KAll6WC-8Lkf0Nn1EqpUcScfpUaTVEg/s4032/IMG_0643.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYlt2zN88JuEV3zpS4BKf-PIzy07eR2n11ENe-W6V1Zhd49POTh55gpZd-4YYtRnBUWopnTkFUdQoHfTtvp5IkinrZHr-Pqu6USmNz_zfUIJMdCs2FemfxZMwt9e11rr79qONAOLeUs-ujdK8QeYU78sV7Q4KAll6WC-8Lkf0Nn1EqpUcScfpUaTVEg/w480-h640/IMG_0643.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Another fun fact about Ephraim is that alcohol was banned all the way up until 2014, when they finally strayed from their Moravian roots to cater to the demands of drunken Wisconsin tourists.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We started out our second day of Door County exploration by driving to the tip of the peninsula. The winding road between the town of Gills Rock and the Washington Island ferry is a famously picturesque drive. The most interesting thing is that no one knows why the road was made this way- there’s no discernible reason. But it makes a fun tourist stop!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpiGBEXZJLG3YkfE76rd3x2NAIPZvjJvrcCzxEassRgcxCX3lWf8y6_rpgyCDcEy8wmurGYWZnIIz6VIl68h2KUq33UIfsa43pHc63sxfnf8XyJ52lm4XTGzih9Y0RNolGGKXcOt4jv8wLOOUD8T-Wfo3jOyOMaOQppYw4gv8tgoOCCcau0NX0Dc6wg/s4032/IMG_0600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpiGBEXZJLG3YkfE76rd3x2NAIPZvjJvrcCzxEassRgcxCX3lWf8y6_rpgyCDcEy8wmurGYWZnIIz6VIl68h2KUq33UIfsa43pHc63sxfnf8XyJ52lm4XTGzih9Y0RNolGGKXcOt4jv8wLOOUD8T-Wfo3jOyOMaOQppYw4gv8tgoOCCcau0NX0Dc6wg/w640-h480/IMG_0600.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We also stopped at the nearby Porte des Morts park to get a view of the water. Porte des Morts means “Door of the Dead” in French, and that’s how Door County got its name (at least according to folklore).</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9jpubIjnWNyDTksP1jddAXiYs4KAYF6ugqrZWw8Ok5O2WVLlsM65wEHm_z2BGP9mFrF5VKtkLy6-ujeI6nGnAuprAswh9iIeGsPwHIlhA0jmjY6Wfv9zNkus8IJ0q0e423ypWep0XR3iMiYubbd_0uniQ_GJU029TK7h8XCwMKCxty-znCPzgMeEPw/s4008/IMG_0579.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3006" data-original-width="4008" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9jpubIjnWNyDTksP1jddAXiYs4KAYF6ugqrZWw8Ok5O2WVLlsM65wEHm_z2BGP9mFrF5VKtkLy6-ujeI6nGnAuprAswh9iIeGsPwHIlhA0jmjY6Wfv9zNkus8IJ0q0e423ypWep0XR3iMiYubbd_0uniQ_GJU029TK7h8XCwMKCxty-znCPzgMeEPw/w640-h480/IMG_0579.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItaimmTYdJJfUUA_qQCazbm8BN3e3L9xYEjb2CGJJFaTrguWta2qpA-ji6m2ldqRSRT1AWX8G2PjQ38lxLxaoDapPqX4cfYc4ISt9xlW9CCEkksbnzeXwIB4PMqQB72eRbc4VO6-sdLSNi5NBQixq0f2uOyLRpG5v9_ySbLWeF2m8FbI8RD2CGbnYVQ/s4032/IMG_0594.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItaimmTYdJJfUUA_qQCazbm8BN3e3L9xYEjb2CGJJFaTrguWta2qpA-ji6m2ldqRSRT1AWX8G2PjQ38lxLxaoDapPqX4cfYc4ISt9xlW9CCEkksbnzeXwIB4PMqQB72eRbc4VO6-sdLSNi5NBQixq0f2uOyLRpG5v9_ySbLWeF2m8FbI8RD2CGbnYVQ/w640-h480/IMG_0594.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The strait of water between the mainland and Washington Island has dangerous currents and hidden rocks. In the 1600s, hundreds of Native Americans supposedly died in a battle crossing this strait. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Rumor has it that they eventually dropped the “Dead” from “Door of the Dead” because Door County without death was more likely to attract tourists to the area.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Door of the Dead or not, this whole area is so pretty and charming place! It’s only a few hours from where I live and grew up, but it feels like a different world. I can’t believe it took so long to make it here.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsu3ZrvnsTE8g9OaREaM0pZ3NgGvokwIq9A3wzPtm4wAXkNCGrL-HfnT9nKW7k0Ca_yj36hScSHEYOkLxcn9mLI2btsnhlm0--S7NHDyBsPKHLG4NVifDQdhCDjyGkf8N7NF75Z_iZen6kr9RDnN6iyo_7mcH0i9Y_jbJV0sEF9StLxGzX64aK_EMhw/s1200/dc.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsu3ZrvnsTE8g9OaREaM0pZ3NgGvokwIq9A3wzPtm4wAXkNCGrL-HfnT9nKW7k0Ca_yj36hScSHEYOkLxcn9mLI2btsnhlm0--S7NHDyBsPKHLG4NVifDQdhCDjyGkf8N7NF75Z_iZen6kr9RDnN6iyo_7mcH0i9Y_jbJV0sEF9StLxGzX64aK_EMhw/w640-h640/dc.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We will definitely be back. Until next time, Door County! </span></span></p><br />Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-84236986255580610412021-09-13T06:57:00.310-07:002023-04-26T09:54:09.445-07:00Old City Guide<div class="separator"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>Modern Jerusalem spans 48 square miles. The Old City, where it all began, only takes up .35 of those square miles. It’s a very small place in a very small country that has had an absolutely massive influence on world history. </span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">All 3 major Abrahamic faiths- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam consider it a holy place.</span></span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I've included a few links to old posts if you want to read more about certain places!</span></span></div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbvNVVIRqdDM2ehDtbej41HTJvnqhOrZab5Sn4ERm4Tp4FMImvFQJLVO1hAn5dQtUe2D9NitgXxBoAtb07Yh6CaWOb6hTthB_3Q5p3Lbpl3IFXuCyXz8t3lue7dsxl6KilFi07QKgwsJY/s709/10420434_10155293665020147_6010002721647330269_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="709" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbvNVVIRqdDM2ehDtbej41HTJvnqhOrZab5Sn4ERm4Tp4FMImvFQJLVO1hAn5dQtUe2D9NitgXxBoAtb07Yh6CaWOb6hTthB_3Q5p3Lbpl3IFXuCyXz8t3lue7dsxl6KilFi07QKgwsJY/w640-h640/10420434_10155293665020147_6010002721647330269_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GOdxjFo09F2rmkejU3kJ9B-4vOXv5Q5yXUSmNsVqC4b3q748GEkJc4e17eafJa10uOJnvedb-Hyr1pENPBZe8XFET2StBDpwaYvHiIgqLHJgtoDmSbMGs6uPkTZyIIBX_t42WpFQ1WdI/s1200/OC.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GOdxjFo09F2rmkejU3kJ9B-4vOXv5Q5yXUSmNsVqC4b3q748GEkJc4e17eafJa10uOJnvedb-Hyr1pENPBZe8XFET2StBDpwaYvHiIgqLHJgtoDmSbMGs6uPkTZyIIBX_t42WpFQ1WdI/w640-h640/OC.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzjf84rKpN91HREdosSteEnwNyBY9Zr_m47eSrzS22XwDd3D5PJzrqfptQmIwHviztHRDWp3Ygp1wJ3OEqiubuhekqIrIn1WgNZ11hEhUvI9A6U9u16A_tM3f_3I_eyX7jSOwaxCxwNyZ/s911/DSCN5198.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="911" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzjf84rKpN91HREdosSteEnwNyBY9Zr_m47eSrzS22XwDd3D5PJzrqfptQmIwHviztHRDWp3Ygp1wJ3OEqiubuhekqIrIn1WgNZ11hEhUvI9A6U9u16A_tM3f_3I_eyX7jSOwaxCxwNyZ/w640-h498/DSCN5198.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijttLXSip6HQe4hj-E7hMQW03E-aUeA1r1i7CYHvpngUQCI5WznWHgYNsPfIliaNRuV5u6okKV37T-2gUC6KuE5l7H_Eo01K8_JO9k3l8KVk3-nK7BvjtESE09RW2qUJWwFaLXg_08Atv/s1200/OC2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijttLXSip6HQe4hj-E7hMQW03E-aUeA1r1i7CYHvpngUQCI5WznWHgYNsPfIliaNRuV5u6okKV37T-2gUC6KuE5l7H_Eo01K8_JO9k3l8KVk3-nK7BvjtESE09RW2qUJWwFaLXg_08Atv/w640-h640/OC2.png" width="640" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><p> </p>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTCDjYZlZ2CMGMFLRm9MflM_RH_VtOwh2NvrIbyrVgXAzMrJ-HFKT8NMeJMGFRiBbD7HJzmK9B8yALMbAO-wrd6rlgXpRBIaugiPZkwXszkiVvZsxc3gRX17_l1StDPUduV1mdacRmDSXzDt9cqd8GApVfka303suJstr8rTsoBwpHyUl1LO-_R7t5A/w400-h400/walls-300x300.png" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">THE WALLS</span></b></p></b></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jerusalem has been a walled city since ancient times, although the walls have been destroyed and rebuilt several times. The current walls were built by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman in the 16th century.</span></div>
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</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><span id="docs-internal-guid-7da5939f-7fff-1f77-9051-022e5fabe2c8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepnhWBlsabQ0O5OhoWXHIQn6qrtD1y8Ir2ihCqttQQCgJKQp32vqus-qQP_TagEkTDPQBnPO7lfmbSLjqUIOyrtXeOet1Z9WkIq9ecScnnXHExZ9u2P4Kzuutx_-J-1wUUdYkhSwFESZT/s1200/ramparts.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepnhWBlsabQ0O5OhoWXHIQn6qrtD1y8Ir2ihCqttQQCgJKQp32vqus-qQP_TagEkTDPQBnPO7lfmbSLjqUIOyrtXeOet1Z9WkIq9ecScnnXHExZ9u2P4Kzuutx_-J-1wUUdYkhSwFESZT/w400-h400/ramparts.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>THE RAMPARTS</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For a small fee you can <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2810201870479962939/2906965927621225683" target="_blank">walk along the ramparts </a>and get amazing views of the walls and the city.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjkw9Y1mc-JlD3L89KNIjLWG0m6kZasFmaQQRnLXfkikrWGZk1x3RR3aP7Ct1_TKkgJuMdTqR9KtR6zbnqX1xmWc-L2g_86-fa6mNyUHz692bdewkOPp6Aoj_xOz6z5y-CEcl19UwcglA/s906/DSCN5215.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="906" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjkw9Y1mc-JlD3L89KNIjLWG0m6kZasFmaQQRnLXfkikrWGZk1x3RR3aP7Ct1_TKkgJuMdTqR9KtR6zbnqX1xmWc-L2g_86-fa6mNyUHz692bdewkOPp6Aoj_xOz6z5y-CEcl19UwcglA/w400-h300/DSCN5215.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>THE GATES</b></span></span></span><div><span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">You can enter the walled city through 6 different gates. An additional one, the Golden Gate, was sealed by Suleiman. Jewish tradition says the Messiah will enter through this gate (which may have been Suleiman’s motivation for closing it).</span></span></span><div><span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The gates that I’ve used most often, purely by coincidence of where I stayed in the city, are Damascus Gate and Jaffa Gate.</span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Damascus Gate</b> is the most elaborate of all entrances to the Old City. There is a bustling market both inside and outside the gate.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGRzSObiFPVZVjcrxBIOuOMfCyzzBrMHuIGlyfKDtiz_1Tp06VYxXn2Y-F1utW_XunFjcYV1dTYd1UiwavE3jx9vvN1QtyY9qydw79lPmiXZKe_MuopVLFJ92eEztP3WKqEj-_BZQLxQY/s1200/damas.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGRzSObiFPVZVjcrxBIOuOMfCyzzBrMHuIGlyfKDtiz_1Tp06VYxXn2Y-F1utW_XunFjcYV1dTYd1UiwavE3jx9vvN1QtyY9qydw79lPmiXZKe_MuopVLFJ92eEztP3WKqEj-_BZQLxQY/w640-h640/damas.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Jaffa Gate</b> is a convenient walk from many hotels in West Jerusalem. Once you’re through the gate, it’s a straight shot to the Western Wall- and you will pass hundreds of souvenir shops on the way there!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3v1kR3ITrT2owRLGq3M5nbw81iryn-aWIW3n6l0blm8sZhAVAi1sIdfdA5sTpJqXJmtymdokRPJ0G93vy_VqufAil_KcxZJNYe8mRJ9JSENUOPLEDQ1_zcEhVfnjzkZlGJpu1jOcm3HS/s709/IMG_9196.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="531" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3v1kR3ITrT2owRLGq3M5nbw81iryn-aWIW3n6l0blm8sZhAVAi1sIdfdA5sTpJqXJmtymdokRPJ0G93vy_VqufAil_KcxZJNYe8mRJ9JSENUOPLEDQ1_zcEhVfnjzkZlGJpu1jOcm3HS/w480-h640/IMG_9196.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">THE SHOPPING</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Speaking of souvenirs… shopping in the market is one of my favorite pastimes in the Old City! You can find pretty much anything there. In the more residential areas (about 40,000 people live in the Old City), you’ll find groceries, toys, clothes, cleaning products… you name it. Closer to tourist sites, souvenirs abound.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0j1l_eZsVgetFbDWbIoJ858VOjn2x61S7SKxr4W_OT90rNtBpY2ZcW8AhCL43UjXr6D1DRXSvIVAAsOVKC64LuU3yy0QUFy7AwdcFGuDSZl_OQU80MFbyj58ZzsOcXNyoFS08Frdho-_/s709/DSCN5160.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="531" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0j1l_eZsVgetFbDWbIoJ858VOjn2x61S7SKxr4W_OT90rNtBpY2ZcW8AhCL43UjXr6D1DRXSvIVAAsOVKC64LuU3yy0QUFy7AwdcFGuDSZl_OQU80MFbyj58ZzsOcXNyoFS08Frdho-_/w480-h640/DSCN5160.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Hs1DEoy4JyKCLTGj9MaUfg_0_PkNn-6XcqekxAH3x34_5MUoUgvuqthSt2Er7wjMPGT12Hx7Cl1ngsOeKjlf5ypXC7KHpTEFTF-NHEjPXQpQgkL8-tzKs-ccfUFQzMAPNWqNYDLB_GdH/s1200/shopping.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Hs1DEoy4JyKCLTGj9MaUfg_0_PkNn-6XcqekxAH3x34_5MUoUgvuqthSt2Er7wjMPGT12Hx7Cl1ngsOeKjlf5ypXC7KHpTEFTF-NHEjPXQpQgkL8-tzKs-ccfUFQzMAPNWqNYDLB_GdH/w640-h640/shopping.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I particularly love the colorful scarves. I also collected decorative plates currently hanging in my dining room. You can also find many religious items (rosaries, menorahs, olive wood nativities, Muslims prayer beads, etc.).</span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Be aware that there aren’t typically any price tags- you have to haggle! My strategy is thinking of what I would pay for a similar item at home, having a price in mind that I won’t go over, and knowing that it’s pretty likely the exact same souvenir can be found in 50 other shops that might have a better price. I’ve also just started walking away a few times… at which point the price I wanted is magically offered. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>THE QUARTERS</b></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>The Old City is divided into 4 different quarters. </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>The most recognized, most iconic symbol of Jerusalem can be found in the </span><b><span>Muslim Quarter</span></b><span>. The <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2013/06/dome-of-rock.html" target="_blank">Dome of the Rock</a> is famous for its beautiful golden dome and colorful tiles (and also, according to both Muslims and Jews, for being the spot where God created the world). It is found on the Temple Mount, or Haram al-Sharif in Arabic, which </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">was previously the location of the First and Second Jewish Temples. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_bUSeOYPVcBw-kjf5sTXmTtgYlysJzmjxorn-HG1jnHx9cyez2x2_kOucMQxZwbmHlljv8B7pEwmljTzQP_FKAVYAUfK1a1FSoSkEhxY7HgK0JL-HXMyQkGYgVMLhyphenhyphenKvbDrKnq9Jr84G/s1035/IMG_0270-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="1035" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_bUSeOYPVcBw-kjf5sTXmTtgYlysJzmjxorn-HG1jnHx9cyez2x2_kOucMQxZwbmHlljv8B7pEwmljTzQP_FKAVYAUfK1a1FSoSkEhxY7HgK0JL-HXMyQkGYgVMLhyphenhyphenKvbDrKnq9Jr84G/w640-h438/IMG_0270-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC, and the second by the Romans in 70 AD. The spot was left empty (and actually used as a garbage dump) when the Christian Byzantines were in charge, until eventually Arabs took control of the city and constructed the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque in the 600s. It is considered a holy place by Muslims because they believe this is where Muhammed ascended to heaven.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyM54GiVRKyILndlZyTp_9IhfWcvwuce5W_1Nb0JD-r_W3suxf4DS8G5EoOlHgKWyQNl1aKNxdtF47uW8eLIC5IurmpRENlWplVebfepcmWWT50op5SASThy25M-nyGdb4rcEpltGGf0e9/s946/DSCN1853.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="946" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyM54GiVRKyILndlZyTp_9IhfWcvwuce5W_1Nb0JD-r_W3suxf4DS8G5EoOlHgKWyQNl1aKNxdtF47uW8eLIC5IurmpRENlWplVebfepcmWWT50op5SASThy25M-nyGdb4rcEpltGGf0e9/w640-h480/DSCN1853.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of my favorite places/hidden gems in the Muslim Quarter is St. Anne’s Church and the Pool of Bethesda (they’re right next door to each other). St. Anne’s is a Crusader-era church owned by France, and the <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2015/01/solo-jerusalem.html" target="_blank">Pool of Bethesda</a> is believed to be the location where Jesus healed a paralyzed man. There’s a nice garden outside of the church and the pool is surrounded by ancient ruins. I always thought it was a nice, quiet oasis in the middle of the busy Old City.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplA_m-E1xY4tWJxM4tNeHVs4pDhyphenhyphen8-ES75EetGwemEs6VlywQpWrpVbhcLoizgyZuoy_aDmS0rqyQmAPJBCIifuGvRNUF4r2jx0hNiBTAWT6UqXQ2J_54-P6MJLsQzzxCuNH3bO_W6Amw/s1200/stannes.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplA_m-E1xY4tWJxM4tNeHVs4pDhyphenhyphen8-ES75EetGwemEs6VlywQpWrpVbhcLoizgyZuoy_aDmS0rqyQmAPJBCIifuGvRNUF4r2jx0hNiBTAWT6UqXQ2J_54-P6MJLsQzzxCuNH3bO_W6Amw/w640-h640/stannes.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGotXwP8f_CY498Cx7IHGfctLp8-5NPejlwYC-Bg-TjC5kmeP78tmTH8mXOwADPki3QNUk7JQFH23nIwzGXXmZIXEH-JNFw3FWiWWwkqiR9uA-kfsg45rvX31tPMX5I7brfcZ2cNiG39r/s946/DSCN5164.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="946" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGotXwP8f_CY498Cx7IHGfctLp8-5NPejlwYC-Bg-TjC5kmeP78tmTH8mXOwADPki3QNUk7JQFH23nIwzGXXmZIXEH-JNFw3FWiWWwkqiR9uA-kfsg45rvX31tPMX5I7brfcZ2cNiG39r/w640-h480/DSCN5164.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>It’s no surprise that the </span><b><span>Christian Quarter</span></b><span> is home to what is considered to be the holiest place in the world by millions of Christians worldwide.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2018/04/easter-in-jerusalem.html" target="_blank">Church of the Holy Sepulchre</a> is considered by many denominations (including Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox) to be the location of Christ’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. It was the Emperor Constantine’s mother Helena who identified this location in the 4th century.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6E-istrfv77wR63mzZnLupdYc-dqY7OGl1NXGshBmGweLjE1y1zeKo6IDBwuJMPbFZuuXuANcCPBFV0BpNnUKjK0hn9hbmZBF6agM08DYdelg0DSxiw2M_40eqD-kCF9TSAQL3sh4fNZg/s1200/sepulchre.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6E-istrfv77wR63mzZnLupdYc-dqY7OGl1NXGshBmGweLjE1y1zeKo6IDBwuJMPbFZuuXuANcCPBFV0BpNnUKjK0hn9hbmZBF6agM08DYdelg0DSxiw2M_40eqD-kCF9TSAQL3sh4fNZg/w640-h640/sepulchre.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another can’t-miss experience in the Old City is walking the <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2013/07/via-dolorosa.html" target="_blank">Via Dolorosa</a>. A group of priests lead a procession there every Friday. The path starts in the Muslim Quarter, goes through the Christian Quarter, and ends in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The route is supposed to follow the path Jesus took on the way to his crucifixion. At each ‘station of the cross,’ (there are 14 of them), priests will read accounts of what happened there in several languages.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnGsKsyMroLwVi_O4J27RJEIB7e6izrE3Xu3QM83vOrTu2w_FgNh2lrjGHj7c4J_6halyGDkLjYaRVSaV155b3QO0M9UToxvc2Z0hW3gqYzEFUL7OQeVOwbFvX6Zn0hVXUyC4l1FdtDVu/s1200/viad.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnGsKsyMroLwVi_O4J27RJEIB7e6izrE3Xu3QM83vOrTu2w_FgNh2lrjGHj7c4J_6halyGDkLjYaRVSaV155b3QO0M9UToxvc2Z0hW3gqYzEFUL7OQeVOwbFvX6Zn0hVXUyC4l1FdtDVu/w640-h640/viad.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>The </span><b><span>Jewish Quarter</span></b><span> was mostly destroyed during Israel’s War of Independence in 1948. Since Israel gained control of the area from Jordan after the 1967 war, the quarter has been renovated and rebuilt.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrLBON-3yFDvbgX1Uuyl6UONp0nJi9CMtwaF2PUXDXpJ3MvhAyzFyXsmhu9ZofaEAuzRkuw_bF128gndZeJPAwdee61qVNgeEUOgWtVMVpuaiWsmEo9gcFC_1H5b8mavMMotQD20bTZ1Q/s1200/JQ.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrLBON-3yFDvbgX1Uuyl6UONp0nJi9CMtwaF2PUXDXpJ3MvhAyzFyXsmhu9ZofaEAuzRkuw_bF128gndZeJPAwdee61qVNgeEUOgWtVMVpuaiWsmEo9gcFC_1H5b8mavMMotQD20bTZ1Q/w640-h640/JQ.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2013/09/dad-in-jerusalem-day-2.html" target="_blank">Hurva Synagogue</a> is a symbol of the rebirth of the Jewish Quarter. This is the 4th synagogue to stand in this location. It was most recently rebuilt in 2010 after being most recently destroyed in 1948. They offer tours to learn more about its tumultuous history (and Jewish history in general). There are also great views from the roof!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_6POoGPezRvUgQ66anPtIQcRqBJyjnQRIJh51lyZ8Lo9ShM7mYpe4dBGhhEm7feTU67fkpcRnwnIwR6yjIM5YQ4l0VkAKgZ7c9xRjr9lcaVNn8Odyi4QMS8ewyps2yQLPS6qoK6lT7uZ/s1200/hurva.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_6POoGPezRvUgQ66anPtIQcRqBJyjnQRIJh51lyZ8Lo9ShM7mYpe4dBGhhEm7feTU67fkpcRnwnIwR6yjIM5YQ4l0VkAKgZ7c9xRjr9lcaVNn8Odyi4QMS8ewyps2yQLPS6qoK6lT7uZ/w640-h640/hurva.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2013/05/well-i-just-had-experience-of-lifetime.html" target="_blank">Western Wall</a> is by far the most important place in the Jewish Quarter. It is part of the retaining wall of the Second Temple, and is the holiest place where Jews are permitted to pray (they are not allowed to pray on the Temple Mount due to the Muslim holy sites there and the tension that would result).</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibSd-5wv7_S4TViNN3rULXb0gVeA8u08chcR9Hty5RqBx_3gUc9dF-_wjiPvtleTxOcCZC6egfyuQ60vJezWh0SizKID5o6o1CUzhhXiZXlYngaeHdRBI33XQQTy0p5uZ9Q_Lkq0DBmkM/s1022/IMG_0273.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibSd-5wv7_S4TViNN3rULXb0gVeA8u08chcR9Hty5RqBx_3gUc9dF-_wjiPvtleTxOcCZC6egfyuQ60vJezWh0SizKID5o6o1CUzhhXiZXlYngaeHdRBI33XQQTy0p5uZ9Q_Lkq0DBmkM/w640-h480/IMG_0273.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cT0ezQ83OIwcsG0r7Q1VmNVNXjXmF23SqOOwRaoEv5PxIhJ7EM8-MwbBDMrzR-s5LdRm9iKuup9Dpzx0AlzmR5STy46kXNMLTmwOcTk2tLvcYuNnhQNaR3qnQXbOFd1ATLcNCc6yoZHK/s1200/ww.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cT0ezQ83OIwcsG0r7Q1VmNVNXjXmF23SqOOwRaoEv5PxIhJ7EM8-MwbBDMrzR-s5LdRm9iKuup9Dpzx0AlzmR5STy46kXNMLTmwOcTk2tLvcYuNnhQNaR3qnQXbOFd1ATLcNCc6yoZHK/w640-h640/ww.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is a particularly special atmosphere there on Friday evenings for the start of the Sabbath. If you have the chance to go, you will likely witness big crowds, singing, dancing, and a lot of joy!</span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>The </span><b><span>Armenian Quarter</span></b><span> is the smallest of the four. You may be wondering what Armenians are doing in Jerusalem… There has been a small Armenian community as early as the 4th century. It started with a few monks interested in discovering Christian holy sites. More Armenians came along with the Crusaders in the 13th century, and a large wave of Armenian genocide survivors fled there for safety during WWI.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My favorite tourist site in this quarter is the <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2013/09/dad-in-jerusalem-day-3.html" target="_blank">Tower of David Museum</a>. There are museum exhibits all about the fascinating history of Jerusalem- and even better- it’s all located inside an ancient fortress. You can get a great view of the city from there as well! </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBiaCSzLfr2BvEAGTCBcduo0ULu4dy2s9W4WiM-FXhSH-ijf7tcZBS6bWJeCfOS6yWaY2896U8P_x10j7Ump31BIlbWraQJur9qaFfBnREVbq03kDMidyScJzP-dqzPRCi_Si6Jd2d4VK/s813/Screen+Shot+2021-08-07+at+6.54.24+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="813" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBiaCSzLfr2BvEAGTCBcduo0ULu4dy2s9W4WiM-FXhSH-ijf7tcZBS6bWJeCfOS6yWaY2896U8P_x10j7Ump31BIlbWraQJur9qaFfBnREVbq03kDMidyScJzP-dqzPRCi_Si6Jd2d4VK/w640-h474/Screen+Shot+2021-08-07+at+6.54.24+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is always something new and interesting to discover among the winding streets of the Old City! I fell in love right away with this unique place, and after a lot of travel it remains one of my favorite places in the world. I don't think I could ever get tired of going back.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E7RM6l3Qnn_ddpKwI_D5wfvib0eQlrn_B9UUrfrn4V5bb2omVqp-WFvzeS84XSgl7f4Vaz_tFqTwzCwRfXtQp16XUAV-w-uRHnDqPpvrFGlktR4kB-T4T6XouKTO0nNOAT7lTKSkdytG/s1200/ocriss.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E7RM6l3Qnn_ddpKwI_D5wfvib0eQlrn_B9UUrfrn4V5bb2omVqp-WFvzeS84XSgl7f4Vaz_tFqTwzCwRfXtQp16XUAV-w-uRHnDqPpvrFGlktR4kB-T4T6XouKTO0nNOAT7lTKSkdytG/w640-h640/ocriss.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-61662915234159612232021-08-24T11:37:00.005-07:002023-03-15T19:59:36.402-07:003 Underrated Cities in Italy<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan... these cities welcome millions of visitors from around the world every year (before Covid, that is).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">All of the above cities are definitely worth a visit, but there is so much more to Italy! I don't think any city in Italy has ever disappointed me.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I'd like to highlight 3 Italian cities that might not be on your radar, but are worth a stop. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Genoa</span></b></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">What to do?</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The highlight of Genoa for us was visiting palazzi! For several centuries, Genoa was actually the capital of its own republic and one of the wealthiest cities in Europe.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Because of the city's prosperity, many 16th century families lived in palaces. We toured one called the Palazzo Reale. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiooY3GaaZm7dSdXBWRrQT87GGA_Z5VaFRnL1VjMCIFcNGGYjNEAQsByEVIsqIFJZW7CySohNGwPx45W7C5EKRth-bmFsrqocpFvtcIiaRNT72CHikD9mdgy9lWYy4TM-emMMOEdB8_tCNc/s1022/IMG_1894.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiooY3GaaZm7dSdXBWRrQT87GGA_Z5VaFRnL1VjMCIFcNGGYjNEAQsByEVIsqIFJZW7CySohNGwPx45W7C5EKRth-bmFsrqocpFvtcIiaRNT72CHikD9mdgy9lWYy4TM-emMMOEdB8_tCNc/w640-h480/IMG_1894.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-gabMjKGEpIzNjYnKowMMzHLcQC1Ot4hpeGW0Bhw7MRy-SJiGvvo-QludY5OnZqeRT1Yu8dHp6h0E-T0Q9pY7gVN7PEZzxbCxEIUQUM4zQ3IM0ULzOo3H-DWGKBREdJ-_XJZMY4UlSh8fJrb_G-u7sv2g3tw9vXKUnnnIFBipSGekiMkJLHzikozNcQ=s1022" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-gabMjKGEpIzNjYnKowMMzHLcQC1Ot4hpeGW0Bhw7MRy-SJiGvvo-QludY5OnZqeRT1Yu8dHp6h0E-T0Q9pY7gVN7PEZzxbCxEIUQUM4zQ3IM0ULzOo3H-DWGKBREdJ-_XJZMY4UlSh8fJrb_G-u7sv2g3tw9vXKUnnnIFBipSGekiMkJLHzikozNcQ=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAz5OyEk6_uozVY2q7b3oOMiKKC_zjmP4QoeSsAjPAz4qbYNJPWP2VterUeg9PaACqxtFA7NSdJ7GBkPPT2VDD-xa72iILssfHqsCbFAWBJi3eKJdpJoraGw3IQchewGK6UPzZNLHTiMhOzAYA9NYfD5UGyqOj3IhWFOEfXehUzOJS6ppNQBiKPE_7rg=s1200" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAz5OyEk6_uozVY2q7b3oOMiKKC_zjmP4QoeSsAjPAz4qbYNJPWP2VterUeg9PaACqxtFA7NSdJ7GBkPPT2VDD-xa72iILssfHqsCbFAWBJi3eKJdpJoraGw3IQchewGK6UPzZNLHTiMhOzAYA9NYfD5UGyqOj3IhWFOEfXehUzOJS6ppNQBiKPE_7rg=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Later, we walked down Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, a street in the historic district lined with more palaces. Some of them had open doors- we took advantage of that to check out their courtyards.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6j8K69j541nSM04T7Pzcqi_4km4vx3Mruk3zdLJoTBfv_m7WRNmXF0TJHHcWc7hdrcVCje4inIZRadiZhoAoQzvR73BxiKlFOwp4zPzh51f-29OPZk8zxWahPn7tGn995QM3NPqzPPwzrR0d2ayyd-fC_YaG6hDENLIQBPh4t7QVU-TGsUZfcht2Mnw=s1022" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6j8K69j541nSM04T7Pzcqi_4km4vx3Mruk3zdLJoTBfv_m7WRNmXF0TJHHcWc7hdrcVCje4inIZRadiZhoAoQzvR73BxiKlFOwp4zPzh51f-29OPZk8zxWahPn7tGn995QM3NPqzPPwzrR0d2ayyd-fC_YaG6hDENLIQBPh4t7QVU-TGsUZfcht2Mnw=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgs_JJb4JVRtlGmqNN6zzw4-8dlGWtDlWcsiRpF-vOWAGczkaEJQ4nMlmSCj4XABThaMeJ7ufDAX6ZCnOl_gLFfRjb6fSNb9BSuqdA3D_m2ktGbWhfjUIrZVIH9n4NuYABW0UPVpLxkZQDzA3dt9xz6jzltrHl3EMoHyNTEabIhOVgzOth8gs4vIc1b2g=s1022" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgs_JJb4JVRtlGmqNN6zzw4-8dlGWtDlWcsiRpF-vOWAGczkaEJQ4nMlmSCj4XABThaMeJ7ufDAX6ZCnOl_gLFfRjb6fSNb9BSuqdA3D_m2ktGbWhfjUIrZVIH9n4NuYABW0UPVpLxkZQDzA3dt9xz6jzltrHl3EMoHyNTEabIhOVgzOth8gs4vIc1b2g=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZc-5a7VTIM5-7YKsUt9y1ara3XLITF8n6XU5CB8TP90fzIGLLw75gGzRDJhAGAOV2g1fav5ktht0EFjUlsEkKO86uMcebekQfVidQeKiGJhufvpogEwZz__t9pfJkLvqiph7o2KqFeQ7/s766/IMG_1987.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZc-5a7VTIM5-7YKsUt9y1ara3XLITF8n6XU5CB8TP90fzIGLLw75gGzRDJhAGAOV2g1fav5ktht0EFjUlsEkKO86uMcebekQfVidQeKiGJhufvpogEwZz__t9pfJkLvqiph7o2KqFeQ7/w480-h640/IMG_1987.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">Piazza de Ferrari is Genoa's main square, and is located in the center of the city between the modern and historic districts.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JTbagrxwxcxbmEGSfXt4scy5rMEXqdwJw5aKHDNOEXBRlGr9cG-aoYS8abRfCm7xqxkuSWRicWYpLcNauqf8AaLWTQKa5-EgN4zfOqUTyWJrCdgO6JGbfwJt7gI_rQljkCOmW8faWgpa/s1022/IMG_1974.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JTbagrxwxcxbmEGSfXt4scy5rMEXqdwJw5aKHDNOEXBRlGr9cG-aoYS8abRfCm7xqxkuSWRicWYpLcNauqf8AaLWTQKa5-EgN4zfOqUTyWJrCdgO6JGbfwJt7gI_rQljkCOmW8faWgpa/w640-h480/IMG_1974.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7dmlevKGEFPkvH5fcaVqbaoE6Agx3pqJIGYZUzbq2BJz0H7_-UrFqiFejCCQQDimJcKVERCF6S362TaXo3vTpzpVX_DEg0CNYvtnNNN1vyE9CqMVeStfk1UznS0_2QXy-TvqA3EM3fw_/s766/IMG_1977.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7dmlevKGEFPkvH5fcaVqbaoE6Agx3pqJIGYZUzbq2BJz0H7_-UrFqiFejCCQQDimJcKVERCF6S362TaXo3vTpzpVX_DEg0CNYvtnNNN1vyE9CqMVeStfk1UznS0_2QXy-TvqA3EM3fw_/w480-h640/IMG_1977.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzg012JK7XNjU1V_lzd_ym6KvrgI0EZLPFAYW3B0JXoIKcg1sbDuwwZhzst3UK4ZL_pKVS6uZVf9yOoV__Ap7j1qrrUd7u78AYg93j6wNkb8nHuUXHROkhkhG2CUyF8GwE0yRZ1hutVwqk/s1022/IMG_1979.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzg012JK7XNjU1V_lzd_ym6KvrgI0EZLPFAYW3B0JXoIKcg1sbDuwwZhzst3UK4ZL_pKVS6uZVf9yOoV__Ap7j1qrrUd7u78AYg93j6wNkb8nHuUXHROkhkhG2CUyF8GwE0yRZ1hutVwqk/w640-h480/IMG_1979.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The interior of the city's main cathedral was being renovated, but while exploring the city we wandered into 2 other impressively ornate churches- the Chiesa del Gesù and the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vasato (that's a mouthful).</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmnHQnAzs06bJN7ViQ99yPVlPgWh0dJnBek0tpOHbEzXdk41xQTtP3QP0zD7Dd8lUoNjZjWZ67qumI0rLdK-OG-CFDinB_UN7rZBrUCMpRgoBEyJIilG3kiJXFfeCpDW5omgFvd91YMIdvpCKTlmrf7g9pMzL--Qq2-9xsHa7GkjHZpqNhC5eso0dXzg=s1022" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmnHQnAzs06bJN7ViQ99yPVlPgWh0dJnBek0tpOHbEzXdk41xQTtP3QP0zD7Dd8lUoNjZjWZ67qumI0rLdK-OG-CFDinB_UN7rZBrUCMpRgoBEyJIilG3kiJXFfeCpDW5omgFvd91YMIdvpCKTlmrf7g9pMzL--Qq2-9xsHa7GkjHZpqNhC5eso0dXzg=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjau9_JW3JNtBA2bWQY4YKSIvry8utoTNzDc41x07ErraedouqIvAYaxv9NzMzgWaaue26KI5AiePNWeRNO2VPTDk7jvqi0l-Z7lFzlHN44XBXi-0d1xBv7miyD1om7mw5iOMrOPjTaykGmvdhGvB_E1TcV_xwNUx2ib4aQHrTX7hlgKzztR8uHoN9OuQ=s1600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="1600" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjau9_JW3JNtBA2bWQY4YKSIvry8utoTNzDc41x07ErraedouqIvAYaxv9NzMzgWaaue26KI5AiePNWeRNO2VPTDk7jvqi0l-Z7lFzlHN44XBXi-0d1xBv7miyD1om7mw5iOMrOPjTaykGmvdhGvB_E1TcV_xwNUx2ib4aQHrTX7hlgKzztR8uHoN9OuQ=w640-h390" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsbGDld25A8uNQypCgoGqTwDbmAVNLANz68g1f2sRbXK1a290Kxq_nHMPu7znOdwGTwYrqL67vVuPvm_UJRGH6E9wk7NbDM0Df0ImN1tKmcYqGL_P7zx-lsbVyP0NBWAOqRNURPjqhnr_EvkYR9QSgiWqOTDb7olb4LH7xZY4MsQwr9Bw1piVC9xQLZA=s1022" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsbGDld25A8uNQypCgoGqTwDbmAVNLANz68g1f2sRbXK1a290Kxq_nHMPu7znOdwGTwYrqL67vVuPvm_UJRGH6E9wk7NbDM0Df0ImN1tKmcYqGL_P7zx-lsbVyP0NBWAOqRNURPjqhnr_EvkYR9QSgiWqOTDb7olb4LH7xZY4MsQwr9Bw1piVC9xQLZA=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifEVGcteMZGRtT4VGq-PEaQ0ctYJHRK1CQ3oPmOB_TgTVnQbevr2ksHjQlqKw_0tM516gvh3mOPWJtvMymaLKJWNNpPruy2GRcmMS_F5_cyZ-5b7onNbHIdIa576RkiC1rmhQfo24vH_cVeJvCX-otuZa6apHvoI3PeXaHNbvXykxmfdEwPg0s8AZgaw=s766" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifEVGcteMZGRtT4VGq-PEaQ0ctYJHRK1CQ3oPmOB_TgTVnQbevr2ksHjQlqKw_0tM516gvh3mOPWJtvMymaLKJWNNpPruy2GRcmMS_F5_cyZ-5b7onNbHIdIa576RkiC1rmhQfo24vH_cVeJvCX-otuZa6apHvoI3PeXaHNbvXykxmfdEwPg0s8AZgaw=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggBB0QYwbTmo1w0aMHjyTwlzw66z_iOID4qTq8gXm5GMpdgFU3NPdLtgHVW2CAV4ehS50yIRh2WlUEOgyXKqiZ0tiYd7_0x-8ZjZT-H6mN-9pfJa1t89A3AaInVq74DQ3bxwm1c_YCDHmCEbHJSRG81cCi7HyD2KEJgq62OCMfFuF320Bgk_Gl2v4esA=s766" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggBB0QYwbTmo1w0aMHjyTwlzw66z_iOID4qTq8gXm5GMpdgFU3NPdLtgHVW2CAV4ehS50yIRh2WlUEOgyXKqiZ0tiYd7_0x-8ZjZT-H6mN-9pfJa1t89A3AaInVq74DQ3bxwm1c_YCDHmCEbHJSRG81cCi7HyD2KEJgq62OCMfFuF320Bgk_Gl2v4esA=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiC-tQ4rheCpHDjJN8Ej_1IDe2OgywBEsXY5Wbi754xIIIKsIK2kZtzJm91lBw6sXUcqSUxjetVM0MVzJ9GN_Bv4EY1Hnd99uORJD5JPz9FlzxG3NMz6uLc8Ozf1aHPjSJtJW1GOk39Pfso5vjFzYAF4XaoSswGtrxDirWPkvj5JMSzYjiusmySL_LnzQ=s766" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiC-tQ4rheCpHDjJN8Ej_1IDe2OgywBEsXY5Wbi754xIIIKsIK2kZtzJm91lBw6sXUcqSUxjetVM0MVzJ9GN_Bv4EY1Hnd99uORJD5JPz9FlzxG3NMz6uLc8Ozf1aHPjSJtJW1GOk39Pfso5vjFzYAF4XaoSswGtrxDirWPkvj5JMSzYjiusmySL_LnzQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHjE9YVhk4Cq-qtpLE_ek0RmLAqG3OMRPIdd5ntktpBg5NJXfLOcd4rD2MkrMcpaw3QAQIOzDXftvLhH-P9XjeAesRZDOKiyuDbM5qpHSpcp6KJH1hPRtrt5ilPTv2bZMNqx5bBnm1cbeWEzd8zTmljJBnkxk9ZVFyLl2zKqDHLB7oAjyPFR0Y8xzR2g=s1022" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHjE9YVhk4Cq-qtpLE_ek0RmLAqG3OMRPIdd5ntktpBg5NJXfLOcd4rD2MkrMcpaw3QAQIOzDXftvLhH-P9XjeAesRZDOKiyuDbM5qpHSpcp6KJH1hPRtrt5ilPTv2bZMNqx5bBnm1cbeWEzd8zTmljJBnkxk9ZVFyLl2zKqDHLB7oAjyPFR0Y8xzR2g=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Closer to the port, you'll find yourself in Europe's largest remaining medieval neighborhood. Instead of streets, get lost in in Genoa's winding, narrow alleyways (called caruggi locally).</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPrJpgmBbRcQAmac2zOtTQ3VmF0WkKzSXtsv2-WTSt_hAuSqWEaQfE00JUcjW4E3Hqp-o7JvasmRKi_4q3kOlFcUEmBv1jLu6jLm3WGpHLBP-1nbgL7k5g3HechjKbEwXnsKfY1YtTTfN/s766/IMG_1992.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPrJpgmBbRcQAmac2zOtTQ3VmF0WkKzSXtsv2-WTSt_hAuSqWEaQfE00JUcjW4E3Hqp-o7JvasmRKi_4q3kOlFcUEmBv1jLu6jLm3WGpHLBP-1nbgL7k5g3HechjKbEwXnsKfY1YtTTfN/w480-h640/IMG_1992.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6fWD7gmmk2tQ0kRdfmW_UWmVdTp0tkJA7USU-Wle5vql0Ui5sJwhFBv0tyvuBJJCfJVOaJ-nyrvI-fuZ_Bj6smAJ4GDDUBebQPMRi90SSXnS5-MqsFg_gMQ9tChHHdsG_YFUnaX9hoDFa/s766/IMG_1900.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6fWD7gmmk2tQ0kRdfmW_UWmVdTp0tkJA7USU-Wle5vql0Ui5sJwhFBv0tyvuBJJCfJVOaJ-nyrvI-fuZ_Bj6smAJ4GDDUBebQPMRi90SSXnS5-MqsFg_gMQ9tChHHdsG_YFUnaX9hoDFa/w480-h640/IMG_1900.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRSasYzUN-BTXSaOO5N02trNIDz21Syy8NzrbAfcx1iXbSwVcF3x0irfNqvOHCwaL8-StovOki6hMIbqnNiYNPfsO9IpWseJNTdSAPj3TlhBqzc7qbnvvZuChwplkslHOEFbkNyI8wO4KBhfWXGBq7kFBQWKciDxKwIzoY-fbEc34WknP4eJIwrMX2JQ=s1600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1118" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRSasYzUN-BTXSaOO5N02trNIDz21Syy8NzrbAfcx1iXbSwVcF3x0irfNqvOHCwaL8-StovOki6hMIbqnNiYNPfsO9IpWseJNTdSAPj3TlhBqzc7qbnvvZuChwplkslHOEFbkNyI8wO4KBhfWXGBq7kFBQWKciDxKwIzoY-fbEc34WknP4eJIwrMX2JQ=w448-h640" width="448" /></a></div><br /><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">What's nearby?</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Beautiful Portofino is about 45 minutes south of Genoa. We stopped there before heading back to France and walked around the colorful harbor.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgn_3qPb17fsiRqGbds3PIeYf9TWz1xcewUBghqM7CuGIAYxzmSpQRXbv9Luq9-9kfQH-sw6fIyG4LRxTCZfGq0uIC8_KX1abH_awSfNwu5fm_lcYlPWdqf1evjydRiJYg6jwEQR4ycly/s1022/IMG_2013.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgn_3qPb17fsiRqGbds3PIeYf9TWz1xcewUBghqM7CuGIAYxzmSpQRXbv9Luq9-9kfQH-sw6fIyG4LRxTCZfGq0uIC8_KX1abH_awSfNwu5fm_lcYlPWdqf1evjydRiJYg6jwEQR4ycly/w640-h480/IMG_2013.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WqH-RXtyGhAEc7fZD4s6WAFVCgGHGgqQgTwBOFnh5Xx0VamsKs-AOQOZ3ln3kMwHXd2tNLt8a8DCiSpwuzLy99gyaczT9nnSszBdD15LfFSPjAHDEUrR4qgKi-LZJ4Sp05PK4thbQWEu/s1022/IMG_2015.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WqH-RXtyGhAEc7fZD4s6WAFVCgGHGgqQgTwBOFnh5Xx0VamsKs-AOQOZ3ln3kMwHXd2tNLt8a8DCiSpwuzLy99gyaczT9nnSszBdD15LfFSPjAHDEUrR4qgKi-LZJ4Sp05PK4thbQWEu/w640-h480/IMG_2015.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpq_q-9sMZzibdijymzr7gFdCAgsWO9Z-ic-UUHF4kiO2HfmGo19F1VzwvLinZWkGRdbfd44xWU7HmhtmcRcc3abGC_wP1ZlUD5IPIF_Gm4gP22d4X5uwxaW-2W2KT_rvWqGTFLbEaA35T/s991/IMG_2018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="991" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpq_q-9sMZzibdijymzr7gFdCAgsWO9Z-ic-UUHF4kiO2HfmGo19F1VzwvLinZWkGRdbfd44xWU7HmhtmcRcc3abGC_wP1ZlUD5IPIF_Gm4gP22d4X5uwxaW-2W2KT_rvWqGTFLbEaA35T/w640-h494/IMG_2018.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJbLxAiQu2bDq7iKjVXz8HwASxw2TxEyCPZzNnZtJrFpOZmsSPEFGEv7Gr1RXdmymXw_NsyhNPkGHL0P8LbPuX1QQrEg1G7Mln0-yAT20ymp8zKCNMm7SEFF2ZeC1tCiXOoK0wQyN9cHt/s1022/IMG_2031.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJbLxAiQu2bDq7iKjVXz8HwASxw2TxEyCPZzNnZtJrFpOZmsSPEFGEv7Gr1RXdmymXw_NsyhNPkGHL0P8LbPuX1QQrEg1G7Mln0-yAT20ymp8zKCNMm7SEFF2ZeC1tCiXOoK0wQyN9cHt/w640-h480/IMG_2031.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMfXoZnFqcGrp950_31K1IaYJLay9YsazcEXlOsb_vmWJUGifGn1dqwTLPPiJip7J9KwMMsBz4ldPNNib7rTBq6P8jX1YIi00mmcUA2kw3At3JEkwHGq_dw_qvzJ-8kfPn2WVYI_EhBdU/s1082/IMG_2039.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1082" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMfXoZnFqcGrp950_31K1IaYJLay9YsazcEXlOsb_vmWJUGifGn1dqwTLPPiJip7J9KwMMsBz4ldPNNib7rTBq6P8jX1YIi00mmcUA2kw3At3JEkwHGq_dw_qvzJ-8kfPn2WVYI_EhBdU/w640-h454/IMG_2039.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Naples</span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>What to do?</i></span></div><p>On first glance, Naples doesn't seem like the cleanest place. The garbage collection does not seem to be a finely tuned system, and many streets are covered in graffiti. But if you do a little wandering, you can find beautiful and impressive neighborhoods as well.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTS3Hw7QtxFpxFyLlcfs8-QFbt9KQkXjZkrRRvhfzLYYjlZ9BvJpO7O7zHTj6jfjVccZ3kRQCqZqb7BBDcYDwiEAuzoaeUdWL_siIoJoWbuMWncmfxKP7OJSRe60Lv2a7qPofwLcXS28t/s1022/IMG_3908.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTS3Hw7QtxFpxFyLlcfs8-QFbt9KQkXjZkrRRvhfzLYYjlZ9BvJpO7O7zHTj6jfjVccZ3kRQCqZqb7BBDcYDwiEAuzoaeUdWL_siIoJoWbuMWncmfxKP7OJSRe60Lv2a7qPofwLcXS28t/w640-h480/IMG_3908.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuZkgbHNBxwXBzAe7qua5SywXwsh4LnrCqQw7X4mXrPa98btMeV1sRW_1KAfOcm_1HsV_ifQJw_hW_MCYThX5a_wlBzu3Uc1NMtxAU0qM8FLOiOzmIV6RWAQxYqeMAYsP557wnLTkF9z2/s1022/IMG_3909.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuZkgbHNBxwXBzAe7qua5SywXwsh4LnrCqQw7X4mXrPa98btMeV1sRW_1KAfOcm_1HsV_ifQJw_hW_MCYThX5a_wlBzu3Uc1NMtxAU0qM8FLOiOzmIV6RWAQxYqeMAYsP557wnLTkF9z2/w640-h480/IMG_3909.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrRlExxOlBrWMYcY3GHIFAD8DVRh3HqWDnwL0Ss-CpDZzw0weUhHKkuPhGpOtM9D7enVGCIbxgJs9yC_4BhMh5UFLCGZnNOMcGb44NSv24yf0ogL2gjCYjKLajk6dzArg-GJV22_fVkud/s1022/IMG_3887.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrRlExxOlBrWMYcY3GHIFAD8DVRh3HqWDnwL0Ss-CpDZzw0weUhHKkuPhGpOtM9D7enVGCIbxgJs9yC_4BhMh5UFLCGZnNOMcGb44NSv24yf0ogL2gjCYjKLajk6dzArg-GJV22_fVkud/w640-h480/IMG_3887.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluXAbbfSeBU-5YbTxpSoauNE_EISTxGpQ-8icNMT6PzZFiVT_AMh8PO-H70DM1BJr8qF2zJrqCqvPK0MrSHbZezJMXPkca0gTsSGUwkVzi6s1zhgmTgfqhFZ1biCD7kxfflyFmEcqlCsV/s1045/IMG_4007.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="1045" height="461" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluXAbbfSeBU-5YbTxpSoauNE_EISTxGpQ-8icNMT6PzZFiVT_AMh8PO-H70DM1BJr8qF2zJrqCqvPK0MrSHbZezJMXPkca0gTsSGUwkVzi6s1zhgmTgfqhFZ1biCD7kxfflyFmEcqlCsV/w640-h461/IMG_4007.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvAhkG56q6DhSYwgi4I1vuiOmhAV5agUw9xQGQSHUX_3iMioEKF4FR5TT7eVJJZkliSjWd4WC44Z4907I_BYJLlOu0U5Ax6-ae2kjwYrWhrN5ywKRN8BnQtVIuAoAzu-7oo9Yn-KfUnQ1/s1101/IMG_3979.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="1101" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvAhkG56q6DhSYwgi4I1vuiOmhAV5agUw9xQGQSHUX_3iMioEKF4FR5TT7eVJJZkliSjWd4WC44Z4907I_BYJLlOu0U5Ax6-ae2kjwYrWhrN5ywKRN8BnQtVIuAoAzu-7oo9Yn-KfUnQ1/w640-h416/IMG_3979.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">And really, some graffiti is worth it for the incredibly cheap and delicious pizza. Walk down the Via Tribunali and get ready for the best pizza of your life.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1CcFS_YEMIjafI5W8TFvuqCFf2MPSrQ0YBofqljdFKBlw32KQh5dHPPzbD0H_cXJkfiGiycCGdj8FmfBxySfiRNv51mjlytT23u19mPhNNZDqFwQQMT4Vsxv1rjtWE6XWTlg1WRkbPZx7/s766/IMG_4038.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="557" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1CcFS_YEMIjafI5W8TFvuqCFf2MPSrQ0YBofqljdFKBlw32KQh5dHPPzbD0H_cXJkfiGiycCGdj8FmfBxySfiRNv51mjlytT23u19mPhNNZDqFwQQMT4Vsxv1rjtWE6XWTlg1WRkbPZx7/w466-h640/IMG_4038.jpeg" width="466" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN15nvjgfSjc0eViY_Tk-_Gj8OTf9GhUUkjv8qpGOqZ7GY9oQ39NhlDM-O8Q8S26uZef3m5FM7oIwEMtXMi7nX3E-_N4BK0FiFiz-PR-HWJcQLmXZ8zoGsc9w1Zq9NNJ-9vZz06agHutmT/s295/Screen+Shot+2021-08-23+at+9.03.37+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="295" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN15nvjgfSjc0eViY_Tk-_Gj8OTf9GhUUkjv8qpGOqZ7GY9oQ39NhlDM-O8Q8S26uZef3m5FM7oIwEMtXMi7nX3E-_N4BK0FiFiz-PR-HWJcQLmXZ8zoGsc9w1Zq9NNJ-9vZz06agHutmT/w400-h269/Screen+Shot+2021-08-23+at+9.03.37+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div></div><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">To cool off and learn some history, try a tour of Napoli Sotterranea, or Underground Naples. The tunnels you explore during the tour were used as aqueducts and later as bomb shelters. Naples was the most bombed city in Italy during WWII.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FOchioAmktMpXcms9Lyanh4fRCc1Rf3wjDywnKmlU3D46Sh3pTOr3vV_gJ-TFkhWeKikJs5vN8smxctT8BjOk934Ui0qV1jN8zDUeD8S3Qpp1p2MihsAPEB56JRWeAiCq70VevwJr5DC/s766/IMG_8785.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FOchioAmktMpXcms9Lyanh4fRCc1Rf3wjDywnKmlU3D46Sh3pTOr3vV_gJ-TFkhWeKikJs5vN8smxctT8BjOk934Ui0qV1jN8zDUeD8S3Qpp1p2MihsAPEB56JRWeAiCq70VevwJr5DC/w480-h640/IMG_8785.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The Palazzo di Napoli is worth a stop and only costs a few euros to visit. It's a very affordable city!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXI0ieaz6Ks_PyIX6bQXgqbntfJUrbWvc6jeZnypzMbADHewfBmi8uZDix2Eebvi5D6RLM3fj3cWy0HKrtUdmQLUfued2_m7AKzm9dF1CX8mRbX4wtfL23F72Cmj4cBT6Xgikg_6UHVXS/s1022/IMG_3996.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXI0ieaz6Ks_PyIX6bQXgqbntfJUrbWvc6jeZnypzMbADHewfBmi8uZDix2Eebvi5D6RLM3fj3cWy0HKrtUdmQLUfued2_m7AKzm9dF1CX8mRbX4wtfL23F72Cmj4cBT6Xgikg_6UHVXS/w640-h480/IMG_3996.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVAtX2zoUIJRiTe5eSgBmH44Y0uYSaxwYPZZTSmnpoS0aqQ-_cNi4bg__OnZMPIZDwFqJq5tDEda3lWBwMrnQuTsopVJuMYqKxQw-M2Bfq_XB4TYaUFZR5OvLu1yKqlR0EoecVdxIcTo7/s766/IMG_3989.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="621" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVAtX2zoUIJRiTe5eSgBmH44Y0uYSaxwYPZZTSmnpoS0aqQ-_cNi4bg__OnZMPIZDwFqJq5tDEda3lWBwMrnQuTsopVJuMYqKxQw-M2Bfq_XB4TYaUFZR5OvLu1yKqlR0EoecVdxIcTo7/w518-h640/IMG_3989.jpeg" width="518" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMi2CdILebm1lC1L9ODWFdxtaVc6kCjoCzkfQdfg5bqjYICY3FlRryUxifyHsYfqfkVp2ZYxu65st8p1wVnknwzme3fp4vLt3xc8t8VOPNNIBx3BFFHXC6LwlT9gfsuklGsuGCeTpS9K0/s1200/palazzo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMi2CdILebm1lC1L9ODWFdxtaVc6kCjoCzkfQdfg5bqjYICY3FlRryUxifyHsYfqfkVp2ZYxu65st8p1wVnknwzme3fp4vLt3xc8t8VOPNNIBx3BFFHXC6LwlT9gfsuklGsuGCeTpS9K0/w640-h640/palazzo.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Near the palace, there's a covered shopping gallery very similar to Milan's.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ETpOJ1PRYT_jFWDkXIxmTU6CIatz-zMRCS07qzkW8nGFHe02NzKu0kjeLKTe56Be9XzKlpmncn2pEMwqcZZjvLlyl2sV7pt_QTNkSbfVavMbFGto_hykYNx63lXptA_HWs0i2V2wr0j6/s1022/IMG_3977.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ETpOJ1PRYT_jFWDkXIxmTU6CIatz-zMRCS07qzkW8nGFHe02NzKu0kjeLKTe56Be9XzKlpmncn2pEMwqcZZjvLlyl2sV7pt_QTNkSbfVavMbFGto_hykYNx63lXptA_HWs0i2V2wr0j6/w640-h480/IMG_3977.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBRW8CfmUwPNCVnBOLAQuw5e4oG9s0j5awRTEncqvsx4xSuePsI7PcwxL1BLq8WQf7aph9QWdEl1EcNMxjbJCr2gdE625Xilj9izOncpJDsi2EP62fbJZUXd6iJhkd02SmD7lxgARtKwC5/s766/IMG_3978.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBRW8CfmUwPNCVnBOLAQuw5e4oG9s0j5awRTEncqvsx4xSuePsI7PcwxL1BLq8WQf7aph9QWdEl1EcNMxjbJCr2gdE625Xilj9izOncpJDsi2EP62fbJZUXd6iJhkd02SmD7lxgARtKwC5/w480-h640/IMG_3978.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It's never a bad idea to pop into any church you come across in Italy- this one is the city's largest, the Duomo di Napoli.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2A6AFFPdhPg9ItDbjVBiWTSrAVGIAVBv3Q7CCV74kBAPngETt9jQuWZUXHB0SpDag4rgpxMyX7OQOJ8U6E8ZhXFlRxeYInbloTqQRwwTJ8t_PmOG9u2y7GDzO4MAw6Pa7Xjj1Xw0sz4f/s1022/IMG_3906.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2A6AFFPdhPg9ItDbjVBiWTSrAVGIAVBv3Q7CCV74kBAPngETt9jQuWZUXHB0SpDag4rgpxMyX7OQOJ8U6E8ZhXFlRxeYInbloTqQRwwTJ8t_PmOG9u2y7GDzO4MAw6Pa7Xjj1Xw0sz4f/w640-h480/IMG_3906.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiciFh5vicvWxfx74IEHHipSprA64P7sajJPonmJPMKtnVPy1sUoQfXH1iKC3LWPpHC0GWWyhIVM83inbxM-zhzeTvQWftkhCloREtHqYq8SiaoIENljrH03dRaE7VigpcXlcoaLTDSFID_/s766/IMG_3892.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiciFh5vicvWxfx74IEHHipSprA64P7sajJPonmJPMKtnVPy1sUoQfXH1iKC3LWPpHC0GWWyhIVM83inbxM-zhzeTvQWftkhCloREtHqYq8SiaoIENljrH03dRaE7VigpcXlcoaLTDSFID_/w480-h640/IMG_3892.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">What's nearby? </span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Naples is a great base for exploring the interesting archeological site of Pompeii and/or the gorgeous Amalfi Coast. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Despite the intense summer heat in Pompeii, we were fascinated by the vastness of the ancient city, the artwork and technological advancements within, and the famous disaster that destroyed it all.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGL0_7dhcJbIWs7zo3dAcW6tCtAI706OFcg9-4J7Qhc7l1dT65KbqmOe2Feh3bHjw6rcv_NqE90lcwobZtByX-5CIhSYsATc5hHZFUSj0LAsijC89LTTQBl33R3nJ6aHldkLkKHkO1wfbi/s945/IMG_3943.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="945" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGL0_7dhcJbIWs7zo3dAcW6tCtAI706OFcg9-4J7Qhc7l1dT65KbqmOe2Feh3bHjw6rcv_NqE90lcwobZtByX-5CIhSYsATc5hHZFUSj0LAsijC89LTTQBl33R3nJ6aHldkLkKHkO1wfbi/w640-h480/IMG_3943.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_FilM4pNh6aUmhyphenhyphen0VzJN8YtT_stIjzjNS8fZJPi1w2A_TF8Q2CvvwQcgAn1GwDFPdqg_eZ0mmsLDxsutSCc-uLrd2z9fwkrI2pOx6x9jjQ21t_ny8_z59Wt_lxTnZbZDI5y-kEGCgmZYe/s945/IMG_3940.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="945" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_FilM4pNh6aUmhyphenhyphen0VzJN8YtT_stIjzjNS8fZJPi1w2A_TF8Q2CvvwQcgAn1GwDFPdqg_eZ0mmsLDxsutSCc-uLrd2z9fwkrI2pOx6x9jjQ21t_ny8_z59Wt_lxTnZbZDI5y-kEGCgmZYe/w640-h480/IMG_3940.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are many options for coastal cities to explore near Naples. We took a boat to Sorrento and loved the views and shopping. I'd love to return to the area someday and see Capri and Positano as well!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfk4sGUuSuJG_GRjJnGpfwsMufqh2N1y550zFAeNcoV9L2QtAk3TlK9oO1TV-MgNCT9kGAHsqa6XmSZ4Zi8P9sjAq7YV54i4koORglITRnOrNvVu3oCADAvw_7w93F0ZI6qjwKlrM3bG2/s1600/IMG_4011.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfk4sGUuSuJG_GRjJnGpfwsMufqh2N1y550zFAeNcoV9L2QtAk3TlK9oO1TV-MgNCT9kGAHsqa6XmSZ4Zi8P9sjAq7YV54i4koORglITRnOrNvVu3oCADAvw_7w93F0ZI6qjwKlrM3bG2/w640-h480/IMG_4011.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvZOLs5YuND1R84ZJUZ0b7PrRsg7X7pxFyGCd2Nfmjgu4Ty-_ZXLGJaMK6RKEi1IgzEfdocv50AWA3IF7FPFovIkFPB5t88517j-Oow2ZozJxGUcdqMbQtCwa5JIzGdsDGrMubCNvHsvk/s1600/IMG_4024.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvZOLs5YuND1R84ZJUZ0b7PrRsg7X7pxFyGCd2Nfmjgu4Ty-_ZXLGJaMK6RKEi1IgzEfdocv50AWA3IF7FPFovIkFPB5t88517j-Oow2ZozJxGUcdqMbQtCwa5JIzGdsDGrMubCNvHsvk/w480-h640/IMG_4024.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2n8_ULM5vB1AGw8KKrI3FKjAEEI4_Hh2usb6H4SSSXaGPXhL4mWUS2ogyt1G36bjB7MaVqxHglMTYe3EkS36Z3JTtSzZ6PhUZ-bk4UztNYU3HqWCcf7k1il_2am404IFxMlFCcBGKOau/s1600/IMG_4019.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2n8_ULM5vB1AGw8KKrI3FKjAEEI4_Hh2usb6H4SSSXaGPXhL4mWUS2ogyt1G36bjB7MaVqxHglMTYe3EkS36Z3JTtSzZ6PhUZ-bk4UztNYU3HqWCcf7k1il_2am404IFxMlFCcBGKOau/w640-h480/IMG_4019.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Syracuse</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">What to do?</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This city was definitely a highlight of our weeks in Sicily. It was so pretty that I immediately daydreamed about having a vacation home here someday.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqWvnB8TWA9-Aiw23H-RdjiRuaiwubN2MtCTOmn9GthaUVhlovRnF6yX-bN6l8ada1gbzIpXENmSNc6zlcH_dZazAlIEUZtutpE42WEF3b8als0xzB59ZbZPK571JGUl4h1I0q2VSJEsl/s2048/IMG_5822.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqWvnB8TWA9-Aiw23H-RdjiRuaiwubN2MtCTOmn9GthaUVhlovRnF6yX-bN6l8ada1gbzIpXENmSNc6zlcH_dZazAlIEUZtutpE42WEF3b8als0xzB59ZbZPK571JGUl4h1I0q2VSJEsl/w640-h480/IMG_5822.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF20uG9vglqiduWz20NxLHxUBml9PtT27VIK-KsbqL2O6rZ042GdOQ3LI_y0pnrG54nCnTx8cM1Vogx5tkdzOFp6K0ESy5nwprS73V_tMGCQs0uuuPRJdY3LBWNYIKGxUaOuRJgxZFzald/s2048/IMG_5827.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1801" data-original-width="2048" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF20uG9vglqiduWz20NxLHxUBml9PtT27VIK-KsbqL2O6rZ042GdOQ3LI_y0pnrG54nCnTx8cM1Vogx5tkdzOFp6K0ESy5nwprS73V_tMGCQs0uuuPRJdY3LBWNYIKGxUaOuRJgxZFzald/w640-h562/IMG_5827.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pMkW4uxnEZEgWgBlC-XkA3Q6WRCfcPE14IsHKuiJeJZIq3KkrBkOlnsla-hKkad1Lns-XFhurDb5TNCo91sqpcayuBPL_LAjLLf8x8U0NqmkKLHjX7rysh9mpq2krgVBEVM3VNCzMQw1/s912/IMG_5840+%25281%25291.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="912" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pMkW4uxnEZEgWgBlC-XkA3Q6WRCfcPE14IsHKuiJeJZIq3KkrBkOlnsla-hKkad1Lns-XFhurDb5TNCo91sqpcayuBPL_LAjLLf8x8U0NqmkKLHjX7rysh9mpq2krgVBEVM3VNCzMQw1/w640-h478/IMG_5840+%25281%25291.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvyTwRLotje1qam_DimdtY0_8wd8_0BuEg77V0NkLsjvEg4lJ4rhJfjSlT4hiOFax7H8bz-uBZH8I2kMwadhe9NmvlBXDT3aRN1et9UmqBfNEXs8mtkD994Aj_8YBlMinYUoBiV9ommuL/s2048/IMG_5850.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvyTwRLotje1qam_DimdtY0_8wd8_0BuEg77V0NkLsjvEg4lJ4rhJfjSlT4hiOFax7H8bz-uBZH8I2kMwadhe9NmvlBXDT3aRN1et9UmqBfNEXs8mtkD994Aj_8YBlMinYUoBiV9ommuL/w640-h480/IMG_5850.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqA4u-hiMZ8f0KxsSVtwStWHOu5XVKbfy9q5YP45sDUNDmtiy-Xx3mwRgJiymx56fdoquEwaGvnf-wieewVgc2ZyvaLYRMIVASnEVQRwlHGH_S0x3lAj1PkzyPWZC5Tpc6eB6l2mpRfBqD/s2048/IMG_5871.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqA4u-hiMZ8f0KxsSVtwStWHOu5XVKbfy9q5YP45sDUNDmtiy-Xx3mwRgJiymx56fdoquEwaGvnf-wieewVgc2ZyvaLYRMIVASnEVQRwlHGH_S0x3lAj1PkzyPWZC5Tpc6eB6l2mpRfBqD/w640-h480/IMG_5871.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;">I found it really interesting that the interior of the Duomo di Siracusa was built around the ruins of an Ancient Greek temple. After seeing the baroque facade, I wasn't expecting to see columns dating back to the 5th century BC inside.</span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbSOa4DSEde510n7mPFZpxNB_MXbitdQkY5XROCqcO-vcEjciGJt-3Jvg9_yRIHGTJs6XxCGC628p6EtI9eH2Lky8soGfPqw43TghBuQ2qI_kk2Y0oLkczv82niZrVWACDyqKm7I2jARKt/s2048/IMG_5842.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1470" data-original-width="2048" height="461" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbSOa4DSEde510n7mPFZpxNB_MXbitdQkY5XROCqcO-vcEjciGJt-3Jvg9_yRIHGTJs6XxCGC628p6EtI9eH2Lky8soGfPqw43TghBuQ2qI_kk2Y0oLkczv82niZrVWACDyqKm7I2jARKt/w640-h461/IMG_5842.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHaGLxR1p9hdRLpuXYtTL10yct3Xdf1Y4zh5iBg_e-_mn91flveubLnNiHtxuPb6fv4R5YpvqQX0u_sIt6EhKayPMOU5E-lMSn5GEj_cmeaVLaeeBuCICDAjpNvZjwW5220q3yvi6pc9j/s679/IMG_20180215_120457.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="509" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHaGLxR1p9hdRLpuXYtTL10yct3Xdf1Y4zh5iBg_e-_mn91flveubLnNiHtxuPb6fv4R5YpvqQX0u_sIt6EhKayPMOU5E-lMSn5GEj_cmeaVLaeeBuCICDAjpNvZjwW5220q3yvi6pc9j/w480-h640/IMG_20180215_120457.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Don't miss walking along the coast. If you're there in the summer, there are beautiful beaches as well!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4cxtu4l5-DiC-PEY3bwVPOVIxKyexlAhryhK2xWNNbyrMfSZmG_9IEF4OPQq2hoAG5ZHWABSLTzjDrEl69nGHwaVRPa0k1zTpjjcrG4wVGJXGl5ow81AvW742eDGnK4pIXKYjl4oMkaL/s2048/IMG_5819.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4cxtu4l5-DiC-PEY3bwVPOVIxKyexlAhryhK2xWNNbyrMfSZmG_9IEF4OPQq2hoAG5ZHWABSLTzjDrEl69nGHwaVRPa0k1zTpjjcrG4wVGJXGl5ow81AvW742eDGnK4pIXKYjl4oMkaL/w640-h480/IMG_5819.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zfbah4NzPCZsz4YSgo0Ql4f5ojIf6mBwCuOqx7kRUXm8r63SqdQRFahwKb7dP_Xw9NYyXUMMKbPWKNGK29Hcx_3iFmxbqs_iqBEO1syjwzu7oHliyrykxuKo4DE6a2pMm0WY-sjdfBxj/s2048/IMG_5820.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zfbah4NzPCZsz4YSgo0Ql4f5ojIf6mBwCuOqx7kRUXm8r63SqdQRFahwKb7dP_Xw9NYyXUMMKbPWKNGK29Hcx_3iFmxbqs_iqBEO1syjwzu7oHliyrykxuKo4DE6a2pMm0WY-sjdfBxj/w640-h480/IMG_5820.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzqY_rFe4cNYmX19e3Ul0Pi-Sz1BeksYEB2yKPkWfYpjc4K8aPyoiXGyIZYEY0ycatfyQcRGARlFTu3VWc-1uV1MizVGw840L7vEn0rKPBjkHdVyeXQBZesw9y6dM1RimuZnVf78epN9J/s2048/IMG_5865.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzqY_rFe4cNYmX19e3Ul0Pi-Sz1BeksYEB2yKPkWfYpjc4K8aPyoiXGyIZYEY0ycatfyQcRGARlFTu3VWc-1uV1MizVGw840L7vEn0rKPBjkHdVyeXQBZesw9y6dM1RimuZnVf78epN9J/w640-h480/IMG_5865.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">A short drive away from downtown, you can tour the archeological sites of ancient Syracuse.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Ear of Dionysus is a limestone cave originally used for water storage and later as <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">a prison for political opponents of the city's tyrant ruler Dionysus. Legend has it that Dionysus enjoyed how the perfect acoustics of the cave amplified the screams of prisoners being tortured inside.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfeCnS98OP_w8vqwjt0nyiiB9LPJsn8H0rQtNz9eKHH1TlJjAtpA_ET3rf_L4NZybYWUMQh9mzEJNViAzArCWjGCQrsIS-PMv_4YuB_U6SqYl1mH3YhMfP7c64ELkRxNq_44XJPmzPN3X/s2048/IMG_5872.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfeCnS98OP_w8vqwjt0nyiiB9LPJsn8H0rQtNz9eKHH1TlJjAtpA_ET3rf_L4NZybYWUMQh9mzEJNViAzArCWjGCQrsIS-PMv_4YuB_U6SqYl1mH3YhMfP7c64ELkRxNq_44XJPmzPN3X/w480-h640/IMG_5872.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2Wvd7ljB56k26bRnZ-P1tbvM3wFoLoTsk4XWCJ3rzWGl5AmSQFKLmD7nRao9clVqtUUyPLmkaMVq-D-mtwOilhbHXkUAaor_tvsk2_KN96eq5HPT-EeZyt-dDgPhC1LD4jXFWhk9x1hK/s2048/IMG_5883.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2Wvd7ljB56k26bRnZ-P1tbvM3wFoLoTsk4XWCJ3rzWGl5AmSQFKLmD7nRao9clVqtUUyPLmkaMVq-D-mtwOilhbHXkUAaor_tvsk2_KN96eq5HPT-EeZyt-dDgPhC1LD4jXFWhk9x1hK/w480-h640/IMG_5883.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Syracuse's Greek Theater from the 5th Century BC was one of the largest and most impressive throughout the ancient world- it could seat 15,000. It used to border the sea, but over the centuries the coast has moved a few miles away.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYOH7D8CnEHksebkWGIcoYlhlFeTOeOdITJmGqWjttL9orfFx1NIS886sfVeFNlteK2Aq_sWvoNcuFNae83bcklaWY2rt0TNf-pjJE_7v6ucCoxwSlPJiE3hyGdfkiS5CWnutpDTVatP3/s2048/IMG_5887.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYOH7D8CnEHksebkWGIcoYlhlFeTOeOdITJmGqWjttL9orfFx1NIS886sfVeFNlteK2Aq_sWvoNcuFNae83bcklaWY2rt0TNf-pjJE_7v6ucCoxwSlPJiE3hyGdfkiS5CWnutpDTVatP3/w640-h480/IMG_5887.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuZIHYCgQ_10q10p9ZOIOoZslW_4fokFpI9a9JtgWIHb29Uk_vcZzjz3wnd0jfoC00xnK1_bHfKxuLVijuGADLEgSzP81yNaecTwuDIGjS0DnWo2Jm7WNjgcL9e-qDQN5YMYQlUVHNYn-/s2048/IMG_5895.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuZIHYCgQ_10q10p9ZOIOoZslW_4fokFpI9a9JtgWIHb29Uk_vcZzjz3wnd0jfoC00xnK1_bHfKxuLVijuGADLEgSzP81yNaecTwuDIGjS0DnWo2Jm7WNjgcL9e-qDQN5YMYQlUVHNYn-/w640-h480/IMG_5895.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">What's nearby?</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You can't miss seeing the active volcano Mt. Etna! Just don't get too close if it's erupting.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrvrousO30ZzS0cBczo1R9JMn74kyHwdJmKtSQ4UoIG9O-f8605zKBAOgDpugoX6DkpSZ0KUnHYJaKCk5niFuoDtDSL-3pOiU3VfmZrdQJGojvbiwfeamFJwRXNXoICr56dkURdoC1aSO/s904/IMG_5904.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="904" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrvrousO30ZzS0cBczo1R9JMn74kyHwdJmKtSQ4UoIG9O-f8605zKBAOgDpugoX6DkpSZ0KUnHYJaKCk5niFuoDtDSL-3pOiU3VfmZrdQJGojvbiwfeamFJwRXNXoICr56dkURdoC1aSO/w640-h502/IMG_5904.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrlE0GFAaRqmg-Fn6CCzOp__L_ddWDbvykkoWfexFFoT4P3PgTS_L_FmbVMml17gOFkYWjoqCQA5Ud2WWuW8fj90UC-HYQoOxX6Tpra6ef5dU4-GShyUSfrbqUxE2cHudPl-zJSjR0gXw3/s933/IMG_5988.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="933" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrlE0GFAaRqmg-Fn6CCzOp__L_ddWDbvykkoWfexFFoT4P3PgTS_L_FmbVMml17gOFkYWjoqCQA5Ud2WWuW8fj90UC-HYQoOxX6Tpra6ef5dU4-GShyUSfrbqUxE2cHudPl-zJSjR0gXw3/w640-h486/IMG_5988.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-50853924601309184472021-08-14T12:05:00.046-07:002023-03-16T10:32:52.978-07:00French Riviera by Train<span style="font-size: medium;">After getting married to my husband from southern France, we spent a year and half living in the French Riviera. I had no work visa or car... so what better way to pass the time than to explore the beautiful Riviera by train?!</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1jjy1ZWazfUR0GDbyd-U1TmAaRqXBnUJp4ipIJlFaLhkASzudYPCKj4-XnSIJKsGf9gBSi25zZGvTo6esX0DxMhtlyD-xpcgLplyb7mEIpL3D7yJ6n_5A5EAsxgEVckevr-7TZfjKvKK/s2048/IMG_0399.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1jjy1ZWazfUR0GDbyd-U1TmAaRqXBnUJp4ipIJlFaLhkASzudYPCKj4-XnSIJKsGf9gBSi25zZGvTo6esX0DxMhtlyD-xpcgLplyb7mEIpL3D7yJ6n_5A5EAsxgEVckevr-7TZfjKvKK/w640-h480/IMG_0399.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">For the most part, I rode the TER (Transport Régional Express) line going east towards Italy. The starred cities are some of my favorites, and I'll mention them below.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQG_xf-VY7ijdHnECt7trA4lxdC5gw7BhlccjjzsKl91R2e6XXXQyeyPnukZ3w0zAB7plsjEVF4XmgIqffxX-e8g3dDptYFeNIDpyhC8CJlmhhTygGQaGy8c5Trh9WVTLbgeLuq6pVWp1/s351/Screen+Shot+2021-08-14+at+11.55.05+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="351" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQG_xf-VY7ijdHnECt7trA4lxdC5gw7BhlccjjzsKl91R2e6XXXQyeyPnukZ3w0zAB7plsjEVF4XmgIqffxX-e8g3dDptYFeNIDpyhC8CJlmhhTygGQaGy8c5Trh9WVTLbgeLuq6pVWp1/w400-h355/Screen+Shot+2021-08-14+at+11.55.05+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I have to say that when I previously lived in Strasbourg (right on the German border), the TER trains were much cleaner and more punctual... but while not perfect or luxurious, the Côte d'Azur trains were still a very convenient and affordable way to sightsee. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">If you did this whole route without getting off the train, it would take under 2 hours. Of course, so many of these cities (and even more that I'm not mentioning) are worth a stop, so if possible it's much better to take your time, enjoy, and see the Riviera over several days or longer.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mandelieu-la-Napoule</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> is not a big famous city or a common stop for tourists, but I'm biased towards it because I lived there! Mandelieu is a charming little town with a nice beach and an impressive castle.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnEcFbP0nRmIDfWYYIwoofi3ueoJozDZniQ_UvWELYpGUVA9DmpIuq1jlo4ZHpsPDY8Gd-et8NEthKForHqpECKCGSXA5to9uI2dUvgbZYGPHQ5bscp2lXjxZqXVJ00nAipATlo3rJCfiV/s923/0-7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="923" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnEcFbP0nRmIDfWYYIwoofi3ueoJozDZniQ_UvWELYpGUVA9DmpIuq1jlo4ZHpsPDY8Gd-et8NEthKForHqpECKCGSXA5to9uI2dUvgbZYGPHQ5bscp2lXjxZqXVJ00nAipATlo3rJCfiV/w640-h480/0-7.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The castle dates back to medieval times but was in ruins until a wealthy and quirky American couple restored it after WWI. I highly suggest a walk through the gardens. The train station is right across the street from the castle, so it couldn't be easier to visit.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXUKq_J6IDSsT7FLtmwzwHRL99psblAqboJFw3y6wBu-OHSzEtcmEuTrSzvZ9v8j_7MHt-qY5KBI46Ifi8j8rYkcYi_1buK3HD7QDNz5nz445GlPLrPlhkLvCzP-3lmirAbk66NaOlkKJ/s1200/chateau.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXUKq_J6IDSsT7FLtmwzwHRL99psblAqboJFw3y6wBu-OHSzEtcmEuTrSzvZ9v8j_7MHt-qY5KBI46Ifi8j8rYkcYi_1buK3HD7QDNz5nz445GlPLrPlhkLvCzP-3lmirAbk66NaOlkKJ/w640-h640/chateau.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The town itself is cute and has a few nice restaurants. Warning: if you go in the off season, 80% of stores/restaurants will be closed!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_-K-E45zcOwsbhhYPuW-jNw-hIk-NMsUYXjMYqZLlBQqaZzvdvJjFibV1NV8XEDsfRD5OhNkBa1_3sHj9rb3ZiI1MeNOZrNBVa7D6fxb5ph3PthCRE3dDgHsCDxM6KSwZRjSdBsFBwpk/s1600/IMG_1900.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_-K-E45zcOwsbhhYPuW-jNw-hIk-NMsUYXjMYqZLlBQqaZzvdvJjFibV1NV8XEDsfRD5OhNkBa1_3sHj9rb3ZiI1MeNOZrNBVa7D6fxb5ph3PthCRE3dDgHsCDxM6KSwZRjSdBsFBwpk/w640-h480/IMG_1900.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8B61O8zgydw-TwVB7hY7kPN64pLuu6ngDWXTvmeW2n-m1vGpTV2nqtnrDVml9N9Tgbf5LF6lYm2xoURG3edJ_88EZ8_d2Y00HAZkoRgxMi1lYR0c53T5Wa3Mhyw9yeRkJIT_8VgpYiX-/s945/IMG_0603.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="945" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8B61O8zgydw-TwVB7hY7kPN64pLuu6ngDWXTvmeW2n-m1vGpTV2nqtnrDVml9N9Tgbf5LF6lYm2xoURG3edJ_88EZ8_d2Y00HAZkoRgxMi1lYR0c53T5Wa3Mhyw9yeRkJIT_8VgpYiX-/w640-h480/IMG_0603.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: medium;">Downtown </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Cannes</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> is a very quick train ride away.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9F90_4Rnfpx2D4v4kBup3BmLp6KOAxEEnWx7fI0SobGaY3O9FMcTORYktInOBP_Av_Tz9K5OPZL1sskIBbK5uPnFBhMrJOvNytItLjfn6qHPkxcyU6nlIJ9xvi7wuHjmSUZu7RpNdtISa/s1600/IMG_2977.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9F90_4Rnfpx2D4v4kBup3BmLp6KOAxEEnWx7fI0SobGaY3O9FMcTORYktInOBP_Av_Tz9K5OPZL1sskIBbK5uPnFBhMrJOvNytItLjfn6qHPkxcyU6nlIJ9xvi7wuHjmSUZu7RpNdtISa/w480-h640/IMG_2977.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">There isn't much history in Cannes, but there's a lot of glamour. Stop by and see the red carpet for the Cannes film festival and browse the designer stores that face the beach. For more affordable shopping, my favorite street is Rue d'Antibes. We moved back to the US years ago and I'm still wearing a lot of Rue d'Antibes clothes.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRky2sXN1lbhDFrXj_vx8lHSvL3vnD_nEMZ0Yjud3Oiv0DQWMF3cJPXhB1TOstCNTiEKFp-mMoRSF5ZqEPpswf5Rn7OG6_Ulx9KZqk0k2dsSXtsvIQPb0vezD4UYEuR-BM9J-Qt3zNNI-/s1600/IMG_6390.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRky2sXN1lbhDFrXj_vx8lHSvL3vnD_nEMZ0Yjud3Oiv0DQWMF3cJPXhB1TOstCNTiEKFp-mMoRSF5ZqEPpswf5Rn7OG6_Ulx9KZqk0k2dsSXtsvIQPb0vezD4UYEuR-BM9J-Qt3zNNI-/w640-h480/IMG_6390.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0C5OJfdrDPEA0K-gcsZEab8nzchppfp3jdm7UMVDZECnTwcloPAw-19hfGHelqB6VlX6K3oh1FcCa3sr_EAFlrKey5SV7jEVgn8yHI-otLsvfA5zaNFn3HxGt-Tg72UK8WOcfP8BPiOk6/s1600/IMG_0197.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0C5OJfdrDPEA0K-gcsZEab8nzchppfp3jdm7UMVDZECnTwcloPAw-19hfGHelqB6VlX6K3oh1FcCa3sr_EAFlrKey5SV7jEVgn8yHI-otLsvfA5zaNFn3HxGt-Tg72UK8WOcfP8BPiOk6/w640-h480/IMG_0197.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">To get a view of the city, it's a short hike up to the Cannes sign on the hill. Be sure to walk through the Le Suquet neighborhood on the way- it's the oldest part of Cannes and one of the most picturesque.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRO9MogDRmpoDfOd69nkB4Lca5os8k8edHOWUjQmJC8ONzKE5yJYMO5zRdz2_rXe2XONpt3M4SBsD3RsQn_JMnkORwCT-JnmWAGcMxvSbJ2kywjcYVscYAAIMSNkjou_OlLWrgCZ_I5uRu/s1200/suquet2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRO9MogDRmpoDfOd69nkB4Lca5os8k8edHOWUjQmJC8ONzKE5yJYMO5zRdz2_rXe2XONpt3M4SBsD3RsQn_JMnkORwCT-JnmWAGcMxvSbJ2kywjcYVscYAAIMSNkjou_OlLWrgCZ_I5uRu/w640-h640/suquet2.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: medium;">Hop back on the train and head to </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span>Antibes</span></b>.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> Like many other Riviera towns, Antibes has endless pastel buildings and sea views.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZgdARL0h29MI3dvHyikB4BQS2DEJBlQ-AX2n6KJEPpCExfwDGtUYV2RkmXtQLjZQ7kqTzu_JXBYq2SF-mE5ENYcV3yiIx8f_zmVHJENknZQTSrpraBg134P4sT9PoJoce0ppPwJEJ2Es7/s766/IMG_0633.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZgdARL0h29MI3dvHyikB4BQS2DEJBlQ-AX2n6KJEPpCExfwDGtUYV2RkmXtQLjZQ7kqTzu_JXBYq2SF-mE5ENYcV3yiIx8f_zmVHJENknZQTSrpraBg134P4sT9PoJoce0ppPwJEJ2Es7/w480-h640/IMG_0633.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwI9-0ztZ7LMD7N3ZzTn0xLqNNYqgEIIhj4qxhpK-JWgQmlnouvqql03suIQC2hcDOVI5fjJWiAyVO2phdRnG4SsyohuNU313Y6BUNAI_PtefGqUocfvAQVEHEsYn4Vh1MuLpHMO2fAb3/s1200/antpastel2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwI9-0ztZ7LMD7N3ZzTn0xLqNNYqgEIIhj4qxhpK-JWgQmlnouvqql03suIQC2hcDOVI5fjJWiAyVO2phdRnG4SsyohuNU313Y6BUNAI_PtefGqUocfvAQVEHEsYn4Vh1MuLpHMO2fAb3/w640-h640/antpastel2.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPjm3Bzt-XwLOadETt2IhSCA3Uxa7WnxoFAaUhroqdfyt62y1A1XqnWiBaMl0EodJCA2r9k7u-8fpb4LjdR7-NiF3YVqDcS6ij3TWGpbiC0Md_kEsKa7k5Ai3839ZqRdcsFvjhAJpwRzk/s1022/IMG_0621.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPjm3Bzt-XwLOadETt2IhSCA3Uxa7WnxoFAaUhroqdfyt62y1A1XqnWiBaMl0EodJCA2r9k7u-8fpb4LjdR7-NiF3YVqDcS6ij3TWGpbiC0Md_kEsKa7k5Ai3839ZqRdcsFvjhAJpwRzk/w640-h480/IMG_0621.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKw3v9sXC6RY95LQjeP7knWsbc13tJD6RCMlqY-m3WQjhBdZ7jwgs7jqERrHFRced-kgwPeJoa1dIdTRU_La1uCbxgWfGrr5vggAlsPf9hBc_JVD5_hawFgVHD1nsOkFEsV3cGYLUdOwnh/s1200/antsea.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKw3v9sXC6RY95LQjeP7knWsbc13tJD6RCMlqY-m3WQjhBdZ7jwgs7jqERrHFRced-kgwPeJoa1dIdTRU_La1uCbxgWfGrr5vggAlsPf9hBc_JVD5_hawFgVHD1nsOkFEsV3cGYLUdOwnh/w640-h640/antsea.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Check out the Musée Picasso located in the Château Grimaldi. Picasso spent some time living there and several of his works are on display.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vhuRlC1fFIBYyyJQSQqF2W6UFSUBo6mnbh9CHv3M-bxrzCPw751txOUadNyh_jxx1kz2uJpNqadq9hggYtrYKwCZAs9GW4dJmym3rHDnjMeDLVNNnQxboPlDKJTAa9bPs7gSmuDi0Pp_/s1022/IMG_0629.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vhuRlC1fFIBYyyJQSQqF2W6UFSUBo6mnbh9CHv3M-bxrzCPw751txOUadNyh_jxx1kz2uJpNqadq9hggYtrYKwCZAs9GW4dJmym3rHDnjMeDLVNNnQxboPlDKJTAa9bPs7gSmuDi0Pp_/w640-h480/IMG_0629.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm also a fan of walking along the harbor with its many yachts and getting a view of the Fort Carré (and the Alps in the background!). </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVKglwyzAkAfkwu2dUgzJqBrdfo9fn3cy-PteoWBxIFLtShb-IvpXbR557xui7yzoFwsshmvXYdIQOjjDfa1qBvYGAV_J8uX0IrE4G39_X53LwmQQue0p1ca3dpmLzkUsVBNK-BZWNLty/s2048/IMG_5521.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1918" data-original-width="2048" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVKglwyzAkAfkwu2dUgzJqBrdfo9fn3cy-PteoWBxIFLtShb-IvpXbR557xui7yzoFwsshmvXYdIQOjjDfa1qBvYGAV_J8uX0IrE4G39_X53LwmQQue0p1ca3dpmLzkUsVBNK-BZWNLty/w640-h600/IMG_5521.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: medium;">Before heading to the big city of Nice, make a pit-stop in </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Cagnes-sur-Mer. </span></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioy4rZHKPrxuYP7GzTSSDQi1UO2OWWTYP-IHPn3D7EfcH215bbQXPXbxK7GMZMCiRyMWuZFUVNXfVh8S4WEK1ZWY0PQLHse9C8lS_IiJbbYdtmAAYLIFUvmXQHNvk4p4D9v_fAWFo-IfS2/s2048/IMG_5512.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioy4rZHKPrxuYP7GzTSSDQi1UO2OWWTYP-IHPn3D7EfcH215bbQXPXbxK7GMZMCiRyMWuZFUVNXfVh8S4WEK1ZWY0PQLHse9C8lS_IiJbbYdtmAAYLIFUvmXQHNvk4p4D9v_fAWFo-IfS2/w640-h480/IMG_5512.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This is where my husband used to spend time every summer (his grandparents had an apartment there), so he has fond memories of this place. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It's a steep climb up to the medieval village above (called Haut-de-Cagnes). There's also a bus that can take you up if you want to save your calf muscles. If you do walk, the view is worth it. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I love that this town is fairly quiet and not as busy/touristy as some of the others I'm mentioning. It's pretty enough that Renoir chose to live here for inspiration purposes- you can even visit his house.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovMlaaRYogegCd9kNDUfQHLpRwK40klfwkrP8wh_Sst3vvaI2Wqd1_6EiHn5b32AssFBEJDxBmlrYfPD7-FJS7PdcLBpo270QM6_qU0cU2vQlZe6H4Ews6HM33kjPMlqKbFdd9MrNp_fL/s1200/cagnes.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovMlaaRYogegCd9kNDUfQHLpRwK40klfwkrP8wh_Sst3vvaI2Wqd1_6EiHn5b32AssFBEJDxBmlrYfPD7-FJS7PdcLBpo270QM6_qU0cU2vQlZe6H4Ews6HM33kjPMlqKbFdd9MrNp_fL/w640-h640/cagnes.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: medium;">Now it's time for the city! Get off the train at </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span><b>Nice</b></span><b>-Ville</b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> to be in the middle of the action.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Take the tram or walk down Avenue Jean Médecin to shop your way to Place Masséna.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8KmHZGZkWqOQ_jFBRjOcy4rwe0nPaRo2SpdfuqzTyRyQoJcLTrLe9FZ4HiKh7bdkfyM2iEwLnw_C8_w00qoIg4nmhoYGaVYNovtfCG9EXeodJFlhC6FEd4bQZOpOOEcJL8fGvds4FseO/s1200/masse%25CC%2581na.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8KmHZGZkWqOQ_jFBRjOcy4rwe0nPaRo2SpdfuqzTyRyQoJcLTrLe9FZ4HiKh7bdkfyM2iEwLnw_C8_w00qoIg4nmhoYGaVYNovtfCG9EXeodJFlhC6FEd4bQZOpOOEcJL8fGvds4FseO/w640-h640/masse%25CC%2581na.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">From there, turn left and wander through the Old Town. You could spend several days exploring Nice. Check out a museum or two, walk by the flower market, and make your way to Parc de la Colline du Château for a panoramic view. There's even an elevator built into the hill to take you up!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeAdNlaLgcvVUq_-WwvnZN5NtcXotjtx_fN-QmlkA2GVwMHf5qUUENGaaQDgk-QVBBkLZeYkzW7Cwbuya1N2RXRGY50vPAzKGzPfDbo_FisBaZDs_jPHG6DOUGID2stwtDq6iNhBU1FSU/s1600/IMG_1232.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeAdNlaLgcvVUq_-WwvnZN5NtcXotjtx_fN-QmlkA2GVwMHf5qUUENGaaQDgk-QVBBkLZeYkzW7Cwbuya1N2RXRGY50vPAzKGzPfDbo_FisBaZDs_jPHG6DOUGID2stwtDq6iNhBU1FSU/w640-h480/IMG_1232.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLLhOTeVhmUVAsbPb89qIRGMJhBIsH6WNPmuD7jFxIiEqdd55N5i0eGbJnkGCnaYbHdIZKcLTLAz-HNz2BPMbTniPKxsF4Gjq-smAMBSgbXTkP8ZRfqNyOYlQOkMDzP6rPzI6CnFsiqmE/s1600/IMG_3595.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLLhOTeVhmUVAsbPb89qIRGMJhBIsH6WNPmuD7jFxIiEqdd55N5i0eGbJnkGCnaYbHdIZKcLTLAz-HNz2BPMbTniPKxsF4Gjq-smAMBSgbXTkP8ZRfqNyOYlQOkMDzP6rPzI6CnFsiqmE/w640-h494/IMG_3595.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: medium;">Now it's time to hop back on the train, say au revoir to France, and head to the tiny country of </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Monaco</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;">. You'll know you're not in France as soon as you get off the train and see how beautiful and glitteringly clean the station is. The entire country is the size of a small city, and everything you see will likely be pristine.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4a_bJSebLBy3-BiAJIGzPlQPrRvKF2FCbf8sBuxzk_XVisR3JzOnPSoEV3Dmcc3ERarJu7yzGjwbQT1mm26ITsxqGMCaeeyYEyZ_1S-TF896zNYViUPPanWdyIUOV2HEQbLg5U7NfJ-K5/s945/IMG_0382.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="945" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4a_bJSebLBy3-BiAJIGzPlQPrRvKF2FCbf8sBuxzk_XVisR3JzOnPSoEV3Dmcc3ERarJu7yzGjwbQT1mm26ITsxqGMCaeeyYEyZ_1S-TF896zNYViUPPanWdyIUOV2HEQbLg5U7NfJ-K5/w640-h480/IMG_0382.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZ5LPmz_Y2v6OKvVNAzU8xkQtR5EC5JmBF3MxOhV7TVrYnm3YmjyBEqDz88YXBxo81lrgkw2E5nGssWXgHbMPzv3DeQAL0kQvBf0NkkI_QjBYLh6xZhz4nqmYuiL39nD74HNvfSFlb3LB/s709/IMG_3052.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="532" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZ5LPmz_Y2v6OKvVNAzU8xkQtR5EC5JmBF3MxOhV7TVrYnm3YmjyBEqDz88YXBxo81lrgkw2E5nGssWXgHbMPzv3DeQAL0kQvBf0NkkI_QjBYLh6xZhz4nqmYuiL39nD74HNvfSFlb3LB/w480-h640/IMG_3052.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The casino is worth a look inside even if casinos aren't your thing (although you can't enter without paying). We ate lunch at their fancy restaurant and it was one of the highlights of our time in Monaco. I won 10 euros there and plan on never gambling again for the sole purpose of being able to say that I only gamble in Monte-Carlo. ;)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqO-MoCnaDL8JmFuY6HlKBbJXScJAFLy2VcOxwmV6bGxxQtfvxksgfjRxjRi64FNOBFd4Etbywjvw16ZxkfhnEeS9s03rjNKzA0xFL_D9daYH_sgN6MT7BNs_madQEtG62ORJHCE4Kmou/s1093/IMG_3029.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="1093" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqO-MoCnaDL8JmFuY6HlKBbJXScJAFLy2VcOxwmV6bGxxQtfvxksgfjRxjRi64FNOBFd4Etbywjvw16ZxkfhnEeS9s03rjNKzA0xFL_D9daYH_sgN6MT7BNs_madQEtG62ORJHCE4Kmou/w640-h416/IMG_3029.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8GNmvzH9_xNF5eb5efGKYUJXQBBaR6Siz_BByMWB14TBQLY2lSkf_83G9ftHNn1y-bG7_m14j0U6RjnseOjqEigafJK1QnIVVQoaM_8i6imXVH48KNmYvbAkqvPaRcbrb_VAUOMb2Kfe/s945/IMG_7757.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="945" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8GNmvzH9_xNF5eb5efGKYUJXQBBaR6Siz_BByMWB14TBQLY2lSkf_83G9ftHNn1y-bG7_m14j0U6RjnseOjqEigafJK1QnIVVQoaM_8i6imXVH48KNmYvbAkqvPaRcbrb_VAUOMb2Kfe/w640-h480/IMG_7757.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">You can tour the palace- it's small but pretty. It was of interest to me because of Grace Kelly. The cathedral is also right around the corner from the palace and worth a look.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijheFnKwA7kR2mup7-t8O0xZQ-CeEtcDXTDc-Du3uqD4lu6cxFhWvM0_4NIPH4JsPHVvCVVI4Kd9Lt_RBbJ6HfsAqsKAjLtwLHuvyNz4XCK4hR2omlecbmDF_JmLjma_nK7qrCzXzhIGoE/s945/IMG_0381.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="945" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijheFnKwA7kR2mup7-t8O0xZQ-CeEtcDXTDc-Du3uqD4lu6cxFhWvM0_4NIPH4JsPHVvCVVI4Kd9Lt_RBbJ6HfsAqsKAjLtwLHuvyNz4XCK4hR2omlecbmDF_JmLjma_nK7qrCzXzhIGoE/w640-h480/IMG_0381.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xiMQ7BisFDtKYehL7ZKGSgPPOX9woNOjeTm-O006M20aCFMf_RYmHlFBNfcT9KfJ6OB3UFjkq67EhgP_es4fzf39wG69LqsDuKZ0kWx6oJr7b-LZfZQsi6CJVy23WJ_gU6nbrgbPAh-2/s928/IMG_3054.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="928" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xiMQ7BisFDtKYehL7ZKGSgPPOX9woNOjeTm-O006M20aCFMf_RYmHlFBNfcT9KfJ6OB3UFjkq67EhgP_es4fzf39wG69LqsDuKZ0kWx6oJr7b-LZfZQsi6CJVy23WJ_gU6nbrgbPAh-2/w640-h488/IMG_3054.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Before heading to the end of the train line in Italy, there's another stop to make in France. Yes, the country of Monaco is entirely surrounded by France (and the coast). </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: medium;">I know Italy sounds exciting, but I promise stopping in </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Menton</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> first is worth it! Menton is the warmest and sunniest city in France... and from the looks of it, also one of the ritziest. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyskyg5mYQwU1mtTbVf5Xw0xwOrg1e0FCLi25oh6F614Ac7jmTun95cjYQNoDAQ-_zUUz7KJkPXLm4kMEZGQ5FBcTiZbP14Cc7Xze4MH_PwIbtAgjo-UZS3M2WqUN3slvj4yIX9iLRy-m7/s1600/IMG_3838.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyskyg5mYQwU1mtTbVf5Xw0xwOrg1e0FCLi25oh6F614Ac7jmTun95cjYQNoDAQ-_zUUz7KJkPXLm4kMEZGQ5FBcTiZbP14Cc7Xze4MH_PwIbtAgjo-UZS3M2WqUN3slvj4yIX9iLRy-m7/w640-h480/IMG_3838.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After walking towards the water to get the view above, circle back towards the cathedral and enjoy the views on the way there.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoK47ZO5P2MQdO-4BcERB1fuA28DssPi1gB8-mmx16eBp-iXZTMhZiRSCxT5PFjcJZ6nf87NOLBXoxVvqYSYQcGxW-BHFaYmmnOXGBTB8gmKcQUId1UrFMZuGuwBVv75O_q0gEC0YUdCzb/s1200/menton.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoK47ZO5P2MQdO-4BcERB1fuA28DssPi1gB8-mmx16eBp-iXZTMhZiRSCxT5PFjcJZ6nf87NOLBXoxVvqYSYQcGxW-BHFaYmmnOXGBTB8gmKcQUId1UrFMZuGuwBVv75O_q0gEC0YUdCzb/w640-h640/menton.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: medium;">Cross another border for your last stop on this Riviera journey and head to </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Ventimiglia</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;">, Italy. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqI3m6ktLkIhNJjkfltI2Gh_fwP4pp3CZdKoWhQg8D3pxk-LwsNAMeUA8_vQuVMkkTxUM03D5-3TIIFjPPQnqHupAjrZuFcmd6NXsZsAQXJFhINfWq9v6XA9vurEtKWKIPTtsWK_z2GnoK/s1600/IMG_3777.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1600" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqI3m6ktLkIhNJjkfltI2Gh_fwP4pp3CZdKoWhQg8D3pxk-LwsNAMeUA8_vQuVMkkTxUM03D5-3TIIFjPPQnqHupAjrZuFcmd6NXsZsAQXJFhINfWq9v6XA9vurEtKWKIPTtsWK_z2GnoK/w640-h334/IMG_3777.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The first time I traveled here was on a whim with no plans, and it was such a good decision. I would suggest getting some gelato and wandering up the hill to the medieval section of town.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Pop into the old churches, enjoy the bright colors, and grab some Italian food before heading back to France... or continue deeper into Italy! You can easily connect to other Italian cities from Ventimiglia.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_ihzWDRumVC52Z9nq_irZzcA3qJantkXuJiwOlVkhAxrLhc0dxNQqioRwtQPDgd3d0VP2hZTWF8O2IHyW1cIGNiubQoSV6HJv-Rdj5sHLKV6zKCSBg-8KJWgZboElgStmQqqaaos7ZE0/s1200/venti.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_ihzWDRumVC52Z9nq_irZzcA3qJantkXuJiwOlVkhAxrLhc0dxNQqioRwtQPDgd3d0VP2hZTWF8O2IHyW1cIGNiubQoSV6HJv-Rdj5sHLKV6zKCSBg-8KJWgZboElgStmQqqaaos7ZE0/w640-h640/venti.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeE7QqzPTj_sQIZAOQnnr5M6mt2Y1UxSudZ0IEUkQyxfnixogOWLAtE2sb60GuTRj6M_Xr-ZSOzdzatFceaUQEf59R13pBbTenyoQxE4PCk7RKNBz-F3U3un7pJKdtkj15RLW4AVoELOr/s1200/ventichurches.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeE7QqzPTj_sQIZAOQnnr5M6mt2Y1UxSudZ0IEUkQyxfnixogOWLAtE2sb60GuTRj6M_Xr-ZSOzdzatFceaUQEf59R13pBbTenyoQxE4PCk7RKNBz-F3U3un7pJKdtkj15RLW4AVoELOr/w640-h640/ventichurches.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">After all of that sightseeing, you deserve a day at one of the Riviera’s many beautiful beaches! Grab a good book and some gelato and find a spot in the sand.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div><br /></div></div>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-34989724009485945722021-08-11T06:31:00.041-07:002023-03-26T18:51:32.464-07:003 Religions and 3 Holidays in Israel<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Israel is considered a holy place by all three major Abrahamic religions- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">There are so many different traditions and so much cultural diversity and history crammed into one tiny country. I loved getting a small taste of that during my years living there, and experiencing holidays was one fun way to do so.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">One of my favorite Jewish holidays is Purim- which commemorates the saving of the Jewish people as told in the Book of Esther. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHjoXXBGSp5ZhSD6afNFCP5g8mH5EyonMWOstoHVog2C_TBNaWMUXBvHet82G93CpRRlkaZyp_BeUjcz-qTDDUbLRJrp4w8rwt5B7nSJtSnbdUDCwYeww6Rhqf4nsb9Rq8AOVMMezxVyx/s766/IMG_6723.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHjoXXBGSp5ZhSD6afNFCP5g8mH5EyonMWOstoHVog2C_TBNaWMUXBvHet82G93CpRRlkaZyp_BeUjcz-qTDDUbLRJrp4w8rwt5B7nSJtSnbdUDCwYeww6Rhqf4nsb9Rq8AOVMMezxVyx/w480-h640/IMG_6723.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The way that it’s celebrated today reminds me a bit of Carneval/Mardi Gras, which takes place at around the same time of year. Kids (and adults!) wear costumes and a lot of candy is involved. </span><div><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: trebuchet; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrWMUES3sz0L1cLj5hyZYR6BF20jUxJRgZd-UBEobgI0pJb3cik817OR1Yq4_g_nt12sHd82ar88YKYrif9RdVLuCWY4ksZvO7UPZNwh8p6zn8SjGRCUUWoZ-phUlRjrTK6uDJARXM3_O/s1200/purim.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrWMUES3sz0L1cLj5hyZYR6BF20jUxJRgZd-UBEobgI0pJb3cik817OR1Yq4_g_nt12sHd82ar88YKYrif9RdVLuCWY4ksZvO7UPZNwh8p6zn8SjGRCUUWoZ-phUlRjrTK6uDJARXM3_O/w640-h640/purim.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some other traditions include exchanging gifts of food and drink (called mishloach manot), reading the Book of Esther (and booing/making noise whenever the name of the bad guy of the story, Haman, is said), and donating to charity. </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; white-space: pre-wrap;">There’s also a lot of alcohol that goes on. ;)</span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2f07b2cCxBMrMM5ulbqGwZB8KrWzvF0R_2viDotdqu7Jjfk0NsW9nJDoXni8TcLnoQdgQI_7jsaHKsIaFDgoTEGtyyVSkgRD63XdX1NrQKAy2u3_20J6aqpsr2TJVyjtAd11i8xwVdN_5/s766/IMG_4507.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2f07b2cCxBMrMM5ulbqGwZB8KrWzvF0R_2viDotdqu7Jjfk0NsW9nJDoXni8TcLnoQdgQI_7jsaHKsIaFDgoTEGtyyVSkgRD63XdX1NrQKAy2u3_20J6aqpsr2TJVyjtAd11i8xwVdN_5/w480-h640/IMG_4507.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Michloach Manot I got while working at a Jewish school- nicest people ever!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">One year, my parents happened to visit me during Purim and we were in Jerusalem for the holiday. It was so fun to see the costumes, parades, dancing, and celebrations taking place all over the city.</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uMj5FpflzAUCbukIPtjh4HL6HTLgOrgoRbm-vr3Q8jsPcSYgR0KsAx577tp8HPa9w304YLXmHiD1C2Fw4OflkUEcb6S_-1QPl4jNFY8qGg8JcalnyPB6D0N-fhYlZc5pAqjyxB-geWoB/s1022/IMG_6718.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uMj5FpflzAUCbukIPtjh4HL6HTLgOrgoRbm-vr3Q8jsPcSYgR0KsAx577tp8HPa9w304YLXmHiD1C2Fw4OflkUEcb6S_-1QPl4jNFY8qGg8JcalnyPB6D0N-fhYlZc5pAqjyxB-geWoB/w640-h480/IMG_6718.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;">And it was just a little bit funny to see people stumbling drunk through the streets of the Old City since Jerusalem usually comes across as a very buttoned-up, very serious religious place.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;">____________________________________________________________________________</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">As someone who grew up not knowing anyone who didn’t celebrate Christmas, I was curious what the Christmas season would be like in a place where the majority of the population don’t celebrate. </span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was surprisingly a lot of Christmas spirit to be found! </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The city where I lived, Haifa, has a large Russian immigrant population. After the fall of the Soviet Union, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1 million people</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> with partial or full Jewish ancestry chose to make the move (since 1970, you only need 1 Jewish grandparent to be able to immigrate to Israel easily). </span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">As you can imagine, many immigrants with only partial Jewish ancestry celebrate Christmas- hence the reason why you can find Christmas decorations in Haifa. </span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">My favorite place to go during the holiday season was the beautiful German Colony neighborhood. This part of Haifa was built by German Protestants in the late 1800s. In December it’s a monument to religious coexistence. A Christmas tree and lights, a menorah, and a crescent (not visible in every picture) to represent Islam are all displayed together with the incredible Baha’i Gardens in the background.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Interesting fact: Haifa is one of the only mixed Jewish/Arab cities in the country.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCUfdntWK7uSu4h6EC5JvDoLBuGoukVGxq3qL24sBZ5socy90bm6uTWdguk2UcK9pdvAqHaDVPXoCiooBXNHEX0TkiTBwm10eDvCQI3wMRxdxllC3LBgVnzm0ox154TLP87s_eY_mbgiB/s766/IMG_9826.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="756" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCUfdntWK7uSu4h6EC5JvDoLBuGoukVGxq3qL24sBZ5socy90bm6uTWdguk2UcK9pdvAqHaDVPXoCiooBXNHEX0TkiTBwm10eDvCQI3wMRxdxllC3LBgVnzm0ox154TLP87s_eY_mbgiB/w632-h640/IMG_9826.jpg" width="632" /></span></a></div><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBukMkIlj8brfGzLB9_Y3i5H1CX5BbuROecl2iZTQ0215Qfx_iMUKe2ZUh-EnDgGXLSzvw63bddBTI9tA4LSVvgiqC5BHbZCf88cphYloJKWC16G55-SXunEAUhOVSNmXEMIg1U4iXLAT/s1200/gc.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBukMkIlj8brfGzLB9_Y3i5H1CX5BbuROecl2iZTQ0215Qfx_iMUKe2ZUh-EnDgGXLSzvw63bddBTI9tA4LSVvgiqC5BHbZCf88cphYloJKWC16G55-SXunEAUhOVSNmXEMIg1U4iXLAT/w640-h640/gc.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p>One December, I went to Nazareth with a friend because we heard they had a Christmas market. After living in Europe the words “Christmas market” make me very excited, so I had to check it out.</p></span><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Considering Nazareth’s religious significance to Christians (birthplace of Mary), it makes sense that there is an Arab Christian population in the city and that some celebration takes place there.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Our first stop was the Basilica of the Annunciation, which is the biggest church in the Middle East. Tradition says that it was built over Mary’s actual house. We enjoyed seeing the massive nativity scene.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFVX-W9DmLFeR3YqRI6HC_JVAi-tGaoyuvwq9l0rN0Vea8_MxJA4eV2wnETBJGhRtckpofHwGblL0kiBmTINnKxSriPQ_kOIxatOkAEE-gd7YmWNoN9NnQ3H2p0DOXApZEsr7HbRDpNOV/s1114/IMG_9753.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1114" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFVX-W9DmLFeR3YqRI6HC_JVAi-tGaoyuvwq9l0rN0Vea8_MxJA4eV2wnETBJGhRtckpofHwGblL0kiBmTINnKxSriPQ_kOIxatOkAEE-gd7YmWNoN9NnQ3H2p0DOXApZEsr7HbRDpNOV/w640-h440/IMG_9753.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinA9FpP5aHp58y1r9xAW-USVE5an1ODAZnuF1_9ofvaKuGbW4idWxIU_NLK7JWhq8nbw-4-q8Sh2iHd7W1v_kE7XMGdVWzi3BUhXv5-nSq8LhSHyjQiR_29axZvcS-mU6eZHOMF7YUXQfC/s1200/basilica.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinA9FpP5aHp58y1r9xAW-USVE5an1ODAZnuF1_9ofvaKuGbW4idWxIU_NLK7JWhq8nbw-4-q8Sh2iHd7W1v_kE7XMGdVWzi3BUhXv5-nSq8LhSHyjQiR_29axZvcS-mU6eZHOMF7YUXQfC/w640-h640/basilica.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf50AT2KA1_XM-vGFSMw4C9ueNg0jzIm88DcUSwG8aHGVjfBpg48Gwl2goJC82i9ZKPvfVQOJvREkow5zYZ4rNXdGV2tUcy2Y0Mj7tD0Ya1qdM0W2J9Tf7wVOF2E-eYsbeCpL29_51jWE4/s1022/DSCN5237.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf50AT2KA1_XM-vGFSMw4C9ueNg0jzIm88DcUSwG8aHGVjfBpg48Gwl2goJC82i9ZKPvfVQOJvREkow5zYZ4rNXdGV2tUcy2Y0Mj7tD0Ya1qdM0W2J9Tf7wVOF2E-eYsbeCpL29_51jWE4/w640-h480/DSCN5237.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Grotto inside the church that supposedly contains the ruins of Mary's house.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;">On our way to the main attraction, we walked through the old market. This was not the special Christmas market, but we did find some Christmas decorations. I will never get tired of walking through the winding alleys of Middle Eastern markets- there are so many colors and something interesting to see everywhere you look.</span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcf4gbiemGvaVJAy587XzegA3ulwJhQgTYuK6aK7s9pCJZiarEUMSzbEnLX9CFGiO_I5FON8Qm0amgvbfZHf5gSX7tv_7B3D_BU0AS3Rf8X64sTpjlP2zbZ5tAXgteaqKvFtFXkKzBspp/s1600/IMG_9763.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1497" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcf4gbiemGvaVJAy587XzegA3ulwJhQgTYuK6aK7s9pCJZiarEUMSzbEnLX9CFGiO_I5FON8Qm0amgvbfZHf5gSX7tv_7B3D_BU0AS3Rf8X64sTpjlP2zbZ5tAXgteaqKvFtFXkKzBspp/w598-h640/IMG_9763.jpg" width="598" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Christmas market and a very impressive tree were found next to Mary’s Well, the spot where first century residents of Nazareth got their water and where tradition says the Angel Gabriel met with Mary.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjE_26W1xRo9j9-7aahtVv4h3vjgreXsI4bXx0TAoi1Yse_RL3silWWrt7tS0TEw3D3RZIGOlPdzT-jfRT8q7UMsTKE5zBq2GI0_IEIObx2Pe2Offja68h4cw0CRkR4Kx7B380XtdY58Z/s1600/IMG_9785.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjE_26W1xRo9j9-7aahtVv4h3vjgreXsI4bXx0TAoi1Yse_RL3silWWrt7tS0TEw3D3RZIGOlPdzT-jfRT8q7UMsTKE5zBq2GI0_IEIObx2Pe2Offja68h4cw0CRkR4Kx7B380XtdY58Z/w640-h480/IMG_9785.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikObaVjduOhJZv4tMMXXo8Bxsw_y9_dVeyBRM52UNQhaftiELsPRZHCR2pJJQnDlIQbA7JdhpbOc4_vawlk8VXgaTi7rqko6fDKGjkyvZjegBwV7ReWyAG-uzEQCqxrdvDzhlG32NtMPLN/s1600/IMG_9775.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikObaVjduOhJZv4tMMXXo8Bxsw_y9_dVeyBRM52UNQhaftiELsPRZHCR2pJJQnDlIQbA7JdhpbOc4_vawlk8VXgaTi7rqko6fDKGjkyvZjegBwV7ReWyAG-uzEQCqxrdvDzhlG32NtMPLN/w640-h480/IMG_9775.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;">There were beautiful homemade crafts at the market that were out of our budget but fun to admire.</span><p></p><p><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8HBuSEDhg0ETuMCgX6L_w7iPHxwKbaOmGKPns3B4Ca_6rgvBC9J8YAKXeCn91RpY8yElRgF9YxEl5kSTL7j83mEk057EhzGTiFrCiEI5vjjYTIDX17bJz66i2uCQgkn6IoD49c9PmuYk/s1600/IMG_9786.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="1600" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8HBuSEDhg0ETuMCgX6L_w7iPHxwKbaOmGKPns3B4Ca_6rgvBC9J8YAKXeCn91RpY8yElRgF9YxEl5kSTL7j83mEk057EhzGTiFrCiEI5vjjYTIDX17bJz66i2uCQgkn6IoD49c9PmuYk/w640-h384/IMG_9786.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">You can find some Christmas cheer in Jerusalem as well thanks to Christian tourists, the clergy that take care of the holy sites, and a small population of Arab Christians. These lights were right next to one of my favorite falafel restaurants!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDcBufiP2l9_BYto8fXvqUFmdfvihSgHDhJ7OwWIvBntGFKQenD4E5ZNcDvvnLPGa7chN4TfmxTFgz02i2hQSIZDUGCHhzGralBEjTD1Bft_1VHv1ja9n8GJI7p-CjpfoFvxUDHM2omB_/s1200/jeru.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDcBufiP2l9_BYto8fXvqUFmdfvihSgHDhJ7OwWIvBntGFKQenD4E5ZNcDvvnLPGa7chN4TfmxTFgz02i2hQSIZDUGCHhzGralBEjTD1Bft_1VHv1ja9n8GJI7p-CjpfoFvxUDHM2omB_/w640-h640/jeru.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; white-space: pre-wrap;">I never made it to Bethlehem during the Christmas season, but I know there’s a big celebration there on Christmas Eve! I don’t like to travel on the actual holiday, but if for some</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reason I ever find myself in the Holy Land on December 24th/25th, that’s where I’ll be hanging out.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">____________________________________________________________________________<br /></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Unlike Purim and Christmas, Ramadan lasts for a whole month! During that time, observant Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. </span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">When it falls in the summer (the date changes year to year because it’s based on a lunar calendar and not the Gregorian solar calendar), I can’t imagine what it’s like to go the whole day without water while trying to work in hot 100+ Middle Eastern weather.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">You might encounter some (understandably) grumpy people during Ramadan. I noticed two different types of coping mechanisms while shopping at Arab markets. Note that there are no price tags, you have to haggle. Half of shop owners will give you worse prices than usual because they’re in a bad mood, and the other half are too tired to argue with their usual amount of gusto and might give you a great deal.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I once saw a fist fight break out when someone drank water in front of that was fasting. After that I always tried to be very subtle while drinking and never had any problems. :) </span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">At sunset, the mood in the city changes and you can feel a sense of relief in the air! Families gather to feast together. I’ve actually heard from several people that they gain weight during Ramadan because they’re so hungry after not eating all day that they overdo it at night.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir30p8Fgi4IpmritBbs3thfKe-YC7mFK1GyhPiCNJbiH93H8irzTjWdaUEsbVBU0o86QG5-uy-o406h6RtVzcJDDb-7zPxDe8ZjWK6RJY7eZtACfHw8f5_I-sGw-lb2cQy-hMQn4oh2d-a/s1230/DSCN5584.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1230" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir30p8Fgi4IpmritBbs3thfKe-YC7mFK1GyhPiCNJbiH93H8irzTjWdaUEsbVBU0o86QG5-uy-o406h6RtVzcJDDb-7zPxDe8ZjWK6RJY7eZtACfHw8f5_I-sGw-lb2cQy-hMQn4oh2d-a/w640-h398/DSCN5584.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Family picnics</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Eid al-Fitr is the special celebration to mark the end of the month. One summer when I was living in nearby Haifa, I decided to spend the weekend in Jerusalem to see the lights and decorations in the Old City. It’s already a magical place on a normal day, so I couldn’t miss it!</span></span></p><p><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFv8UZsV4p4xGpPVArafxEtkXuv6Ynv3cj1a0Ak2cDkb3u5IVfvyWuvqwbmxAZc4DhoInLcnSlNeE_rxquvUlRd3C_0jSpf2cDka_TFZDC2qqC9mKS9HMieVISxYAsjvAHvqHgRUpq_j3/s1022/DSCN5588.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFv8UZsV4p4xGpPVArafxEtkXuv6Ynv3cj1a0Ak2cDkb3u5IVfvyWuvqwbmxAZc4DhoInLcnSlNeE_rxquvUlRd3C_0jSpf2cDka_TFZDC2qqC9mKS9HMieVISxYAsjvAHvqHgRUpq_j3/w640-h480/DSCN5588.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">These are the typical crowds- the area around Damascus Gate (one of the entrances to the Old City) is usually a total zoo.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz63HcKN-C7hnATM1aHZe386oIO65qVPnnfvRgOvlESwp2Deuv5LguhCYn8TtN-DOvh75u69C-QVHGgC2BvDcaVBeRaktNwwUipGFTQ3tkbq3CrVImnoMYlxJWSP42st198itI8RaCI6bg/s766/DSCN5582.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz63HcKN-C7hnATM1aHZe386oIO65qVPnnfvRgOvlESwp2Deuv5LguhCYn8TtN-DOvh75u69C-QVHGgC2BvDcaVBeRaktNwwUipGFTQ3tkbq3CrVImnoMYlxJWSP42st198itI8RaCI6bg/w480-h640/DSCN5582.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">But when I walked through the Muslim Quarter just after sunset, the streets were much quieter than usual due to so many people happily eating and celebrating with family.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQe1KdrwHvK2bzZaq-G0ZmSYgH2w7d19AntximvVblzTfDdNBNOKUg_nAWaWyGzB0LJWVJaQx0Dd_wD7xjYHIvH5qVeHkuIYImTDqhOPklQ4Ze6gONyxFEL4KXgbXlpFe-qpWoK8Wd4qb/s766/DSCN5594.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="505" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQe1KdrwHvK2bzZaq-G0ZmSYgH2w7d19AntximvVblzTfDdNBNOKUg_nAWaWyGzB0LJWVJaQx0Dd_wD7xjYHIvH5qVeHkuIYImTDqhOPklQ4Ze6gONyxFEL4KXgbXlpFe-qpWoK8Wd4qb/w422-h640/DSCN5594.jpg" width="422" /></span></a></div><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLDzZjUzwD_plcBlFK5bUIe89xqycvX86S2RuY4bIBIF5CPhj8eUy-Ni2Q6QQC3hI_Fj0GAwkpb5x2yCoRibMhkpeJHWvLAGM2MGXYHPzCqZQ-vRCOKfwM_-1R8iE9nIGO9kBM5C0o7It/s895/DSCN5600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="895" height="549" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLDzZjUzwD_plcBlFK5bUIe89xqycvX86S2RuY4bIBIF5CPhj8eUy-Ni2Q6QQC3hI_Fj0GAwkpb5x2yCoRibMhkpeJHWvLAGM2MGXYHPzCqZQ-vRCOKfwM_-1R8iE9nIGO9kBM5C0o7It/w640-h549/DSCN5600.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HHtOJWOuY5mrU1f8r9JiSefrI79Ue6XaJAV8IOyx4ZJe9C2PYokzBNjsRXi1jRgGEb_RSD_KPcnEAIrK1YMhYt9daawEDlMTKLa5_OL9KnTUbXhtThCdy4Kct-dszNY7N_WI22xftNbk/s999/DSCN5603.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="999" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HHtOJWOuY5mrU1f8r9JiSefrI79Ue6XaJAV8IOyx4ZJe9C2PYokzBNjsRXi1jRgGEb_RSD_KPcnEAIrK1YMhYt9daawEDlMTKLa5_OL9KnTUbXhtThCdy4Kct-dszNY7N_WI22xftNbk/w640-h490/DSCN5603.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I hope you enjoyed this small glimpse into the colorful and endlessly fascinating country of Israel! One of the many reasons I love the country is the interesting mix of different cultures and peoples- all with long histories and rich traditions.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;">I hope you enjoyed this small glimpse into the colorful and endlessly fascinating country of Israel!</span></div><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-33806013985431506362021-07-19T19:16:00.055-07:002023-03-26T14:45:39.092-07:00My favorite Paris walk<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whether you’re planning a trip or just in the mood for some Paris daydreaming, this is for you! </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4d2211a7-7fff-3e56-e4b4-792db83216af"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve done some variation of this walk on every trip I’ve taken to Paris, so I hope my memory serves me well.</span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*Start at the Louvre*</span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unless you’re up for a walking marathon, I wouldn’t combine this walk and seeing the museum… my feet hurt just thinking about it! Fun fact: if you took 30 seconds to see each piece of art in the Louvre, it would take you 200 days to see everything.</span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whether you take this opportunity to see the museum or not, you can enjoy the interesting architecture of the Louvre- there’s nothing quite like the contrast of a former royal palace and an ultra-modern glass pyramid. Sitting by the fountains is a prime place for people watching!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwJettR9yfW7Zd2sJCsgGDPbA-XbaJvWwvBfMcFsMLSaBVnPi8iEwk2ekG7XBI9kZp6yMvdP8O1vhKeWfu5nvJS1vHdo5ahLmvtgsi8kue9M0DRABvkMHikM7aafHJKq6uU_6Iq9a9m7k/s1600/IMG_0900.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwJettR9yfW7Zd2sJCsgGDPbA-XbaJvWwvBfMcFsMLSaBVnPi8iEwk2ekG7XBI9kZp6yMvdP8O1vhKeWfu5nvJS1vHdo5ahLmvtgsi8kue9M0DRABvkMHikM7aafHJKq6uU_6Iq9a9m7k/w640-h480/IMG_0900.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Y_rR-lwW6JJXcCMG8vfW8LmaaNnSW1lFgln8vdN1q0vor7Q6GAYumIOMYoS-EH7ApDpdmiSmA-bcQdSmcH5fqfAdhCN5JRNnzMtQPU7-w_5CegRPTwO-laxGqtDre8gx8mG42VkKNfI1/s1600/IMG_1227.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1255" data-original-width="1600" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Y_rR-lwW6JJXcCMG8vfW8LmaaNnSW1lFgln8vdN1q0vor7Q6GAYumIOMYoS-EH7ApDpdmiSmA-bcQdSmcH5fqfAdhCN5JRNnzMtQPU7-w_5CegRPTwO-laxGqtDre8gx8mG42VkKNfI1/w640-h502/IMG_1227.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If that type of historic/modern contrast is your thing, I suggest taking a quick detour to the courtyard of the Palais Royal. It’s only a few minutes’ walk away, and there is an interesting art installation surrounded by the former residence of the Dukes of Orléans.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUI7SqQKOscZ8KZNiD-1E8jvtM9fN6TDs4JTuQ4fYV9bWprHqu-DcUCi0nl4YQz-XKWGwMj_-FuNt97eF57cNjAxBhgJj_7k-Y20ZTQyCcsVc2wW1KQYAcNN286KdrCr4s86W5BHQcBux/s1022/IMG_6628+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUI7SqQKOscZ8KZNiD-1E8jvtM9fN6TDs4JTuQ4fYV9bWprHqu-DcUCi0nl4YQz-XKWGwMj_-FuNt97eF57cNjAxBhgJj_7k-Y20ZTQyCcsVc2wW1KQYAcNN286KdrCr4s86W5BHQcBux/w640-h480/IMG_6628+2.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From the Louvre, continue past the Arc du Carrousel to the Jardin des Tuileries. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KzSKIA01xdrXOAHKi0ASxk3Q5YDpdu6CqMz0mTu01dbHIaIxOOkTtBX0BGdVUC7ouwuDjLWTHPG3-xSqbkM_uTKlpsmqw1dnXNUMhqVSvep7TQ3_9Mp8nHxrR3YfR0Lji8XjFjZQ4DG7/s1022/IMG_0899.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1022" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KzSKIA01xdrXOAHKi0ASxk3Q5YDpdu6CqMz0mTu01dbHIaIxOOkTtBX0BGdVUC7ouwuDjLWTHPG3-xSqbkM_uTKlpsmqw1dnXNUMhqVSvep7TQ3_9Mp8nHxrR3YfR0Lji8XjFjZQ4DG7/w640-h480/IMG_0899.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s a pleasant walk through the park, and you can even catch a glimpse of the tip of the Eiffel Tower. One of the benches with an Eiffel Tower view is where I had my first kiss with my husband, so I’m pretty partial to this spot.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9URzQURU43H769SM7vjNia7-TwdsWuLC6dD7YPSHODLjF8q6tJEBGH3Dg5AVoQkHzuU5GAXppZaVYZLs0c5X_tP3xucEhyEYGD8LiL3P9KIK7X_xvwLJt-sKN4KK5YbQmtUlltZ85SIz/s1600/IMG_0915.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9URzQURU43H769SM7vjNia7-TwdsWuLC6dD7YPSHODLjF8q6tJEBGH3Dg5AVoQkHzuU5GAXppZaVYZLs0c5X_tP3xucEhyEYGD8LiL3P9KIK7X_xvwLJt-sKN4KK5YbQmtUlltZ85SIz/w640-h480/IMG_0915.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkJwD5LoOe6liYJW2-s0a7VHz5PQtzfMALVF4za0TGX2O8cKvGajKSBdBYoHJS4MC0NpKES2dATaO47pKykPtRuAsFNyivWtHDmwxFszJGawEqmG7Xj0LB7jiYavRyQ-Y1okFkbHR9QTp/s774/IMG_2873.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="774" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkJwD5LoOe6liYJW2-s0a7VHz5PQtzfMALVF4za0TGX2O8cKvGajKSBdBYoHJS4MC0NpKES2dATaO47pKykPtRuAsFNyivWtHDmwxFszJGawEqmG7Xj0LB7jiYavRyQ-Y1okFkbHR9QTp/w640-h634/IMG_2873.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDvNSP7r4MSQfPFESPY3weO0gk2mHdMuje4QyTgGL0PInmgzZvgNC0LMs1rOMsQzrcBPH6VlsPjNfqPgzAaqwQrVgoKt3pzM5MamsVq9MOrV9mDs9FZrbCZk0UDNfN5p2r0xjz6yZJulV/s1600/IMG_0910.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1252" data-original-width="1600" height="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDvNSP7r4MSQfPFESPY3weO0gk2mHdMuje4QyTgGL0PInmgzZvgNC0LMs1rOMsQzrcBPH6VlsPjNfqPgzAaqwQrVgoKt3pzM5MamsVq9MOrV9mDs9FZrbCZk0UDNfN5p2r0xjz6yZJulV/w640-h501/IMG_0910.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you need a pick-me-up, treat yourself by stopping at the Angelina salon de thé. It’s about halfway through the park along Rue de Rivoli. There’s Belle Epoque decor, it was Coco Chanel’s hangout spot, and they have the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHgYVedw6WBhnOSBRrjhd5-YNMME6gCtDaiaHRNYjJkZB5RB1Wm8lPJbNZFqDf26NfDqRSPNEseeyQt8F_5sqzr9YPAVAS6URyg8BfyUv8QdobWHGw4JVE-07HF-vaf6zt-R8c64SSRni/s1200/ang.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHgYVedw6WBhnOSBRrjhd5-YNMME6gCtDaiaHRNYjJkZB5RB1Wm8lPJbNZFqDf26NfDqRSPNEseeyQt8F_5sqzr9YPAVAS6URyg8BfyUv8QdobWHGw4JVE-07HF-vaf6zt-R8c64SSRni/w640-h640/ang.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once you make it through the garden, continue onto Place de la Concorde. It's hard to miss the ancient Egyptian obelisk standing in the center! It was a gift from the Egyptian government. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-5Dq5o-DfIx3ZSu1fQfplp8CzqmPvJeK7q52Di6osFTCDPsLQKT9gtWAx8xKmuLExGdND6t1AnP__Ltk-QPZRbbgLa6Id0GledY1SJv-XnvKU_xSMX5FNXSYyWNiVY1XebvPCBLkvV8D/s766/DSCN5546.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-5Dq5o-DfIx3ZSu1fQfplp8CzqmPvJeK7q52Di6osFTCDPsLQKT9gtWAx8xKmuLExGdND6t1AnP__Ltk-QPZRbbgLa6Id0GledY1SJv-XnvKU_xSMX5FNXSYyWNiVY1XebvPCBLkvV8D/w480-h640/DSCN5546.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeTwOfJbzSzZzwBSDoWh8_vATMkkoCgyx-IZz3FOtqX322yFc1NlWszSETojHayyZCUFdXlVjc1KQe-QbcUoWzc6vIQTpGDTGlEPXau9wcGbSuOFjQG7J_5X_F-ic3_CJ0bLu1QT4wyKA/s1196/DSCN0528.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1196" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeTwOfJbzSzZzwBSDoWh8_vATMkkoCgyx-IZz3FOtqX322yFc1NlWszSETojHayyZCUFdXlVjc1KQe-QbcUoWzc6vIQTpGDTGlEPXau9wcGbSuOFjQG7J_5X_F-ic3_CJ0bLu1QT4wyKA/w640-h410/DSCN0528.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Depending on the season, you can sometimes find a ferris wheel here as well.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gIbZDauXBAFpf3LLDWbpTdgLy-W7lWKeyrNPm4BgAIXG9VHr7LA_41QHohflSwx6r4QQYVRKMjP2OX-G3yocPAxDfzoKP27Bfgo1DBRQnHpQmvHahal-E1WvpRRwTzQ_X39WfXQ1cocW/s1600/IMG_0917.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gIbZDauXBAFpf3LLDWbpTdgLy-W7lWKeyrNPm4BgAIXG9VHr7LA_41QHohflSwx6r4QQYVRKMjP2OX-G3yocPAxDfzoKP27Bfgo1DBRQnHpQmvHahal-E1WvpRRwTzQ_X39WfXQ1cocW/w640-h480/IMG_0917.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUGU-9foI-Md49iJfj-JsSpt1IiwZ7ALvbHrkzFz535KVhQ1O7bIKD2ccE-9xpM3H4eo31_9T6Jk2ElXNeL8dud3khQl00J4xThoQXbaIsJjQcn_eNjcy7C8TUaKU9i_513UrFWX7wzun/s1600/IMG_0929.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1544" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUGU-9foI-Md49iJfj-JsSpt1IiwZ7ALvbHrkzFz535KVhQ1O7bIKD2ccE-9xpM3H4eo31_9T6Jk2ElXNeL8dud3khQl00J4xThoQXbaIsJjQcn_eNjcy7C8TUaKU9i_513UrFWX7wzun/w618-h640/IMG_0929.jpg" width="618" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">It’s hard to believe with all of the beauty surrounding you, but this plaza was a prime guillotine location during the French Revolution. Back when it was called Place de la Révolution, this was where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed.</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuO4RwcTo5Z-N6CT6Hud-v6ilCMUjuZ7KxIPnB-jXj-WPMzjPXnVRlCP9yEHXs7L9e4sK9UjLBTXbxLVSo51HVHVigOoWxFsCiYbWQnGDEpvEIS1yIjKTPYZXEZvyQQSjsfo_GOC_T5UYa/s1129/DSCN0537.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1129" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuO4RwcTo5Z-N6CT6Hud-v6ilCMUjuZ7KxIPnB-jXj-WPMzjPXnVRlCP9yEHXs7L9e4sK9UjLBTXbxLVSo51HVHVigOoWxFsCiYbWQnGDEpvEIS1yIjKTPYZXEZvyQQSjsfo_GOC_T5UYa/w640-h434/DSCN0537.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One thing Parisians excel at (besides guillotining) is symmetry. If you stand in the middle of Place de la Concorde, you should be able to see buildings to the north and south that are both inspired by Roman Temples.</span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To the north is l’Eglise de la Madeleine (you can see in the background of the previous picture. It's worth a visit! I’d also recommend a stop at nearby Ladurée for macarons.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczGOXgAgKsXRhZMuPmGWr7jyw3kj5Zojll7fv3E3IdRxvhlKpBTcGvL1a2cPaFMEOvF48Hnjg1a6k0jNlIFQ6Nf8uD6ESi67D1y-odT7NEl04qw916kn0xv26vkYxvIs-kuGpYQbduAM-/s1200/maddie.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczGOXgAgKsXRhZMuPmGWr7jyw3kj5Zojll7fv3E3IdRxvhlKpBTcGvL1a2cPaFMEOvF48Hnjg1a6k0jNlIFQ6Nf8uD6ESi67D1y-odT7NEl04qw916kn0xv26vkYxvIs-kuGpYQbduAM-/w640-h640/maddie.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqMYvlCX1jvfm6mPNUXibbnTR3_T5y_9REdafbw58EPfuKym3fKtME8xskp36jDGLSNXOwbWsSElMczpuzhW7XxnwF701hhdgPo_MgRRQ_-jzT3rq0p9SvjPTzCfZJQC4GY-IS5Sx7Fm_/s1200/ladur.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqMYvlCX1jvfm6mPNUXibbnTR3_T5y_9REdafbw58EPfuKym3fKtME8xskp36jDGLSNXOwbWsSElMczpuzhW7XxnwF701hhdgPo_MgRRQ_-jzT3rq0p9SvjPTzCfZJQC4GY-IS5Sx7Fm_/w640-h640/ladur.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">To the south is Palais Bourbon, where the National Assembly meets. </span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8dMrmmJrogy58h4E4R250WIJzi-O5pu35bZhF8gDHpK8b55eX1inABKVee3Hop6Ugie2Y8MD2e5lVmCfk4_vXanV310Fi0rs1F3Nzt1OEhAak6wQSVUBNMMPN11Ro76XYk0rTEvF1eKaM/s725/DSCN3417.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="725" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8dMrmmJrogy58h4E4R250WIJzi-O5pu35bZhF8gDHpK8b55eX1inABKVee3Hop6Ugie2Y8MD2e5lVmCfk4_vXanV310Fi0rs1F3Nzt1OEhAak6wQSVUBNMMPN11Ro76XYk0rTEvF1eKaM/w640-h418/DSCN3417.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now it’s time to continue onto Paris’ most famous boulevard- the tree-lined Champs-Elysées! </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkXP6eyexbgnHo8r9OAA7-I4bvRSb6B9wY0gzSVTcqUj4avtWHXtnFJ7xoRvP1rFof0q4XcLhronZ0mhbDUmcIyevgpNUbdX_F2CWpkpV182JY2tN0k7P38vMyUxcdk56R0hPGip9-R9y/s676/DSCN0531.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="661" data-original-width="676" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkXP6eyexbgnHo8r9OAA7-I4bvRSb6B9wY0gzSVTcqUj4avtWHXtnFJ7xoRvP1rFof0q4XcLhronZ0mhbDUmcIyevgpNUbdX_F2CWpkpV182JY2tN0k7P38vMyUxcdk56R0hPGip9-R9y/w640-h626/DSCN0531.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Champs-Elysées is packed with shops and restaurants. Before checking them out, turn left when you get to Place Clemenceau. You should see the Grand and Petit Palais on either side of the street.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilosf5DNqC3CdsHywTxc6P9E9hRKqzlDHzoH4GBhoo3KgCO35ukuWZSIUxkEwqRd0KR5-PvUfxX75LGbWJoHLOS0bIW-mc2p5YbMvp5KYw_sCqUfaAt14apr1TNxmcMiefXwt5LSPDVguz/s1227/DSCN0546.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1227" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilosf5DNqC3CdsHywTxc6P9E9hRKqzlDHzoH4GBhoo3KgCO35ukuWZSIUxkEwqRd0KR5-PvUfxX75LGbWJoHLOS0bIW-mc2p5YbMvp5KYw_sCqUfaAt14apr1TNxmcMiefXwt5LSPDVguz/w640-h400/DSCN0546.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7FY-L2rAux1-xuawlmvzsDWHZcugKXI0iJhx8V0blMKm1kyIZ7pxy-PIJk5V_joFADSB_azy66u2cGyd6YcjgdUYmlhBu5RabGI8JpHAOBAe7rA3wDTOv0JwqX7lgPBaQkUyTHWATewa/s1093/DSCN0549.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="1093" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7FY-L2rAux1-xuawlmvzsDWHZcugKXI0iJhx8V0blMKm1kyIZ7pxy-PIJk5V_joFADSB_azy66u2cGyd6YcjgdUYmlhBu5RabGI8JpHAOBAe7rA3wDTOv0JwqX7lgPBaQkUyTHWATewa/w640-h408/DSCN0549.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Grand Palais hosts events and temporary exhibitions, and the Petit Palais is an art museum.</span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are many lovely bridges in Paris, but the Pont Alexandre III is by far my favorite. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPJEjRGOI1ASkVVtKOSQBXMMeR5_qWEymqGoo-TPG3NT5PU2R0ibYyHA0hfqAlLB5yCFnhGwnd95V5fDcFA6eXJKkcfY7PQAQg6m2tGGPqdklnGYFE6hx1PFEuXmBryrpZR8Uu2wGQnzq/s1600/IMG_6480.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1538" data-original-width="1600" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPJEjRGOI1ASkVVtKOSQBXMMeR5_qWEymqGoo-TPG3NT5PU2R0ibYyHA0hfqAlLB5yCFnhGwnd95V5fDcFA6eXJKkcfY7PQAQg6m2tGGPqdklnGYFE6hx1PFEuXmBryrpZR8Uu2wGQnzq/w640-h616/IMG_6480.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEn6eELK5-d0HLjWI3_9EpI-k0k29e4Up0p95f_men9o_TX7UgBk5QCjsrWJg9bFTieGyaRAvc4QyIt_OS48SFKHwRpMylRQy5dks7IGVitXWUi5aIZEmyN7YKyTmPJ1YRQpdIhCbIns9/s766/IMG_2339+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEn6eELK5-d0HLjWI3_9EpI-k0k29e4Up0p95f_men9o_TX7UgBk5QCjsrWJg9bFTieGyaRAvc4QyIt_OS48SFKHwRpMylRQy5dks7IGVitXWUi5aIZEmyN7YKyTmPJ1YRQpdIhCbIns9/w480-h640/IMG_2339+%25281%2529.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6S5XOgrj5IkghONzXwCkliFVAOGSt5Bw9JbfvSJjfgszjCEvXCpKMWthBw5UAuVKD-H-SKVqKNHYmaCHLZUdrWWxN3ph2cRsXFW_QwOVcYwwCvQA5l7L3kONP94V5DyQSOxeWBh_fmOL/s1600/IMG_6492.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6S5XOgrj5IkghONzXwCkliFVAOGSt5Bw9JbfvSJjfgszjCEvXCpKMWthBw5UAuVKD-H-SKVqKNHYmaCHLZUdrWWxN3ph2cRsXFW_QwOVcYwwCvQA5l7L3kONP94V5DyQSOxeWBh_fmOL/w480-h640/IMG_6492.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">Besides how ornate it is, this bridge's Eiffel Tower view can't be beat.</span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIHYWF9P0QXPPJXroPPr2D7XUdTnBXm1rYvTavlHWuK3AOLncdpw7nXFNXXX1G5kovmTHgnUpAGDU6KTj5Z484VVHkKdzfal5gCsWR3aUJWvuKf2rz-ck9_GtslIrMw-E7twnZ-COlJv9/s766/DSCN0564.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="515" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIHYWF9P0QXPPJXroPPr2D7XUdTnBXm1rYvTavlHWuK3AOLncdpw7nXFNXXX1G5kovmTHgnUpAGDU6KTj5Z484VVHkKdzfal5gCsWR3aUJWvuKf2rz-ck9_GtslIrMw-E7twnZ-COlJv9/w430-h640/DSCN0564.jpg" width="430" /></span></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Further down the street, you’ll see the golden dome of Les Invalides. Napoleon himself is buried under the dome, which seems just about ostentatious enough for his liking. The building also houses the Musée de l'Armée, or Army Museum.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwebKnH4QH6JSzoZPvNNbgyLPY7Nxc32mRItVTxbreg9eatkDeJpkLf94673X5Ax0zlCuYG4QaLaEOZT6UfpVGjkkjm9HvcfP4rNFaBThgD3uvCLhdrbAt_oM_2xWVLO6fCijdOGzwnUy/s766/DSCF0615.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="652" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwebKnH4QH6JSzoZPvNNbgyLPY7Nxc32mRItVTxbreg9eatkDeJpkLf94673X5Ax0zlCuYG4QaLaEOZT6UfpVGjkkjm9HvcfP4rNFaBThgD3uvCLhdrbAt_oM_2xWVLO6fCijdOGzwnUy/w544-h640/DSCF0615.jpg" width="544" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At this point, if you still have any energy, I would head back to the Champs-Elysées to browse some stores and find something to eat.</span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Arc de Triomphe, which towers over the end of the street, has one of my favorite views in Paris. I like it much better than the Eiffel Tower because 1. It’s less crowded and 2. It gives you a view of the Eiffel Tower!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduFkhkt4UtHMYFTFXEjE1vZDw9fp1Kj11tlCtpqkKBqz8MNDXUC_XgmDZx1riv3AEPPneQgmIB5esDL5CHT4QnETo1RbF5bHYNbQ0q_SKbV6QM1lzEN8W7HsEx86FQD5ZP2pL8OifZEqn/s1600/IMG_6503.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1600" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduFkhkt4UtHMYFTFXEjE1vZDw9fp1Kj11tlCtpqkKBqz8MNDXUC_XgmDZx1riv3AEPPneQgmIB5esDL5CHT4QnETo1RbF5bHYNbQ0q_SKbV6QM1lzEN8W7HsEx86FQD5ZP2pL8OifZEqn/w640-h432/IMG_6503.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhf_lrjhDTqXOA9hFv-DkG_0uaeZcMAoc6vI3a9G8O6_IuJJKq1dRdkw4mWdhB8Bc7b1dJpJLkEC2ebahHKEjNtTVnWETBU0wfmKxDhLK2m1U4SOHh7dacHJBLl-j5tvsw45gZzZJN40U/s766/DSCN0609.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhf_lrjhDTqXOA9hFv-DkG_0uaeZcMAoc6vI3a9G8O6_IuJJKq1dRdkw4mWdhB8Bc7b1dJpJLkEC2ebahHKEjNtTVnWETBU0wfmKxDhLK2m1U4SOHh7dacHJBLl-j5tvsw45gZzZJN40U/w480-h640/DSCN0609.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcknWFknPkgvxYyhkNElXrFSDo2MsZkpMBwPoDTw4oMmZcpPVm_uh7cHOxgjkjNy6YIf6lGGRotlzD7-GarwDFtwk8wM3G4z9OSCpK-dyBZxiBqVOq3qKXU9v_GDBQNMCpt2IoajV0k5-D/s2048/IMG_4959.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2029" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcknWFknPkgvxYyhkNElXrFSDo2MsZkpMBwPoDTw4oMmZcpPVm_uh7cHOxgjkjNy6YIf6lGGRotlzD7-GarwDFtwk8wM3G4z9OSCpK-dyBZxiBqVOq3qKXU9v_GDBQNMCpt2IoajV0k5-D/w634-h640/IMG_4959.jpg" width="634" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuR3en5DjLgQmcsbIqDYklEslH9K0zLCNZUyhF-22dMbWTjJY2r-G1oxwobC-Ae6NsLp8wFxbR48DIxcOhf8iuf4QMYr5cb2vx-oo0gPkkJorBM8ykScD99_rgZFaXd7ywXO8fPRzC4jKp/s766/DSCN0594.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="632" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuR3en5DjLgQmcsbIqDYklEslH9K0zLCNZUyhF-22dMbWTjJY2r-G1oxwobC-Ae6NsLp8wFxbR48DIxcOhf8iuf4QMYr5cb2vx-oo0gPkkJorBM8ykScD99_rgZFaXd7ywXO8fPRzC4jKp/w528-h640/DSCN0594.jpg" width="528" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hw3nR_VO0dBFETG4lnqDmT313C24xlAJszkEgwgxElTjRQV2BYCVUVLX1m4Mw3SZ2uhmC3IC_oMLM36V3myRjDmAx4LTRq4oSQSjLgEki8KRTfpnmlJB8K0gIVhvaokpD7tu7WbQXXln/s766/DSCN0600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="558" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hw3nR_VO0dBFETG4lnqDmT313C24xlAJszkEgwgxElTjRQV2BYCVUVLX1m4Mw3SZ2uhmC3IC_oMLM36V3myRjDmAx4LTRq4oSQSjLgEki8KRTfpnmlJB8K0gIVhvaokpD7tu7WbQXXln/w466-h640/DSCN0600.jpg" width="466" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Ok, is everyone ready to go to Paris with me now? </span></span><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">A bientôt, Paris.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span></div>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-7493944187784374072021-04-13T17:25:00.005-07:002023-03-26T14:35:15.212-07:00Southern Trip: Biltmore Estate<p><span style="font-size: medium;">All good things come to an end, and so did our vacation.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But before heading home, our last stop was the Biltmore Estate- found in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5w9PAMtJxWBWC9AFGx-bd3DtNqLNbBUvmDlhFrM6zZL9M8PyLIMf0eErqTo1BOeby8oQEYe0LbWq4M1UEBSksJPIsoaQJDFSiUFSaz8ryGbYRHtDXnOWebxUIDIO9pwqkInxVa0gH_yH/s2048/IMG_8014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5w9PAMtJxWBWC9AFGx-bd3DtNqLNbBUvmDlhFrM6zZL9M8PyLIMf0eErqTo1BOeby8oQEYe0LbWq4M1UEBSksJPIsoaQJDFSiUFSaz8ryGbYRHtDXnOWebxUIDIO9pwqkInxVa0gH_yH/w640-h480/IMG_8014.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSF1SOPYqlBnPTimWhX5fhdk7BlPxvMAYj8FniI2NOGMfuOXFE1reVtwdHUfHag0GeB-jfZ90pXCjfS_Dk2CjzTl2TiPjD57k6WHrd6PPB_CRIxmWp_bgwl2xvKd1319VPim4ehsOzazq/s4608/IMG_8021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSF1SOPYqlBnPTimWhX5fhdk7BlPxvMAYj8FniI2NOGMfuOXFE1reVtwdHUfHag0GeB-jfZ90pXCjfS_Dk2CjzTl2TiPjD57k6WHrd6PPB_CRIxmWp_bgwl2xvKd1319VPim4ehsOzazq/w480-h640/IMG_8021.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cAmTZ7Q1zk6BnSuWuLH-WUapQtdEIo6YlxmZbRwxdmzIRddXIYpK38UZhWvtmxA0fn2J-QZRMRwK13HCUeUQ5tdcb1q7JeBK5RvcnalChCaRDsjNiiEQoUTlK4-KisNyGVZQYdqqSbLR/s2048/IMG_8016.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1573" data-original-width="2048" height="493" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cAmTZ7Q1zk6BnSuWuLH-WUapQtdEIo6YlxmZbRwxdmzIRddXIYpK38UZhWvtmxA0fn2J-QZRMRwK13HCUeUQ5tdcb1q7JeBK5RvcnalChCaRDsjNiiEQoUTlK4-KisNyGVZQYdqqSbLR/w640-h493/IMG_8016.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This is the largest house in the U.S. The house itself contains 4 acres of floor space- including 35 bedrooms and 43 bathrooms.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQhlEVoP-gYcX-u-LMo75ObmCbOss-U06CnhzgkZgrETkCzpI7GzpblExUwb1j1uNJqCk4kTOY_K6CblxMvpnSaLc3igkN36QOFMtk_htWEnflflbkKTKmVOo5GbdUAQCps4sV4l7wQnl/s2048/IMG_8098.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1442" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQhlEVoP-gYcX-u-LMo75ObmCbOss-U06CnhzgkZgrETkCzpI7GzpblExUwb1j1uNJqCk4kTOY_K6CblxMvpnSaLc3igkN36QOFMtk_htWEnflflbkKTKmVOo5GbdUAQCps4sV4l7wQnl/w450-h640/IMG_8098.jpg" width="450" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzs3cu3gi6-aYYwQ70bfkEJF1Afjvpgq8uRUJeLRLKW8MztNfQUSERbm5rW4_4fwhCMh398bU95rqhCn71axO97XAuNPFapQW0IH8fwNXQ3G5LslNVuzYURIsBiDnX_ZL2lOZ3KeUvkh_s/s2048/IMG_8103.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1490" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzs3cu3gi6-aYYwQ70bfkEJF1Afjvpgq8uRUJeLRLKW8MztNfQUSERbm5rW4_4fwhCMh398bU95rqhCn71axO97XAuNPFapQW0IH8fwNXQ3G5LslNVuzYURIsBiDnX_ZL2lOZ3KeUvkh_s/w466-h640/IMG_8103.jpg" width="466" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It was built by George Vanderbilt, the grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt (who made a fortune from railroads). Apparently the family fortune was still going pretty strong 2 generations later.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">They started building it exactly 100 years before me... 1889. It was finished in 1895, and was opened for the public to tour in 1930 (I'm guessing the Great Depression had something to do with that).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It definitely gave me Loire Valley chateau vibes both inside and out.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The entrance hall/sunroom:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgct-R1mprv8Iz7-9hyFwJOfsDqWoxtu4AhzsLpZvKBz5bjJT_fvCSnJ6EdRPkGYwyIAO8ZLo27KAdxZdt89-E70cjyqgzkd34hZMcs4PW3EX2k1BdOENn_Qc9scJZQihx0KK3qZSFHYA6S/s2048/IMG_8111.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgct-R1mprv8Iz7-9hyFwJOfsDqWoxtu4AhzsLpZvKBz5bjJT_fvCSnJ6EdRPkGYwyIAO8ZLo27KAdxZdt89-E70cjyqgzkd34hZMcs4PW3EX2k1BdOENn_Qc9scJZQihx0KK3qZSFHYA6S/w480-h640/IMG_8111.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I enjoyed the art collected from all over Europe- here's a Dürer print, a 14th century Flemish tapestry, and a Renoir.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sXXd7C2zXpIFkBWRb4MPy8i3dfMmbqoA5dRBK_zreVlF2gXM197RScO4a-TheAEbjQtGrtr12wxuvboTkbaOgFEjKIKP99JXQ6YnI0iq9tzpbsgpd1etgZMVquFIYH-81esy6LbQ5-la/s2048/IMG_8028.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sXXd7C2zXpIFkBWRb4MPy8i3dfMmbqoA5dRBK_zreVlF2gXM197RScO4a-TheAEbjQtGrtr12wxuvboTkbaOgFEjKIKP99JXQ6YnI0iq9tzpbsgpd1etgZMVquFIYH-81esy6LbQ5-la/w480-h640/IMG_8028.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxPWKaiEjJxLUUBjQi7BiAgySLPj8IZqlq7tsnKVlKORJ8xHy1FhDBe7gy1Ae67LjvfbLXoog1v3tYG7P8F9u-9WwLdbbfbirOW4ql9VCSUKfqPUr_IbjGbJPyKvUUsqKC9heCezTihOJ/s2048/IMG_8031.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxPWKaiEjJxLUUBjQi7BiAgySLPj8IZqlq7tsnKVlKORJ8xHy1FhDBe7gy1Ae67LjvfbLXoog1v3tYG7P8F9u-9WwLdbbfbirOW4ql9VCSUKfqPUr_IbjGbJPyKvUUsqKC9heCezTihOJ/w480-h640/IMG_8031.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MVKRF1LF67oTz0VTnibf84GrFrwTdiWL0wtfox5BfhPe_mkh_peeMEzLIgnAD7SNY2A6tXztP8ZG95R9o31_ZUonZbh09xAkr8fluKO32lP4wjNjZg5_Mcw5TEhwqHAdXqYexFJOppgV/s300/painting_youngalgeriangirl_GUIDEBOOK04-269x300.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MVKRF1LF67oTz0VTnibf84GrFrwTdiWL0wtfox5BfhPe_mkh_peeMEzLIgnAD7SNY2A6tXztP8ZG95R9o31_ZUonZbh09xAkr8fluKO32lP4wjNjZg5_Mcw5TEhwqHAdXqYexFJOppgV/s16000/painting_youngalgeriangirl_GUIDEBOOK04-269x300.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This was David's favorite room- the banquet hall, featuring a multi-story fireplace and an organ.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWNaphORcLD5por2q5RB0jh-lziN10-PmrZMN5nPu7a0t19rm4fiQRZysE1OrjHYSlK53_5-Z3rmH64mFC36qTHgdd5Q58AGvwT18p-gT6hX23k6caiJ38WGn8trR3bp5sBadsphD-By3/s2048/IMG_8117.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWNaphORcLD5por2q5RB0jh-lziN10-PmrZMN5nPu7a0t19rm4fiQRZysE1OrjHYSlK53_5-Z3rmH64mFC36qTHgdd5Q58AGvwT18p-gT6hX23k6caiJ38WGn8trR3bp5sBadsphD-By3/w480-h640/IMG_8117.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhar6xZRhdoqMJV_NBPgK0bquF5vYNYInSne8a2gvnfaTn63gh7irwGBoRD43-NA5FbxLmJi6bm8oOLTGqDpMi94l2aiDcvGIMdsw4sJDEwZ4tkJOZRKmOkSgZBB0B7pjwxLbEG15pZVlj-/s2048/IMG_8144.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhar6xZRhdoqMJV_NBPgK0bquF5vYNYInSne8a2gvnfaTn63gh7irwGBoRD43-NA5FbxLmJi6bm8oOLTGqDpMi94l2aiDcvGIMdsw4sJDEwZ4tkJOZRKmOkSgZBB0B7pjwxLbEG15pZVlj-/w480-h640/IMG_8144.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This was my favorite room- the library, featuring 20,000 books and Napoleon Bonaparte's chess set.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUv0fQvsdKZFAJv98M58nrv-VEbS_stV2yIWoxiy8ct-IayVyCyX7TH5e9GDvVAj5Igla_EFL2nANU-Abx_zQp_Q2lTEscBCRyoLzkysx9E1hLpjQqT5GhDT-s2fmnExfwVhFol7D9wGM/s2048/IMG_8129.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUv0fQvsdKZFAJv98M58nrv-VEbS_stV2yIWoxiy8ct-IayVyCyX7TH5e9GDvVAj5Igla_EFL2nANU-Abx_zQp_Q2lTEscBCRyoLzkysx9E1hLpjQqT5GhDT-s2fmnExfwVhFol7D9wGM/w480-h640/IMG_8129.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLJpo5hWXOMhlcBRS3EkrQqQ52sHe1c91FeHxki8LGj_G9V8HXgS0zW2f2AuDbzkfliOY_AJSZDXJL-yoa5FUzD8zb5urJJ_dev7IDQZFE70hsxNLYCpRYmW18SekEvHI-3hOTwVp3x3I/s2048/IMG_8130.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLJpo5hWXOMhlcBRS3EkrQqQ52sHe1c91FeHxki8LGj_G9V8HXgS0zW2f2AuDbzkfliOY_AJSZDXJL-yoa5FUzD8zb5urJJ_dev7IDQZFE70hsxNLYCpRYmW18SekEvHI-3hOTwVp3x3I/w480-h640/IMG_8130.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But to be honest, it's hard to choose when there were no shortage of impressive rooms.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_8-WEZqcH5IyTMChjvCZ77ksVEkvYJBBjmiKgz-b1Mu9pH_USmv_Fhhu3bsoLA7xEJI5TtFcEAhOWVJ61nV46fX4Gbxwag_L-IBtag2WP9TDdnb1RQEYPkHDA8yCZwVmMSwytpidhE-c/s2048/IMG_8118.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_8-WEZqcH5IyTMChjvCZ77ksVEkvYJBBjmiKgz-b1Mu9pH_USmv_Fhhu3bsoLA7xEJI5TtFcEAhOWVJ61nV46fX4Gbxwag_L-IBtag2WP9TDdnb1RQEYPkHDA8yCZwVmMSwytpidhE-c/w640-h480/IMG_8118.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgjYsY6u99Hcn18swFD80uBPMps03NFjCVtq5YS2InM_iWqAXshnB-6UeT-cOy668uuoty72ghsJNFGG20jKdqiow9VbJtxNo7H-mLVP1jLKtEUfDTM7gCpckfhPf-jxA8iSTnJu7YYcx/s2048/IMG_8121.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgjYsY6u99Hcn18swFD80uBPMps03NFjCVtq5YS2InM_iWqAXshnB-6UeT-cOy668uuoty72ghsJNFGG20jKdqiow9VbJtxNo7H-mLVP1jLKtEUfDTM7gCpckfhPf-jxA8iSTnJu7YYcx/w480-h640/IMG_8121.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGnfDUJZ6x9zuRn1qY25U2BAh5q0z0Ajl3cGVqqshj9hSM5lrEKDsJ-GXQLYtY86kbdRJ_BHIcszb0cUNK4S3dgsxMPOiUAFNZ2LMp2GLfuuII_Ik_mSfnOIwBvxmR-1rA2rP-kO1OiZR/s2048/IMG_8131.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGnfDUJZ6x9zuRn1qY25U2BAh5q0z0Ajl3cGVqqshj9hSM5lrEKDsJ-GXQLYtY86kbdRJ_BHIcszb0cUNK4S3dgsxMPOiUAFNZ2LMp2GLfuuII_Ik_mSfnOIwBvxmR-1rA2rP-kO1OiZR/w480-h640/IMG_8131.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbDAYjwTK7mMaRhfG7oCNbsy_-9NHqIUhx2atEVIU0yjuqs1RGh8uW7l5LUTxy08hdOu80yY6jN9J5m1Uv_VimUlGiTu0-lIjabIfQ5SqdlJcUfv_j91mcVtM5xBe7MUt8jeV_ymeQLkM/s2048/IMG_8133.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbDAYjwTK7mMaRhfG7oCNbsy_-9NHqIUhx2atEVIU0yjuqs1RGh8uW7l5LUTxy08hdOu80yY6jN9J5m1Uv_VimUlGiTu0-lIjabIfQ5SqdlJcUfv_j91mcVtM5xBe7MUt8jeV_ymeQLkM/w640-h480/IMG_8133.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I loved the spiral staircase too!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1dyn9EDK27nw2gvgJx8G57fFYCwVoUeGGKkNbkg-dtO5G1_nMF9FnrCDt04Mkt0OxOB5UbCWxdPXKrTUya0Njp8aXSy5EJtCoWC6p5KQzmOVB-KWR2YV9V9DXcFn8xJz8Jp8nxK2U6ak/s2048/IMG_8136.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1dyn9EDK27nw2gvgJx8G57fFYCwVoUeGGKkNbkg-dtO5G1_nMF9FnrCDt04Mkt0OxOB5UbCWxdPXKrTUya0Njp8aXSy5EJtCoWC6p5KQzmOVB-KWR2YV9V9DXcFn8xJz8Jp8nxK2U6ak/w480-h640/IMG_8136.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4ZyyGU1UEZa7kZ_DHR13jNvEDrnCitnMgzWEsQkXB0UxeLQNLhvUFuztLJNmeEtBLkd7aVp5vNyf9N95dQy1mRKa9spQkw7oQn8Glh1PJL83FNovzJyCQZrx427n44ZTi3lY9gESXjJD/s2048/IMG_8137.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4ZyyGU1UEZa7kZ_DHR13jNvEDrnCitnMgzWEsQkXB0UxeLQNLhvUFuztLJNmeEtBLkd7aVp5vNyf9N95dQy1mRKa9spQkw7oQn8Glh1PJL83FNovzJyCQZrx427n44ZTi3lY9gESXjJD/w480-h640/IMG_8137.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The basement boasted a bowling alley, an (empty) swimming pool, a gym, and the servant's quarters.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTt61MDBRZbZ0Xvon2UfQyuoa_kN0F-ZGxADmhDlE-iwM-Ove8KOc95A18Jbw95z-Sdl1JmLm4OOx4aMDOwHV1rUQeFQqJQmxMiF5xNuhKJ03nTd97Y13Pq1NniVAUulGzslfUB2JcE4i/s2048/IMG_8141.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1442" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTt61MDBRZbZ0Xvon2UfQyuoa_kN0F-ZGxADmhDlE-iwM-Ove8KOc95A18Jbw95z-Sdl1JmLm4OOx4aMDOwHV1rUQeFQqJQmxMiF5xNuhKJ03nTd97Y13Pq1NniVAUulGzslfUB2JcE4i/w450-h640/IMG_8141.jpg" width="450" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw91RfofleH2JxtIydOIlDZUGguUDYayZTd6Kzv3uxRYpQ0nkwSDBze7kAhxBMZlgQ-y8MjLtbk8VRrRx0ebVM8SNeeE6lrN8J8Fkk44CE5NlMD2O-aeByIEuBgMqAQUOz5h-V4dBh2f5q/s2048/IMG_8142.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw91RfofleH2JxtIydOIlDZUGguUDYayZTd6Kzv3uxRYpQ0nkwSDBze7kAhxBMZlgQ-y8MjLtbk8VRrRx0ebVM8SNeeE6lrN8J8Fkk44CE5NlMD2O-aeByIEuBgMqAQUOz5h-V4dBh2f5q/w480-h640/IMG_8142.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">I have to guess that George Vanderbilt was not a big fan of people, because the Biltmore is super isolated from everything... especially compared to New York, where he was from.</span></div></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">He lived there with his wife Edith and their one and only child Cornelia... plus about 30 servants. It's funny to think about how spoiled that girl must have been growing up as an only child in this palace.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The grounds were huge- just driving to the parking lot from the entrance took a while. After touring the house we spent a while checking out the gardens, conservatory, and views of the Blue Ridge mountains.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvILXOwjizoeXyc8e2y8_eUlcr-yNZM7JjE59vqf11BrjwVnLE40I1Ti0hGL8_W7VostZmOtD0gfDbKvoN6UcHClt873oBc6eclCxo_X2xHUuDKX7rzSqT6xxzPQgwqmCGGqILNJEm9CxZ/s2048/IMG_8018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvILXOwjizoeXyc8e2y8_eUlcr-yNZM7JjE59vqf11BrjwVnLE40I1Ti0hGL8_W7VostZmOtD0gfDbKvoN6UcHClt873oBc6eclCxo_X2xHUuDKX7rzSqT6xxzPQgwqmCGGqILNJEm9CxZ/w640-h480/IMG_8018.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bZ6MiR8PIivM2js4v-1Tfh_fTdK5CR0XIgjIucuoYCQZvBEdauIVVENzuwwF8x-RHdSBnLmcMmipWkMTbvsudYpDpNH1AE4qssTdUHVnmc2fT9G3utbzaxFxBXT-JdTToARA11UpYm1U/s2048/IMG_8124.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1490" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bZ6MiR8PIivM2js4v-1Tfh_fTdK5CR0XIgjIucuoYCQZvBEdauIVVENzuwwF8x-RHdSBnLmcMmipWkMTbvsudYpDpNH1AE4qssTdUHVnmc2fT9G3utbzaxFxBXT-JdTToARA11UpYm1U/w466-h640/IMG_8124.jpg" width="466" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0m0Z26hFpBhlzLaGwY0-6-FdYWqdVDuL-9QV06g-cj5bHXKD58qUhqDuRe_GkQFFynHhobk69f3fdIiThZ1XKG4zC74MBUq3XPGVBe2vwGIE06E1GBVUteovEV0plPr4Dnm-ZLuH49uH/s4608/IMG_8035.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0m0Z26hFpBhlzLaGwY0-6-FdYWqdVDuL-9QV06g-cj5bHXKD58qUhqDuRe_GkQFFynHhobk69f3fdIiThZ1XKG4zC74MBUq3XPGVBe2vwGIE06E1GBVUteovEV0plPr4Dnm-ZLuH49uH/w480-h640/IMG_8035.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSHtBFL7dm458CUlRbKn8IGy7NPyGzey1NYJYL5hZcs-G3zsUUHhT3Kc8F6pF9RmV_nHCqIAb044bvEhEks8qok0Ph-cd4OEQyEIZJxYiY5TCOGcD1jubnYkYT6S4h-9iDBuNAuQtb_QP/s2048/IMG_8147.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSHtBFL7dm458CUlRbKn8IGy7NPyGzey1NYJYL5hZcs-G3zsUUHhT3Kc8F6pF9RmV_nHCqIAb044bvEhEks8qok0Ph-cd4OEQyEIZJxYiY5TCOGcD1jubnYkYT6S4h-9iDBuNAuQtb_QP/w480-h640/IMG_8147.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxnKKNP8oxqNkqUnyrxqTAPiX4T8V9KlbIZ9peDJPtn1bulqtbE47cw6KhjRM_MLaBlRw5hzndqmZY7uYTWKbetxiOUuchf8llrkTLI6OUyKsE3PzIMIcCAuolY2_YdaOlAZ820aH9WHJ/s2048/IMG_8149.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1535" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxnKKNP8oxqNkqUnyrxqTAPiX4T8V9KlbIZ9peDJPtn1bulqtbE47cw6KhjRM_MLaBlRw5hzndqmZY7uYTWKbetxiOUuchf8llrkTLI6OUyKsE3PzIMIcCAuolY2_YdaOlAZ820aH9WHJ/w480-h640/IMG_8149.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqb-qG6sjz82OByqEM14Bf2euHB2Sa5zgvVkUiP0xrrJMEDg7MSaOU_czuz1SrivjCoij-Y6d6wjbQrEFZE3PfoE5brTOVipTC-MhbaNWauTiFo8dZNZ-DBSZTmkmjt9KSfUL2uY4pWIHO/s2048/IMG_8145.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1680" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqb-qG6sjz82OByqEM14Bf2euHB2Sa5zgvVkUiP0xrrJMEDg7MSaOU_czuz1SrivjCoij-Y6d6wjbQrEFZE3PfoE5brTOVipTC-MhbaNWauTiFo8dZNZ-DBSZTmkmjt9KSfUL2uY4pWIHO/w525-h640/IMG_8145.jpg" width="525" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbpmm-WN4kfdYz1Taj44OWoFVYRCn1D0D0UpQPS-uhoIeTNNEpX2goYR5hTf0uI1wmk6VKCBSY7hQlmI2Ar29huj7tzzQpESKmaLWOkZT4hCKJQDn1DRTDzYJmgTIqEPwM6HHobLgfMAa/s2048/IMG_8037.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbpmm-WN4kfdYz1Taj44OWoFVYRCn1D0D0UpQPS-uhoIeTNNEpX2goYR5hTf0uI1wmk6VKCBSY7hQlmI2Ar29huj7tzzQpESKmaLWOkZT4hCKJQDn1DRTDzYJmgTIqEPwM6HHobLgfMAa/w480-h640/IMG_8037.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">At the last minute, we decided to drive to Knoxville after finishing up at the Biltmore to shave a few hours off of our long drive home. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One week earlier we saw alligators during our first day in South Carolina... and we ended the trip with David ordering alligator for dinner! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYItotS92SemFbifOK-jQPjI8lEo7jcpSMLqwNaNr6DxIcJ6MfpUsDNjwQa-zaVprgSk7PkA2GVZAZjQ1bWkQSbWg9a6s6PHbi6lPRGvm0wLjIplzfuObApi26UotNPMIQaCZUCm6n12Pd/s2048/IMG_8151.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYItotS92SemFbifOK-jQPjI8lEo7jcpSMLqwNaNr6DxIcJ6MfpUsDNjwQa-zaVprgSk7PkA2GVZAZjQ1bWkQSbWg9a6s6PHbi6lPRGvm0wLjIplzfuObApi26UotNPMIQaCZUCm6n12Pd/w480-h640/IMG_8151.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Thankfully we made it home safely, because let's just say that driving through the Smoky Mountains was actually smoky.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQDXSZwpo2hdWujm3hnjEy_OM8xA7iByBYQgtfulzVnUadnnRiHfKhyzt5zdeNZeTDRDpknufZK3FI8ZGV36Gei2Kp3vaOnOJV6i4TtmvSmfHRt2aFF9DUyvsYeb3WFXjFfT2KecnXb6g/s2048/IMG_8161.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQDXSZwpo2hdWujm3hnjEy_OM8xA7iByBYQgtfulzVnUadnnRiHfKhyzt5zdeNZeTDRDpknufZK3FI8ZGV36Gei2Kp3vaOnOJV6i4TtmvSmfHRt2aFF9DUyvsYeb3WFXjFfT2KecnXb6g/w480-h640/IMG_8161.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In case you missed my other travelogues from this trip:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2021/04/southern-trip-plantations.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Touring plantations</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2021/04/southern-trip-charleston.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charleston</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2021/04/southern-trip-savannah.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Savannah</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-69225114497021098322021-04-06T13:12:00.003-07:002023-03-26T14:39:59.086-07:00Southern Trip: Savannah<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Although we were sad to leave <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2021/04/southern-trip-charleston.html" target="_blank">Charleston</a>, it was exciting to discover another city after a short 2 hour drive.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYnH2Wcqmrq7UPIi0H_chaoNXnQkNtMRJAEvgVRzldMYRCPUT2bxGP31gjiqXHY389j42I9K5ZJXchn7BDfG1EMHnQOKvZrEP7KpVMV2WT3wEx81fqOfW31mBrXv3MVyUfDxGrZmKrasU/s2048/IMG_8070.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYnH2Wcqmrq7UPIi0H_chaoNXnQkNtMRJAEvgVRzldMYRCPUT2bxGP31gjiqXHY389j42I9K5ZJXchn7BDfG1EMHnQOKvZrEP7KpVMV2WT3wEx81fqOfW31mBrXv3MVyUfDxGrZmKrasU/w640-h480/IMG_8070.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Our first stop in Savannah was River Street- which, you guessed it- borders the Savannah River.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HezztF1xn4DvrNCIE3tnbakBCOnnv0EwBzJbkjp4MkWbnHSPTThjBEHz2e6ltVEBcotPlTjF-izXfsZE-XHKdnJJZFS9ApuEw9l3g3o4-o7veGgskx5whRoI9i9QOwoK_tMfGOjEQi3S/s2048/IMG_8022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HezztF1xn4DvrNCIE3tnbakBCOnnv0EwBzJbkjp4MkWbnHSPTThjBEHz2e6ltVEBcotPlTjF-izXfsZE-XHKdnJJZFS9ApuEw9l3g3o4-o7veGgskx5whRoI9i9QOwoK_tMfGOjEQi3S/w480-h640/IMG_8022.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElmHERUio4R0poIKCWWmaG930DKPSU69d_MC9tzszneMifm3RFYO-7UaffT5BEN2UVkctSAJ7d1kspU4k8eJ9UAm50OaQzE-v4mOFbdoJbN_6nG2DVq4_jDEthbBV1kYJcNhkriQTH8Av/s2048/IMG_8021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElmHERUio4R0poIKCWWmaG930DKPSU69d_MC9tzszneMifm3RFYO-7UaffT5BEN2UVkctSAJ7d1kspU4k8eJ9UAm50OaQzE-v4mOFbdoJbN_6nG2DVq4_jDEthbBV1kYJcNhkriQTH8Av/w640-h480/IMG_8021.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66HRqfopmGCREQlUOJBCdJujy-FT6yhGj2PhH-iCKarLowKigazmWBZ2l1bZEU7GeBS5O1cqnjPMDOmrYDsLW0zBNL8kKGJQB7WuApmsrKJ482KlAAlRl2-hahnuCF-plSrueYX_rQW3U/s2048/IMG_8023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66HRqfopmGCREQlUOJBCdJujy-FT6yhGj2PhH-iCKarLowKigazmWBZ2l1bZEU7GeBS5O1cqnjPMDOmrYDsLW0zBNL8kKGJQB7WuApmsrKJ482KlAAlRl2-hahnuCF-plSrueYX_rQW3U/w480-h640/IMG_8023.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Savannah is well known for its 'squares.' The city was planned out in a grid pattern around these small parks. There are 22, and we managed to see 8 of them. All of the ones we saw were surrounded by historic buildings and full of pretty trees and flowers.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Johnson Square was the very first one created- it's near the gold-domed City Hall.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGH0Fa4Zt-ZLzNjXJ8lJYrfXgz9cNKIsYznr6JZYptkqw7yzAJjRHOGkLnD8oaiSjryJuK0srSc9mthlhv90lRehTmSw0PwVw48YmJz6RxE_uiiUoxqeoZa84daRVQqcr_bucLqnzfTVe/s2048/johnson.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGH0Fa4Zt-ZLzNjXJ8lJYrfXgz9cNKIsYznr6JZYptkqw7yzAJjRHOGkLnD8oaiSjryJuK0srSc9mthlhv90lRehTmSw0PwVw48YmJz6RxE_uiiUoxqeoZa84daRVQqcr_bucLqnzfTVe/w480-h640/johnson.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzliG2VYSlOdzRfHjGIaaExMA8M5_0MfmzdGJwlFOSUaEGQjOkwgAkl-B5iPRy85zVIl9Q5p6s3GgzxIwfF4xuaID_w9bxvP-z5FF0aTNaDxDpu176GtCdfw6xBJ5tizF0U6AH_t6S6ZE/s2048/IMG_7987.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzliG2VYSlOdzRfHjGIaaExMA8M5_0MfmzdGJwlFOSUaEGQjOkwgAkl-B5iPRy85zVIl9Q5p6s3GgzxIwfF4xuaID_w9bxvP-z5FF0aTNaDxDpu176GtCdfw6xBJ5tizF0U6AH_t6S6ZE/w480-h640/IMG_7987.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Oglethorpe and Chippewa Squares are near the Colonial Park Cemetery- home to- what do you know- graves dating back to the colonial period.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfOiAoNAOfeR7UjBaFVHGO_Z8VoYEIrMc_mpkW6LQL63Luhn_TgKbCbxf20LBEJu0_czDOrlcmqYo-oPISkIRzop-C1Yf-sE13YO-poU6KgEEvuk_tb0TyLbMUL5Pk9AKuNZUQiH-sxo-/s2048/oglethorpe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfOiAoNAOfeR7UjBaFVHGO_Z8VoYEIrMc_mpkW6LQL63Luhn_TgKbCbxf20LBEJu0_czDOrlcmqYo-oPISkIRzop-C1Yf-sE13YO-poU6KgEEvuk_tb0TyLbMUL5Pk9AKuNZUQiH-sxo-/w480-h640/oglethorpe.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFclKAQfJzAGKNyaJvamEyGpUFcp-AFG6x7ylAs1K7biCugneP8ENHRinNqO1GTdoNOmcykeD8AXp1syJQEoeaQ7JLwpxO7cLdBShxB6TJv8RUXA2giRexu8doVd-7NPbeO4aXlS2fRe1/s1200/chippewa.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFclKAQfJzAGKNyaJvamEyGpUFcp-AFG6x7ylAs1K7biCugneP8ENHRinNqO1GTdoNOmcykeD8AXp1syJQEoeaQ7JLwpxO7cLdBShxB6TJv8RUXA2giRexu8doVd-7NPbeO4aXlS2fRe1/w640-h640/chippewa.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVdF-s1hE9B8TKtnBXcDlqUKjN7YNfQLoWphkXzCNIBQl4uuZb5IipDbdb5N0hIfQZR0r-R3ekfJQuFzslgkYGHgaETVfPdCKv3k1ArUXc7E63uT6UtlrcVtzm2-FsmQ0a9DHC3fxqH0n/s2048/IMG_8051.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVdF-s1hE9B8TKtnBXcDlqUKjN7YNfQLoWphkXzCNIBQl4uuZb5IipDbdb5N0hIfQZR0r-R3ekfJQuFzslgkYGHgaETVfPdCKv3k1ArUXc7E63uT6UtlrcVtzm2-FsmQ0a9DHC3fxqH0n/w480-h640/IMG_8051.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Lafayette Square is next to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. We popped into the church and managed to catch a tour. One fun fact for you fellow non-Catholics: a red candle near the altar stays lit at all times to remind people of the presence of what they believe to be the literal body and blood of Christ (in the form of bread and wine).</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-UoCGEkqfkMemrwbavxt7_tCmo1M17rNs7kb_xw_NJsLlQHS1kKrD6JHm7AEg5pnVMIpbyl8BtGlfnfhfnXZaOt-q1AZ0r2-a5R54oe5q27zZ6G1NI8cfNwsC4cviYr2-36bmSPN5UG-d/s766/lafayette.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="559" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-UoCGEkqfkMemrwbavxt7_tCmo1M17rNs7kb_xw_NJsLlQHS1kKrD6JHm7AEg5pnVMIpbyl8BtGlfnfhfnXZaOt-q1AZ0r2-a5R54oe5q27zZ6G1NI8cfNwsC4cviYr2-36bmSPN5UG-d/w469-h640/lafayette.jpg" width="469" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFbOU2B-fZY8X7z8bLIWkWWa_r6oBxewkYnM10596_dxdl5q7g5bh32PGBpNaGiCeQUqDp1v2ylpyncBaj9kkAIAK-_CyAJhEXbbwP5wd0RO31ilScOcLVnzBaCf5FqH4ftEC5t8nHebD/s1200/st.john.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFbOU2B-fZY8X7z8bLIWkWWa_r6oBxewkYnM10596_dxdl5q7g5bh32PGBpNaGiCeQUqDp1v2ylpyncBaj9kkAIAK-_CyAJhEXbbwP5wd0RO31ilScOcLVnzBaCf5FqH4ftEC5t8nHebD/w640-h640/st.john.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Telfair and Wright Square were full of flowers.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNKnbanoCoGi39uqChMw-vUfx5Rm8rh_g_FkR0Cymzra3xnDK3A3qUgQDKMrjgzlVkjkm2EfHjq7-HGH2d5RjHOg0-3nn7In1ArvmUWK96l8e1WQ6MFDpJvD_tI0NqwgXZe624yF1-RH9/s2048/telfair.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNKnbanoCoGi39uqChMw-vUfx5Rm8rh_g_FkR0Cymzra3xnDK3A3qUgQDKMrjgzlVkjkm2EfHjq7-HGH2d5RjHOg0-3nn7In1ArvmUWK96l8e1WQ6MFDpJvD_tI0NqwgXZe624yF1-RH9/w480-h640/telfair.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoER6F0ZhTyGu6RwICzovIN0T8gZT-w9wRc0a8MdM48Sh3okfU41XnCsBuCxzyWue6YQl-NRrOgRsOKiiIknnjNWdp_wGVFb_-oXOUJHkY4yLOsBlNnuo8Yx2-ZpFMP6tB0DmE7nd39iIt/s2048/wrightsquare.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoER6F0ZhTyGu6RwICzovIN0T8gZT-w9wRc0a8MdM48Sh3okfU41XnCsBuCxzyWue6YQl-NRrOgRsOKiiIknnjNWdp_wGVFb_-oXOUJHkY4yLOsBlNnuo8Yx2-ZpFMP6tB0DmE7nd39iIt/w480-h640/wrightsquare.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">My favorites were Madison and Monterey Squares. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdmRlejqr1neHKF_NxBYnJMqq8ALB6OQT3F0oeLt7SDeHJOSUIAqX745VcFIOi3W441ZMRAYHPphCOOnEp9acL0nIkBB1eGffI3NFFJQEIELNRmXcHgfIn715IwpHkKsAQ2NqSIH1oYtN/s1200/madison.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdmRlejqr1neHKF_NxBYnJMqq8ALB6OQT3F0oeLt7SDeHJOSUIAqX745VcFIOi3W441ZMRAYHPphCOOnEp9acL0nIkBB1eGffI3NFFJQEIELNRmXcHgfIn715IwpHkKsAQ2NqSIH1oYtN/w640-h640/madison.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I thought this was a church off of Monterey Square (middle picture below), but it's actually a synagogue from in the 1700s. We learned that South Carolina and Georgia allowed all types of European immigrants besides Catholics, which resulted in both places becoming home to some of the oldest Jewish communities in the U.S. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The Catholic thing was political- the Catholic Spanish and French were nearby in Florida and Louisiana, and the English were not big fans. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_q-d9ONFnnkIaSOMUuBsz2S4aVJ8pfi9qzWVDJJ5u2oN-l0_u30bFk7qCkUku4shcTmpmDM73kMyUyEGfdrmRR7YF0rgWhV7xnzXb1kHFbnhhh77VZEYsXPJdSRAp6iQVHlAypSFVFRJx/s1200/monterey.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_q-d9ONFnnkIaSOMUuBsz2S4aVJ8pfi9qzWVDJJ5u2oN-l0_u30bFk7qCkUku4shcTmpmDM73kMyUyEGfdrmRR7YF0rgWhV7xnzXb1kHFbnhhh77VZEYsXPJdSRAp6iQVHlAypSFVFRJx/w640-h640/monterey.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Forsyth Park is just past Monterey Square. This is not just a little square, but a large park. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeMGFHZCe08GlG1fTWNE7uLZTyH20YoVSJSV_EXwNsfT6yrEDKWf96W1q7kfG-18g5Zo-9eLNgIK5c7gOau68O37qCtBDZs0Ng3a65WtS4Bolm-SulCu6qy9tCZtfgaExmaIQIMQZs-5U/s2048/IMG_8079.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeMGFHZCe08GlG1fTWNE7uLZTyH20YoVSJSV_EXwNsfT6yrEDKWf96W1q7kfG-18g5Zo-9eLNgIK5c7gOau68O37qCtBDZs0Ng3a65WtS4Bolm-SulCu6qy9tCZtfgaExmaIQIMQZs-5U/w480-h640/IMG_8079.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6Fzs2cMzM8oG3ramzFyIDMM-xvL9VXVvAokQ71rDpDjbx1MIyjrU3cs__3Wshn1N1KjvhjD0UrU67j0nCWOy50SPCYZjgT4Gx-rptv441b0yUX6FzuScqJaJ3HEcMwA08akGknPpqpUq/s2048/IMG_8081.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6Fzs2cMzM8oG3ramzFyIDMM-xvL9VXVvAokQ71rDpDjbx1MIyjrU3cs__3Wshn1N1KjvhjD0UrU67j0nCWOy50SPCYZjgT4Gx-rptv441b0yUX6FzuScqJaJ3HEcMwA08akGknPpqpUq/w480-h640/IMG_8081.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We would have explored more but the heat (not used to 80 degrees after a Wisconsin winter) and hanger (we hadn't eaten breakfast) started to set in. It was perfect timing for what David called "the best meal of his life."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So we proceeded to wait in line for an hour at Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room. According to the reviews online the wait was worth it, and we're glad we stuck it out. This is a southern-style restaurant that serves the kind of food that would clog your arteries if you had it all the time.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWVFVjDopGzW8QuQi5hzdelix6YjON0wPK1QOFGy86V4jWLgsBCALRhybdiAf4m2DTKFPaFzlh5D3SWfoFl2GCKd1g7xEl-9-UH8aGgSoeajMnbXx0FDKtUzANou8yjvK6aI9-xRAQZ-J/s2048/IMG_8082.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWVFVjDopGzW8QuQi5hzdelix6YjON0wPK1QOFGy86V4jWLgsBCALRhybdiAf4m2DTKFPaFzlh5D3SWfoFl2GCKd1g7xEl-9-UH8aGgSoeajMnbXx0FDKtUzANou8yjvK6aI9-xRAQZ-J/w480-h640/IMG_8082.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The line.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZaOMpFDyz5soHtMquQscLiWv5iF1LvqiKziv09LhPb6NXJuqEIdsqylXnF_24p8HrZWvFVV7uP8exTfVe1PqcGj-433vgfUEGcp3zSAhj4JiAbRPrg4TLx9KFx-dammeS2nAL_lwZblJ/s2048/IMG_8084.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZaOMpFDyz5soHtMquQscLiWv5iF1LvqiKziv09LhPb6NXJuqEIdsqylXnF_24p8HrZWvFVV7uP8exTfVe1PqcGj-433vgfUEGcp3zSAhj4JiAbRPrg4TLx9KFx-dammeS2nAL_lwZblJ/w480-h640/IMG_8084.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The view from our table.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We ordered one meal to split- allow me to describe the insane amount of food we got for $20. The main course was fried chicken. They gave us at least 15 big pieces of chicken. That whole greasy bag was full of chicken. I'm pretty sure more than one chicken died to provide this meal lol.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsA8Pru3Ktu3LtXzTl0ZxIaqTC9cn1VnCAVhkcI3t2AlSCUoGGAQjQ1GUKFuGESfT-GZTQ_-_y-2kiZ3gPrN5lt5qjEsoODgaEgSnf5_ancy5mQfz6PMDI6InfvmyX_IBy95bPfmVMxxvT/s2048/IMG_8087.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsA8Pru3Ktu3LtXzTl0ZxIaqTC9cn1VnCAVhkcI3t2AlSCUoGGAQjQ1GUKFuGESfT-GZTQ_-_y-2kiZ3gPrN5lt5qjEsoODgaEgSnf5_ancy5mQfz6PMDI6InfvmyX_IBy95bPfmVMxxvT/w480-h640/IMG_8087.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwj97kTPoYGpdGpN3d3N4gGzdDIcnpGSZE5x7wQEO7tHV9kXpRv2pDE22-XpTaFpOcPn3ebAsMHo7ud72GeD7WJxrzwhOblE2D6fwjh8DDNz2WPMPX_Lw6h-8ahEyvGbR5apgRtt3hy96/s2048/IMG_8088.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwj97kTPoYGpdGpN3d3N4gGzdDIcnpGSZE5x7wQEO7tHV9kXpRv2pDE22-XpTaFpOcPn3ebAsMHo7ud72GeD7WJxrzwhOblE2D6fwjh8DDNz2WPMPX_Lw6h-8ahEyvGbR5apgRtt3hy96/w640-h480/IMG_8088.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lunch came with 3 sides. We chose mashed potatoes, corn, and mac and cheese. Then for free they gave us candied yams, rice, okra, peas, banana pudding, cornbread, biscuits, and pound cake. Really. Everything we tried was delicious.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Please note the very satisfied expression on David's face.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFakUl2_OqdynZS_h8WaO3LBV50TG1h9po_Hi5RvVBk-LGRsvHSh8akCJSD6Z9rcv1mmhoId-4cjA7eQ-CtpmCLh9zd9U-JmvnBDxzPz5mf4YjGaTh-dYiF1EJMH9FUAxcPqwOJCc-vU7/s2048/IMG_8090.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFakUl2_OqdynZS_h8WaO3LBV50TG1h9po_Hi5RvVBk-LGRsvHSh8akCJSD6Z9rcv1mmhoId-4cjA7eQ-CtpmCLh9zd9U-JmvnBDxzPz5mf4YjGaTh-dYiF1EJMH9FUAxcPqwOJCc-vU7/w480-h640/IMG_8090.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our last stop in Savannah was Bonaventure Cemetery, which is a bit outside of the city. We didn't spend a very long time here, but even so I ended up with so many pretty pictures. Everywhere I turned looked like a painting.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLG3U_DmcfdvSx2Eb8_kMM3a0TYNk1M5RgPzOeTPoM5hc7xotnXPD3R5jnU3ppHI0BbyBM7YvXfaCPP11a7RPy2I2MO_74rKZ678JnbZXlrJJ8AKIGhrHnL3CeB5w2hIAUIdPRZB7sFUh/s2048/IMG_8006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLG3U_DmcfdvSx2Eb8_kMM3a0TYNk1M5RgPzOeTPoM5hc7xotnXPD3R5jnU3ppHI0BbyBM7YvXfaCPP11a7RPy2I2MO_74rKZ678JnbZXlrJJ8AKIGhrHnL3CeB5w2hIAUIdPRZB7sFUh/w640-h480/IMG_8006.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvRu71xkH1_kqrBvYP14_AGA5w8GR9TMbLwxcEiof1nEtKWWoV_ylUZy5oQTJ4aL7hbZm8JKVXu4z4PY6yUAY0hmCIwT1SitrAWWn92nx7FIjnbCjguMbOD_W0RR1LBTIX_alJEdSEDdA/s1200/bonaventure.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvRu71xkH1_kqrBvYP14_AGA5w8GR9TMbLwxcEiof1nEtKWWoV_ylUZy5oQTJ4aL7hbZm8JKVXu4z4PY6yUAY0hmCIwT1SitrAWWn92nx7FIjnbCjguMbOD_W0RR1LBTIX_alJEdSEDdA/w640-h640/bonaventure.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3nCukJA6yVJXDQuEdb3xkwIrnnbnrmWtqA4OL4OjwF7LlOKtOYPBkg9Pqg1eikVLtXAbU2ZfZnK5_jDLFiTEU1c_dUB7Qlw3pyL_iHnlgnhJ7fqydukHcH_Pj0c-zfhpXTR0Q7x35Q4e/s2048/IMG_8008.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3nCukJA6yVJXDQuEdb3xkwIrnnbnrmWtqA4OL4OjwF7LlOKtOYPBkg9Pqg1eikVLtXAbU2ZfZnK5_jDLFiTEU1c_dUB7Qlw3pyL_iHnlgnhJ7fqydukHcH_Pj0c-zfhpXTR0Q7x35Q4e/w640-h480/IMG_8008.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Next stop: Biltmore Mansion in North Carolina</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-14166633712109211462021-04-02T20:49:00.003-07:002023-03-26T18:24:09.201-07:00Southern Trip: Charleston<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Well, we've been trying to go to Charleston for a few years and we finally made it! We both loved the history, David loved the southern food, and I loved the beauty. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We were amazed seeing street after street filled with gorgeous mansions. Walking through these streets was probably my favorite thing we did on the trip. Most were built in the 1700s. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOekMFNhfgGTLRDEC3kIddt7Weyw9us3ld0RwNMY05S_MMzvWJUhFoLcLAQBBtmOBIDvmLFsDTOw6S8gb5mWaGJ2San5A3svFi9Mg0x0vVcgUiq7V6RHLyLMZB8nuArWDvS7Ajk31wViV/s2048/IMG_7806.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOekMFNhfgGTLRDEC3kIddt7Weyw9us3ld0RwNMY05S_MMzvWJUhFoLcLAQBBtmOBIDvmLFsDTOw6S8gb5mWaGJ2San5A3svFi9Mg0x0vVcgUiq7V6RHLyLMZB8nuArWDvS7Ajk31wViV/w640-h480/IMG_7806.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bwTZOtYwZoy0LEdWKXDnHCOigcXcki37VJldfvyBLCH3D4vR73l6mFDU3kUaZhBuSoTZ6nnOJyF40q3YvWJpRVCqvdrpnvT1UOMbS5ulG5yHfDDUQazqK4KXzWWrup_K0dkdffcTG-X5/s2048/IMG_7801.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bwTZOtYwZoy0LEdWKXDnHCOigcXcki37VJldfvyBLCH3D4vR73l6mFDU3kUaZhBuSoTZ6nnOJyF40q3YvWJpRVCqvdrpnvT1UOMbS5ulG5yHfDDUQazqK4KXzWWrup_K0dkdffcTG-X5/w480-h640/IMG_7801.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">At first I was confused as to why the balconies faced sideways instead of facing the street- our tour guide pointed out that they face the sea to take advantage of the breeze.</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPK9ypSKyoYLXqw3sTsgsUcn5hFlJ_cDCCmv2EAjPi3ZDAdqT4qB_McLd3RoNLHLXByvCarMcEYUHMOp8ysPLgf3RjkhhDdyHyz5if_shd24cX0lhHrMsJvwHKjK5W7WqB9qu26rnXuxIu/s1200/houses.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPK9ypSKyoYLXqw3sTsgsUcn5hFlJ_cDCCmv2EAjPi3ZDAdqT4qB_McLd3RoNLHLXByvCarMcEYUHMOp8ysPLgf3RjkhhDdyHyz5if_shd24cX0lhHrMsJvwHKjK5W7WqB9qu26rnXuxIu/w640-h640/houses.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">Here's me pretending I live there. I would happily take the pink house.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTi-hG4yp7cNUQ0OCs597a2sfOC_crf01j-wG0uIFE3m6Nrkc5-vTGbH1kxQFX9TEjstBuTLJo2Su7A5prCp9kRfKtT406zvNkfdZnKZo74-ytzZV9KeSspQqzLZKUpRtlIlbuGndIFjTY/s1200/me.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTi-hG4yp7cNUQ0OCs597a2sfOC_crf01j-wG0uIFE3m6Nrkc5-vTGbH1kxQFX9TEjstBuTLJo2Su7A5prCp9kRfKtT406zvNkfdZnKZo74-ytzZV9KeSspQqzLZKUpRtlIlbuGndIFjTY/w640-h640/me.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I peeked through a lot of fences to see the cute alleyways and elaborate gardens attached to the multi-million dollar houses.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp2BgW_afLJEKR0r8BQyjfZA4TxCqcs0DsJPiihVRdJdKiKKMRrr9haKRvTjwgQhzN17lTFyeiXg0xRrYmUz9X10mdAbysYNENMKSmt7uPNZDVqx-OnE2I-ira8LcnQOnz2CCtmh01-A0/s1200/alleys.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp2BgW_afLJEKR0r8BQyjfZA4TxCqcs0DsJPiihVRdJdKiKKMRrr9haKRvTjwgQhzN17lTFyeiXg0xRrYmUz9X10mdAbysYNENMKSmt7uPNZDVqx-OnE2I-ira8LcnQOnz2CCtmh01-A0/w640-h640/alleys.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0hdVCeurz5OOsliw7TeN1NazXn3eY7vjNG6PEL00VTJVEotYg79Eo6I1mNt-doLCK1GE4a6b0ft9XtnltO0xDknXRffYF6jmNhJHgYiZBK5HZ7uDXdCVePFEhqfunZi7azAmgD_cH5x8/s1200/gardems.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0hdVCeurz5OOsliw7TeN1NazXn3eY7vjNG6PEL00VTJVEotYg79Eo6I1mNt-doLCK1GE4a6b0ft9XtnltO0xDknXRffYF6jmNhJHgYiZBK5HZ7uDXdCVePFEhqfunZi7azAmgD_cH5x8/w640-h640/gardems.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">Another part of the charm of Charleston is that it's on the water. I think we walked along the water every night. What can I say- oceans are exotic to Midwesterners. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHKOtdWll1w14NwMXwpDi5f1Wd5eGSsZzfyz42lj8A1Fm-0zgzrtP9_6BZjRIQuonYuLTn_jrenFdFxR7-HcvyIEwU7sQKwMHLqX10M9GKTcLs0Yt4ygVsA6LoiGS1dYPwq0OhDuUvSID/s2048/IMG_7809.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHKOtdWll1w14NwMXwpDi5f1Wd5eGSsZzfyz42lj8A1Fm-0zgzrtP9_6BZjRIQuonYuLTn_jrenFdFxR7-HcvyIEwU7sQKwMHLqX10M9GKTcLs0Yt4ygVsA6LoiGS1dYPwq0OhDuUvSID/w640-h480/IMG_7809.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicb4k3hNBgiR6vE56N0yRrkgtPio9JDnLW8GbV57HEquKsoXX0Xrb7RIJ1hqZs-B382DrI4BesHf9hBE-IDvJkLhsxPxWB9YPsZ4NQ7TfkJpJrPXR0RXdFo_buYCquTWQc1457cDVU7pB1/s2048/IMG_7800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicb4k3hNBgiR6vE56N0yRrkgtPio9JDnLW8GbV57HEquKsoXX0Xrb7RIJ1hqZs-B382DrI4BesHf9hBE-IDvJkLhsxPxWB9YPsZ4NQ7TfkJpJrPXR0RXdFo_buYCquTWQc1457cDVU7pB1/w480-h640/IMG_7800.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nS_8KSDPMdxcNmXB5gg4zMjYwkmmCMSrl8rtUD-MXGE0WJkIKuoWHiHjHQ9xnHkZA9UiXeJXHFhMfScLPJunKwgKeoWvwgQxh_ZBxeCsRFUxR1jeo6XlOoxYF-H65HVr9Rkf6IsP1haA/s1131/unnamed-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1131" data-original-width="823" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nS_8KSDPMdxcNmXB5gg4zMjYwkmmCMSrl8rtUD-MXGE0WJkIKuoWHiHjHQ9xnHkZA9UiXeJXHFhMfScLPJunKwgKeoWvwgQxh_ZBxeCsRFUxR1jeo6XlOoxYF-H65HVr9Rkf6IsP1haA/w466-h640/unnamed-1.jpg" width="466" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">You can't tell from this picture, but this beautiful park White Point Garden is also right on the water.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8j6jhXAQam1ODW_5_czn73R0dMEJnS2GWmSUnZIBMfNt0eUBuXfBAQHfw42vDcV23gIrRcB0B2BC6DfcIlbIUL4-b_-uRH-ZMLDyxEWL28cT8-72QBUZ9g1SsXwEdVc0l6tHxXa-M30J/s2048/IMG_7817.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8j6jhXAQam1ODW_5_czn73R0dMEJnS2GWmSUnZIBMfNt0eUBuXfBAQHfw42vDcV23gIrRcB0B2BC6DfcIlbIUL4-b_-uRH-ZMLDyxEWL28cT8-72QBUZ9g1SsXwEdVc0l6tHxXa-M30J/w640-h480/IMG_7817.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the first things we did was check out the market. It extends for several blocks. We got some souvenirs and homemade biscuits. The picture on the bottom right is from after it closed at night- everything gets packed up at 5pm!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbnin0Cakdf4lXfd4Snl4RLMiZ1m2m8tzNRNgPYPpyXUoI0SJZgS-PG1qq38JyxtG2TTVDsXwv2sDFJbmTlGleDDkP1y1ZMPJ-IOWxjtkfZ9BMH_-I90g0DeaQB_qIR-DS5K5zK1XeQQv/s1200/market.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbnin0Cakdf4lXfd4Snl4RLMiZ1m2m8tzNRNgPYPpyXUoI0SJZgS-PG1qq38JyxtG2TTVDsXwv2sDFJbmTlGleDDkP1y1ZMPJ-IOWxjtkfZ9BMH_-I90g0DeaQB_qIR-DS5K5zK1XeQQv/w640-h640/market.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I rolled my eyes at this because, you know, I used to hang out in Jerusalem... but I guess a nickname for Charleston is "the holy city" because they have so many churches. We were there on a Sunday and one thing that surprised me was how many people actually attended all of them. I'm not used to seeing people actually use historic churches.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV66aZFRfHWfsQ6DVW57hRndw274ug3Vat__sM-dz4JH3JUBTCtVnv2p3XOt2PBhDHSvOtdW4Fi2ItSIqO512Rrjrw904_hbuQrKrMJ8l3bALRVc749tLiQGtDQgjDkaWzZ9oaD6h-dmmM/s2048/IMG_7736.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV66aZFRfHWfsQ6DVW57hRndw274ug3Vat__sM-dz4JH3JUBTCtVnv2p3XOt2PBhDHSvOtdW4Fi2ItSIqO512Rrjrw904_hbuQrKrMJ8l3bALRVc749tLiQGtDQgjDkaWzZ9oaD6h-dmmM/w480-h640/IMG_7736.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ji0lT2UID7uq5smK8ncHvvNtoQaX7CrLL1odYfLpBt7xmgjaAjqHfxR43gYlA8z36lBJfMO1KKPgLeYCGoIJkE49BzBTNTd8oRCIjx_v_ZDPQligfKjDowcmo39lOhiUVq4MJ950oEr0/s1200/churches.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ji0lT2UID7uq5smK8ncHvvNtoQaX7CrLL1odYfLpBt7xmgjaAjqHfxR43gYlA8z36lBJfMO1KKPgLeYCGoIJkE49BzBTNTd8oRCIjx_v_ZDPQligfKjDowcmo39lOhiUVq4MJ950oEr0/w640-h640/churches.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bH0A0uxIbV3QOwDOHal9aW83DSLZkvlJnHwwSGvgdKMz8OghJJkTB9x-xMU7G2NVNYd6yL0zSzYs-TBpHDGmzb8IrMY8fQtndOoeJM3JT8LLhIwtGcN8CE2C7lq3YwHmm3JIE5aTU73V/s2048/IMG_7901.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1569" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bH0A0uxIbV3QOwDOHal9aW83DSLZkvlJnHwwSGvgdKMz8OghJJkTB9x-xMU7G2NVNYd6yL0zSzYs-TBpHDGmzb8IrMY8fQtndOoeJM3JT8LLhIwtGcN8CE2C7lq3YwHmm3JIE5aTU73V/w490-h640/IMG_7901.jpg" width="490" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Last but not least, we took a boat to visit Fort Sumter. This is where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. We learned that it was never actually finished, and was mostly destroyed later in the war.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nrGxvoNqrYeLctfLqszAZxNBEgIWi4R3CdZ98E8xOSWR_IuTKgPII4akKMunPQ5CtrkaSLs_qdc83b6HwVA_tl-kPHYJvVrZ6uKI0xpN1ycpeXrcVajugbuHNcGCTuoCnv3b2cYPA0NC/s2048/IMG_7823+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nrGxvoNqrYeLctfLqszAZxNBEgIWi4R3CdZ98E8xOSWR_IuTKgPII4akKMunPQ5CtrkaSLs_qdc83b6HwVA_tl-kPHYJvVrZ6uKI0xpN1ycpeXrcVajugbuHNcGCTuoCnv3b2cYPA0NC/w640-h480/IMG_7823+2.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hg0lPw9wsskn_a84rQwwcK_AEaWoeRBEK-pj-Dn-Qs3_bBlWVfkVx17jx8FWInTq5Sn1zgXumrNF8yNJCTdkQKMb39YBri-Oh1_UcyRDKWFry6la82BPOM6gzHuAhAuw-rmKAx1x-HCP/s2048/IMG_7837.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hg0lPw9wsskn_a84rQwwcK_AEaWoeRBEK-pj-Dn-Qs3_bBlWVfkVx17jx8FWInTq5Sn1zgXumrNF8yNJCTdkQKMb39YBri-Oh1_UcyRDKWFry6la82BPOM6gzHuAhAuw-rmKAx1x-HCP/w640-h480/IMG_7837.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We spent 4 days in Charleston and absolutely didn't want to leave.</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Next up: Savannah!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><br /></p>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-77301624681345239352021-04-01T14:04:00.004-07:002023-03-26T18:31:26.778-07:00Southern Trip: Plantations<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">We were excited and interested to visit some plantations on our first trip to the deep south- so we visited three! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">A few things they all had in common were:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">-They grew rice (and by <i>they</i> you know who was actually doing the work and who was sitting on their butts on the front porch drinking sweet tea).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">-The original houses were burned down by the Union Army.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">-They did not remain plantations after the Civil War because they couldn't function without all of the free labor.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Plantation #1 was <b>Middleton Place</b>, which is just outside of Charleston, SC.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This place was built in the 1730s and claims to have the oldest landscaped gardens in the U.S. We happened to visit on a day that was perfect for enjoying the gardens- 70 degrees with blue skies. After a Wisconsin winter, it felt like paradise.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEija2JLh2k-fRH89kcxTIzkEyX1q2BqGgcirZ5Pquu6Mb52RBIVWSb01avkJIo7UmixPtC10SNRGrsccmO1E5J7jlN8PcS68e6O1zJqNtU3eYjLtBYcK3OwrIiRZG-iD4AL78tQTvPlFd1p/s2048/IMG_7850.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEija2JLh2k-fRH89kcxTIzkEyX1q2BqGgcirZ5Pquu6Mb52RBIVWSb01avkJIo7UmixPtC10SNRGrsccmO1E5J7jlN8PcS68e6O1zJqNtU3eYjLtBYcK3OwrIiRZG-iD4AL78tQTvPlFd1p/w640-h480/IMG_7850.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMKKXnIno4CgJjiaaHQY65DRCTPrQClSN61TqR-0xcT_5gpJU6OFLt7ipHfxwjyXov6jXMHrEhgEDSGfiC33856K96QzFCztCEBNFDqz2R2eeZukQkNUhHG2kvRbimqKzE-RYDoli-JUH/s2048/IMG_7834.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1467" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMKKXnIno4CgJjiaaHQY65DRCTPrQClSN61TqR-0xcT_5gpJU6OFLt7ipHfxwjyXov6jXMHrEhgEDSGfiC33856K96QzFCztCEBNFDqz2R2eeZukQkNUhHG2kvRbimqKzE-RYDoli-JUH/w458-h640/IMG_7834.jpg" width="458" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XdG8hyK3xVSiA5xIhZmItwRBSDM7IT0XkWAV2t6DAo-jb3N7yZ5XoO2mpkTRpUWsDERU-Yqa7AX3Ixvq5AWFtqborXnDu2vmz3xIb3aoS9Fk-dApqGNRD-xtIVBnuRf_RPlp7Ndi4M3q/s2048/IMG_7863.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XdG8hyK3xVSiA5xIhZmItwRBSDM7IT0XkWAV2t6DAo-jb3N7yZ5XoO2mpkTRpUWsDERU-Yqa7AX3Ixvq5AWFtqborXnDu2vmz3xIb3aoS9Fk-dApqGNRD-xtIVBnuRf_RPlp7Ndi4M3q/w640-h480/IMG_7863.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbrJAIVafCjpbRjX1ZQlaeDGOOrJpVDEvcFn5QReh8q48yHGn2L_fT-3LnwT09oV7lznvdMc0DSIeCBwTGCR2UwQpmU5JT-acAJrWBLyZlRB1j97L2Cqtn-l7lJgJ1mPOSvUL9KE5XYz-e/s2048/IMG_7854.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbrJAIVafCjpbRjX1ZQlaeDGOOrJpVDEvcFn5QReh8q48yHGn2L_fT-3LnwT09oV7lznvdMc0DSIeCBwTGCR2UwQpmU5JT-acAJrWBLyZlRB1j97L2Cqtn-l7lJgJ1mPOSvUL9KE5XYz-e/w480-h640/IMG_7854.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Besides loving the weather, we loved that the gardens were inspired by Versailles- one of our favorite places!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTkJnZYX1xb4i6qAyFtXJz3A0E0z4jNEap0cZS_C7rvolh7j8l4h1vAk-2dqQbMIDITSz19P9pGb0gMM6cr1dUYttXwfYf_T_6v_XJPqzPj17w1kM6Yl8YR8Jcppdd95ZQXLYuPR7W11p/s2048/IMG_7848.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTkJnZYX1xb4i6qAyFtXJz3A0E0z4jNEap0cZS_C7rvolh7j8l4h1vAk-2dqQbMIDITSz19P9pGb0gMM6cr1dUYttXwfYf_T_6v_XJPqzPj17w1kM6Yl8YR8Jcppdd95ZQXLYuPR7W11p/w640-h480/IMG_7848.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuWT7f0Hk-oM1S3B1rV-_tx5TCinEyYAxjeDaoEPO8UOKmrmsRqDDdjY89FRNq2sScVpWq_jj9BUqSkisRlXplBKV_cLsz9QIDOhxxQewvPHLP0BPWY8SHMWiFQQSlPao6K_zGSpOrLkW/s2048/IMG_7866.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuWT7f0Hk-oM1S3B1rV-_tx5TCinEyYAxjeDaoEPO8UOKmrmsRqDDdjY89FRNq2sScVpWq_jj9BUqSkisRlXplBKV_cLsz9QIDOhxxQewvPHLP0BPWY8SHMWiFQQSlPao6K_zGSpOrLkW/w640-h480/IMG_7866.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkDtsyrH9mjW3zjL_jAfG45xNue1yHsiKsIApI1xYIRafaOwnsArIjJstJjoCjsVDZCwtQFRB1kZpTQrAb8Vsx_gpEeS6Yjkl3uEYC85INuXDUqo990FO5eBxEmIR2rsf7vvP87O53Qor/s2048/IMG_7874.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkDtsyrH9mjW3zjL_jAfG45xNue1yHsiKsIApI1xYIRafaOwnsArIjJstJjoCjsVDZCwtQFRB1kZpTQrAb8Vsx_gpEeS6Yjkl3uEYC85INuXDUqo990FO5eBxEmIR2rsf7vvP87O53Qor/w640-h480/IMG_7874.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOxdR5rbhwzpEj8S7O6CSmL9uQlKmTnc5LP4N5Tjrig1yCQ8Om8ShvCa0B-GQm45ygEqLtVIcYPq_yTUNzMa47pdeC1Nn1qqmeL1vG0bUE2qdK5rgEiTET3RcAGNUCufl5qWBIUTx_q84/s2048/IMG_7875.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOxdR5rbhwzpEj8S7O6CSmL9uQlKmTnc5LP4N5Tjrig1yCQ8Om8ShvCa0B-GQm45ygEqLtVIcYPq_yTUNzMa47pdeC1Nn1qqmeL1vG0bUE2qdK5rgEiTET3RcAGNUCufl5qWBIUTx_q84/w640-h480/IMG_7875.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I actually had no idea that South Carolina had alligators, so I thought David was joking when he pointed this guy out. It was the first alligator we'd ever seen (many more followed the next day).</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5eKLcdWbOLlvoInqaupL-nOI-NvqInkMi_t9Jv_7wvwUgBamgEx423r_4O-iMe50tpBfLvg3w3uGmgKuNVRwd3tpUK9kzFOGCKGBLQL99ZeqvKOW2_bcLaDJHnT9DXPnvnk3zC98OatR/s2048/IMG_7859.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5eKLcdWbOLlvoInqaupL-nOI-NvqInkMi_t9Jv_7wvwUgBamgEx423r_4O-iMe50tpBfLvg3w3uGmgKuNVRwd3tpUK9kzFOGCKGBLQL99ZeqvKOW2_bcLaDJHnT9DXPnvnk3zC98OatR/w640-h480/IMG_7859.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYH8n177iVpkvfIaGSNGcHkoB2ujUy7-6X4fkDFMVuILe5IvwH_XJKNDi9ysAKqcbOxz4jO5G67uLgSDuGDA3PbLEYUNZV-nSapGXvY5AgTT57ri02A0Qltqy7uwzvKhpcflSBsK1Ixzed/s2048/IMG_7836.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYH8n177iVpkvfIaGSNGcHkoB2ujUy7-6X4fkDFMVuILe5IvwH_XJKNDi9ysAKqcbOxz4jO5G67uLgSDuGDA3PbLEYUNZV-nSapGXvY5AgTT57ri02A0Qltqy7uwzvKhpcflSBsK1Ixzed/w640-h480/IMG_7836.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">They estimate that this huge live oak tree is 1,000 years old. Side note: David loves the straps on his backpack and I hate them.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSTdJGU0_spIDYlHRzxn5N3PawCV5NW2MpoYhlaXBaCusZGyNNTI-1zYmuwNGsGtmSnUJZr8gLoB1nV37tSb-7lii7_uJjLWMGm8YB0r_r7E994DSGBcgKQuFqH6re3D6nO7NbEn37ZrE/s4608/IMG_7861.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSTdJGU0_spIDYlHRzxn5N3PawCV5NW2MpoYhlaXBaCusZGyNNTI-1zYmuwNGsGtmSnUJZr8gLoB1nV37tSb-7lii7_uJjLWMGm8YB0r_r7E994DSGBcgKQuFqH6re3D6nO7NbEn37ZrE/w640-h480/IMG_7861.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The main house was destroyed but this guest house remains. Not bad just for guests.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXbCK4wIRArqoZt7XsN51ZzEc0OIP80jYOyAdmSXs_eAAKvPgaWEX5f5ka2oybqEksdb-Qi0d0LnKxxCdlNJwu7068047ChXgglnHPuhXp2bGczXUp3_ytYavNN5V8kdVvtx5feoNxS9m/s2048/IMG_7877.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXbCK4wIRArqoZt7XsN51ZzEc0OIP80jYOyAdmSXs_eAAKvPgaWEX5f5ka2oybqEksdb-Qi0d0LnKxxCdlNJwu7068047ChXgglnHPuhXp2bGczXUp3_ytYavNN5V8kdVvtx5feoNxS9m/w640-h480/IMG_7877.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Since we had a tour booked in downtown Charleston later that day, we opted not to do any guided tours here. I wouldn't have minded learning some more history, but it was relaxing to just wander at our own pace.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Plantation #2 was <b>Magnolia</b>, which is also just outside of Charleston.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">4 slave cabins remain out of the 11 that were originally there. They were built as duplexes, and usually a large family lived on each side. Please note the fact that there are gaps in the walls and floor.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbbLVuh1TRtFCDiujy93RVFuPhv5E4z12UmG_nrpNgvateDvpSi2_vswcZigJ84CvtLXJGkFR82iil8VY_F4nPLN7QvTufE129wfDgsH3u-cbPeSHyU25fTrfIsiJqNZZp_vTgSfVJ3R6/s2048/IMG_7896.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbbLVuh1TRtFCDiujy93RVFuPhv5E4z12UmG_nrpNgvateDvpSi2_vswcZigJ84CvtLXJGkFR82iil8VY_F4nPLN7QvTufE129wfDgsH3u-cbPeSHyU25fTrfIsiJqNZZp_vTgSfVJ3R6/w640-h480/IMG_7896.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKLswRR-vcay0cmPyTU-doVbZ0DYzH8a_cj7V9zC2eFnlDp_XQL6IbZo2H6IudgDyS-Udj8gBYfHPnERjBM70nukBQxe16kArLktnMA1FkEZ9o_YGhLFIhxBvZmslEDlf0MpT5AcXBWv2/s2048/IMG_7898.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKLswRR-vcay0cmPyTU-doVbZ0DYzH8a_cj7V9zC2eFnlDp_XQL6IbZo2H6IudgDyS-Udj8gBYfHPnERjBM70nukBQxe16kArLktnMA1FkEZ9o_YGhLFIhxBvZmslEDlf0MpT5AcXBWv2/w480-h640/IMG_7898.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><p>Quite a difference from the main house that we toured next...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnAlYJsl2QP4tFEl1oMiBSN2NgPb61IOM9WXGQtyW2sLDRrlZGd8sGzkDJ_qcew4d5Ny4SWekVMXsSCjXqNZ-YCSHdtjvjTI032Et-ZwBYeA8qq_1n2b5H_In4CMo04nvyPVNTd7AgWal/s2048/IMG_7964.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnAlYJsl2QP4tFEl1oMiBSN2NgPb61IOM9WXGQtyW2sLDRrlZGd8sGzkDJ_qcew4d5Ny4SWekVMXsSCjXqNZ-YCSHdtjvjTI032Et-ZwBYeA8qq_1n2b5H_In4CMo04nvyPVNTd7AgWal/w640-h480/IMG_7964.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5E_PAosCl_jMfgtckh9ODeC_27aBtXVRNG6MlNTpzEVNehEal2i53AdJ8MNmHe2sYlY4euyBhC9giULNkLGE_oxpVDm1sEy750fzAun682DHnp7-TeM7zxyldTVLb6wPzsrn6U7UX-PWJ/s2048/IMG_7920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5E_PAosCl_jMfgtckh9ODeC_27aBtXVRNG6MlNTpzEVNehEal2i53AdJ8MNmHe2sYlY4euyBhC9giULNkLGE_oxpVDm1sEy750fzAun682DHnp7-TeM7zxyldTVLb6wPzsrn6U7UX-PWJ/w640-h480/IMG_7920.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">This house was built after the Civil War to replace the one that was burned down. It was described as 'modest' compared the one it replaced.</span></div></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The same family has lived on this land since 1676. People were living in this house until as late as 2013, and there are still family members who live in other houses on the plantation.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-jlr9aAza8ZUuNIoWhLd4PJGVQj2X24fkA0exz7N1QnjWcUSH4ppCCtsFPH-xpSPVJOA2FUSM_5erccHveNh8thPHIXM_INcpdKT2NctSWru3T-uKqIAzib6O1sl88VxJlG86sLroUwM/s2048/IMG_7919.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1431" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-jlr9aAza8ZUuNIoWhLd4PJGVQj2X24fkA0exz7N1QnjWcUSH4ppCCtsFPH-xpSPVJOA2FUSM_5erccHveNh8thPHIXM_INcpdKT2NctSWru3T-uKqIAzib6O1sl88VxJlG86sLroUwM/w448-h640/IMG_7919.jpg" width="448" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><p>To hold onto the land after the Civil War, in 1870 the owner at that time decided to open the gardens to the public and charge an admission fee. That's how this place has made an income ever since. I guess stealing his sister's fiancé wasn't an option. #gonewiththewindreference</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9HQI2hdCNyGiVr0vZc-C43ABH40LA63NTmzSjEnuZftqFaXbMsrue8HbolFjJax03huDToIIODxAkY-R6KMTwKLg2WBM0APVb6SgcY-KnnVlseZ7t9_dBYqOCWpNgTrdg6T6HXXkz7Se/s2048/IMG_7912.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9HQI2hdCNyGiVr0vZc-C43ABH40LA63NTmzSjEnuZftqFaXbMsrue8HbolFjJax03huDToIIODxAkY-R6KMTwKLg2WBM0APVb6SgcY-KnnVlseZ7t9_dBYqOCWpNgTrdg6T6HXXkz7Se/w640-h480/IMG_7912.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKO2lyIb7mjGx5VzR-at1LIcXUo1w4wfpXhhgoo90oHr4DTBdebEwyjnwMWGz5iZMV002SKQWQWoRdm59lqdY_s07vZR8Ug1tFDZ60dTJXDLZJ2UmFp_hByfwoi5VMf36b4P1EVo4oIR9/s2048/IMG_7928.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1490" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKO2lyIb7mjGx5VzR-at1LIcXUo1w4wfpXhhgoo90oHr4DTBdebEwyjnwMWGz5iZMV002SKQWQWoRdm59lqdY_s07vZR8Ug1tFDZ60dTJXDLZJ2UmFp_hByfwoi5VMf36b4P1EVo4oIR9/w466-h640/IMG_7928.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0tz7Rxxh3Wu7vWXbGesi20RSl3EQ9DQ_Eta6ux6e6wnVAqFWq388UtmAH-vjklHYdgWnlXWIeCUR1OEfLkanRDmhZzJIBzXjT4bRdkb-LKd5dESdr7ynRoOrS8RNCq-I-LfXJzhp9McX/s2048/IMG_7916.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0tz7Rxxh3Wu7vWXbGesi20RSl3EQ9DQ_Eta6ux6e6wnVAqFWq388UtmAH-vjklHYdgWnlXWIeCUR1OEfLkanRDmhZzJIBzXjT4bRdkb-LKd5dESdr7ynRoOrS8RNCq-I-LfXJzhp9McX/w640-h480/IMG_7916.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWNsUU9R_hRG7tfFubu4dZRW9oGeXYBnQ7NlXtPIfJieTNLWmQ1Qs-bUU-87Vmb7RxKFAUSIQ8hc9RLWKfqeHUQLcq6APg_OICFgM-hNMMlzrIZ9qUg7OU9ODmDQzi-62LdQUkoJgj-ap/s2048/IMG_7940.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWNsUU9R_hRG7tfFubu4dZRW9oGeXYBnQ7NlXtPIfJieTNLWmQ1Qs-bUU-87Vmb7RxKFAUSIQ8hc9RLWKfqeHUQLcq6APg_OICFgM-hNMMlzrIZ9qUg7OU9ODmDQzi-62LdQUkoJgj-ap/w480-h640/IMG_7940.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvgziUHAG5PVpuRecFvqgFzofnPMnsV6wqF-KABYvyv5sQirdoHLmnGsQx5zx6s3pcsHsjpio4y5rgdQMgLtPqiuI7AycVSRxr2xVwuSsybc9cMvbZlw2nl54ysDTax5PEN48maNbn8TE/s2048/IMG_7919+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvgziUHAG5PVpuRecFvqgFzofnPMnsV6wqF-KABYvyv5sQirdoHLmnGsQx5zx6s3pcsHsjpio4y5rgdQMgLtPqiuI7AycVSRxr2xVwuSsybc9cMvbZlw2nl54ysDTax5PEN48maNbn8TE/w640-h480/IMG_7919+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVpDKdaL3nXCYmkXuuXNMt-ccOTeU5VOQblPpLebj9vIE3gEGD8LDxVCvVnOU9pkLu8MQBxkU_Co6KVUwiBsXBbeEXP42dRHmjGJbYce1p7MDcBoeBPrp8k5Zdyl6RrxWIdDmf0BTUCnF/s2048/IMG_7922.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVpDKdaL3nXCYmkXuuXNMt-ccOTeU5VOQblPpLebj9vIE3gEGD8LDxVCvVnOU9pkLu8MQBxkU_Co6KVUwiBsXBbeEXP42dRHmjGJbYce1p7MDcBoeBPrp8k5Zdyl6RrxWIdDmf0BTUCnF/w480-h640/IMG_7922.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>We made the most of our visit to Magnolia, and also toured the surrounding marshland by tram and boat. There were a lot of alligators living their best lives in the swamp. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOU-haYyslP1clnvX2TJQg_qdIKtWV8H4aUHZOuJanyL6JnrRRXUzBqV1S0OaDlscA0xoTMrQ840SNKd6Ouw5TePc7qNQYYxUABB6zSPb1U-crciPSo5Qrtn3e12sKUTxa2gELlOi8OR4V/s2048/IMG_7933.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOU-haYyslP1clnvX2TJQg_qdIKtWV8H4aUHZOuJanyL6JnrRRXUzBqV1S0OaDlscA0xoTMrQ840SNKd6Ouw5TePc7qNQYYxUABB6zSPb1U-crciPSo5Qrtn3e12sKUTxa2gELlOi8OR4V/w640-h480/IMG_7933.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9wh0-X29wVvyeU87fUPu5tB_u9A1Qn-vRSdGLy2f2pyFfAQp5JWnL1d9s_nU9osLCJxNKWSvXaJ6xLAEJ0PdlmxdeTWhV5Z_jL6FCV5DNvdqNv8yB_iLhDtRHzs5GiV79q4rTDrTYJau/s2048/IMG_7934.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1355" data-original-width="2048" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9wh0-X29wVvyeU87fUPu5tB_u9A1Qn-vRSdGLy2f2pyFfAQp5JWnL1d9s_nU9osLCJxNKWSvXaJ6xLAEJ0PdlmxdeTWhV5Z_jL6FCV5DNvdqNv8yB_iLhDtRHzs5GiV79q4rTDrTYJau/w640-h424/IMG_7934.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStMjZYvrq4XkXLlOO_C_eCxSMIVHuWl-hNUQ4u9ihO59ObKE9JubUOnnrzic3dphFk1nMzfovdU1s0ErhAwN3YTnRCLc7nfXhwGwwkVuDnQvKa7NgOWqEiityjUky2Bf4mQ8WsdkbQrcr/s2048/IMG_7941.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStMjZYvrq4XkXLlOO_C_eCxSMIVHuWl-hNUQ4u9ihO59ObKE9JubUOnnrzic3dphFk1nMzfovdU1s0ErhAwN3YTnRCLc7nfXhwGwwkVuDnQvKa7NgOWqEiityjUky2Bf4mQ8WsdkbQrcr/w640-h480/IMG_7941.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Plantation #3 was <b>Wormsloe</b>, just outside of Savannah, GA.</p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">There was less to tour here, but when I saw a picture of the oak alley online I knew we couldn't miss it.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpylNnIt6aje0nfnzUbc0YWYVZ2LjZ5fEfntX7L_uvxROF7SP_7CWEaOEWqfvwJzqQBe5QXi2Qo-bBaCjE_00KuZc99UUnBo3FzfcqrxkO2tno5CbMhdHtDb3R5i9txvh5fNGU-DRuu2l/s2048/IMG_8012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1490" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpylNnIt6aje0nfnzUbc0YWYVZ2LjZ5fEfntX7L_uvxROF7SP_7CWEaOEWqfvwJzqQBe5QXi2Qo-bBaCjE_00KuZc99UUnBo3FzfcqrxkO2tno5CbMhdHtDb3R5i9txvh5fNGU-DRuu2l/w466-h640/IMG_8012.jpg" width="466" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXJGpFNdfM5rAvJiaAfrlAbG6KVe2P9lOvDIRwGxxeniE2lpLQHlAShjGRz71eFU5IUj5UJw-0prhN7Ggh5pcpRHn25hW7Tsy5RI0m7dFGqe4Eei7-4xzMHZlbv0bvoxug77qicqV0h9S/s2048/IMG_7979.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1480" data-original-width="2048" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXJGpFNdfM5rAvJiaAfrlAbG6KVe2P9lOvDIRwGxxeniE2lpLQHlAShjGRz71eFU5IUj5UJw-0prhN7Ggh5pcpRHn25hW7Tsy5RI0m7dFGqe4Eei7-4xzMHZlbv0bvoxug77qicqV0h9S/w640-h462/IMG_7979.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjejvEXu53Z1rorS46Js2cdz7BHc93L3xTEfb3slktFsTfeJujy3hv1PootsyVdBHidnBZDRNxC-g9clpPYQPVmcY9zVBA1RO8_ZPS_CLyTqOgJszftfvDvo8YCUzqx-Dc4_nctq67NBwT-/s2048/IMG_8004.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjejvEXu53Z1rorS46Js2cdz7BHc93L3xTEfb3slktFsTfeJujy3hv1PootsyVdBHidnBZDRNxC-g9clpPYQPVmcY9zVBA1RO8_ZPS_CLyTqOgJszftfvDvo8YCUzqx-Dc4_nctq67NBwT-/w469-h640/IMG_8004.jpg" width="469" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><p>This beautiful tunnel of trees goes on for 3 miles. It's quite the experience to drive through. And dance through.</p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I was in love with the live oaks and Spanish moss throughout our trip to the south. I must confess that at first I thought the moss was part of the tree... but it's a different plant! According to one tour guide, it was named Spanish moss by Native Americans. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I guess most Native Americans don't grow facial hair, so when they first saw the beards of Spanish explorers/conquerors/whatever they were... they thought it was weird and looked like the moss. So this moss is not actually from Spain; it just looks like Spanish facial hair haha.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Wormsloe was built by Noble Jones, who came to Georgia with the first group of settlers from England in 1733. There's not much of the house left, but this is the oldest structure in Georgia.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsxXRoKk77ZC5gCFUyoqAFE-GnTLuOlerUMfN6LunoM63mqtx_atTkaqkaZpYN6c2WPJKLHWHRlS356plIBrKgO351s-pgRAQR9-QEQHl0DGl1OaEgKohvtZ1MWHkifKajgqzKK6QZwEN/s2048/IMG_8018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsxXRoKk77ZC5gCFUyoqAFE-GnTLuOlerUMfN6LunoM63mqtx_atTkaqkaZpYN6c2WPJKLHWHRlS356plIBrKgO351s-pgRAQR9-QEQHl0DGl1OaEgKohvtZ1MWHkifKajgqzKK6QZwEN/w480-h640/IMG_8018.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><p>After seeing the ruins of the house we explored some of the nature trails.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-P3AdfdefN5QSb0P-Ikjmf9dhdazIVgEyjhJPFgqHQNGzIpAexh0sfwml-YwfTLwvtlhq90lj73-2l6OgsZ3YgH3G20n5vYZ1LnHyDTWCzsT_RGNwDGA0t48r0-cAem0dRc87UWRxK1K/s2048/IMG_7983.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-P3AdfdefN5QSb0P-Ikjmf9dhdazIVgEyjhJPFgqHQNGzIpAexh0sfwml-YwfTLwvtlhq90lj73-2l6OgsZ3YgH3G20n5vYZ1LnHyDTWCzsT_RGNwDGA0t48r0-cAem0dRc87UWRxK1K/w480-h640/IMG_7983.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>All of these places really felt like being in another world. At a minimum I definitely felt like I wasn't in the U.S. </p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-15316810153019088342020-12-31T19:19:00.001-08:002023-03-26T18:54:42.938-07:002020: A Year in Review<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">2020 is one of those years where it feels like I did nothing, but looking back that's not true. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><b>January-</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">It's cold, we live in Wisconsin... so not much happened. I wrapped up my first season coaching poms, which was fun.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><b>February-</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We spent Valentine's Day weekend in downtown Chicago. As many times as I've been there, I've never stayed overnight. It was -20 degrees, so our only sightseeing was at the Field Museum.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiTUg6ybw_X_C_qUipWwTKrkizqBxbVBv5k9JjQfFBdBqf4AXzhKD38waFr20q_aHwA8R2HNTgHIC_TtxaFr9KeXQq1h_Gto2YwgUM5-RTfF-3w1RIfPyopKemyharGafS8w6RB2bhZZk/s1200/chicago.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiTUg6ybw_X_C_qUipWwTKrkizqBxbVBv5k9JjQfFBdBqf4AXzhKD38waFr20q_aHwA8R2HNTgHIC_TtxaFr9KeXQq1h_Gto2YwgUM5-RTfF-3w1RIfPyopKemyharGafS8w6RB2bhZZk/w640-h640/chicago.png" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><b>Spring-</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">(Because let's be honest, the months started blending together at this point.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The calm before everything went crazy. My last week before the world shut down was great. I got to see the American Cup international gymnastics competition and a Legally Blonde the musical. We had a fun week at school celebrating Purim. And then... nothing. Unfortunately the dance recital we worked all year to prepare for was cancelled. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Other than that, we really enjoyed being at home together. I started going on walks around the neighborhood every day. I tutored kids online. David has fully worked from home ever since. He switched jobs in April and really likes the new one.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13jlbEn2sfF7BjStBkH2AADuDbN7-QIZNNeUHZE8IqzUMw688i6jxwLzF9Y4BoEn4FcHwBo3aIZxM8aydyh1JZo39YluEMXWe-aNG9ncRf7IAwD21g25yf-UOz4HLJeRXN35QTBEuEY5x/s1200/earlyspringwalks.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13jlbEn2sfF7BjStBkH2AADuDbN7-QIZNNeUHZE8IqzUMw688i6jxwLzF9Y4BoEn4FcHwBo3aIZxM8aydyh1JZo39YluEMXWe-aNG9ncRf7IAwD21g25yf-UOz4HLJeRXN35QTBEuEY5x/w640-h640/earlyspringwalks.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0GWhWV1PvhfikSDto-tY8zHYDHMfhyCxZ8eXTOClM3pObuKey76jZUQo08UxNBvaKtP1414tTafdxG2Z5XYP6_cRBciPynft-Xd-iCG4jxLgC3Aceu3_U2Nmgby1i41T_ZeSB-IrRlfi/s1200/latespringwalks.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0GWhWV1PvhfikSDto-tY8zHYDHMfhyCxZ8eXTOClM3pObuKey76jZUQo08UxNBvaKtP1414tTafdxG2Z5XYP6_cRBciPynft-Xd-iCG4jxLgC3Aceu3_U2Nmgby1i41T_ZeSB-IrRlfi/w640-h640/latespringwalks.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_57YkE4-cOD3Gl1y2OKIt0rL6tNAKj45zA1cn81m7Klr1FKEZTVrzvX-AUn2LJHyg4i2MeZ7lra1XuZX0q56mlSS-PYzgic3j7ZAAl8Ql5uf7fG6bvXxRXg56WZu75fl6mKnnTZqK_o6/s1200/easter.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_57YkE4-cOD3Gl1y2OKIt0rL6tNAKj45zA1cn81m7Klr1FKEZTVrzvX-AUn2LJHyg4i2MeZ7lra1XuZX0q56mlSS-PYzgic3j7ZAAl8Ql5uf7fG6bvXxRXg56WZu75fl6mKnnTZqK_o6/w640-h640/easter.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG40wZydFeJmBsJWRCLFq-RGpHkyDFQNvDOMc80cEFKIB7Rg9phUd3xqgyrbdtq7s88Jugi2uOdq4BjZGzKTwMPSLkVdSMpM-zoN6I4P4ubjEIucksTKH81M5jZSQdg7Yazu8x_OXbFdPj/s1200/marchathouse.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG40wZydFeJmBsJWRCLFq-RGpHkyDFQNvDOMc80cEFKIB7Rg9phUd3xqgyrbdtq7s88Jugi2uOdq4BjZGzKTwMPSLkVdSMpM-zoN6I4P4ubjEIucksTKH81M5jZSQdg7Yazu8x_OXbFdPj/w640-h640/marchathouse.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><b>Summer-</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">With the onset of lovely weather we got out and about more. Thanks to Covid there were no big vacations, but we did what we could to entertain ourselves.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftvEKFud7mZsxwoynpswQyhkm7nZzam_XGjiHpw9WcreMO5qq7-l_XNyEBqD5GSIOhWqHmxXa4Ey60sTYOQLBGOv-Y-UvTvpIZuo-UW-Ylyz6uitrkT1OAx3ptRc9ypWXK4lq6De4ae3S/s1200/cedarburgmay.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftvEKFud7mZsxwoynpswQyhkm7nZzam_XGjiHpw9WcreMO5qq7-l_XNyEBqD5GSIOhWqHmxXa4Ey60sTYOQLBGOv-Y-UvTvpIZuo-UW-Ylyz6uitrkT1OAx3ptRc9ypWXK4lq6De4ae3S/w640-h640/cedarburgmay.png" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Cedarburg</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4Ce6zLF-437RXvFSRHdfTCCJCHSVFAt1IO1Tsx5cYT_SNIkn6hZqCWl11VSQvngtmUg50vlXTeX_B70MNuHgmBb4ZcmzSJ5ru73NFYKVSq_mmmgdeAgI7hkEp957FOyRmejDaVYGDe_t/s1200/portwashington.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4Ce6zLF-437RXvFSRHdfTCCJCHSVFAt1IO1Tsx5cYT_SNIkn6hZqCWl11VSQvngtmUg50vlXTeX_B70MNuHgmBb4ZcmzSJ5ru73NFYKVSq_mmmgdeAgI7hkEp957FOyRmejDaVYGDe_t/w640-h640/portwashington.png" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Port Washington</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9S95CvtKx7ppUB2Zbgh8-YeQnvdd_rpT696OhPMWatuJb1yEcVjDTC9EYM5qpJFhywZZQho1Lc5lpW4wbM7c4uaZN1Io-BxIJZCskpnILsy4UqaAD9IeFjshCBoznn05iNVnmVeB_lQx5/s1200/sunflowers.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9S95CvtKx7ppUB2Zbgh8-YeQnvdd_rpT696OhPMWatuJb1yEcVjDTC9EYM5qpJFhywZZQho1Lc5lpW4wbM7c4uaZN1Io-BxIJZCskpnILsy4UqaAD9IeFjshCBoznn05iNVnmVeB_lQx5/w640-h640/sunflowers.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqsvqpBl4e2qn-Hos9CFyPTCO502PLxLbwooeOXVLKXvC-94UJkr3DPqMdhIuJ6oQZnNQXSZs33FH-ZTHgc1wc0wRrn_F_SukQPHOy4Y4lPxL4DMwFi74-QaIPR81-E5JKh8Cf4aUidVO/s1200/sightseeing.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqsvqpBl4e2qn-Hos9CFyPTCO502PLxLbwooeOXVLKXvC-94UJkr3DPqMdhIuJ6oQZnNQXSZs33FH-ZTHgc1wc0wRrn_F_SukQPHOy4Y4lPxL4DMwFi74-QaIPR81-E5JKh8Cf4aUidVO/w640-h640/sightseeing.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKicacmq1KY2t5aH8QuBR13kZzeSW5afOeL-Lz0VDN6FY4KOWo_7JmmKL0zoO9z8QcptMBfkNjcPuWRcz5iO8UzIn9rOQX-1JM1WJ2QzQY25F-5VRWoU-zfofXa2K-CV8FIIJTGL-zuiLn/s1200/dells.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKicacmq1KY2t5aH8QuBR13kZzeSW5afOeL-Lz0VDN6FY4KOWo_7JmmKL0zoO9z8QcptMBfkNjcPuWRcz5iO8UzIn9rOQX-1JM1WJ2QzQY25F-5VRWoU-zfofXa2K-CV8FIIJTGL-zuiLn/w640-h640/dells.png" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Wisconsin Dells</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">I got a beautiful new car in July. I taught dance once a week and had a lot of free time. I spent most of it preparing for/going through our first round of IVF. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4k4ZuTjFaNbs8ng1eaAp4o2sDr8H-x2SaesPa3NJWnbNeIRHvI-sQRI0_1gh2MHkgYpO012t_-DSYzP1rasB2XjYXyEtYQLvFuKweAYUOaiVcrQyPO1Tsb3D52vzqkuVkP5N_E3bLUYF/s1200/summer.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4k4ZuTjFaNbs8ng1eaAp4o2sDr8H-x2SaesPa3NJWnbNeIRHvI-sQRI0_1gh2MHkgYpO012t_-DSYzP1rasB2XjYXyEtYQLvFuKweAYUOaiVcrQyPO1Tsb3D52vzqkuVkP5N_E3bLUYF/w640-h640/summer.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSuIwe5IOp6DwCrHqCeMo2W64jXVZMqPs45IadUl-Hh7CN676gexu7PtstVYlfhCmmDi57uDciH1oidGktcayx2AdXQk6J8EjpW2od2liy8xxC1Q8DmaV3-V5Zs5gK-cDBtHY1JQMY37S/s1200/ivf1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSuIwe5IOp6DwCrHqCeMo2W64jXVZMqPs45IadUl-Hh7CN676gexu7PtstVYlfhCmmDi57uDciH1oidGktcayx2AdXQk6J8EjpW2od2liy8xxC1Q8DmaV3-V5Zs5gK-cDBtHY1JQMY37S/w640-h640/ivf1.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; text-align: left;">After a disappointing outcome, we took off on a</span><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2020/08/mississippi-road-trip.html" style="font-family: trebuchet; text-align: left;" target="_blank"> last minute road trip</a><span style="font-family: trebuchet; text-align: left;">. We headed south to the cute Mississippi towns of Hannibal, MO and Galena, IL for a last summer hurrah.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzxpt0j4IDhvyl_7_DRC4FNZNdqTFvbNY9GT4XxIKA1wdKmWtp91StwLm8VuAYMLoQhrbHBkqTo00E5kZBj4WQ9ymeuVch89geqvQVQCTNQUeI1Wb-AuZAML8EqLU4Be1trHWcaL4yS98/s1200/galena.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzxpt0j4IDhvyl_7_DRC4FNZNdqTFvbNY9GT4XxIKA1wdKmWtp91StwLm8VuAYMLoQhrbHBkqTo00E5kZBj4WQ9ymeuVch89geqvQVQCTNQUeI1Wb-AuZAML8EqLU4Be1trHWcaL4yS98/w640-h640/galena.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjI7BMej6P73U6G6zoWHT-meRtcVUpZwW0bmGIFgzGp9AhNdSl-n6r-SKe5rSnwgb1q6MyxLMOwvg4d4RvIIQ-vFyHfgW55O14ddzyxz9NOkGsYGr6kehH4jW4QAqq9XwE5BHFD-a4DVLa/s1200/hannibal.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjI7BMej6P73U6G6zoWHT-meRtcVUpZwW0bmGIFgzGp9AhNdSl-n6r-SKe5rSnwgb1q6MyxLMOwvg4d4RvIIQ-vFyHfgW55O14ddzyxz9NOkGsYGr6kehH4jW4QAqq9XwE5BHFD-a4DVLa/w640-h640/hannibal.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><b>Fall-</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Shockingly, school reopened in person! September ended up being one of the busiest months of my life. I worked full-time, taught dance, coached poms, babysat the delightful Buttercup, and jumped right into IVF round 2.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">October is always my favorite month. Besides being beautiful and cozy, this year it was extra special when I found out I was pregnant!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAd5_ydqcugis19GeH7hJcu5Vf2zM9pmVVoe_flLuN_nidDzz7yZ8B7kMyoDVfHjTvTBXYBbH-QN7Gp7jwUQLs6rEMpcvTHscAqyzHNF2YR-rM4rzBEXJVU49ruOL_E4e-aNfHKGxGyXCF/s1200/adogsitting.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAd5_ydqcugis19GeH7hJcu5Vf2zM9pmVVoe_flLuN_nidDzz7yZ8B7kMyoDVfHjTvTBXYBbH-QN7Gp7jwUQLs6rEMpcvTHscAqyzHNF2YR-rM4rzBEXJVU49ruOL_E4e-aNfHKGxGyXCF/w640-h640/adogsitting.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEmOemXihFiEaLWdCy3oG6x2RH5RyJOfxAvM79rLyVStuyrEQTiCigrHGMNUJNZG1KnDv_76tT088tLuckRHZ7VE2GYFwybq8v5KgcgmmwFmb3qJhP0ydycIwfe-E52idhG9mwcCwkUVHI/s1200/afall1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEmOemXihFiEaLWdCy3oG6x2RH5RyJOfxAvM79rLyVStuyrEQTiCigrHGMNUJNZG1KnDv_76tT088tLuckRHZ7VE2GYFwybq8v5KgcgmmwFmb3qJhP0ydycIwfe-E52idhG9mwcCwkUVHI/w640-h640/afall1.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1TfPbhes1gJCtakx3wB2CW6ba3H0KgKy3ORnyEmLnnltfx7ocuq00kv-BOpK5MjKtEGSPMJprSyPxp58ZVehWjOMg-E3EiOJvIWTXPtnUvkrGerUqpZprgsgwkoXs6maTKldTXs3YGXsy/s1200/aivf2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1TfPbhes1gJCtakx3wB2CW6ba3H0KgKy3ORnyEmLnnltfx7ocuq00kv-BOpK5MjKtEGSPMJprSyPxp58ZVehWjOMg-E3EiOJvIWTXPtnUvkrGerUqpZprgsgwkoXs6maTKldTXs3YGXsy/w640-h640/aivf2.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbICWm2frHeWsVy9OJItHWV_7q0nx-7ZZusXhc9YnCohoE1jZi6SL6lZXECNIOrCKvuFSoqeGoqqEL23it6PWFywdeiTDrr_gtaoD6A2auysrCMCiB1KVSbMI6axAb1N-UOsseELJePmj/s1200/afall2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbICWm2frHeWsVy9OJItHWV_7q0nx-7ZZusXhc9YnCohoE1jZi6SL6lZXECNIOrCKvuFSoqeGoqqEL23it6PWFywdeiTDrr_gtaoD6A2auysrCMCiB1KVSbMI6axAb1N-UOsseELJePmj/w640-h640/afall2.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><b>Winter-</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">By November, I was consistently feeling sick and nauseous every day. Believe it or not, I was extremely thankful to catch Covid because of the 2 weeks off from work it gave me haha.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">We were very lucky to not be sick besides mildly stuffy noses. David lost his taste and smell but it miraculously came back on Thanksgiving day. ;)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The rest of the year was low-key. We had a merry Christmas and we're really looking forward to 2021!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWZxtL0M20a1Y0K81rGcLGzTa2YX3chWJ6btbQE3setRoIJ2KvvghnLfL2c4lb5vj0XqAdFl-l_Mg9tHZbO6QVvcxchZMC8r9QH1r95j3WclBt7R-hzI1VV0p8XTXXfANnwoqw1dQUuk7/s1200/achristmas.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWZxtL0M20a1Y0K81rGcLGzTa2YX3chWJ6btbQE3setRoIJ2KvvghnLfL2c4lb5vj0XqAdFl-l_Mg9tHZbO6QVvcxchZMC8r9QH1r95j3WclBt7R-hzI1VV0p8XTXXfANnwoqw1dQUuk7/w640-h640/achristmas.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Past Years in Review!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2019/12/2019-year-in-review.html" target="_blank">2019</a> (Polar Vortex, turned 30, Seattle trip, David's parents visit, Mackinac Island, road trips)<br /><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2018/12/2018-year-in-review.html" target="_blank">2018</a> (Poland, Sicily, moving back to America, Hawaii, buying a house)</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2018/01/2017-year-in-review.html" target="_blank">2017</a> (Paris three times, Milan, Bruges, Italian Riviera, Carcassonne, London, Geneva, Florence, Venice, beach, Provence, Naples, Denmark, Cinque Terre, David gets a green card! phew)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2017/01/2016-year-in-review.html" target="_blank">2016</a> (Israel, moved back to US, got engaged, got married, moved to France, Paris, Provence, London)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2015/12/2015-in-review.html" target="_blank">2015</a> (Living in Israel, David visits, parents visit, 2 trips to France)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2014/12/2014-in-review.html" target="_blank">2014</a> (Living in France, Brussels, Amsterdam, Munich, Vienna, Prague, meeting David, Switzerland, Paris moved home, moved to Israel)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2014/01/2013-in-review.html" target="_blank">2013</a> (Jerusalem study abroad, moved to France, Rome, Florence, Siena, Luxembourg)</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-66224573103310752792020-08-23T11:29:00.023-07:002023-03-26T18:58:00.253-07:00Mississippi Road Trip<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Do you ever just <i>need</i> to get out?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">That's how we were feeling last August. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Covid quarantining, buying a house/not having a ton of extra cash, and David's immigration status being in limbo kept us stranded for a while.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Some disappointing medical news was the last straw- we needed a trip! It wasn't easy to think of somewhere to go.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">-We didn't want to go to a big city because bigger crowds meant more of a Covid risk, and most cities were pretty shut down.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">-We wanted to go somewhere within a day's driving distance, but we've already seen most of what there is to see that's close by. Sometimes I'm really not a fan of how big America is.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I pulled up Google Maps and an idea popped into my head. I remembered the town of Hannibal, Missouri being cute when I passed through it years ago on a BYU trip. After a little more research and finding things to do, the trip was planned within hours.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Things to do in Hannibal:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span>1. Hike to the top of the Mark Twain memorial/ lighthouse.</span></b> There are pretty views of the Mississippi and the town. Highly suggest not trying it in August humidity if you're like me and a total baby about summer heat.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-b75f46Hf6cairkBkcX41YGB5DDlWE9G2dmjBrhVWsdlh3Jn3R6ZoQy68PrkOm1uoHbwND_rmpYYerlOUdjT1BPF9zYlX79rMXybd5QLoKPHDIOY-c9ozkYNUAJphOSP8aUWsvtSvmul/s2048/IMG_6057.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-b75f46Hf6cairkBkcX41YGB5DDlWE9G2dmjBrhVWsdlh3Jn3R6ZoQy68PrkOm1uoHbwND_rmpYYerlOUdjT1BPF9zYlX79rMXybd5QLoKPHDIOY-c9ozkYNUAJphOSP8aUWsvtSvmul/w640-h480/IMG_6057.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27Y_XEWbx9VUQ0aVj79QPm9yNOf82c_mZZjA2t0W57NfXcExZgnzWJsXVORLi7pENxBzCzD3hySSYGn9BuwoyHmrR8v3EyqFOaBmq8VBTDOGuqSwb-q_9A16DQZBT_1LQoOj-3mnYfkMd/s2048/IMG_6059.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27Y_XEWbx9VUQ0aVj79QPm9yNOf82c_mZZjA2t0W57NfXcExZgnzWJsXVORLi7pENxBzCzD3hySSYGn9BuwoyHmrR8v3EyqFOaBmq8VBTDOGuqSwb-q_9A16DQZBT_1LQoOj-3mnYfkMd/w480-h640/IMG_6059.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Almost to the top!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yNaOoLkrzeq9hfQ-8LJzDe0PHpZQhJSpd_wtA4w4ESpoTCN0mTwS8K_rLJsUZZT9pOuXx-v0BgbEJiNe3oDRaIUFNXbLmn4Siof8vycC13GxM7BxBS2U3kwc7x_4PA2bbOx0wTWRmKZW/s2048/IMG_6066.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yNaOoLkrzeq9hfQ-8LJzDe0PHpZQhJSpd_wtA4w4ESpoTCN0mTwS8K_rLJsUZZT9pOuXx-v0BgbEJiNe3oDRaIUFNXbLmn4Siof8vycC13GxM7BxBS2U3kwc7x_4PA2bbOx0wTWRmKZW/w480-h640/IMG_6066.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">From the town, lighthouse in the distance.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b><span>2. Tour the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and museum properties.</span></b> Neither of us are that into Mark Twain himself, but we like history and it was interesting to see what life in Hannibal was like in the 1800s.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTWqAN48HjZe6fjo__jvbdJZ65iAy465xq2TtnVatwfEh8Grvb_4tTi2WseVuCXlgl7ajkuIC8E13M5WRHUR8UM9bvJPZ9_PKsCuzN3ig3S75Uc2Z8Mc0GJVhyei39is2HrA-CWalSiI3/s2048/IMG_6072.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTWqAN48HjZe6fjo__jvbdJZ65iAy465xq2TtnVatwfEh8Grvb_4tTi2WseVuCXlgl7ajkuIC8E13M5WRHUR8UM9bvJPZ9_PKsCuzN3ig3S75Uc2Z8Mc0GJVhyei39is2HrA-CWalSiI3/w480-h640/IMG_6072.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRm2L2iwlLs-zYuKT7ETsq9xjL0fbvgZUgLIabTEnY40rm6IWFe7oeTEG4clqmnMQN0E68WAkGhqBVKI25a_oXb2_d7caZrxTsc-boGnoijekx3kKJbJ4bw4OJJS0v6ZB9XL_8dGvYRRt/s2048/IMG_6062.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRm2L2iwlLs-zYuKT7ETsq9xjL0fbvgZUgLIabTEnY40rm6IWFe7oeTEG4clqmnMQN0E68WAkGhqBVKI25a_oXb2_d7caZrxTsc-boGnoijekx3kKJbJ4bw4OJJS0v6ZB9XL_8dGvYRRt/w480-h640/IMG_6062.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span>3. Eat barbecue. </span></b>This is David's favorite thing to do anytime we go anywhere remotely close to the south.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYWM_fv-JMsff2sNvI_DkbSICRMLF2kIeWQTeigqdlO-OSuzvIh4rBACdDn-11L4HL_UT8dEQ06nW6Rr_c6JTugzZ-rKhWEwXO5R9qxvVA2CW-k-kE-4H1ojARWIU0wBl5x358NVGTZSK/s2048/IMG_6076.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYWM_fv-JMsff2sNvI_DkbSICRMLF2kIeWQTeigqdlO-OSuzvIh4rBACdDn-11L4HL_UT8dEQ06nW6Rr_c6JTugzZ-rKhWEwXO5R9qxvVA2CW-k-kE-4H1ojARWIU0wBl5x358NVGTZSK/w480-h640/IMG_6076.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span>4. Walk up and down the main street. </span></b>There are plenty of little souvenir shops, and the architecture is cute.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjfJMWlo3y53F39uBLt5Ey1-Z876Zpt8oBnnzpnKHb9cRUh4gB4x6viwxPsJkYLe-_I8ezotQGXEhfxloB4Yn-PScU0s1QD6KhvFPl-LRcUq9u-X5DQQhcEKza18t8UNZbgbwvpqhhISo/s2048/IMG_6074.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjfJMWlo3y53F39uBLt5Ey1-Z876Zpt8oBnnzpnKHb9cRUh4gB4x6viwxPsJkYLe-_I8ezotQGXEhfxloB4Yn-PScU0s1QD6KhvFPl-LRcUq9u-X5DQQhcEKza18t8UNZbgbwvpqhhISo/w640-h480/IMG_6074.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtty6IQm1QvD38Dg6egSeX_UsUpw3YTJCr6tXY-i4lK5gS3u7RgzgyaMNyOg1NLmhJu3dAQjcRrsr9XSNOANXFfJKPuZPvoUCVsamU7dNvuZ-8TEOqwNRGWs_R_bGGfvS6YX1hyzCeBjI/s2048/IMG_6083.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtty6IQm1QvD38Dg6egSeX_UsUpw3YTJCr6tXY-i4lK5gS3u7RgzgyaMNyOg1NLmhJu3dAQjcRrsr9XSNOANXFfJKPuZPvoUCVsamU7dNvuZ-8TEOqwNRGWs_R_bGGfvS6YX1hyzCeBjI/w480-h640/IMG_6083.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span>4. Go through the Mark Twain cave. </span></b>The natural air conditioning from being underground felt like heaven.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-dE1xoxmNMecahoxwnzcIJ_N465ANzyVWyeqN7YWRE-MuYapdMM8xHwQMJOU-oUPzSreCA_vG8OwMxVOAFWGzczngSVDT8Z7gXw2N4DayXCqI_EV9DXD0KIVLfP6PVTxX973jFpPj4h3/s1440/117877154_10216489351298413_8724637548438337983_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-dE1xoxmNMecahoxwnzcIJ_N465ANzyVWyeqN7YWRE-MuYapdMM8xHwQMJOU-oUPzSreCA_vG8OwMxVOAFWGzczngSVDT8Z7gXw2N4DayXCqI_EV9DXD0KIVLfP6PVTxX973jFpPj4h3/w640-h640/117877154_10216489351298413_8724637548438337983_o.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzqA0ywvr0HG4r3s9A2185Unf5yovqRA6QBkKHYQinvWGfA8uCSg1AsTWbA7zsKp_2GIu2fRH9bnc-FmZyilMkf4hxEMkK9h6S2esA4V-tctO0y0Zs9qmYxnluRQM15bUYOJySosNTiKI/s1440/118291969_10216489350978405_9213104514895350945_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzqA0ywvr0HG4r3s9A2185Unf5yovqRA6QBkKHYQinvWGfA8uCSg1AsTWbA7zsKp_2GIu2fRH9bnc-FmZyilMkf4hxEMkK9h6S2esA4V-tctO0y0Zs9qmYxnluRQM15bUYOJySosNTiKI/w640-h640/118291969_10216489350978405_9213104514895350945_o.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span>5. Stay in a mansion.</span></b> Instead of going the normal hotel route, we opted to stay in a turn of the century mansion turned B&B. Although the outside of Rockcliffe Mansion still needs to be renovated, the inside is completely restored.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">They offer tours even if you don't stay there. It was pretty cool- my only complaint was the historic mattress haha. It may not have been the best night's sleep, but we felt fancy.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeYkR-LZp9pbQbupFyMV5cGrfV-5z2LI_TjO-0guNTcGxaRAn8qlT-Fr7w3dXYjgcOpyEcNnwKcGPiqk910Fhzg5L5byvq3QVHMCycS3k7t7CJyapev-z4pra7IfxIXIbL72N13YEeLe1/s2048/IMG_6126.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeYkR-LZp9pbQbupFyMV5cGrfV-5z2LI_TjO-0guNTcGxaRAn8qlT-Fr7w3dXYjgcOpyEcNnwKcGPiqk910Fhzg5L5byvq3QVHMCycS3k7t7CJyapev-z4pra7IfxIXIbL72N13YEeLe1/w640-h480/IMG_6126.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzICbIIB0xnqB0aHW4SZp4AyVL_vI_LUG7JtGE8rK5ZimokwfPKMZzy6XtBu1A1iNdq1A_HKTyt1G0OEc_bE6eWldb1DjxyYLSoVA2lg3E1aGSa8Op1_Q0KnlXSEtI6WvmPXyhnA_bRWy/s2048/IMG_6130.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzICbIIB0xnqB0aHW4SZp4AyVL_vI_LUG7JtGE8rK5ZimokwfPKMZzy6XtBu1A1iNdq1A_HKTyt1G0OEc_bE6eWldb1DjxyYLSoVA2lg3E1aGSa8Op1_Q0KnlXSEtI6WvmPXyhnA_bRWy/w480-h640/IMG_6130.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK2tGaJ4faVFFxBLTXlghy-6939wAbiiuZgO_mWjiR16Cvf2rwAlcoz5Z4WoWv5mZ1dclRN9B4vbC2EmLSIaSf2oOGasnhh-jh-YpdESQcpseuFkJM8MqxbF0QIpGn5y4CuK1l2kK2z2J/s2048/IMG_6134.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK2tGaJ4faVFFxBLTXlghy-6939wAbiiuZgO_mWjiR16Cvf2rwAlcoz5Z4WoWv5mZ1dclRN9B4vbC2EmLSIaSf2oOGasnhh-jh-YpdESQcpseuFkJM8MqxbF0QIpGn5y4CuK1l2kK2z2J/w480-h640/IMG_6134.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Xf6Uvi8mousIrOjiEdA53JhqA1xcJMoMtRe1V32TR27cTEjOXl4amOWPy6wbH21CIoLsJG9bqdHt7HfU4KpN72fJGGzi7NzQNGW9VqXfmF7MyZSDsnaluur00tTXIESlA8xtsZHLu_1a/s2048/IMG_6142.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Xf6Uvi8mousIrOjiEdA53JhqA1xcJMoMtRe1V32TR27cTEjOXl4amOWPy6wbH21CIoLsJG9bqdHt7HfU4KpN72fJGGzi7NzQNGW9VqXfmF7MyZSDsnaluur00tTXIESlA8xtsZHLu_1a/w480-h640/IMG_6142.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdguET3t1fND8BXOaCW4UVvqJRORESrrzVumkgTtErsGQ68sSTZJCcRQm6F0MuOmaTk4HZjtFTXTa-YCfesxWqiBNX9reoUyHY1BAVPU11-IETOyvB0zoTOjnLtL-uC7Oroo4nxUDNhH1a/s2048/IMG_6178.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdguET3t1fND8BXOaCW4UVvqJRORESrrzVumkgTtErsGQ68sSTZJCcRQm6F0MuOmaTk4HZjtFTXTa-YCfesxWqiBNX9reoUyHY1BAVPU11-IETOyvB0zoTOjnLtL-uC7Oroo4nxUDNhH1a/w480-h640/IMG_6178.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLhm3EvnxDOMvp7G-Mb0dsaqFoAkXuNgN_40UrbZPR_JkBQMi2zE4y-zNegChZ8Y-0jTTbrSdtLH-oknl7prFDm-KNU5PVoPcDifbgFaRxDkJ9jFpqbvM5w_tOkY5YuTr5wk5LftSwCvk/s2048/IMG_6169.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLhm3EvnxDOMvp7G-Mb0dsaqFoAkXuNgN_40UrbZPR_JkBQMi2zE4y-zNegChZ8Y-0jTTbrSdtLH-oknl7prFDm-KNU5PVoPcDifbgFaRxDkJ9jFpqbvM5w_tOkY5YuTr5wk5LftSwCvk/w480-h640/IMG_6169.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnem3TGXrgqXbs-HBLEJU8K1-_OiHZdgwGo660P3nGj2Dvo6B6unbmXwp_mjRZ58d5r0d4ezTzYQuKsdaus0Pmo8_w4Xd9IXBShBEeDUoDH-9uRGdIQ8kR4i-4nSELLVgbWe2nOJdA7F6Z/s2048/IMG_6137.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnem3TGXrgqXbs-HBLEJU8K1-_OiHZdgwGo660P3nGj2Dvo6B6unbmXwp_mjRZ58d5r0d4ezTzYQuKsdaus0Pmo8_w4Xd9IXBShBEeDUoDH-9uRGdIQ8kR4i-4nSELLVgbWe2nOJdA7F6Z/w480-h640/IMG_6137.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Views from the roof of the mansion.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEufo8pRkEIFcZisBQAvfuaeYIAzaCDHVlKYb33Iga5vJftjsVNnM2a1U329T-fcXqdu1d6izJzutGbWUM5zvy9SVXtjx0Vmx6MkWz_6ZoYQPdD4x-yEBMidHDIionEbsH2Cp3SMnDHUfg/s2048/IMG_6141.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEufo8pRkEIFcZisBQAvfuaeYIAzaCDHVlKYb33Iga5vJftjsVNnM2a1U329T-fcXqdu1d6izJzutGbWUM5zvy9SVXtjx0Vmx6MkWz_6ZoYQPdD4x-yEBMidHDIionEbsH2Cp3SMnDHUfg/w640-h480/IMG_6141.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span>6. Take a steamboat ride down the Mississippi! </span></b>This was probably our favorite thing we did. It was a dinner cruise, and was so relaxing to eat our dinner on the boat and watch the sunset.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7w5n8IHuLxV3gnzVO_7xBDyFIa6bkwroo3Kq7kksslxbYi-LtcgF7VUwzElWsxpcS8dibcuMbQUCCnQBlhnMuOUHA5vs_OlgO4hyphenhyphenqaBlybTSX9hhZ4SoO57phQspPG1PHc2esermdCwbb/s2048/IMG_6147.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7w5n8IHuLxV3gnzVO_7xBDyFIa6bkwroo3Kq7kksslxbYi-LtcgF7VUwzElWsxpcS8dibcuMbQUCCnQBlhnMuOUHA5vs_OlgO4hyphenhyphenqaBlybTSX9hhZ4SoO57phQspPG1PHc2esermdCwbb/w640-h480/IMG_6147.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVbGIOv7kG5ZB1KaGimoMs1im7_lUK3VkH1AeKMSIVM01QOUAxwje6OUbk_eyUktjkZD-5TH0ihkRoYNmSXNk_LkxW-K983oaKkaKLOJSVzcHM-EsdCApoFaJOURbl7oVz6V7q9tp194o/s2048/IMG_6154.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVbGIOv7kG5ZB1KaGimoMs1im7_lUK3VkH1AeKMSIVM01QOUAxwje6OUbk_eyUktjkZD-5TH0ihkRoYNmSXNk_LkxW-K983oaKkaKLOJSVzcHM-EsdCApoFaJOURbl7oVz6V7q9tp194o/w480-h640/IMG_6154.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HzlMVKnNIFc-39iiEZa_avIXVQDLLNpP06lorCvF4rvynn6vYCHR3Htc9-8K2JXxxvpm-En0J-9yrgyDYptL3f9TAN_0jXreKFLiaRKexOH6RBi9hteP5G7XtupP22jhbnlVGUl_0ii7/s2048/IMG_6161.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HzlMVKnNIFc-39iiEZa_avIXVQDLLNpP06lorCvF4rvynn6vYCHR3Htc9-8K2JXxxvpm-En0J-9yrgyDYptL3f9TAN_0jXreKFLiaRKexOH6RBi9hteP5G7XtupP22jhbnlVGUl_0ii7/w640-h480/IMG_6161.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A few bonus things we did to kill time-</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Checking out the view from Lover's Leap:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4TmmTFOz2JZPYZs7OtrNqkeuNdBQvh5aEnlVoyMNZbOMKzjMDAzsiEieS-_IfprsasUgDrZ5A4u157qNrrEfyKEWbuC0EHN9dr6mdaLXBzyCCdEu5cEGYpoemZwQri99Y3D4-S5_UJua/s2048/IMG_6104.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4TmmTFOz2JZPYZs7OtrNqkeuNdBQvh5aEnlVoyMNZbOMKzjMDAzsiEieS-_IfprsasUgDrZ5A4u157qNrrEfyKEWbuC0EHN9dr6mdaLXBzyCCdEu5cEGYpoemZwQri99Y3D4-S5_UJua/w640-h480/IMG_6104.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Going to Karlocks Cars and Pop Culture Museum:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkTh47jckjAmM9EP5uASXDhtZwXn98_S7XRy-OwHE93We7RKidZxUeEc7LwgQHwQArkDvd9Be_-FxOrfTLNMn3U6xHsD1iHlOVIWNZSfj6fI9_r5FsHPl4UimUamHB_vWKDJEXYlbt2ii/s2048/IMG_6112.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkTh47jckjAmM9EP5uASXDhtZwXn98_S7XRy-OwHE93We7RKidZxUeEc7LwgQHwQArkDvd9Be_-FxOrfTLNMn3U6xHsD1iHlOVIWNZSfj6fI9_r5FsHPl4UimUamHB_vWKDJEXYlbt2ii/w480-h640/IMG_6112.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Before heading home, we stopped in Galena, Illinois to break up the drive. This town is only 3 hours from home, but I had never been there.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I knew right as we pulled in that this wouldn't be the last time I visited! It's surrounded by green hills and is full of 19th century buildings and well-known restaurants and hotels.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We toured Ulysses S. Grant's house and browsed the main shopping street. I'd love to go back anytime and see more.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISPOvxqVkHL4T-5b2mYPwFWSCbYcgwQQDrMh0ESz84GhOnS2a3U33U-BoDM6f3Cf6Yfhx7jJ0NsOMSDLVFglMlOr811mFc0GcPY8m29Ch2J-IKsdkVcA6RbXKo9EYJ9_jXNfnnbliJ4-m/s2048/IMG_6193.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISPOvxqVkHL4T-5b2mYPwFWSCbYcgwQQDrMh0ESz84GhOnS2a3U33U-BoDM6f3Cf6Yfhx7jJ0NsOMSDLVFglMlOr811mFc0GcPY8m29Ch2J-IKsdkVcA6RbXKo9EYJ9_jXNfnnbliJ4-m/w640-h480/IMG_6193.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLP61LtwXbpxhYNwdtR5RWM0-cYDkc9TE5JYZMz1NOXKATP5aFyZ4l0wwGHyPER6dvrt8wH09wvXZ_ihXfbD5POwX_tsPZRyX9sNE7KOOiN0RFd3gmguB77VuPGk6sB3QG4mquaBgd3uz2/s2048/IMG_6194.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLP61LtwXbpxhYNwdtR5RWM0-cYDkc9TE5JYZMz1NOXKATP5aFyZ4l0wwGHyPER6dvrt8wH09wvXZ_ihXfbD5POwX_tsPZRyX9sNE7KOOiN0RFd3gmguB77VuPGk6sB3QG4mquaBgd3uz2/w480-h640/IMG_6194.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtK3eN6Prx-ll8aFOqtYZ0tneyVyWKZcJ9__go_JTbGpttSGkwq_FlXwxUZzqnw3YETVevwv9Ckoh9h2VV3XNFejxQjztd8UD4ump0_gKFSZCd6L4vy26Hp9CYrArbOKseQvaf0XXGqZGu/s2048/IMG_6196.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtK3eN6Prx-ll8aFOqtYZ0tneyVyWKZcJ9__go_JTbGpttSGkwq_FlXwxUZzqnw3YETVevwv9Ckoh9h2VV3XNFejxQjztd8UD4ump0_gKFSZCd6L4vy26Hp9CYrArbOKseQvaf0XXGqZGu/w480-h640/IMG_6196.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjsOsNu6acDQ2eQ5PJW7k62N09LIsdcaz2SBheyelyqZdkp0KrAhvU4w2S2i9V06GQxetgxVYOVJqXWEEAovCEOzOlafexh3gAdW1f2qBoELx_LrdVvY6cz5E9uP2LO_Xg1KJKVO51e7m/s2048/IMG_6198.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjsOsNu6acDQ2eQ5PJW7k62N09LIsdcaz2SBheyelyqZdkp0KrAhvU4w2S2i9V06GQxetgxVYOVJqXWEEAovCEOzOlafexh3gAdW1f2qBoELx_LrdVvY6cz5E9uP2LO_Xg1KJKVO51e7m/w480-h640/IMG_6198.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For a random, last minute, midst of a pandemic trip- this weekend turned out so well! It temporarily satisfied our wanderlust, although we're really looking forward to being able to travel farther from home as soon as we can.</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><br />Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-3325271158029295272020-04-16T19:33:00.002-07:002023-03-26T19:05:41.595-07:00Chez Moi: Croissy-sur-Seine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif">10 years ago (can't believe it's been that long!!!), I was lucky enough to live for a few months with a French host family in a lovely little suburb of Paris.</span><br />
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif">It would have been fun to live downtown, but I ended up enjoying spending all day in the loud crowded city and coming home to a cute, quiet house. The only problems were 1. waking up early enough to commute to class, and 2. Getting home on time... because the trains stopped running at midnight!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Hanging out in the neighborhood.</span></td></tr>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Along with one other BYU student, we lived with an older French couple in Croissy-sur-Seine, a town of about 10,000 people about 30 minutes west of Paris.</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">That other BYU student was Brittney- she was a great roommate and I was so happy she wasn't from Utah so we could be sarcastic together! haha</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFUULHzYXmLzaq0pntdqsZlM1Fw2AyKzZmYcXITva-L0o7jMpa2172YDl11kSl6WICG1z2kakCaaoAlNz7d_GaGf0u1cKl1WZ6eavNXC3hXgKAdwHMYcUd2T7WeWJt-76Ox0Qg4DB7z5T/s1600/37655_10150234885460604_6881063_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFUULHzYXmLzaq0pntdqsZlM1Fw2AyKzZmYcXITva-L0o7jMpa2172YDl11kSl6WICG1z2kakCaaoAlNz7d_GaGf0u1cKl1WZ6eavNXC3hXgKAdwHMYcUd2T7WeWJt-76Ox0Qg4DB7z5T/w640-h480/37655_10150234885460604_6881063_n.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">We each had our own little room and only had to share a bathroom with each other. As I recall, the internet mysteriously only worked in my room... so I lucked out.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigi1otFa53GtO38LEgl4c2VYeBjpNwYOA5mAbfAd6_AIXINWEgDJ6eyFTO0gA3-jTTvV8rdEm5VLapetNyd2r-dFY3Vh2QnrFqdaoYQ1TFBtWCrjyYG5tIqEkXDr2k_lDHINym5BzVSCSU/s1600/room.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigi1otFa53GtO38LEgl4c2VYeBjpNwYOA5mAbfAd6_AIXINWEgDJ6eyFTO0gA3-jTTvV8rdEm5VLapetNyd2r-dFY3Vh2QnrFqdaoYQ1TFBtWCrjyYG5tIqEkXDr2k_lDHINym5BzVSCSU/w640-h640/room.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">We didn't venture into the rest of the house much because we felt awkward. </span></div>
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<span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Thankfully, that wasn't a huge deal because in the months I lived there, there was only one day that I didn't go into the city at all. We usually had class 6 days a week, and church on Sundays in the Marais. </span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">I remember very clearly the ONE time we hung out in the living room we were freaked out that our host mom would come home and "catch us" in there. We also tried to use the TV and couldn't figure it out and were then afraid that we broke it.</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Three times a week we ate dinner with our host mom. Her husband was, again, mysteriously very rarely there. We never knew why. It was good French practice though! </span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Now that I think about it, for part of the time he was in Miami visiting one of their kids who lived there. It took me a while to catch onto that because he pronounced it like "Mee Ami." </span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Since 'ami' means 'friend' in French, I thought for a while he was just visiting a friend nearby.</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Another unexplainable situation... for some reason our host mom usually only addressed questions to me, but her husband mostly only talked to Brittney. Did they do that on purpose?? We'll never know.</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">One of the biggest culture shocks for me in the neighborhood was that every house was surrounded by a tall gate. French people seem to love gates and fences.</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">I have another vivid, embarrassing memory of our host mom trying to teach us how to use our keys. I am notoriously bad at opening things. I was riding the struggle bus learning how to open the door. She kept saying "Hop!" as I turned the key. </span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">The confusing part was that 'hop' is pronounced like 'up,' so every time she would say it I would jerk the key upwards and it wouldn't work. What she actually meant was something like 'Bingo!'.</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Our walk to and from the train station was very picturesque. It's a pretty ritzy area. </span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">We would also walk to a Carrefour grocery store to bring home the baguettes, cheese, chocolate, and pastries that made up our healthful diet. It all worked out for me, because I actually lost a lot of weight on this trip thanks to 1. walking so much, and 2. being too scared of lighting a match to use their gas stove and eat pasta. </span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Why was there so much fear associated with this host family situation? I'm laughing so hard remembering this. Maybe it was just part of being 20, maybe it was that French people are usually not warm and fuzzy in the way that Americans are used to... but probably a combination.</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Our host family were perfectly nice people. Except for the time that Frédérique tried to limit our toilet paper usage. She thought we used too much and was very concerned that we would use it to wipe off our makeup and waste it. As I recall, she would check our garbage can to make sure we didn't use it in unapproved ways. Totally normal. </span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">That lady is probably feeling pretty smug right about now about her ability to hoard toilet paper.</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Anyways, that's a little taste of what it was like to live with a French host family near Paris. I regret that I didn't write a blog back then, but I have since done a few throwback posts:</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2015/04/where-it-all-began.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2015/04/where-it-all-began.html" target="_blank">A summary, 5 years afterwards</a></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/search?q=throwback" target="_blank">My diary entries, first impressions of Paris</a></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Other places I've lived (I love House Hunters and house tours, okay...):</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2019/02/chez-nous-cannes.html" target="_blank">Cannes, France</a></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2016/10/chez-nous.html" target="_blank">Mandelieu-la-Napoule, France</a></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/search?q=etzli" target="_blank">Haifa, Israel</a></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2014/04/chez-moi.html" target="_blank">Strasbourg, France</a></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-byu-jerusalem-center-itself.html" target="_blank">Jerusalem, Israel</a></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">It's hard to believe I lived in such tiny places! I'm really glad in these times to have a little more breathing room. I don't know if David and I would be getting along as well if we had to be cooped up in a 100 square foot apartment ;)</span></div>
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Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-68375241842572602332019-12-31T07:49:00.001-08:002023-03-26T19:12:41.157-07:002019: A Year in Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">I have to admit it's a little depressing to write this. My year was in no way especially interesting or exciting. In fact, after spending time in Europe for the last SEVEN YEARS STRAIGHT, this was the first year since 2011 that I didn't leave the country at all. I know I'm spoiled, but I'm allowed to be nostalgic, ok?</span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">January and February of 2019 were mostly spent working and in hibernation. Wisconsin decided to throw the coldest winter in 30 years at us. We had record-low temperatures and record amounts of snow.</span><br /><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">I actually loved it because I was pretty stressed out by my job. I don't know if I would have gotten through the school year without those 6 blessed days of cancelled school. The school district where I worked had not cancelled school in 10 years, so you can see how miraculous that was.</span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">We started to thaw out March and April and I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel for summer break. One of my highlights of the year was babysitting Buttercup's sister Hattie. She helped me convince David to get a westie someday, which I am very thankful for- that's one of my life goals!</span><br /><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">May is our birthday month. I was definitely not thrilled to enter a new decade but I did have fun celebrating with good Italian food and shopping at Zara in downtown Chicago. David lived his best life when his birthday fell on Memorial Day and he got to be even more patriotic than usual.</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">June meant FREEDOM from work. It also meant my first trip to the West Coast for a family reunion in <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2019/08/washington.html" target="_blank">Washington</a>. I enjoyed sightseeing in <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2019/07/seattle.html" target="_blank">Seattle</a> and spending time with family that I hadn't seen in years.</span><br /><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">July brought us two visitors from France. David was reunited with his parents after not seeing them for a year and a half. They stayed with us until mid-August. Besides showing them around Milwaukee, Chicago, Cedarburg, and Madison, we went on a week-long road trip circling Lake Michigan. Highlights were definitely <a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2019/11/lake-michigan-summer.html" target="_blank">Mackinac Island </a>and the sand dunes.</span><br /><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">I started a new job in August that makes me a lot happier than my employment situation last year. I'm working full-time as an aide in a 4th grade class at an Orthodox Jewish school. I really enjoy not being stressed out and having no work to take home, learning interesting things and keeping up with my Hebrew, and just the atmosphere of a small private school in general.</span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Because I can't say no to fun opportunities, I added 2 other part-time jobs to my plate this month. On Tuesdays, I teach ballet to kids between 3-12. On Wednesdays, I coach a 1st and 2nd grade poms team and help out with some other age groups as well. On Thursdays, I am tired.</span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Our last road trips of the year were in September and October- thanks to all of the days I have off for Jewish holidays. David loves nothing more than checking new states off of his bucket list.</span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">We visited Notre Dame's campus in Indiana on our way to Kirtland, Ohio and Abraham Lincoln's birthplace in Kentucky on our way back from Nashville, Tennessee. I always love reuniting with my buddy Stephanie and seeing her family!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">After our lovely white Halloween, the rest of the year flew by with the holidays, fun shows (Swan Lake, Hamilton, and Harry Potter 4 accompanied by the Milwaukee Symphony), and family time.</span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">This year I am proud that I made it through a full year of teaching, achieved my goal of reading 100 books, and that we made a lot of progress on our house (created a guest room, got a new roof, and more!).</span><br />
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Rubinos!</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Read about past (more interesting) years here:</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2014/01/2013-in-review.html" target="_blank">2013</a></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2014/12/2014-in-review.html" target="_blank">2014</a></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2015/12/2015-in-review.html" target="_blank">2015</a></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2017/01/2016-year-in-review.html" target="_blank">2016</a></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2018/01/2017-year-in-review.html" target="_blank">2017</a></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://shalomandbonjour.blogspot.com/2018/12/2018-year-in-review.html" target="_blank">2018</a></span></div>
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Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2810201870479962939.post-59288340349330103492019-12-29T06:49:00.002-08:002023-03-26T19:14:33.672-07:00Highlights of the 2010s<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">What a decade! I learned how to adult (ok, I'm still learning...), got an education, </span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">fell in love, got married, and traveled the world!</span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Not a bad decade if you ask me.</span></span></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium; text-align: left; white-space: pre;">-Study abroad in Paris (one of the greatest experiences of my life)</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium; text-align: left; white-space: pre;">-Also traveled to Loire Valley, Nice, Barcelona, and Monaco</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium; text-align: left; white-space: pre;">-Junior year at BYU</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; white-space: pre;">-Lived in French House and met some of my best friends!</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; white-space: pre;">-Family trips to Florida, NYC, Tennessee, and the Poconos in Pennsylvania</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Officially graduated college!</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Study abroad in Jerusalem: fell in love with Israel and traveled throughout the country</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="white-space: pre;">-Moved to Strasbourg, France to be an assistant English teacher</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="white-space: pre;">-Also traveled to Turkey, Jordan, Luxembourg, and Italy</span></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Finished up English assistant job</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Met my husband, had our first kiss at Eiffel Tower :)</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Moved to Haifa, Israel for grad school</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Also traveled to Belgium, Netherlands, Ge</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">rmany, Austria, Czech Republic</span></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEuv8yjxVicTBxZiGIIBaEnx6JLKBxWy_C7Sejt-MqcVSrXo8Vy1JxccnXcTUcb0gUx_SnRntQF6nfWkZUBUqh1eYMz7jotMCMhjVUdsgYoaih1z42UZkH9__jZDWjf57khjOWrtlumwl/s1600/2015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEuv8yjxVicTBxZiGIIBaEnx6JLKBxWy_C7Sejt-MqcVSrXo8Vy1JxccnXcTUcb0gUx_SnRntQF6nfWkZUBUqh1eYMz7jotMCMhjVUdsgYoaih1z42UZkH9__jZDWjf57khjOWrtlumwl/w640-h640/2015.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">-Spent most of the year in school in Israel</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">-2 trips to France to visit David</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">-Fell in love <3</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5AUa-1FjwOdEu_uEm6zckj9c_HIb-rx3Tqxl87ORg7EhaM-9Abvzgk0Lzc4KTqdDfQJLx-UBO8Mkx21Q1fPLxZAXDTRwuGnd68LHver4QCa6PDFdnnRskKHaGCWOsy6_lRFulje08DyM/s1600/2016.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5AUa-1FjwOdEu_uEm6zckj9c_HIb-rx3Tqxl87ORg7EhaM-9Abvzgk0Lzc4KTqdDfQJLx-UBO8Mkx21Q1fPLxZAXDTRwuGnd68LHver4QCa6PDFdnnRskKHaGCWOsy6_lRFulje08DyM/w640-h640/2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Finished classes in Haifa, moved back to Wisconsin</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Hired for first real teaching job</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Got engaged and got married!</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Moved to the French Riviera</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Also traveled to London, Paris, and Strasbourg</span></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVRlOjXaqtIObekDjI3wGQTxBJnCLzBJWWqO4y-mXcfr3x_XboKZaY8ZpqrZ8ldTGPGN0GTZ6UUbLYmAvbyRo5c6c06wSJtCXU5ZrJztdPVDS6qKGpVSNW4d45ZyJ4PDbq_9m0RpTv3al/s1600/2017.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVRlOjXaqtIObekDjI3wGQTxBJnCLzBJWWqO4y-mXcfr3x_XboKZaY8ZpqrZ8ldTGPGN0GTZ6UUbLYmAvbyRo5c6c06wSJtCXU5ZrJztdPVDS6qKGpVSNW4d45ZyJ4PDbq_9m0RpTv3al/w640-h640/2017.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Living in France and doing immigration paperwork</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Travel galore throughout France and Italy</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Also traveled to Switzerland, Monaco, England</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyeUR1rQwxtRbSshn-yNmH7XRM6XOfm0s2yAhfe7OBRLfHRj7K3syxep8bQrfiKGS97cxRHFW7JWV8XSOcopYC8VmKzfKKJWpRqBBxpPQ67m3MWNcGf04eRdLFrHTyF12RhNJJaGPxCT3/s1600/2018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyeUR1rQwxtRbSshn-yNmH7XRM6XOfm0s2yAhfe7OBRLfHRj7K3syxep8bQrfiKGS97cxRHFW7JWV8XSOcopYC8VmKzfKKJWpRqBBxpPQ67m3MWNcGf04eRdLFrHTyF12RhNJJaGPxCT3/w640-h640/2018.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-David’s green card was approved! </span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Moved out of Cannes and back to Wisconsin</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Traveled in Poland and Sicily, Hawaii and NYC</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Bought a house</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Got 2nd real teaching job</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6Orm3bmalDCHJtJ-GMeR_g4Wu-bnPt8Oi7XvXm49Z4ntDBEUHLLhjtdt_xbj4DeXudmFtdy-ElAD3dGRRcpbr3gcL37AXO9sHeIrk_R9R6XIAPYXRTd3-QUZ1-VLcryuhEdyqE8dH-68/s1600/2019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6Orm3bmalDCHJtJ-GMeR_g4Wu-bnPt8Oi7XvXm49Z4ntDBEUHLLhjtdt_xbj4DeXudmFtdy-ElAD3dGRRcpbr3gcL37AXO9sHeIrk_R9R6XIAPYXRTd3-QUZ1-VLcryuhEdyqE8dH-68/w640-h640/2019.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Finished first full year of teaching</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Trips to Seattle, Mackinac Island + more</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-New job at a Jewish school and back to teaching dance </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I'm cautiously optimistic for the 2020s and looking forward to seeing what they'll bring.</span></span></div>
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Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457669158075294777noreply@blogger.com0