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  • Ice, ice, baby! During our stop in Iceland, we had the pleasure of meeting up with our grandparents (Andrea’s parents) in Reykjavík for dinner, ice cream, and a walk. It was wonderful to see family in such an unexpected place. Our grandparents were doing a week or so long tour of the country, and our first days there overlapped. We had delicious seafood and exciting conversation. Until next time, Abigail

    → 10:29 AM, Aug 14
  • Back in the USA!

    From Andrea: Apologies for the silence! After a surreal and other-worldly experience in Iceland, we flew to Paris and then to DFW the next day. Overnight in DFW then an early flight to Myrtle Beach, SC. That’s right, three days of traveling! I booked the tickets so far in advance, there were some changes that extended our time in airports:) Glad that’s behind us. We enjoyed a few days in Myrtle Beach visiting Aaron’s twin sister, Mercedes, and her family, as well as their mother. Aaron’s sister, Lucia, traveled down from NC with her daughters and we had a lovely reunion while enjoying the beach, sunshine, and shrimp. We said goodbye to them yesterday and drove to North Carolina where we are visiting Aaron’s dad and spending more time with Lucia and her family. The kids and I return to Waco on Tuesday and everyone is looking forward to hugging Lucky as well as sleeping in their own beds. After being completely burned out in the kitchen by the time we left in June, I’m happy to say I’m excited to get back to it and of course will try out some new recipes;) Anyone have a pasta maker to recommend?! Aaron will continue his sabbatical in this area for a couple more weeks. It’s hard to believe this summer is coming to an end!

    → 1:38 PM, Aug 13
  • → 7:13 AM, Aug 7
  • From Athan: Iceland was by far the most scenic place we have been on this trip. Everything was beautiful and amazing. On our first day, we went on a scenic drive which had many great views of volcanoes, waterfalls, and glaciers. On the second day, we went to a small island called Heimey Island, part of the Westman Islands, just of the shore of the mainland. We hiked up a mountain and the view was unbelievable. When we got up there, we were greeted by sheep and puffins. Both were very friendly. We then explored the island and found a beach with volcanic sand, neighboring islands, and a puffin nesting area with thousands of puffins flying, swimming, and eating.

    We also met some Icelandic horses that were in a large field next to our Airbnb. They were extremely friendly. We were able to pet them and they loved it. Every time we went to their pen, they would come up to us. They had long hair on their head that kind of formed bangs. They stand out from all horses in America. Iceland is a place like no other. It’s beautiful everywhere and even though the weather was cold and rainy, I loved it.

    → 1:33 AM, Aug 6
  • Iceland

    From Aaron: there will be more detailed Iceland posts (Puffins! Whales! Horses! Grandparents! Hotdogs!) soon. But we had an incredible few days here. Tomorrow, back to the US over a 48-hr journey via Paris & DFW, landing in the Carolinas for visits with my family. For now: just a glimpse of Iceland… 🇮🇸

    → 7:57 PM, Aug 4
  • Super morning for a final run in Stockholm. Sheep! Sculptures! Sun! Steeples! 🏃🏽‍♂️ 🇸🇪 🐑

    → 2:09 AM, Aug 2
  • From Athan: Hello! Today we went to the art museum, Fotografsika. There were three different exhibits but my favorite was by Frank Ockenfels. There were a lot of amazing photographs that were altered in different ways like size colors and texture. I liked it a lot and was one of my favorite contemporary art museums so far.

    → 3:42 PM, Aug 1
  • From Abigail: Photobooth at the Fotografiska museum! We had a wonderful time exploring the exhibits from different artists. Plenty of famous Americans were featured in portraits.

    → 3:40 PM, Aug 1
  • From Aaron: Behold, the Bubble Waffle (with gelato). Last night in Stockholm! Wonderful evening with family, including my cousin Klara and her boyfriend Andreas. Tomorrow: Iceland. 🇸🇪 ✈️ 🇮🇸

    → 3:33 PM, Aug 1
  • From Aaron: last Sunday, a visit to worship at the Church of St. Peter and St. Sigfrid (Church of England, Diocese of Europe), the old Anglican Church in Stockholm. And the first place I ever received Holy Communion. ⛪️

    family selfie in front of church plaqueinterior of church sanctuarychurch nave interiorexterior of anglican church in Stockholm

    → 3:39 PM, Jul 29
  • From Aaron: Background: my dad used to be a U.S. diplomat, which is why we lived in Sweden in the early 80s. So I stopped by the American Embassy in Stockholm to remember a very important personal milestone: it’s where I first watched Star Wars (Ep. VI).

    aaron standing in front of the American embassy in Stockholm

    → 3:28 PM, Jul 29
  • On a Corner in Stockholm

    From Andrea: I hadn’t planned to blog today but HAD to share this story! After a day exploring Gamla Stan (Stockholm’s historic district), then enjoying two walking tours guided by Rick Steves’s helpful tour books, we found a yummy Vietnamese restaurant near Hotorget (Haymarket). We had planned to return to Gamla Stan for dinner to a Russian restaurant, but decided to stay where we were as we were a bit tired. Well, after dinner we began our walk home. As we turned the corner onto a busier street, a woman approached me and when I looked at her, I realized she was a former student of ours from Kazakhstan. [For those of you who don’t know, Aaron and I worked in Astana, Kazakhstan, for two years after college. We taught English, economics and business (and I think Aaron even taught Spanish) in local universities.] Julia was such a huge part of our lives during those two years, so imagine my surprise to see her on the streets of Stockholm! And I cannot believe she recognized us! I was in complete shock and utter disbelief at the probability of this encounter. Julia lives in Germany with her beautiful family and is in Stockholm for the weekend. What an absolute joy it was to reconnect with her! The last time we saw her was in Boston in 2002. As we walked home, the kids listed all the things that had to happen to put us on that corner at that precise time, starting with canceling the UK portion of our trip, followed by the little decisions we made throughout the day (thanks to August for making a last minute run to the bathroom at the restaurant!), including abandoning the plan to go to the Russian restaurant. We are so thrilled to be back in touch with Julia and completely honored that our children had the opportunity to meet her.

    In the spirit of reconnecting, we were excited to learn that Aaron’s younger cousin, Klara, is now living in Stockholm and tomorrow we will have dinner with her. What a treat to be able to see family all the way in Sweden!

    → 2:20 PM, Jul 24
  • Today we went to Mojang studios. Mojang studios is the company that created the video game, Minecraft. Minecraft is a video game that is made up of blocks and is full of adventure. It is the most sold video game of all time and is played all over the world. August, Abigail and I all play this game and it is easily our favorite video game. This morning we rented electric scooters and rode down to Mojang. We weren’t able to go inside because of COVID but we were able to look in the windows and it looked like a very fun and enjoyable place to work. It was a small place but very fun visit.

    → 1:55 PM, Jul 24
  • From August - The Vasa was super cool. It was a ship that was 400 years old and it didn’t even get off the harbor. The story is that the king of Sweden wanted this big grand ship but the building advisors said it was too narrow and too tall and too heavy but the king insisted. So they made it how the king wanted it to be made. And a few minutes after leaving the dock a light wind blew it over. I thought it was funny because he got what he asked for but he was warned not to and it didn’t work out. It was cool being in the same room with something so big and so old. Thank you for reading today.

    → 2:06 PM, Jul 23
  • 7-22-2021

    From Athan: Today we went on a boat tour in Stockholm. We went on very large boat with about two hundred people. We first sat indoors but we decided it was too stuffy so we went outside. It was very cool to see Stockholm from a distance. While we were in the boat, there was a person telling everyone about the houses and islands we passed and it was very interesting. After about an hour or so, we got off on a small island called Vaxholm and walked around for a bit. We got ice cream and took in the scenery. Later, we walked to a mini-golf course. It was an especially hard mini-golf course but it was fun nonetheless. After we finished mini-golf, we walked back to the boat pick-up spot and we took the boat back to Stockholm, but this time we got better seats outside that had a better view and was much more enjoyable. When we got back, we ate at an Indian/Persian restaurant. It was delicious and was one of the best meals I’ve had on this trip. It was a very fun day in Stockholm and I can’t wait for the rest of the adventures we will go on.

    → 12:26 PM, Jul 23
  • Gimme gimme gimme! On Wednesday, our family went to the Abba Museum, which was a sight to behold. The museum is small, but full of a plethora of memorabilia, interactive exhibits, and information. There is even a whole floor dedicated to the Mamma Mia! movies! On that floor, the museum had Donna’s (Meryl Streep) famous overalls outfit, Sophie’s wedding dress, the original diary that they used in the movie, and even storyboards from the early stages of the film. As a die-hard Abba and Mamma Mia! fan, I couldn’t believe my eyes. On the main floor of the museum, they had rooms and rooms dedicated to Abba and its history, from how they started on Eurovision, all the way to the present day, with the work each member has done post-Abba. I was able to learn the history of each member, and immerse myself in each member’s first-hand accounts of their experience in the band. The museum had so many iconic outfits, including many that can only be described as “funky.” Overall, my experience at the Abba Museum was one I will not soon forget. I especially appreciated being able to visit while I was 17, and a true dancing queen. Until next time! -Abigail

    → 12:16 PM, Jul 23
  • From Aaron: we’re in Stockholm now, but wanted to share a fun pic from a few days ago in Kalmar, Sweden, enjoying some ice cream. 🇸🇪 🧳 🍦

    → 3:36 AM, Jul 20
  • Beautiful first run in Stockholm. I lived here from age 3 to 6. Found our old apartment: Strandvagen 61. And a sculpture I remember from the park across the street. 🇸🇪 🏃🏽‍♂️ 🧳

    selfie of Aaron in front of building where he livedbronze sculpture in Stockholm park of a boy holding a toy boatmap showing Aaron's running route

    → 1:53 PM, Jul 18
  • From August: This post is going to contain our 2 full days in Copenhagen, Denmark, and our 1 full day in Kalmar, Sweden.

    Day 1 of Copenhagen, Denmark: The first thing we did was go to a delicious bakery (St. Peter’s) that specialized in cinnamon rolls. Then we went to the Lego store which was really cool because they had so many Lego sets I have never seen: Hans Christian Andersen stories made into Legos, and “Friends” (the TV show) Legos. The interior of the store was really cool because they had Lego statues around, there was a real Lego dragon that was life size that went around the entrance of the store. They also had a big Millennium Falcon (Star Wars) that was bigger then double the size of my head, and the coolest thing they had was a life-size model of C-3PO and R2-D2 (Star Wars) made of Legos.

    After the morning we went to the National Danish Museum which consisted of mostly Viking artifacts and exhibits. It was really cool to see ancient rune stones from Viking times. We also saw the body of a girl that was 3,000 years old and the way her body was preserved was because she died by falling in ice and her body was kept cold and preserved from the ice. The museum also had old treasure, boats, swords, and other things from the Viking age. I learned that Vikings tried to reach Rome but were never successful. 
    
    Then we went on a bike tour around Copenhagen and we got to see the Little Mermaid (not from Disney) Statue, the Rosenborg Castle and gardens, and the rest of the historical district. 
    

    After that we sat at the harbor and relaxed. While doing so we decided to try some of Abigail’s candy that she had gotten at the museum gift shop. It was a black licorice tube with this stuff called Salmiakki stuffed inside and, well, let’s just say it was not a very yummy candy. It is a Finnish licorice candy that consists of ammonium chloride and it tastes like if a wet dog and a salty sweaty fish were combined. I encourage you to try this or at least look up a video on YouTube of Americans trying this foul candy and if you try this candy, I also encourage you to record your live reaction.

    Then we ate dinner at a traditional Danish restaurant. And after that we went to bed.
    
    Second full day in Copenhagen: First we went back to the Rosenborg castle to see it on the inside. It was a fairly big castle and the coolest part of this castle was a prank chair. This chair was requested by Christian IV, the King of Denmark (This was still during the 1600s), and when you sat in this chair it would lock you in and spray water to make it look like you peed your pants and then when you got up out of the chair it would make a farting noise. The second coolest thing in the castle were the Crown Jewels. The Crown Jewels were really cool because they were made of gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds so many cool things. 
    
    Then we took a guided tour through the free commune of Christiania, I am not going to go over the history because it is a lot of history but if you want to know the fascinating story of Christiania you can research it. The commune was super cool because it was a big area of land with little villages and shops and things like that. The next day we took a 4-hr train ride north to Kalmar, Sweden. 
    
    The only full day in Kalmar, Sweden: First we had breakfast at the hostel (which I spelled right, search it up if you don’t know what it is). The breakfast was a traditional Swedish breakfast. 
    
    Then we went to the famous Kalmar castle, and this castle was really cool because you could touch the cannons on the ramparts, so we took some pictures of that and then went in the castle and my favorite part was the dungeon because I have never ever seen a dungeon in my entire life. There was a really cool modern photo exhibit on the second floor and it was all photoshopped pictures by surrealist [Erik Johansson](www.erikjo.com) and I really liked the pictures because they were super creative and cool. 
    
    After the castle we walked to a really sandy and windy beach and walked on the pier. 
    
    Then we ate at a Swedish McDonalds and they had this really cool sauce for your fries made from truffles and it was really yummy so the next time you go to any McDonalds I encourage you to ask or check for truffle sauce. 
    
    Then we walked around the city for a bit and then looked in a cathedral and after that we had some ice cream.
    
    Thank you all for tuning in for today’s edition of the Zimmerman Sabbatical Blog.
    

    lego store with storm troopermead horn for vikings in the danish museumthe little mermaidme with ciking rune stoneus in front of castlelord farqaud(if you want to be serious it is King Christian IV of Denmark)me with canoncrownme holding a moonme on a throne being bery dramatic

    → 4:26 PM, Jul 16
  • From Abigail: Alpine Adventures! After two days in Chamonix, nestled among the Alps, we are done with the France leg of our trip and are headed to Scandinavia! Yesterday, for our first full day in Chamonix, we went to the peak of a mountain and witnessed a spectacular view. We could see Italy and Switzerland with just the swivel of a head. Then, we went on a 5 mile hike up a mountain, to a waterfall, and then back down. I did not particularly enjoy the uphill portion, but the waterfall and seeing the alpine scenery made it worth it. We ended the day with a delicious dinner at a traditional French restaurant. Today, we took a train to Mer de Glacé, a glacier in the mountains. We walked through an ice cave carved into the glacier, which was an unforgettable experience. After riding back down to the valley, Aaron, Athan, August, and I luged in an amusement park. I am not one for adrenaline-inducing activities, heights, or twists and turns at high speed, so this was quite out of my comfort zone. However, I didn’t want to have regrets, so I did it, and it was exhilarating. Athan sat behind me and manned the steering, so all I had to do was scream and smile. After lugeing, we explored the town and did some shopping. I bought an obscene amount of chocolate. Au revoir!

    → 2:45 PM, Jul 11
  • From Aaron: Friday, our Run the Alps group finished the Tour de Mont Blanc. 7 days, 3 countries, 120 mi, 30,000 ft of climbing. Loss for words. So here are pics from the last day. Last one is me enjoying an IPA after finishing on the steps of St. Michel in Chamonix. 🏃🏽‍♂️ 🇫🇷 🇨🇭 🇮🇹 🧳

    aaron looking out at view runners on a single trackaaron in front of church in Chamonix

    → 3:13 AM, Jul 11
  • From Aaron: More pics. The gnomes. And the snow just after crossing from Italy to Switzerland. And one of our sunnier moments in Italy.

    → 2:41 PM, Jul 8
  • From Aaron: over the last 4 days, my Run The Alps group has run from France, to Italy, and now Switzerland. Stunning views, misty forests, caves, and gnomes. More pics later, but here I am in Switzerland with a plant called “Aaron’s Rod.”

    → 2:23 PM, Jul 8
  • From August: This entry is going to talk about yesterday and today. Yesterday was a super fun and cool day. First we swam at the nearby lake and the water was super cold. At the lake we ate lunch and started heading to the paragliding site where Athan, Andrea, and I(August) would be paragliding from. It took us a while to find the van that would take us up to the mountain but we eventually found it. Then we started driving up the mountain to paraglide from. Once we arrived we started putting on our paragliding backpack and harness. Then we attached onto each of our guides and then it was time to jump off a cliff, so I was the first one to go so my guide caught a wind with the chute and I started running and before I knew it our feet were not touching the ground. And I would like to mention that upon arrival on the mountain we lifted off within 5 mins. The flight was amazing because we flew above the mountain and could see all of Annecy. I cannot get over how amazing the view was from up there. Then we started heading down to the landing site so we started going faster which made me a little nauseous. The landing was pretty simple I just had to start walking as soon as my feet touched the ground. We bought the GoPro footage and got some Cokes to settle our stomachs. And Athan talked about how his guide offered to do stunts, and Athan said yes. So at several points he was upside down. Next we took a ferry back to the town and had dinner then went back to where we were staying and went to sleep.

    Day 2 - Today we got up early to rent bikes to go on a 44 kilometer bike ride. We could see the mountains to the left and right of us. I was very surprised by the amount of people biking. As soon as we finished the bike ride it started raining so I would say we timed it perfectly. We walked to a super interesting French burger restaurant, the burgers were the best burgers I’ve ever had, and it was almost like it couldn’t be called a burger because it was so good. After that we went to the apartment and rested because we were very tired after that bike ride. Bye!

    → 1:22 PM, Jul 6
  • From Aaron: Day 3 of TMB. Epic run thru forest snow rain & mud. Challenging & exhilarating. 12mi & 4000ft of climbing from Les Contamines to Les Chappieux, Fr. Spent the night in Arêches (Tour De France had just passed). Duck for dinner. Today: run to Coumayeur, Italy! 🏃🏽‍♂️ 🏔 ❄️ 🐄 🇫🇷 🇮🇹

    snow in the Alpswet runners in the Alpsrunners in the alps

    → 1:41 AM, Jul 5
  • Goodbye Tuscany, hello Annecy!

    From Andrea: We said “arrivederci” to Italy this morning and all her wonderful people, views and food. For our final dinner, we returned to the Agriturismo (Tenuta Il Corno) where we participated in a cooking class earlier in the week. We had such a great time learning from the Countess Maria Giuliano Frova in an estate that was once the summer home of the Strozzi family. We learned how to make ravioli and yes, I’m already looking at hand-crank pasta makers! The class and dinner were perfect bookends to our time in Tuscany. Someone told us that it’s impossible to have a bad meal in Tuscany and I have to agree. The meals were absolutely incredible.

    After a long day of travel, we arrived in Annecy, France this afternoon. We’re exhausted but explored the lake a bit after dinner because it seemed to call out to us while we ate our meal. Wow! We can’t wait to explore this week!

    → 3:51 PM, Jul 3
  • From Aaron: Day 2 of Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB). 17.5 mi, climbing 5,109 ft. (my PR by far for most climbing in 1 day). Steep grassy climbs, mud, cows, bridge over waterfall. Passed lotsa runners doing a 110km race. Tonight, shrimp risotto in Les Contamines, FR. 🏃🏽‍♂️ 🏔 🇫🇷 🧳

    runners in the French alps on a mountain pass. runners in front of the 18th cent church in Les Contamines, France. selfie of aaron on a suspension bridge over an alpine water fallmap showing running route

    → 12:08 PM, Jul 3
  • From Aaron: today my group with Run the Alps did our first leg of the famed Tour du Mont Blanc, a 100-mi trail around Europe’s highest peak. Ran 12.5 mi climbing 3,782 ft. Saw more jaw-dropping views. Drank from mountain streams. Greeted an Ibex. He was chill. 🏃🏽‍♂️ 🏔 🇫🇷 🧳

    a group of runners with the alps behind them. an ibex in the French alps.

    → 4:31 PM, Jul 2
  • From Abigail: Well, it’s been one fun week in Tuscany! Andrea and kids have been staying in a wonderful AirBNB in the heart of Tuscany, situated between vineyards and a forest that are perfect to explore. Over the last few days, we have visited Lucca, a medieval walled city, Pisa, the Mediterranean Sea, and Siena. Every place has led to discovery and enchantment. Today, in Siena, we came across a Salvadore Dalí exhibition, and were made privy to a wide array of the artist’s sculptures, optical illusions, and drawings. The stop was a spontaneous surprise, but absolutely worth it. Overall, this week spent among the hills has been refreshing, relaxing, and rewarding. We couldn’t have asked for a better break :)

    → 3:51 PM, Jul 1
  • From Aaron: Pic at the highest point of yesterday’s run in the Alps (10 mi/4600 ft. climb). Yes, that’s a glacier (Mer de Glace) behind me. Yes, that’s pain and accomplishment on my face. 🏃🏽‍♂️ 🏔 🇫🇷

    selfie of aaron at Le Signal in the French Alps

    → 10:56 AM, Jun 30
  • From Aaron: arrived in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Sunday. Amazing views everywhere. Ran to Chalet Floria yesterday. Sunny & warm. Today, cool and rainy. Ran up to Refuge Plan de l’Aiguille. Grabbing lunch then heading downhill.

    aaron selfie at chalet floria in the French alps near chamonix.  refuge plan de l-aiguille

    → 7:29 AM, Jun 29
  • From Aaron: bonus last-day-in-Florence pics: Michaelangelo’s tomb for Lorenzo “Il Magnifico” de Medici, Galileo’s fingers (!), & a pig slow roasted for 8 hours that turned into amazing porchetta sandwiches (a must-eat when in Florence). 🇮🇹 🧳

    Galileo's thumb, middle finger, and index finger. medici chapel, sculptures by Michaelangelo

    → 4:48 PM, Jun 27
  • The Tuscan Sun

    From Andrea: Years ago I saw a movie called “Under the Tuscan Sun.” I don’t remember what this movie was about but I remember vividly the scenery and the longing to find myself in an old house in Tuscany. Well, that’s where we arrived today!

    While planning this trip, I anticipated us needing some down time after two weeks of non-stop exploring in big cities. It seems my timing was right because everyone breathed a sigh of relief when we arrived at the agriturismo. We are about 40 minutes outside Florence near Montespertoli on a farm that seems to grow olives and grapes. We are in one of six restored apartments and it has a shared pool, though we seem to be the only guests here for now. It took the boys exactly five minutes to unload the car, groceries and get in that pool! The building used to be attached to a church and I don’t know the age, but seems quite old yet beautiful. We are very much looking forward to a change of pace, fresh air, green space and the sounds only of nature this week!

    Aaron left for Chamonix early this morning and arrived safely to his chalet. It was fairly easy travel for him- we weren’t sure what to expect regarding travel restrictions (we read everything available online, but rules change and are often unclear or conflicting) but with his vaccination card and passport, he got through easily, including his connection in Amsterdam, with no need to test for COVID. Not surprisingly, he has already made a friend who is also there on an adventure.

    Looking to the weeks ahead, we decided to reroute our trip to Sweden to enter through Copenhagen due to the possible travel restrictions in Sweden. The rules are unclear depending on the website, but what is clear is that Denmark is open to vaccinated Americans and once in Denmark, we can travel freely into Sweden. So, we will have a few days in Copenhagen which is a welcome surprise! Then we will take the train to Kalmar, Sweden, where we will stay two nights in a hostel before continuing via train to Stockholm. We are looking forward to the journey!

    → 3:29 PM, Jun 27
  • From Athan: Hello! On our last day in Florence, we toured three museums. First, we toured part of the San Lorenzo Basilica, specifically the Medici Chapels where many of the Medici family members were buried (some in a space that Michaelangelo designed, and that also included some of his statues) . Then we went to a modern American art exhibit at the Palazzo Strozzi, and finally, we went to the Galileo museum. These three museums were very different but all very cool. They were all from different time periods which was interesting and it was fun to compare them. Later, Abigail and I went by ourselves to walk around the city and stop in small gift stores. After that, we all headed down to the oldest (and best) gelato place in Florence called Vivoli. Overall, today was a very fun day in Florence.

    → 1:04 PM, Jun 26
  • From August: Today was our first full day in Florence, Italy, and it was an awesome day. The first thing we did was go to the Accademia museum and we saw Michaelangelo’s David which was absolutely ginormous.

    The second thing we did today was go to the Uffizi museum which had so many historic, amazing, famous, and mind-boggling paintings and sculptures. We saw Caravaggio’s famous Bacchus painting that is on the label of the bottles from our grandpa Zimmerman’s [(Junius Lindsay Vineyard)](http://www.juniuslindsay.com/), and we also saw many other cool paintings.
    

    michaelangelo's Davidphoto of August next to Caravaggio's Bacchusmichaelangelo's round painting of Holy Familypainting of putto playing a lutecaravaggio's medusa on a shield

    → 11:44 AM, Jun 24
  • From Aaron: Arrived in Florence today via train from Venice. Longer post tomorrow, but real quick: AMAZING dinner at Trattoria de’ Guicciardini followed by a trip to the grocery store—just in time to catch sunset on the Ponte Vecchio on the way back to the Airbnb! 🇮🇹 🧳 🚆

    wild boar with homemad pastafamily selfie with restaurant staff after dinneraaron and Andrea on Ponte Vecchio at sunset

    → 4:56 PM, Jun 23
  • From Abigail: Today we toured a glass-making studio (Studio Berengo) and gallery in the island of Murano in the Venice Lagoon, which was a highlight for everyone. The pieces were beautifully intricate, and watching the process of their creation was fascinating. Later in the day, we went via vaporetto (a kind of boat-bus) to the beach at Lido (another island), and splashed around in the water. We concluded the day with a nice cone of gelato. Pictures: 1: My dad photobombing me in Lido. 2: Scallop pasta from Ai Fratti, a restaurant on the canal in Murano. 3. An alien sculpture from the glass gallery.

    → 3:22 PM, Jun 22
  • From Aaron: I’ve loved my two runs in Venice. Apparently, the streets are usually too crowded to run during tourist season. 🏃🏽‍♂️

    running selfie of Aaron in St. Mark's Square, Venice. Screenshot of Map of 5 mi run through Venice.

    → 2:12 PM, Jun 22
  • From Aaron: What are the crowds like in Venice right now? Check it out. (Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s courtyard) ✈️ 🧳 🇮🇹

    view of interior of Doge's palace, Venice. No crowds. view of interior of St. Mark's basilica, Venice. No crowds. courtyard of Doge's palace, Venice. no crowds.

    → 2:08 PM, Jun 22
  • From Athan: Hello everyone! Today was our first official day in Venice Italy. Yesterday we arrived by plane and then took a boat to the city. Throughout the city are many canals and rivers. The total layout of the city is made up of many different islands with canals in between. All of the buildings are very tall because there is not much room to expand the buildings outwards. Today we took a tour of the city with the owner of the Airbnb. It was very informative and we all learned a lot about Venice. We learned about the makeup of the cities, what the large building and palaces were made for and even what the paintings and mosaics were representing. Overall, today was amazing and we had an awesome time exploring the city.

    → 10:50 AM, Jun 20
  • Day 8. From Aaron: great final run in Paris through Jardin de Luxembourg and then… Venice! 🇫🇷 ✈️ 🇮🇹

    selfie in front of the Medici fontain/Luxembourg palace. view of venice skyline from the water.

    → 5:20 PM, Jun 19
  • Day 7: From Aaron: Monet’s house and gardens at Giverny. Such a tiny gem of a space on God’s green earth. 🪴 🌹 🌱 plus, a medieval church at Vernon.

    pond and water lilies and sky at Giverny. view of garden from window at Monet's house. view of trellis with roses at Giverny

    → 5:18 PM, Jun 18
  • Paris During the Pandemic (Day 6)

    From Andrea: Today was a lovely final day exploring Paris! We enjoyed the Musée d’Orsay which was perfect preparation for tomorrow’s journey to Giverny- Claude Monet’s home and gardens.

    Speaking of museums, I thought I’d comment on what it is like being in Paris during the pandemic. Aaron and I visited Paris in October 2019 when he spoke at the American Cathedral. We have a fresh, pre-COVID reference of Paris in full swing, albeit in the off-season. The most striking differences are: 1) the total lack of non-French speakers. 2) the complete lack of lines at all attractions. 3) the empty museums. WE HAD THE LOUVRE TO OURSELVES in many galleries. We saw the entire Musée d’Orsay in three hours, with the audio tour, and we lingered wherever we wanted. We enjoyed Saint-Chapelle in thirty minutes- that’s with lingering until our hearts were full. These experiences are probably the most surreal of my life and we keep telling the kids how rare this experience is. The usual souvenir vendors are absent. Bathrooms have no lines. Many cafes are still closed (including in the museums). Mask compliance indoors is 100% everywhere (except young children) and it doesn’t seem to need to be enforced. Outdoors, masking is about 50% which is surprising because it has been very hot this week (though not as hot as Central Texas!). Otherwise, things look fairly normal. Parisians seem to be enjoying the lifted restrictions and are filling cafés, parks and sidewalks as usual. There is an impressive system of free COVID testing around the city and we took advantage of that to prepare for our next stop (Italy). We’ve enjoyed seeing the reactions to our American presence from various security guards, ticket takers and others involved in tourism. They have been surprised and elated that we (Americans) have returned for tourism. We are honored to be the first and mark what is hopefully the beginning of the return to a form of normalcy!

    One other note- It has been probably one of the deepest joys of my life to watch my children open their eyes and hearts to Paris. They are wonderful travelers and have adjusted well. Watching their eyes light up when we turn a corner and see the Eiffel Tower, or when they enter a gallery and see a painting they’ve studied, or walking into the second floor of Sainte-Chapell…. What an absolute gift to watch the world open to them!

    → 3:29 PM, Jun 17
  • From Abigail: Pictures from today!

    → 3:33 PM, Jun 16
  • Paris, Day 5: Versailles

    From Abigail: We went to Versailles today! Just like many of the other sites we’ve visited, the palace was fairly empty, leaving plenty of room for exploration and adoration at the grandeur and beauty of the palace and gardens. It was a hot day, but we interrupted our stroll of the gardens with some ice cream to cool down (I had pistachio and chocolate, and it was delicious). Unfortunately, we had no cake. Sorry Marie.

    → 2:33 PM, Jun 16
  • Day 5 (From Aaron): Pre-Versailles McDonalds brunch.

    family selfie at McDonalds

    → 5:21 AM, Jun 16
  • From Abigail: (Day 4) Manatee at the zoo! We went to the Paris zoo today and saw a splendid variety of creatures, and even caught a sea lion training session.

    → 11:16 AM, Jun 15
  • Paris: Day 3 (part 2). Dinner at La Fontaine de Mars and a nighttime stroll to the Eiffel Tower.

    → 5:41 PM, Jun 14
  • Paris: Day No. 2

    From August: Hello everyone, this is our first official update of the trip and I have a lot of things to tell you all about Paris. First I want to start off by saying that it is 10pm here although it is as bright as if it were 7pm in Waco and it just feels really weird. Ok, now for the day summary. First we had breakfast in our apartment and Abigail and I had a French cereal called Lion Wild that was like caramel covered pockets with chocolate inside. And everyone else had a baguette sandwich but Athan and Mommy also had cool French yogurt and Daddy had a healthy cereal.

    After breakfast we went to The American Cathedral in Paris for church. And it was a very beautiful service and building. After church Abigail, Athan, Daddy, and I climbed 100+ stairs to get to the top of the steeple in the church and the view was amazing we could see the whole city from up there including, the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Cathedrals, etc.

    Next we went to the Latin quarter and had lunch at an outside restaurant and we had escargot, duck, creme brûlée, beef stew, fondue and many more delicious things.

    After that we went to the Luxembourg gardens and walked through the beautiful surroundings.

    Next we went to the Catacombs which was very interesting because there was nowhere else like it, and it was very spooky and creepy.

    After the Catacombs we went to dinner at a Chinese restaurant with very good food but a super small bathroom.

    And finally we visited the Luxembourg gardens again and watched high schoolers play tennis during their off time, and I’ll have to say, it was a very intense tennis match.

    That is all for today thank you for joining in on our microblog.

    → 4:32 PM, Jun 13
  • From Aaron: One more pic from day 1 in Paris: outside the American Cathedral, a truly beautiful church.

    → 4:24 PM, Jun 13
  • Paris: Day 1

    From Aaron: Warm welcome from Dean Lucinda Laird of the American Cathedral (Episcopal) & a walk to Eiffel Tower & Trocadero gardens. Our waiter at dinner said we were the 1st Americans on holiday he’d seen for over a year. He was truly overjoyed. 🇫🇷 🧳💉

    → 4:21 PM, Jun 13
  • From Abigail: View from the plane! The flight was long but worth it. I listened to a lot of Taylor Swift.

    → 11:03 AM, Jun 12
  • Pre-departure! ✈️ 🧳

    Kids waiting with luggage.

    → 12:58 PM, Jun 11
  • From Abigail: Thanks to Calla for the pre-trip coffee, Abba, and conversation.

    → 12:03 PM, Jun 11
  • From Aaron: It’s been a whirlwind of final preparations and packing, and today, my final run in Waco for a while. Said hi to Alico, Magnolia, Austin Ave, The Brazos River, St. Alban’s, and ran the courthouse steps like Rocky. Next stop, Paris!

    Selfie of Aaron during a run over the Washington St. bridge on Waco's Brazos River.

    → 9:31 AM, Jun 11
  • Itinerary Update: Plan B

    From Aaron: Yesterday, we had to cancel the England and Scotland portions of our trip 😢. For a while, it looked like things would loosen up, but no dice. Traveling there still requires a quarantine, even if vaccinated… and once you’ve been in the UK, you can’t visit other countries (again, even if vaccinated). While we’re bummed, we knew this trip (like life) would require flexibility and a consistent openness to Plan B. That’s why our St. Alban’s send-off took place in the church, not the tent outside as planned. And that’s why I ended up going to Colorado for my retreat, not Palo Duro Canyon, when rains closed the trails. Each time, Plan B was better than Plan A. And in this case, we’re excited about what Plan B will look like. Canceling the UK frees up three weeks, and we plan to spend more time in Sweden (which was already on the list) and add some side trips to the rest of Scandinavia. More time in the land of the Vikings (and, more importantly, ABBA). We leave on Friday… First stop, Paris. Then Italy. Then I run the Alps while Andrea and the kids explore Tuscany and the French Alps. Then on to Sweden, and finally Iceland. And it all starts in 4 days. Viva la Plan B!

    Map of Europe showing UK crossed off, with check marks on France, Italy, Sweden, and Iceland.

    → 5:35 PM, Jun 7
  • From Aaron: Sundays we’ve been visiting different churches. From this morning’s outdoor service. ⛪️ 🌳

    view of a canopy of oak trees.

    → 12:47 PM, Jun 6
  • From Aaron: Sometimes, while on sabbatical, one repairs sprinklers.

    picture of broken sprinkler

    → 6:24 PM, Jun 5
  • From Aaron: my last view of Colorado. Grateful to be home. 🏡

    view of colorado landscape from airplane window.

    → 9:12 PM, May 30
  • From Aaron: Bye Aspen. Thanks for being amazing. 40 miles of trails run & 7,400 ft. climbed. Trout eaten: 1. 🏔 🏃🏽‍♂️ 🎣 🛫

    aspen airport tarmacblue sky over fryingpan river trout for dinner at riverside restaurant

    → 1:21 PM, May 29
  • From Aaron: Today’s runs: the Delicate Arch at Arches National Park and Navajo Rocks Trail, Utah. 🏃🏽‍♂️

    Aaron running at the Delicate Arch. View at Navajo Rocks Trail.

    → 12:09 AM, May 28
  • From Aaron: Today’s run: snow! Cathedral Lake Trail. Never made it to the lake. 2.5 miles up (elevation gain: 1,894 ft.) hit snow up to my hip. Later, found some in my pocket. But the run was great and views still spectacular. And spotted a fox on the way home. 🏃🏽‍♂️🏔☃️

    Trail selfie of Aaron with snow in background. view from Cathedral Lake Trail. Fox spotted on the road.

    → 9:42 PM, May 26
  • From Aaron: My morning view.

    → 2:53 PM, May 26
  • Colorado Contingency

    From Aaron: This week, I was supposed to be running the trails in the Texas State Park of Palo Duro Canyon. But they got a year’s worth of rain in one week. The park flooded. Bridges washed out. Trails closed indefinitely.

    Plan B: Colorado. I’m in the Aspen/Basalt/Carbondale area at a friend’s house, elevation 6,950 ft. Gorgeous view of Mt. Sopris. Deer greeting me in the morning. And access to piles of incredible trails. Plan B is way better than Plan A. This bodes well for the upcoming European travels, where flexibility will be the name of the game. 🏃🏽‍♂️🏔🦌

    Runs so far: Upper Cattle Creek/Basalt Mountain Trail (16.7 mi, elevation gain 1,496 ft.) Arbaney-Kittle Trail (6.7 mi, elevation gain 1,972 ft.).

    Aspens on the Basalt Mountain Trail.View from Arbaney-Kittle Trail.

    → 2:43 PM, May 26
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