Michael,

Sorry this is so long in coming. Here is a smattering of the 700 pictures of Hannah & Willie’s travels in Italy. They are in no particular order and she has not had time to comment on them. We need to find the time to sift through them and put them into recognizable albums to share, but I pulled my favorites. They visited Milan, Positano, Rome, Florence and Venice. She loved it so much that she has decided to attend Franklin College in Lugano Switzerland. Please share with the blog.

Jen

The pier detective Adam deduced. Not pictured – the gate with the no trespassing sign.

Last night’s Salsa class.

****************

Both Matthew and Diane are casino dabblers. Diane’s up or down, I don’t remember which, less than a dollar. Matt, federally funded by his dad, left the poker machines, our first night here, after four hours with only a small dent in his holdings. Impressive, I thought, because he’d more than made up for his minimal losses in free beers, of which he can consume quite a few without having to play from the floor. Last night that changed. Not his beer consumption or his vertical position, but his luck.

A rather big fellow informed him of a poker table where the dealers appeared clueless as to the odds, and to bolster Matt’s table confidence, he gave him pertinent pointers. At the end of his evening, thankful Matt peeled off a twenty go give to his friendly compatriot. How do I know all this, the morning after, with Matt and Diane still asleep? Matt woke his mom at 3 AM to display his three one hundred dollar bills.

The pier detective Adam deduced. Not pictured – the gate with the no trespassing sign.

Last night’s Salsa class.

****************

Both Matthew and Diane are casino dabblers. Diane’s up or down, I don’t remember which, less than a dollar. Matt, federally funded by his dad, left the poker machines, our first night here, after four hours with only a small dent in his holdings. Impressive, I thought, because he’d more than made up for his minimal losses in free beers, of which he can consume quite a few without having to play from the floor. Last night that changed. Not his beer consumption or his vertical position, but his luck.

A rather big fellow informed him of a poker table where the dealers appeared clueless as to the odds, and to bolster Matt’s table confidence, he gave him pertinent pointers. At the end of his evening, thankful Matt peeled off a twenty go give to his friendly compatriot. How do I know all this, the morning after, with Matt and Diane still asleep? Matt woke his mom at 3 AM to display his three one hundred dollar bills.

You know your life’s hard when the major event of the day is waiting for the sun to set. As you can see, lot’s of promise tonight as the sun neared the water, but  then the big guy walked out of the water and warned me that lately the sun’s been obscured by low riding clouds.  Sure enough, it disappeared shortly after this shot.

Our beach and our hotel.

Dear Adam,

Doesn’t the word peripatetic come from Aristotle’s practice of teaching and walking? Not driving and teaching? Peter and I walked up and down the beach and I walk to the bar for Diane’s alcoholess frozen umbrella drinks, but that’s about the extent of my wanderings, with the exception of last night’s drive across the island to a highly recommended fish restaurant with tables on the beach. There wasn’t much to photograph because it was dark and the darn place was closed.

The young me loved renting cars which would enable the exploring of every nook and cranny, but the old me chafes behind the wheel. That doesn’t mean we won’t get back in our car and find new sights – after all, last night’s sojourn discovered Iron Man’s playing times at a not-too-local theatre.

I know what you’re thinking. Who is this guy? But, you know of late we haven’t been as active on our Maine camping trips, and this place is not unlike having a tent facing a pristine body of water. The difference is my waiters smile when they bring me my smallest heart’s desire.

Your beach bum in training,

Michael

 

Dear pesky godson,

Yes, I did follow your suggestion and I slipped into the water after midnight.  Comparing it to all those Vineyard dips :

Like the Vineyard, I was alone in the water. Unlike the Vineyard,  I didn’t have to worry about tripping on a skunk, and that was a relief. However, the sky’s not as dark because of the nearby buildings and the water’s way too warm so that feeling of remove is all but gone. I was treated to a brilliant half crescent moon, but I confess, I much prefer the Vineyard’s chilly waters.

This place is paradise for me because the photo-ops are unlimited. I get my saturated, vibrant colors and uncluttered backgrounds, and, sometimes, willing subjects.

In this photo, I wanted her and I wanted the boat in the background. She faced me as I knelt down low to the water, but she must have moved as I snapped away.

.

I saw the man in red in the distance and we may not have been part of his circuit,  but he was coming our way.

“What are you selling?” I shouted.

“Aloe from Aruba, pure Aruban Aloe?”

“Can I drink it?”

“Sure you can, it cures bronchitis, and sunburn and skin rashes and … .”

“How much?”

“Ten dollars a bottle, two for fifteen.”

“How about eight for one and I get to take you picture?”

“It’s a deal.”

You can’t tell from the photo but this guy has Arm and Hammer arms.

“I see where you are when you’re not selling aloe. You’re in the gym.”

“Two hours a day.”

* I could have said five bucks; I could have simply taken his photo. That wasn’t the point.

I saw the man in red in the distance and we may not have been part of his circuit,  but he was coming our way.

“What are you selling?” I shouted.

“Aloe from Aruba, pure Aruban Aloe?”

“Can I drink it?”

“Sure you can, it cures bronchitis, and sunburn and skin rashes and … .”

“How much?”

“Ten dollars a bottle, two for fifteen.”

“How about eight for one and I get to take you picture?”

“It’s a deal.”

You can’t tell from the photo but this guy has Arm and Hammer arms.

“I see where you are when you’re not selling aloe. You’re in the gym.”

“Two hours a day.”

* I could have said five bucks; I could have simply taken his photo. That wasn’t the point.

Last night’s dinner view.

We were all up just after 4 AM this morning, stumbling past one another, as Susan prepared to drive back to Minnesota, while Diane, Peter, Matthew and I hurried to stuff our car to get to generous Dan’s house so he could taxi us to Logan. We flew out on time and arrived in Aruba at about 11:30. Peter, who’d made his own travel plans much later than we did, landed an hour later.

************

On the plane – almost there.

Diane: What’s the weather in Aruba?

Matt: The pilot said 90 and overcast.

Me: It’s never overcast in Aruba.

Matt: I don’t care about never, the pilot said overcast.”

Me: He said some clouds.

Matt: I can hear, you can’t, he said overcast.

Me: Just wait until we land.

Matt: I don’t care what’s there, Mom asked me what the pilot said, and he said overcast.

Me: We’ll see.

Matt: No we won’t see. It’s not about seeing. It’s about what the pilot said. I can’t have another one of these arguments about facts.

We landed and it was partly cloudy. I know, that wasn’t the point.

************

The irritating thing about this island which is full of friendly people, all of whom are more laid back that we northerners, is the cost of food and drink. A beer is six bucks. Last night we paid more, according to me.

Me: Matt, how much beer is in your glass?

Matt: Twelve ounces.

Me: That’s not twelve ounces.

Matt: Don’t do this. I saw him pour my glass from the bottle, as did mom, and he emptied the bottle.

Me: That is not twelve ounces.

Matt: Mom, stop him. Did the waiter empty the bottle into my glass?

Mom: He did. I saw it.

Me: Matt, you know what twelve ounces is, you drink beer from cans. How much is in that glass?

Matt: Twelve ounces

Me: The bottle has a false bottom or something because that’s eight ounces, no more.

Matt: I can’t have another argument about facts. We can argue about writers but not fact.

I stopped by the bar on the way out and discovered the bottles they use, though shaped the same, hold only eight ounces. This isn’t about who’s right, it’s about paying six bucks for an eight ounce beer.

Hi KT,

We finally got out of the US on BA. (23 h of travelling yesterday!) We’re writing frim Vernazza, having taken the wong boat (but that’s all right it was cheaper) We got in a line at the harbor, thinking we were going to RioMaggiore. All these 5’Terre towns look alike’ — beautiful!

Today we got up at 10 am, having arrived at 1:30 am, and waking the proprietor. We were woken by chickens clucking from the vertical farm outside our window. Mom says it’s paradise! Lemons, roses, geraniums, nasturtiums and other flowers are every where.

Today we’ll take the 5Terre train and walk. It’s sunny and warm, getting lots of pictures, and will try to send some.

Love Dad & Mom

(Note from blogmeister: When Ed sends me email signed rakkkity, I know that’s code for post it on the blog. But when he copies me on emails he sends to his children, I’m not so sure. That unease, as you can see, does not stop the starving-for-material meister from posting.)

We were all up just after 4 AM yesterday morning, stumbling past one another, as Susan prepared to drive back to Minnesota, while Diane, Peter, Matthew and I hurried to stuff our car to get to generous Dan’s house so he could taxi us to Logan. We flew out on time and arrived in Aruba at about 11:30. Peter, who’d made his own travel plans much later than we did, landed an hour later.