Hello everyone! We're still alive and well, I promise! I've been a bit lackadaisical about posting lately, but in my defense the past week and a half has been fairly routine and not that exciting. Donovan has been busy at work since they're getting ready for another training rotation in Germany, so he leaves at 5:30 in the morning and usually doesn't get home until around 7 in the evening. That's a really long day!
We did make time for some fun over the weekend though. On Saturday we took a spontaneous trip to Venice. It's only an hour away, so why not? We had some lunch, walked around, got gelato, and did a bunch of window shopping. It was a fun time, even though Venice is still overrun with tourists. On Sunday we headed to another favorite (Ikea) and picked up a kitchen island that we've (by "we" I mean "I") had our eye on for awhile. I haven't gotten around to putting it together, so no pictures yet, but I think it will look really nice in our kitchen, and the extra work space will come in handy. I'll definitely show you all the finished product soon!
And that's really all that's been happening around here lately! We're hoping to squeeze in a trip over the weekend since Donovan leaves next week, but we haven't decided exactly where yet. I'll keep you posted!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
The Town of Yummy Cheese
Today we ventured about an hour north to the little town of Asiago. It was a beautiful drive, winding up the side of a mountain to get to the plateau area where Asiago and a bunch of other tiny communities are. The area was the site of a major battle between Austria and Italy during WWI and it still has a definite Bavarian look to it, especially in the architecture.
We started out by walking through a little park that gave us a glimpse of the gorgeous countryside. There are lots of hiking trails around there, as well as ski areas, so I'm sure we'll be back to keep exploring. Unfortunately it was an overcast day, making it hard to really capture the beauty with a photo. The rolling hills are incredibly green and really provide a stunning view.
After strolling through the park, we headed back towards town and picked up some bread and cheese (Asiago cheese, of course) for lunch. We also got a bottle of wine, but then we realized we didn't have a corkscrew. Oops.
There was some sort of race taking place today so the town itself was rather crowded, but we were still able to walk through downtown and do some window shopping.
Definitely a charming little town! We'll absolutely be back to explore the area some more and hopefully do some hiking. And of course Donovan is really excited about ski season starting. Oh, and the yummy cheese is worth coming back for as well.
We started out by walking through a little park that gave us a glimpse of the gorgeous countryside. There are lots of hiking trails around there, as well as ski areas, so I'm sure we'll be back to keep exploring. Unfortunately it was an overcast day, making it hard to really capture the beauty with a photo. The rolling hills are incredibly green and really provide a stunning view.
After strolling through the park, we headed back towards town and picked up some bread and cheese (Asiago cheese, of course) for lunch. We also got a bottle of wine, but then we realized we didn't have a corkscrew. Oops.
There was some sort of race taking place today so the town itself was rather crowded, but we were still able to walk through downtown and do some window shopping.
Definitely a charming little town! We'll absolutely be back to explore the area some more and hopefully do some hiking. And of course Donovan is really excited about ski season starting. Oh, and the yummy cheese is worth coming back for as well.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Jump Day
This is a jump week for Donovan. Pretty much this means he's putting in some really long hours and not getting a whole lot of sleep, but he also gets to jump out of planes. They do the jumping in Aviano, which is a gorgeous little community about an hour and a half away. Yesterday a few other ladies and I went up to Aviano to sell food and drinks to all the guys for an FRG (family readiness group) fundraiser. It was my first time going up there as well as my first chance to see Donovan jump. I spent a few hours out at the drop zone watching the guys jump, and it was really neat to get a little glimpse at what my husband actually does. It didn't hurt that it was in such a beautiful setting.
It was a long day, especially for Donovan, but we all had a good time. I enjoyed not only getting to see another little piece of Italy, but also being able to see Donovan and the other soldiers in action. Makes me proud to be an Army wife.
I saw quite a few guys jump, so I have no idea which one was actually Donovan. They all kind of look the same up there.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
A Very Full Weekend
I hope everyone had a lovely Labor Day weekend! Ours was jam-packed full of sightseeing, but it was an absolute blast. After our day in Venice, we ventured a little farther from home for the rest of the weekend. On Saturday, we drove up to Trento (known for the Council of Trent) to check out the Castello di Buonconsiglio, where apparently many of the Council of Trent sessions were held. The castle has been turned into quite the museum, with lots of artifacts, sculptures, paintings, and frescoes. Pretty fascinating stuff.
After the castle (and some gelato, of course), we headed down to Lago di Garda, or more specifically, the town of Arco. Arco is a cute little town a few kilometers from the lake, nestled up against the mountains. It's very popular for both climbers and mountain bikers, so a walk through downtown includes lots of shopping for outdoor gear as well as dodging the bikers. After quite a bit of wandering around and finally a stop at the tourism office, we managed to find a hotel that still had a room available.
The next day (Sunday) was supposed to be a beach day at the lake, but of course we woke up to rain. We drove down to the lake anyways, and still managed to squeeze in a couple hours of walking along the shore and exploring the downtown area in between showers. Despite the overcast weather, it's still an impressive view.
We took the scenic route home rather than the autostrade, driving down alongside the lake. It was nice to enjoy the view while still staying dry inside the car. The rain continued on Monday, so we had a cozy Labor Day inside. We were all pretty tired so a day to relax and catch up on sleep was certainly appreciated, although we did venture out later in the day to show Donovan's mom downtown Vicenza.
Tuesday was back to work for Donovan, so his mom and I took the opportunity to go to Verona and see a few things we knew he wouldn't be that interested in, such as Juliet's balcony and tomb. We also toured the Arena, where Donovan and I went to the opera at recently.
And that was our weekend! We crammed a lot into a few days, but we enjoyed every minute of it. Now it's back to real life for a little while. Have a great week everyone!
After the castle (and some gelato, of course), we headed down to Lago di Garda, or more specifically, the town of Arco. Arco is a cute little town a few kilometers from the lake, nestled up against the mountains. It's very popular for both climbers and mountain bikers, so a walk through downtown includes lots of shopping for outdoor gear as well as dodging the bikers. After quite a bit of wandering around and finally a stop at the tourism office, we managed to find a hotel that still had a room available.
The next day (Sunday) was supposed to be a beach day at the lake, but of course we woke up to rain. We drove down to the lake anyways, and still managed to squeeze in a couple hours of walking along the shore and exploring the downtown area in between showers. Despite the overcast weather, it's still an impressive view.
We took the scenic route home rather than the autostrade, driving down alongside the lake. It was nice to enjoy the view while still staying dry inside the car. The rain continued on Monday, so we had a cozy Labor Day inside. We were all pretty tired so a day to relax and catch up on sleep was certainly appreciated, although we did venture out later in the day to show Donovan's mom downtown Vicenza.
Tuesday was back to work for Donovan, so his mom and I took the opportunity to go to Verona and see a few things we knew he wouldn't be that interested in, such as Juliet's balcony and tomb. We also toured the Arena, where Donovan and I went to the opera at recently.
And that was our weekend! We crammed a lot into a few days, but we enjoyed every minute of it. Now it's back to real life for a little while. Have a great week everyone!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Venezia
Well, we managed to successfully navigate the train system and made it to Venice and back home without issues! It was actually a piece of cake, so now that we know how simple (and relatively cheap) it is to hop on the train I foresee many trips to Venice in our future. Can't say that's a bad thing.
We spent the majority of the day just wandering the streets, but we did make sure to hit a few of the bigger landmarks. First up was the Rialto Bridge, which is the oldest bridge on the Grand Canal.
The view from the middle shows the craziness of the Grand Canal, but the bridge itself is much more interesting to look at rather than to be on.
And for those of you who were asking, that's my new brunette hair.
After the Rialto Bridge we stopped in to see an exhibit of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions. They were all reproductions of course, but it was still cool to see all the different (and sometimes completely random) ideas he had. The exhibit was set up in a church that I forgot the name of, and the interior was rather ornate.
By this time Donovan was getting his grumpy face, so we refueled with some pizza and then headed back over the Canal.
We meandered around until we got to San Marco, where we admired the basilica and the other buildings around the piazza.
Then we grabbed the water bus back to the train station and made our way home, where we're currently planning tomorrow's adventure.
We spent the majority of the day just wandering the streets, but we did make sure to hit a few of the bigger landmarks. First up was the Rialto Bridge, which is the oldest bridge on the Grand Canal.
The view from the middle shows the craziness of the Grand Canal, but the bridge itself is much more interesting to look at rather than to be on.
And for those of you who were asking, that's my new brunette hair.
After the Rialto Bridge we stopped in to see an exhibit of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions. They were all reproductions of course, but it was still cool to see all the different (and sometimes completely random) ideas he had. The exhibit was set up in a church that I forgot the name of, and the interior was rather ornate.
By this time Donovan was getting his grumpy face, so we refueled with some pizza and then headed back over the Canal.
We meandered around until we got to San Marco, where we admired the basilica and the other buildings around the piazza.
Then we grabbed the water bus back to the train station and made our way home, where we're currently planning tomorrow's adventure.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
weekend plans
We have an exciting weekend ahead of us! Not only does Donovan get tomorrow and Monday off thanks to Labor Day, we also have his mom visiting us. We're very excited to show her around Italy, starting with Venice tomorrow. So, I should have lots to report on over the next few days, but for now I'll just share a couple pics of our dinner tonight.
A yummy caprese salad, which also included basil from my basil plants (which are still alive, by the way). I just took the picture before I added it. Oops.
And some super delish linguine with shrimp and arugula.
I'll be back tomorrow with some pics of our time in Venice, assuming we can figure out the train system and actually make it there and back. That will be an adventure in itself.
What are your plans for the long weekend?
A yummy caprese salad, which also included basil from my basil plants (which are still alive, by the way). I just took the picture before I added it. Oops.
And some super delish linguine with shrimp and arugula.
I'll be back tomorrow with some pics of our time in Venice, assuming we can figure out the train system and actually make it there and back. That will be an adventure in itself.
What are your plans for the long weekend?
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