Europe and Stuff

We start this entry with some residual memories from America. First, a random trip to some kind of outing where they feature tongue painting.

Then, as I return home on Fathers' Day from a trip, I am greeted by this on the front porch.

Next, as we ready ourselves for our trip to Europe, Eva and I have some date-lunch time featuring a game of shuffleboard.

But now we move on to the main event for this entry, and I'll warn you now, you will experience bandwidth pressures due to the large number of pictures (in another entry that includes references to dated tech issues, bandwidth is something that used to limit the amount of stuff you could download and/or stream on a computer - which is the name we used to give to a device that could download and/or stream stuff).

Off to Europe... here are the folks in steerage. Seem happy enough. But this is before we even take off.

Much better on the other side, although this Rotterdam terrace is about sized for the economy cabin of the house we rented.

My previous trip to Rotterdam I stayed near this house and walked by several times. Each time I walked by there was a black cat sitting at the table out front. Turns out he is a fixture. His name is Puma, but we called him Midnight Jack. It's actually two cats, a mom and her son.  Not sure who this is.

ROFL.

The customs people love to say "so you make the money and they go spend it." Yup. A day out at theme park in Rotterdam.

Here Eva faces her fears on the contraption that fractured her leg a few years ago. A kinder, gentler Dutch version of this.

So full of energy, although I suspect this might be the "before" picture on the tram.

Quieter moments at our new favorite tapas place.

A day from work, and we did not visit the pottery place in Delft. But we did go to Delft nonetheless. Climbed up a very tall church tower.

A cold day by the sea calls for hot chocolate at lunch, and bundling up while walking around "like Amsterdam but without the tourists."

OK, enough about work. Let's have some fun. Off to France.

In the traditional French farmhouse style, we caught butterflies outside the house, grasshoppers inside the house, fires inside and outside, and played chess int he backyard. Showed Levi the first ever checkmate with a king. Until her figured out that he could just move his king one space to kill my king. Smart kid.

Below is the new stock photo for the tourism office of the Champagne region. The second picture, I don't know what.

I think this might be a tradition at this house for many years to come. The light being what it is means the window picture of last time will officially switch to outside. Before and after, first and second, 3 years apart.

Long walks in the countryside to visit old bovine friends.

Finding fossil rocks in the driveway, including one that is ancient Calli.

But mostly just fun outside.

Let's get some sophistication, so let's go to Paris. Sidewalk cafe, so much climbing on Donna.

 

Obligatory shots pinning down the Eiffel Tower.

Only this time we went all the way under it.

After a meal at what might be the best Italian restaurant experience of my life, we hop back on the Metro, get int he car and head home. I think it might have been the endless quizzes from Levi on mythology that did them in. What is the name of Hades' dog? Hint: It has three heads so it says "woof! woof! woof!" It takes a toll.

Back at the farm, so much trampoline jumping.

But the most fun was probably had on the couch in the living room. So much climbing on grown ups.

Eva decreed that this day, June twenty-something, is a new tradition: Thankful Day.

After being model travelers for thousands of miles, after boarding the flight to Lexington, the miles finally caught up with those Peloza kids. One of many pics that foreshadow a lifetime of traveling with each other.