Birthday With The Girlies

This was supposed to be a month ago, but the iOS 5 upgrade hosed my blog editor. 

Every year ten days seem to get absorbed by Madeleine and Alexandra's birthdays. It's October 15th through the 23rd. Birthday parties with friends and family, plus some traditions that have been going on for up to 17 years.

This year was not an exception, with the big event being Madeleine's 18th birthday. On the 15th, Cathie and Skootch got up early and went out. I went for a ride and the event started at 10:00. Cathie had a basket with numbered items that Madeleine would pull out in order, then we would go do. Pastries at Besalu, a drive by of Waiting for the Interurban.

It continued on. Shopping at U-Village, lunch at Tutte Bella, dog sweater shopping (I was allowed to go home), they continued shopping.  Then finally, the traditional dinner at the Spaghetti Factory and home for cake.

Five days to rest up then the birthday dinner with Madeleine's friends. We went to Marakesh so everyone could sit on the floor and Alexandra could eat with her hands. We have to wash up.

Then belly dancing, always awkward.

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Finally, the group photo.

On to Alexandra's birthday. We went to Hiroshis on Eastlake for Japanese food in a tatami room. We ended Witt the traditional Japanese dessert of cupcakes.

Since everyone had to go back to Queen Anne, we stopped at Kerry Park.

The obligatory Space Needle photo.

And we bookend it with Mexican  food, then cake at home Sunday night.

No, really, I think it's going to burn off

For several years, we have had an annual bike ride on Columbus day. It started a number of years ago, because we wanted to ride through the tunnel at Hyak. Then the tunnel was closed for a couple of years for repairs, and we rode elsewhere. The tunnel reopened this year, so we returned.

The ride goes from Exit 38, on I90, up a converted rail trail for 14 miles, then through a 2 mile tunnel. We stop for lunch at the top, then get back on the bikes and ride down. It's 2 hours up and 1 hour down.

We decided to carpool because it is $10 to use a state park. That's four guys, four mountain bikes and their stuff in a Prius.




We get there at 9:00, unpack, put on the rain gear and get going.



It becomes apparent quickly, that everyone else has put serious miles on their bikes and I spent the summer taking pain medicine. We stop a little earlier than usual.


It's okay, I'm really stopping to take in the scenery on this beautiful day.



We start back up and I am finally hitting a rhythm, but half a mile from the tunnel, I have to throw in more fuel. We stop at the avalanche shed. If it's raining in the old avalanche shed, we decided there isn't a good reason to stand underneath it.



Fun fact, we are standing on the largest information pipe in the state. It was easier to take it down the railroad right of way than the freeway.



We realize the tunnel is right around the corner, so we start back up, so I can be dropped again. It turns out everyone is very sympathetic to your situation until it starts to pour.



But, there is shelter in the tunnel.


It's really dark in there, so we have to put on lights.





We go through the tunnel, and, surprise, it's raining just as hard on the other side of the mountains. We eat lunch under the eaves of the bathrooms. (Note: the bathrooms are heated if you need to warm up.)



It's time to head back down and in a repeat of our ride three years ago, there is an inch of water where you have to ride on the double track trail. Steve and I had fenders. Nic did not.



We made it back to the car, then turned to look for Scott. We were afraid he might have fallen on the steep bit at the very end, then he came around the corner with his bike. 100 yards from the car, his rear derailleur exploded. I guess that's lucky.



We start the process of taking off the dirty layer and trying really hard to not mess up the car.


Some of us clean up better than others, Steve.



As always, it took longer than we thought, so we didn't have time for beers in Issaquah. Next year, we are leaving at 7, on the bikes at 8.

It was an epic day.

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Location:Snoqualmie Pass, WA

A Day With Mom and Dad

We had given Mom and Dad a day on Bainbridge for Christmas and our schedules finally worked out last Saturday.

We left the house on time and just missed the 9:30 ferry. Cathie was unexpectedly pleased with herself. It turns out we were trying for the 10:30 and were early. Cathie had gluten free snacks for everyone.






As always, the ferry was windy and cold.



Madeleine insists she is still taller than Alexandra.





We arrived in Winslow and did what everyone does there, wander around.

On the way to Poulsbo, we stopped at Fay Bainbridge park and picked blackberries. Dad managed to not fall into the bushes.



Lunch and then time to wander around Poulsbo. No, I did not get the hat.



We came back through Edmonds and then home. Another successful outing.

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Location:Bainbridge and Poulsbo

Gary Goes Somewhere........with his wife

We are just wrapping up our two and a half weeks in Italy so perhaps it is time to hear from someone other than Gary........his wife!

I will try not to rehash the entire trip.



We started in Venice, one of the most photogenic places on earth. The Grand Canal is truly amazing and my favorite view is from Peggy Guggenheim's home, now a museum. She has a room full of Jackson Pollock paintings and for the first time I actually saw some artistic merit. She sponsored him for a while and in exchange, required payment of three paintings a month - not a bad deal for her.










Venice is also the land of cover charges. It didn't take Madeleine long to realize that on principle, Gary was not going to let us sit down for lunch!


And, yes, those are French fries on Allie's pizza!



One evening at dinner (it's ok to sit for dinner!), Gary ordered a Lambrusco wine which was a very light red, slightly effervescent and very refreshing.




From there we went to Verona and saw the opera Aida in the Roman Arena that was built in 30AD. The sense of history was as awesome as the stone seats were hard! Belinda - thought of you and our time in Verona.









Onto Florence and my quest for pear pasta. We had some great meals in Florence and one of our waitresses was from Seattle and recommended a restaurant called Quatro Leones. The reviews all mentioned the pear ravioli, which sounded divine but you have to book well in advance so I had to keep searching. Mike - you are right about the Grom gelato by the duomo. It was the best pistachio ever!






And there was a little time for street shopping......



On our last night in Florence, I asked if they served Lambrusco, the refreshing wine we had in Venice. The waiter snickered, in Italian, and replied that in Florence, they don't consider that wine. I did a quick google search and the first result was Riunutti, yes, "Riunitti on ice, that's nice". But, really, it was nice. Don't worry Huff, we will definitely serve it next time you are over!



When we left Florence, we went to Lucca and I had found a restaurant review which raved about fresh pasta with pear sauce so we went there. The food was wonderful but no pear pasta this month.



Here are the girls getting dressed for church:



If you are wearing shorts or bare shoulders, you are given paper dresses when you enter a church. The girls got creative with scarfs to avoid the "dress of shame"!

We made a pact not to detail our drive through Pisa in writing - people still air their laundry in Italy but we thought it best not to! You can hear both sides in person but that is all I will say on the matter here.... Needless to say, Madeleine did get a good shot!


Tuscany was great. We all loved the cooking course and can't wait to recreate some of the dishes at home. We met some great families and looking back, my favorite (and most relaxing) part of the trip was reading by the pool at the villa while all the kids played in the pool....Marco Polo of course!








We did a few day trips from here. Assisi is still one of my favorite spots but hot, hot, hot. We stopped at Montepulciano (aka Multiple Channel for Tory and Eric!) and climbed alllll the way up to the top. Kari - didn't you think it was just around the next corner, then the next etc......!

We visited a lot of churches but Sienna still has the most beautiful. White, pink and green on the outside, black and white stripes on the inside, beautiful mosaics on the floor and amazing painted ceilings.






Belinda - I thought of you on our first trip to Sienna and listening to the concert in the Campo. A woman at the Villa recommended her brother-in-law's restaurant and we were treated like royalty - Allie's boar pasta was the best one yet.

Rome was the last stop. We had a long, uncomfortable train journey and arrived at our hotel in the late afternoon. I then suggested, then coerced, then forced everyone on the open double decker hop-on-hop-off bus tour and, once again, everyone reluctantly agreed it is the best way to see the sights. The Colosseum at dusk was stunning. Gary took a lot of photos but wouldn't listen to the commentary (silent rebellion) so don't believe any of his captions - he had no idea where we were or what we were looking at!





In my ongoing quest for pear pasta, I found another review of a restaurant in Rome so we headed there for a late dinner. They serve pear ravioli in an orange sauce, which upon further reflection runs the risk of being, for lack of a better phrase, icky. We were seated around 9 and I said to Madeleine that with my luck, they might be out. They were not and it was anything but icky. It was divine. It should come with a warning - do not try this at home!






Sunday was the grand tour of ancient Rome, a river cruise and another fantastic dinner at a trendy restaurant which was a great change from all the traditional food we had been eating. Monday we did the Vatican and after lunch, split up. The girls wanted to shop on their own, Gary wanted to go to a soccer store and I wanted to go to Miss Babbington's Tea Room, which has been at the bottom of the Spanish Steps since 1895. I enjoyed a much needed pot of tea and scone (another high point for me) before heading to the airport.



A few other musings:

People actually say "Mamma Mia". Madeleine found thus out coming out of a church and accidentally knocking an iPhone out of a a ladies hand!

Who would guess that the official souvenir of Italy is Pinocchio - everywhere is selling Pinocchio pencils, ornaments, puppets etc.



Older women in Rome will yell at you if you try to cross on a red light (twice)!

All in all, we have had a wonderful trip yet we are all looking forward to getting home and seeing Pippa!



Oh and grandma and friends and family!

We had a very early flight this morning so we stayed at the airport Hilton, which was surprisingly nice. We had dinner in the lobby and imagine my surprise when the first dish on the pasta menu was spaghetti in a pear sauce! Of course I ordered it and it too was very good. Funny how things work out!



Ciao!