Lake Garda, Yet Again

This last weekend we took advantage of the four-day and went on one more getaway to our favorite locale.  In the midst of all the stress of getting ready for the deployment, nothing felt better than a couple days of doing nothing more than lounging on the beach.

A Busy Week

Donovan has been busy packing, which means our house was an explosion of multicam this last weekend.

Amidst all the chaos, an important discovery was made...

Donovan has some sewing skills!  He took over all the little modifications and repairs he needed done, and he had so much fun that by the end of the day I'm pretty sure he was inventing projects just so he could play with the sewing machine.  Now I know who to ask the next time we need new curtains...

Sadly though, all this packing means deployment is just around the corner.  The brigade held their Casing of the Colors ceremony yesterday, during which they put the unit flags away until everyone's back.

After the ceremony, we had a battalion family fun day.  All the companies competed in different events and we had a big barbecue.  Donovan was tasked with reffing the dodgeball games, so he spent the afternoon carrying a clipboard around and looking official.

I, on the other hand, got gently talked into (meaning, given no choice) jumping out of the 34-foot tower the guys use during jump training.

I mean, if this little guy can do it, why can't I.

How cute is that?

Sunshine, Sangria, and Gaudi - Barcelona Day 3 & 4

Our third day in Barcelona was beach day.  We went out early, found the perfect spot, and settled in for the day.  Of course, we took a break for some seafood and sangria at a cute restaurant looking out over the water, but that was as far from the beach that we ventured until it was time to go back to the hotel.

The big goal for our fourth and final day was hunting down some Gaudi.  If you've never seen Gaudi architecture, definitely look it up...there are some very unique designs.  Since we were flying out later in the day, we only had time to see Parc Guell.

Also, a few random things we ran into on the way, such as a giant mammoth...

And the Cascada Fountain in the Parc de la Ciudadela, which Gaudi helped design early in his career.

Sadly, that was all we had time for in the beautiful city.  There's plenty more we want to see here, not to mention the awesome beach, so we're definitely planning on a return trip if we have the chance.

Barcelona Day 2

Our second day in Barcelona began with a visit to the Picasso Museum.  I mean, what better place to look at Picasso's work than in the city he was from?  And since Paris' Picasso museum was closed, I was really looking forward to this one.

The museum's collection comes mostly from the private collection of one of Picasso's friends.  When the artist found out his friend planned on turning the works into a museum, he donated quite a few more pieces over the course of his life.  He never made it back to Barcelona to see the finished museum, which is unfortunate, because the museum is extremely well-done.  While there are plenty of larger paintings, there are also numerous sketches, practice paintings for larger works, and even a few pieces from his dabbling in pottery.

After an art-filled morning, we fueled up with some super yummy cookies.

And then promptly went out for lunch and some cervezas.

To work all that off, we spent the afternoon walking around the Parc de Montjuic.  It's a pretty good climb to the top of the hill, but the incredible views of the city and the water make it worth it.

In the distance you can see the Columbus Monument, pointing towards America.

After wandering around the Parc we headed back towards town and spent the rest of the day exploring the Barcelona streets.

Memorial Day Weekend in Barcelona

Every time we visit a new place, we feel like we've found a new favorite.  Barcelona was no exception.  The city has an awesome vibe, and with the mix of beach, amazing food, fun architecture, and everything else the city has to offer, it would be hard not to enjoy yourself there.  We had an awesome weekend alternating between relaxing on the beach and exploring the local attractions.  

Our first day there, we didn't do a whole lot in terms of sightseeing, except to wander the streets around our hotel and walk along the waterfront.  And of course check out the beach.  It's all about priorities.  

Random Happenings in May

We (and by we, I mean Donovan and Tom) grilled steaks outside during the middle of a downpour.  I guess when it's raining all you can do is watch the grill from inside while drinking beer.

We went to Rimini for a couple days on the beach.  I'm sure it won't be this deserted for long. 

And lastly, Donovan planted some geraniums on our balcony, which are doing extremely well.  I guess I'll let him handle the plants from now on.

Slovenia and Lake Bled with Rob

After spending time at Lake Garda, we decided to expand our lake repertoire and head across the border to Slovenia for a couple days.  Lake Bled is a gorgeous little lake tucked away in the mountains and its claim to fame is a church on an island.

There's also a church on the lake that dates back to the 15th century.

We spent the afternoon strolling along the lake shore and taking in the incredible scenery.

Bled is surrounded by Slovenia's Julian Alps.  Here are a couple pictures Rob took from the backseat as we sped by.  

On the way home we swung through Trieste to show Rob the Miramar Castle.  The castle was a U.S. Army headquarters during WWII.

Sadly, Donovan had to get back to work, so we made our way home to Vicenza.