New Year

It's been a month since our last entry - whoops! We plan to update every two weeks at the moment until we start to get more exciting things going again. However, we have just got back from a great trip to the UK and Italy over the Christmas holidays, and spent last night doing our yearly ritual to welcome in the New Year. And we're loving our new home. How easy travel was this time.

Our UK time was relaxed and quiet, uneventful apart from lots of crazy weather. We were very fortunate to miss the travel disruptions in and out of the UK with the snow and ice. We had three nights in Italy, and made the most of our time - two nights in Florence and one in Pisa. Highlights included seeing Michelangelo's David in the flesh (stone)(in a near empty gallery), visiting the Uffizi gallery to see some truly famous works of art (such as Botecelli's Birth of Venus), walks around fabulous squares and buildings (in the snow!), and some truly memorable and wonderful food - wonderful Chiantis, tender and delicous pastas and hot chocolates that you could stand a spoon up in! We also got to climb up to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and explore the Field of Miracles - full of marble buidings from the 11th century on. We managed to travel around fairly succefully on Italian trains and buses despite severe disruptions with strikes, broken ticket machines, long lines of passengers and snow cancellations. Good (if cold) times. Hopefully some photos to follow soon.

Now we're back in the USA and preparing for this next year, and all we hope for. In the next few months, we anticipate a trip to California and a visit stateside from Andy's mum and dad, while Evan finishes up his degree by the summer and we stockpile some cash. It's also getting time to organize ourselves for one of our bigger plans this year - which looks like we'll be spending a chunk of time in Vietnam. And travel this year ..... China looms!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!
.......
"What are you waiting for?" (Lope De Vega