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Sleima, then Ferry to Valletta

1/31/2016

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The forecast for this Thursday is partly sunny so it's a good day to visit the harbor.  We catch the bus for Sleima Ferries.  It's a 45 minute ride, much of it along the seafront and very pretty.

After St. Julian's Bay we arrive in Sleima.  We pass by the first Sleima harbor and continue on another three stops until we arrive at the harbor used for the ferries and harbor tour boats.  As we stroll along the harbor every 30 feet there is another outfit selling tickets for their sight-seeing cruises or one of the three Hop-On Hop-Off Bus operators.  Everyone is polite when we nicely decline their service.  In the middle of this group is the Valletta Ferry Service.  We check the timings and learn that the ferry to Valletta runs every 30 minutes, so it will be easy for us to explore Sleima for a bit before going to Valletta.

We stop for coffee's and a snack at Tony's Bar across from the harbor.  After all, it is almost noon!  It's a nice mix of locals, expats and tourists in the small bar/restaurant. We sit next to a nicely dressed woman in her early 70's.  Her shopping bags show that she's made two or three stops this morning.  She sips a glass of white wine and watches the crowd in the bar, smiling occasionally to herself.  Once she's finished the glass she hands the waiter €2 (which includes a 25¢ tip).  He thanks her and says he'll see her next week.  Apparently they have a ritual.
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We walk a few blocks inland checking out the store windows as we go.  After a few blocks we see a church up the hill on one of the side streets.  We decide to check it out and come across the parish church Stella Maris.  It isn't open, but we enjoy the architecture and the neighborhood, which includes some interesting abandoned buildings and a street mural which catches our eyes.
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We stroll back to the Ferry and pay the  €1.50 each for our one-way tickets.  The ferry boat arrives and we are soon on our way for the 20 minute ride across the harbor.  There are great views of the harbor, Maneol Island and Fort Maneol.  As we draw closer to we are treated to a wonderful perspective of two of Valletta's churches and also the massive walls of Valletta.
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After disembarking we have two options to reach the city center 1) walk 20 minutes uphill or 2) pay the shuttle driver €1.  We pay the man and arrive in the city center four minutes later.

We explore further into Valletta, strolling through the side streets and the plazas.  We stop by the Carmelite Church, whose massive dome looks majestic, but it not open. Across the street is St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral.  It is open and welcoming visitors.  It is interesting to see the memorial to the merchant marines and to compare the pews to those we have seen in the Catholic churches.
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I take a few minutes and walk around to the terrace behind St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral where I'm able to capture a nice panoramic photo of Manoel Island and Sleima.

With all that walking it's time for a late lunch.  We find ourselves near Streat Whisky Bar, so we decide to stop in for a bite and a wee nip.

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Mdina, the Silent City

1/22/2016

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The winds have died down a bit and it's supposed to be partially sunny - seems like a day to go exploring.  Mdina is our target on this Tuesday and depending upon our mood when we get there we will either check out the nearby catacombs or the city or maybe both.

Mdina is a walled city which sits in the middle of the island of Malta.  Google tells us to catch the #48 bus, take it three stops then transfer to the #186.  Luckily the #186 arrives four minutes after we get off the #186.  Unluckily the #186 is packed and we end up standing for the 35 minute ride.
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When we arrive we decide to first explore the city of Mdina and save the catacombs for later. There's a line of horse carriages outside the main gate with cabbies offering rides within the city.  We decide to hoof it ourselves, but are delighted when we see a bride (in full wedding dress) and groom taking a carriage ride - fun!

I am curious as to why Mdina is called the Silent City.  I envision some historical or romantic event or events that lead to the name.  I'm more than disappointed when I am told that the name of Silent City is attributed to the very limited number of automobiles that are allowed in the city walls.

The city is less than a square mile, so it is easy to explore.  In the summer it is packed with tourists but today I would be surprised if there are 250 tourists within the walls.  Only half of the gift shops and restaurants are open, which is just fine with us.  It allows us to more easily take photographs of the narrow streets and interesting buildings.
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Mdina's St. Paul's Cathedral is of primary interest.  It was built in the late 1600's in a baroque style.  A highlight is the octagonal dome.  I am also intrigued by the colorful detailed  gravestones on the walls and floor. 
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A block away is the Carmelite Priory.  The church was completed in 1675, and is also in a baroque style.  This beautifully restored dome is an ellipse.
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We wander through the city then decide it's time for lunch.  We pop into Trattoria 1530 which is in the 5 Star Xara Palace Boutique hotel.  The display of old woodworking tools on the wall makes for a unique decor.  The service is impeccable and we enjoy nice meals finishing with coffee's.  It's a little more expensive, but worth the price.
The coffee is not enough to perk us up enough to tackle the catacombs this afternoon.  We catch the #186 bus headed back to St. Paul's Bay.  On the return trip we are able to get seats on the bus.  Yeah!
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Mosta

1/22/2016

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The rains have diminished although we still have winds at 20-22mph.  We decide today (Monday) is a perfect day to use our bus pass and visit Mosta.  The 30 minute bus trip conveniently drops us right in front of the Church of Assumption of our Lady, commonly known at the Rotunda.  The exterior is adorned with a number of statues of Saints.
There's no doubt, the dome is the very distinctive feature.  Depending upon the source it is reported to be either the third or fourth largest dome in Europe.  The church was designed by a local Mosta architect and is modeled after Rome's Pantheon.  It was completed in 1871.
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We take our time walking through the church stopping by alters and the various gravestones then sit a while to enjoy the dome.  I wind my way back to the Sacristy and it is here that a find a replica of the 200kg Luftwaffe bomb which pierced the dome on April 9, 1942 but did not explode.
The Rotunda is an interesting church and a good short trip from St. Paul’s Bay.
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Malta's Version of a Nor'easter

1/22/2016

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A storm blows into Malta for the weekend and will be here until early next week.  The daytime temperatures are forecasted to be only 13-15C (55-59F) with nightly lows of 9C (48F).  That in itself isn't so bad, but the wind is out of the northeast at 27-30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph and a 60-80% chance of rain.  Aside from the temperature, it feels a little like Mary and George's wedding and hurricane Joaquin.

We wake Saturday morning to find that all the beautiful sliding glass doors and windows in our flat have a drawback - it's chilly and there's a decent breeze blowing through the living space.  William starts up the gas space heater and the room warms up....a little.

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We decide that we will be staying in much of the weekend.  This gives us some time to work on photo's and the blog and to do some reading.  By mid-day Saturday the waves are crashing strongly against the jetty outside our flat.  However the rain has let up for a bit.  We take the opportunity to go out for lunch, walking the 10-15 minutes to Buggiba Square and it's assortment of restaurants.  Understandably none of the outside tables are occupied.  Victoria Restaurant is our chosen spot partially because they have heaters placed throughout their enclosed tented area. 
The assortment of pizza's catch our eye.  William orders a Meat Eaters while I choose Parma and Arugula.  The pizza's are amazing.  William's is like nothing he has had before.  It contains mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, steak and ribs with an egg in the middle.  Mine is also wonderful with fresh parma ham, mozzarella, arugula and lots of freshly shaved parmesan.  We return home pushing against the wind with boxes of leftover pizza and just before the next blast of rain.
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The strong winds and occasional rains continue through the night and into Sunday.  Sunday morning I try to access the NFL network on my iPad and laptop for a replay of the Green Bay - Arizona game, but am disappointed to find out that ComCast is not supported.  I scan through the stations on the TV but Fox Sports seems to be showing sports that Europeans are interested in - soccer followed by downhill skiing.  Drat!  I watch the highlights of the Green Bay game and see the score on NFL.com. 😩  A few hours later I re-check Fox Sports and there are replays of the Saturday NFL games.  Yeah!  I cheer for Green Bay, but amazingly the outcome is the same as what NFL.com has published.  😠  Sunday evening we watch the Panther-Seahawks game live on Fox Sports.
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Valletta, the Capital of Malta

1/18/2016

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After departing the bus it is an easy walk to Republic Street, the main avenue through Valletta.  We meander off to the right and encounter Plaza de Jean Valette.  He was the Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, also known as Knights Hospitaller who defeated the siege of the Ottoman's in 1565.  Needless to say, the city is named after him.
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Nearby is Our Lady of Victories Chapel, the first building to be constructed in the new city of Valletta back in the 1560's.  The beautiful paintings on the ceiling vault are by Alessio Erardi and have been recently restored.

We stop in the National Museum of Archeology, a small museum on two floors which covers Malta's Neolithic Period (5200 BC) until the early Phoenician period (6th Century BC), including the Bronze Age.  In the Neolithic section we see some fairly detailed stone carvings of humans (especially considering it is 5,000 years before Christ) including a small sculpture of a sleeping lady.  An interesting piece from the the Bronze Age is a dagger with a carved bone handle.  A sarcophagus is the highlight of the Phoenician section.
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We try to visit the Church of St. Paul Shipwreck, but are told that it is closed until 3 pm.  If we return to Valletta we will try again.  However, St. John's Co-Cathedral is open.  After paying our €10 per person admission to the church and museum we are delighted by what we see. The Cathedral was built between 1573 and 1578 by the Knights Hospitaller in Baroque architecture with an interior is by Mattia Preti who studied the style of Caravaggio.  Preti is responsible for the vaulted ceiling paintings and the stone-carved walls made up of Maltese crosses, coats of arms, gilded flowers and other insignia and symbols. He also painted several of the altar pieces.  We enter the Oratory (where unfortunately we cannot take any photo's) and are amazed by the enormous paintings by Caravaggio - 'St. John the Baptist' and 'St. Jerome.'
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We stop for lunch at a cafe in the square outside the National Library of Malta.  It is here where I try Pastizza - a national pastry.  They are a variation of filo dough or puff pasty filled with ricotta or mushy peas.  Needless to say, I choose ricotta.  This savory pastry is tasty, not sweet, and quite filling.  One is not enough for a meal, but it is a heavy appetizer.  We round out the meal with hamburgers and glasses of a local wine and beer.

After lunch we walk by the National Palace then search for the National Museum of Fine Arts.  We find it on a side street after walking uphill what feels like forever.  We later understand that there was a much better route.
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The Malta National Museum of Fine Arts is in a palace which served as an early residence for the Knights.  The art collection is modest, but includes some noteworthy pieces from Mattia Preti (such as the 'Baptism of Christ') as well as Turner's 'View of the Harbor.'  We are also fond of the statue Rhytmii Vitae (Rhythm of Life).


Although there is much more to see of Valletta we are tired and decide to return to our flat.  Perhaps we will return for some more explorations on another day.
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Malta Transportation

1/18/2016

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I do some research online and learn that a one-way bus fare on Malta is €1.50.  There's a fare card that allows unlimited daytime transportation for 7 days which costs €21 per person; that sounds like the way to go....until we meet a vendor on the street.  He tells us that it isn't advertised, but there is a 12- ride fare card which does not have a time limit and the two of us can use one card.  So, we purchased a 12 ride ticket when we walked by the local bus station.

Today (Friday) the weather forecast is favorable, sunny with a high of 27C (62F).  There's no time like the present to try out our new pass and our primary source of transportation while on Malta, the public busses.  Valletta is our target.  Google maps tells us to catch the #42 bus at a bus stop a 10 minute walk from our flat and it will take 1 hour 5 minutes with 40 potential stops until we reach Valletta.  We wait at the stop perhaps 5 minutes until the bus arrives.  As we board a wave of heat and smell of body odor hits me.  Although it is 60F outside, sunny and the bus is more than half full, the heat is on and it is blasting.  Oh, I forget - when you are used to temperatures of 28-30C (83-90F) eight months of the year this is cold!  Some of the citizens are even dressed in puffy jackets.

The temperature on the bus moderates a bit as people come and go.  The ride takes us through Mosta and some smaller towns before we arrive at the Valletta bus station - right inside the gate to the city and the main tourist area.

Our return travel is rather simple once we figure out where to find our bus in the large Valletta bus station.  The heat is still pouring out of the baseboards, but there are no strong odors on this bus.
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Overall the experience was fine for us as travelers.  It was a good value, especially considering at this point we do not have a job to run to or young family demanding our time.  We will be using the busses for more of our explorations!
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Overview of Malta on the Hop On Hop Off Bus

1/18/2016

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We like to use the Hop-On Hop-Off busses to give us an overview of the area we are visiting.  So on this partially sunny 15C (60 F) degree Wednesday we catch the 9 am bus along the waterfront two blocks from our flat.  We are the only people on the upper deck - a lone woman down below is the only other passenger.

The first part of the ride takes us mostly along the northern coast waterfront through the towns of Bugibba and Qawra, then on to St. Julian's and Sliema.  The small harbors in St. Julian's and Sliema are very picturesque.  We pick up another 10-12 passengers along the way.

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From Sliema the bus takes us into Valletta, the capital of Malta and home of the main shipping and cruise ship port.  This is the Malta we remember from our cruise over 10 years ago.  The audio explains that Valletta is the smallest capital in the EU.  The city became the capital of Malta after 1565 when Valette, Grandmaster of the Knights Hospitaller, defeated the Ottomans.  It was also after that battle when they began improving the fortifications especially near the port.  There are huge walls built of the white sandstone from the Island.

We definitely will return to Valletta for a day (or maybe two) to explore.
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The bus turns south and more inland for 30 minutes then swings toward the fishing village of Marsaxlokk on the eastern side of the island.  This village has a very active harbor lined by outdoor restaurants  and a small shopping area.  Sunday's are known for a larger market - perhaps we'll try it out.
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We travel south to the area near the Blue Grotto.  I had thought of hopping off here to see if we could catch one of the boats to take us into the Grotto, but it is clear that the sea is too rough for a boat trip today.  We will have to return on a calmer day if we want to see the Blue Grotto of Malta.

The taped recording uses some of the time to explain that both English and Maltese are taught in the primary and secondary schools.  College courses are taught in English.  We've noticed that the population easily slips between the two languages.  There is also a great deal of Italian spoken.  I thought this makes sense with Sicily so close, but the taped recording also explains that as late as the 1930's legal documents and official proceedings were conducted in Italian.  It was with the political situation in Italy before WW2 that Italian was eliminated as an official language.

Our trip north through the center of the island is very chilly - the temperature is still around 15C but the sun is now behind the clouds, there's high winds and the bus going 80-100 kilometers an hour!    We wiz past the Hagar Quim and Mnajdra, ancient archeological sites.  The driver would stop, but no one is waiting to board and the six brave souls remaining on the upper level have no plans to get off for now.  The scenery is of small farming areas cultivated with irrigation or arid soils.

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The old capital city of Mdina begins to appear, towering above the fields.  The bus winds through roads that have vineyards on both sides and we arrive in Mdina 30 minutes after leaving the Blue Grotto.  Some of the passengers depart the bus and we pick up a few new people.  This looks very interesting, but is probably another day trip to see they key points.  We'll return another day.

The bus takes us past the Ta-Quali Crafts Village then into Mosta.  The Mosta Church has a huge rotunda.  It's reported that a bomb fell through the roof during a mass in 1942 but did not explode.

From Mosta the bus continues north toward St. Paul's Bay where we initially boarded and and the city of Bugibba.  We depart after four hours on the bus cold and windburned, but with a much better appreciation for the island and the country. 


This evening we are sitting within the flat discussing the day and the flat begins to shake.  We look at each other and both say "earthquake?"  It only lasts a few seconds, but sure enough the news reports that on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 6 pm there is a 4.4 earthquake  40 km north of here in the sea between Malta and Sicily.

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Our Flat - Sea Cliff #4 - The Aqua

1/18/2016

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We have rented the Aqua Apartment in St. Paul's Bay, Malta from Paul and Josanne. Prior to finalizing the arrangements Paul let us know that another party confirmed their reservation and would not depart the Aqua until two days after our arrival in Malta.  If we were willing, they would put us in another comparable or better property for the first two nights.  No issue, we still booked the Aqua.

Paul picked us up from the airport and on a sunny Saturday drove us to an apartment of one of his associates located on St. Paul's Bay approximately 2km from the Aqua.  The apartment is comfortable and the view is marvelous.

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Monday morning at 11 am Paul transports us to Sea Cliff #4, which he and Josanne have named "The Aqua."  The elevator requires a key as we are the penthouse apartment and the elevator doors open directly into the first floor of the flat. What fun!

There's a living space, dinette, kitchen, toilet with shower, and a bedroom on the first floor.  The living space has sliding glass doors onto a balcony and directly overlooks St. Paul's Bay and St. Paul's Island.

The second floor is accessed via a circular stairway.  It has a second bedroom, toilet with shower and living space with couches and a single bed.  The sliding glass doors lead to a nice sized terrace with an outdoor table, lounge chairs and a grill.

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We will be very comfortable here.

Paul shows us the basics of the apartment and how to operate the gas heater and hot water tanks.  We discuss where to find groceries, restaurants and transportation.  It doesn't take long until William and I are unpacked and settled in.

As with every flat/apartment we have rented there are some interesting quirks we learn in the first few days.  The first morning we realize that the shower is smaller than the one we had on our last cruise.  That's not entirely a problem, but there is absolutely no place other than the shower floor to place soap and shampoo.  When leaning down it is too easy to bump the handle and end up with scalding or freezing water. 

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We walk to the local housewares store in search of a shower caddy.  The only one they have will not work in our shower.  We buy a kitchen dish soap caddy with suction cups and hope it will at least hold the bar of soap.  Oy!  It will not stick to the wall.  Using a plastic hanger, dental floss and duct tape I come up with a design, and we try it out.  As is typical a few days later William has applied his engineering skills and has come up with an improved version.

The other quirk is the oven.  Apparently the cleaning staff has been so diligent that the paint on the settings have been wiped away.  Upon close examination at the right angle in the right light  I am able to see the under layer for the settings.  Of the eight options I have been able to reconstruct three settings 1) normal - I.e upper and lower heart elements with no fan, 2) upper heat element with fan, and 3) upper and lower heat elements with fan.  The 100, 150 and 175 (C) temperature settings are still visible.  God only knows what it is , but the middle of 5 buttons above the door handle is more worn.  This enough to get me by.  I set the temperature to 175 and the option to upper and lower heat with fan.  Nothing happens.  Hmm.. I touch the more worn middle button and this gas oven begins to preheat, beeping approximately 15 minutes later.  Victory!
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To Malta via Istanbul

1/16/2016

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The next month or so we will be in Malta. 

Our flight to Malta is on Turkish Airlines.  We take off from O'Hare's International Terminal on time and are delighted that no one is booked in the middle seat between us.  Yeah - more room for us!  After we reach altitude the flight attendants come through offering small pieces of  lokum (Turkish Delight) and providing a menu card for the evening meal.  This is already a definite step up in service from the US carriers for those of us in the economy seats.  The flight attendants are pleasant and smiling as they serve the drinks and meals.  I settle in to enjoy some wine and the meal along with the first of a couple of movies I'll watch on our 9+ hour flight. 

We arrive in Istanbul dead tired a little before 3:00 pm local time.  We have a 17 hour layover so we have booked the Marriott Courtyard hotel near the airport.  By 4:00 pm we have cleared customs, caught the shuttle and are snuggling into bed for a nap before dinner.  The alarm goes off at 5:30 pm.  Ouch!  It's hard, but we drag ourselves out of bed. This evening's dinner is at the hotel restaurant.  It's nothing remarkable, but it is tasty and extremely convenient.

5:15 am Saturday the alarm goes off.  We take hot showers, check out, and catch the 6:30 am shuttle to Istanbul airport. There are no offers of lokum this morning, but they do manage to serve breakfast accompanied with fresh warm breads during the 2 1/2 hour flight.

The queue for passport control is a little longer in Malta, but not outrageous.  After we claim our bags we walk out the doors and find the driver who will take us to our accommodations.  A nice surprise is that Paul, the owner of the flat we are renting, has personally come to pick us up.  He greets us warmly, giving us a tour as he drives us to St. Paul's Bay, the area we will be staying in for the next month or so.
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Holidays in the US

1/16/2016

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Our timing is perfect - a few days after our arrival in the US it is Thanksgiving.  We join with 17 family and friends in a huge spread of food.  Everyone brings side dishes.  Our assignment is mashed potatoes and to bring wine.  We ensure that there is plenty of both.  William is called upon to carve the turkey prepare by his sister.  Papa leads us in prayer before the meal.  It is a fun-filled afternoon and early evening filled with loud talking and laughter.
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Over the next two weeks there are several days of family food preparations for the Christmas holiday.  We start with making cannoli shells.  This event is held at William's parents home.  The following weekend we host the traditional ravioli-making day at our home.  We have a total of 13 family and friends all pitch in to make 26 dozen ravioli - approximately half cheese and half meat.  The ravioli are placed two dozen in a bag and frozen for Christmas and other future meals.  During the next week William's sisters and mother hold two days of cookie baking.  Hundreds and hundreds are produced to give away to friends and for the family to enjoy.

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Our son Jim and daughter-in-law Sally moved to Colorado in September.  Christmas is a perfect opportunity to visit with them and see their new home.  We find ourselves gathered around their kitchen breakfast bar preparing food and/or talking and laughing during much of the visit.  On other occasions we are taking in the beauty of the natural area around Manitou Springs including Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods.  It is hard to say goodbye, but we must get back before New Year's Eve.
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With another snow storm hitting Chicago our flight is cancelled and then amazingly reinstated.  When we board the plane at 7:30 pm for the flight which was supposed to take off at 2:30 pm the gate crew announces that they are only accepting passengers whose final destination is Chicago.  All connecting flights have been cancelled.  All hotel rooms anywhere near the airport are booked.  O'Hare airport is also running out of food.  We are happy to be on the flight as the next potential flight for us is over 36 hours away.  This is one occasion where I join the people who clap after we land.

Our niece Shelly and her fiancé Phil have planned a New Years Eve wedding in Wisconsin.  We arrive the evening before to have dinner with family and to get this party started.  It is wonderful to spend time my parents who have flown in from Arizona as well as other family members who have literally arrived from the east coast, west coast and many places in between.  The wedding and our room is at the Pfister, a beautiful old hotel in Downtown Milwaukee.  Shelly is a beautiful bride and Phil a handsome groom.  The ceremony is even more special as my sister-in-law (Shelly's mom) is a minister and performs the wedding ceremony.  Everything is first class.
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    Hi.  I'm Anne.  I wander around the world with William.


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