ITALY

*I apologize in advance for the length of this post...hopefully the pictures will make it worth your while!

ROME

We flew into Rome on Saturday evening. Upon arriving, the baggage workers decided to go on an hour long strike. So typical. We finally got our bags and made our way to our B&B. Once we were settled, we decided to walk around Rome to get our bearings, and then found a pizza place for dinner. It was great, and so was the gelato :)




The next morning we attacked the Forum and the Coliseum, the Pantheon, and also the Spanish steps. They were all incredible, especially for myself because I hadn't seen any of them before. Apparently we missed Justin Timberlake by three days...I'm still sad about that. Can you imagine me running into him (those of you that know me know my affection for JT)? Ha! I digress...The weather was fantastic, so that helped as well. I think my favorite was the Forum. I have no idea how they were able to build such amazing things 2000 years ago. It still baffles me!





Monday morning we headed to the Vatican City. We rolled over and paid for a tour (still not sure if it was completely worth it...but it was informative). We toured the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peters Basilica and we even walked the 400+ steps to view all of Rome from St. Peter's Dome. It was a gorgeous view, completely worth it! Vatican City was truly incredible. The amount of money in that small little city is mind blowing. I took quite a few pictures of all of our adventures in the Vatican...you'll have to check them out here.








FICULLE/MONTEPULCIANO

We rented a car in Rome on Tuesday drove to Ficulle, a town in Umbria near Tuscany. Our friend Ava has a really nice home in this small village, and she was kind enough to let us stay there for a few days. The house had incredible views of the wine country...we spent quite a few nights watching the sun set and fixing homemade Italian food while we were there.




On Wednesday we drove 20 minutes to Montepulciano. This particular "mountain" is really famous for it's wines. We were able to go to a few wine tastings and visit wineries. It was really nice, and the wines were definitely great! We loved the small village feel of this city...but there were a lot of American/English tourists there as well. Can't really escape it in Italy.

While we stayed in Ficulle, we were in close driving distance to a few cool locations:

PISA

On Thursday, we headed to Pisa. This trip was rather comical. It took a little over two hours to get there, and we stayed less than 30 minutes. The leaning tower and duomo are the ONLY things to see in this town. However, I'm glad we went! It's one of those "must-see's" that I can cross off my list.




FLORENCE



After leaving Pisa, we headed an hour to Florence. I have to say this was probably my favorite city. There was a rich Italian culture, it wasn't very crowded (major points), we didn't have to wait hours to see the David, we could tour the Duomo with having to pay, we had a nice dinner with little interruptions, we shopped...it was really nice. The weather was perfect, so we took some great pictures here. I would love to go back and visit Florence for a longer period of time. There were quite a few tourists, but more students doing semesters there, so the University feel was present. I liked the younger crowd. It was refreshing!







VENICE
On Friday, we left Ficulle, drove back to Florence and caught a train to Venice. We arrived in the early evening, so we had time to get settled in our B&B and still have time to tour the city before the sunset. I was so shocked at this city. I think everyone has their preconceived notions about how it will be...and it was really nothing like what I had pictured. It's VERY quaint, the streets are so small and narrow, the water comes right up to the doors of homes, everyone buys into the gondola gimmick :), etc. I loved Venice, I just don't think I could stay there for an extended amount of time. It was too small for me...I felt a little claustrophobic to me.




However, I have some amazing pictures from these "small streets." They were very picturesque. We were able to get some sunset pictures from the Rialto Bridge, cruise around the city on the water bus (the cheap man's gondola ride, ha) and even let Gracie chase some pigeons in St. Mark's square (until we were reprimanded by a cop). We avoided the expensive restaurants like below:

(click picture and read text at the bottom...unreal)

...but we had some romantic meals and strolls along the water while we were there! It's really incredible, the whole idea of Venice...we watched an Ambulance retrieve someone from a house in a boat, the milkmen delivering their milk every morning by boat, a bride and her parents taking a water taxi to the courthouse...it's an interesting way to live. You have to see it once! If you aren't heading there anytime soon, you can live vicariously here.

MILAN

Saturday afternoon we caught a train to Milan. We got settled in our hotel and then made our way to the center of town. We weren't able to tour the duomo here because we both had shorts on (we weren't really thinking about that one), but we did walk the major shopping streets (and drooled at most windows) and had a nice 'final' dinner together. Milan was really nice, but if you aren't a shopper, don't bother! Actually, let me rephrase that. If you don't have the money to spend at designer stores, don't bother. It was nice for an overnight trip, and I was happy to have seen it.



Our flight left Milan Sunday afternoon, and we were back in Brussels and then home by 5:30pm. I had a little "post-vacation depression" this past week...especially having to work on Monday morning. We had a great time, though. And I'm so thankful we live so close to these amazing places that we can visit with relative ease. We're lucky!

The Champion, my dad!

I would like to take the time to say CONGRATULATIONS to my dad! The 2008 Mens Plus Club Champion at Willow Fork County Club! I'm so proud of him! I know this means a lot to him and he totally deserves it. Unfortunately, he won't be available for a press conference or autographs. SO, please leave your comments of congratulations. AND YES, he has earned a front row parking spot for an entire year, reserved ONLY for THE Champion. Well done, dad! We're proud of you!

White Trash

A few nights ago we realized our washer/dryer combo wasn't cutting it. In fact, we think it's completely broken. I haven't been the best housewife ever, either, because I've let the laundry kind of pile up. Well, tomorrow we are leaving for Italy...so something had to be done.




We hit up the laundro-mat, four trash bags in hand, and played cards while our clothes were being washed. It was actually kind of fun...if you don't count the fact that the lady kept talking to us in French and we couldn't understand a word she was saying...and that it cost about 20 euros to do three full loads.




Oh, and in response to THOUSANDS of questions concerning Gracie's passport: YES, it's official, NO she didn't have to include a picture (although I considered it), YES she has to have it on all flights/train adventures, and NO it's not like ours...though very similar! See pics above...

Beer Festival in Brussels

Last weekend our friends Kyle and Emily invited us to Brussels to partake in the Belgian Beer Festival. It was in the center of the Grand Place, and all of the major breweries were in attendance. We stood in line for quite a while for "tokens" and then Stephen went off with the guys to find "quirky" Belgian beers that we could try. The first few ones were nice...but there were some really nasty ones thrown in there as well. As the place got more and more crowded, the lines to get tokens got longer and longer. To make Jeremy and Lindsay proud, Stephen found a kink/weak spot in the line and slipped in...and we were able to enjoy a few more beers before the night ended. As we were walking out to get to our car, we passed a van giving free breath-a-lizers (with no policie I assure you).





Since I've never given one (and have always been curious while I'm drinking) I decided to stop and try it. I had only had 4 beers in about 4 or so hours. Stephen and Kyle had a few more than me. Here are our results. Please notice the legal driving limit. We learned later that if you move the decimal place over to the left one space you will have the TX legal limit. I was the lesser of the evils, so in Texas rules I was ok to drive. We'll leave it at that.* Plus, look at Gracie. She was hammered. Someone had to be responsible!! Afterwards we had Chinese food at Kyle and Emily's while watching College Football. It was nice. Stephen got his fix, I think.



*No, this is not a habit. Please, no lectures.

Sugar Flies 0 - Stephen 125,900

This summer we've had a problem with sugar flies being in and around our trash. It gets so warm, and without a/c our trash can is extremely warm. (I know, who notices the temperature in your trash can...but believe me, when you close the lid you can feel heat) The sugar flies have gotten ridiculous. They have literally taken over our kitchen...so we decided to clean the trash can, disinfect it, and pray they would leave. No such luck. So, I had an idea. And it worked. Stephen looks so "Ghostbusters" circa 1981!

Last few weeks in a few words...

The past few weeks have been a little out of control. Not only did I have two weeks of camp with children (I survived...needless to say) but work has been busy and we've had a beer festival, a few doctors/vet appointments, and a few long runs mixed in as well. Oh, and we had two GREAT visits with our cousins (on Stephen's side)...Sadie and Jolene. Sadie came a month or so ago, and Jolene came while I was at the camp. It was so nice to have each of them here...even though I wish I could have spent more time with both of them. I'll be able to see Jolene and the Holmes in August, but Stephen and I will have to plan a trip to Kauai (twist my arm) to see the Phillips again!




I would love to tell you that the long runs are going well...read above "a few doctors appointments" and it pretty much sums it up. My knee has been killing me, and giving out during long runs. We'll see how I fare, but the doctor isn't exactly optimistic for the marathon.



Gracie gave us a little scare after her shots to fulfill her passport. I had her in the car with my 15 minutes from the vet when she had an allergic reaction and went into anaphylactic shock. It was the most frightening evening. The vet wasn't sure she'd make it (and later told us it was the worse case she'd seen). Those that know me know how special Gracie is to us, so it was pretty emotional. The good news is she made it through the night and has made a full recovery...as well as having a full passport :)



The camp went well. The first week we had a younger crew (10-12 years old), and they were mostly amazing. The second week we had an older crew (14-17 years old), and they were a bit of a challenge. In the two weeks, I corrected the usage of most cuss words, intervened on a few "could have been a make out sesh" situations, assisted in taking a student to the doctor after he severely sprained a muscle in his neck, watched another teacher break her foot in three places on the trampoline (and even dared to say that it "didn't look that bad."), went horseback riding, played tug-of-war, rode ATV's in the mud, did a tree-top ropes course twice, shot a rifle (Stephen better watch out...I'm pretty good--see pic) and bow and arrows at a target...and even taught some English in there somewhere. It was a good time...and I got paid!





On the grounds there were 5 or 10 people that lived PERMANENTLY in American Civil War times...and clothes. Why the American Civil War in Belgium, couldn't tell you. They even have an Indian, who has an owl and another hawk'ish bird in captivity. Beyond strange. But great for people watching and picture taking. See pics!




Now Stephen and I are entering "holiday" season...we will be touring Italy for 10 days, then shortly after heading home together for some relaxation! We'll do our best to keep you in the loop! Until then...A Bientot!

I'm a Fan

of SARAH PALIN.

I was looking forward to Obama's speech last night and even contemplated staying up for it. After watching the speech this morning, I'm glad I didn't. I don't know if I had too high of expectations or what. I was just wanting someone (anyone, really) to inspire and challenge our country collectively. I guess I was hoping Obama would try to appeal to both sides and bridge the party differences and even possibly seal the deal for me. But, as I ate my bowl of Frosties (Frosted Flakes for you Americans) I felt nothing. In fact, his attacks and digs against Bush and Republicans actually frustrated me more than the level of sogginess of my Frosties after a 15 minute speech. Granted, McCain hasn't provided much inspiration either... UNTIL today. I never really gave it much thought so I'm not sure why I was excitedly shocked that McCain picked a woman as his running mate. It makes sense, but I figured he would follow the political safe road and pick a fellow Washington bureacrat, boy was I wrong.

Alright, so, let me give you the laundry list of qaulifications of why I'm a fan of Sarah Palin:

1. She's pretty HOT

And that's all I got...

Ok I'm joking. But you have to admit, she gives a really good first impression.

Needless to say, I'm still no closer to deciding how I'm going to vote... Most people that know me know I'm super conservative, but being in Europe has shown me that not everything is black or white (or in this case red or blue.) The order of "red or blue" in the previous sentence does not apply respectively to "black or white" so get over yourself if you took it that far. In fact, I avoid political conversations at all costs over here, mostly because only one side of the story is shown in the news. Events, situations, or stories are all portrayed with such subjective slants that it taints any objective conversation anyone can have with a Belgian. I don't fault the Belgians for having such disdain for certain aspects of American life, it's all they know. But I do fault the media for only putting out one very slanted side of the story. I'm not just saying this becuase it happens to be the liberal slant, I think I would feel the same way if was only the conservative slant shown. Rather than complain about the lack of objectivism or neutrality in the media, I think it would be more beneficial and possibly even more entertaining if the subjectivism continued but both sides were shown. It would be up to the individual to decide, with the truth being somewhere in the middle. Now, yes I know the possible repricussions that could occur if man were left to his own intellectual devices, and so did our founding fathers, because that is exactly why we have the electoral college. If too many people begin to think for themselves and begin to vote according to their principles and convictions rather than party affiliations or the "hotness" of a candidate, the "leaders" and "priviledged" of our country would be in danger of losing their jobs. Alright, I know that's a bit harsh, but I'm just fed up with politics and the "talk" of change. My cousin was just here last week and we spoke a little about politics and she did mention something that I think is worth repeating. She said "I'm a thinker, not a Republican or Democrat or even Independent." And I completely agree. My challenge to you and mainly myself, is to be a thinker. I don't care who you vote for, I only care if you can tell me why you voted for who you did or even what the key issues were for you in your decision. I'll even accept "Because she's hot." I think that's better than "Because she's Republican." We can even discuss the pros and cons of having an attractive person represent and lead our country. Case in point: recently elected mayor of London, Boris Johnson. (picture below)... Could he be a suitable leader of a country or even an important international city? Forget about his merits and credibility as a person, don't lose focus, judge only on appearance... haha jk. But seriously!

Ok, enough of my political rant. If you've made it this far, thank you for reading. If you don't agree with anything I said, then Katie made me say it. JK. But she did encourage me to make a special appearance on the blog so it's ultimately her fault if I've bored you to death.

Hope all is well and thank you to everyone that has supported us (especially with fun filled care packages). See you in October!

Stephen

M.I.A.

Well, I've signed up to teach an Immersion course for children at a "dude ranch" near Liege. I'll be in charge of 10 kids aged 9-12, and 4 aged 13-15. It should be pretty interesting. I'm very excited, though, I get to do all of the activities with them: horseback riding, zip-lining, archery, ATV's, Sumo-wrestling (those blow up things), etc.

I leave this afternoon, and won't arrive back home until Saturday afternoon...so all prayers are welcome :) I hope to post a little bit and add some pictures of my week then, but I'll be returning again next Sunday...so we'll see what shape I'm in!

Hope everyone is well...talk to you soon!

*Gracie at our friend Maite's stables meeting Magic and his friends.

Flower Carpet

Yesterday, we went to Brussels to see the Flower Carpet that is placed in the Grand Place. It was gorgeous. It only happens every two years, so we've been looking forward to seeing it for quite some time.




The pictures don't really do it justice, but try to imagine 700,000 flowers placed in cool designs...it was awesome. Our good friends Emily and Kyle reminded us that it was this weekend, so we met up with them and the Cross' to see the flower show and then head to dinner. We had such a great time! Enjoy!

Peket Mania

August 15th is a national holiday in Belgium. Not exactly sure what we're celebrating (Assumption Day perhaps), but it was Stephen and I's first "2nd Annual" festival. Can't believe that!

*Apparently, "furries" do exist!

We wandered over to Outremeuse around lunchtime and were able to see the parade and have a little Peket. We've learned that people here party from 1am-5am during these festivals, so we were confident we would beat any crowds. It was nice.

*He got Duncan right, but the colors are a little off!

Of course there were people there who you could assume were still out from the night before...but that's what people watching is all about. Here are some of the random sights we were able to see...and look here for last year's party!

The Art of the Bird

Same dinner as below. Stephen and I discussing "the bird." Don't ask me how this conversation started.

Me: (flipping him the bird, NOT in a mean manner, just showing him I'm capable of being mean)

Stephen: Woah...yours is pretty formal. I mean, you do it with passion. It's legit.

Me: Ha, didn't know I was so good.

Stephen: (trying to do it, with the other fingers half-bent, not all down) This is what happens when I try to do it formally. My other fingers don't know what to do.

Me: (laughing) Your hand looks pained.

Stephen: The lady that did it to me in traffic the other day did it like that. It was premeditated. She waited for me to drive up, and then she just shot it at me.

Me: Yeah, she waited for you. You obviously gave her a few minutes to get it ready...

Stephen: It's just not in my repertoire to do that. That's not something I would just think to do.

Me: (laughing...repertoire?)

Stephen: You know, I don't like repertoire. Arsenal. Yeah, it's not in my ARSENAL to do that.

Me: (dying laughing...who says that?)


*Before you ask...No, Stephen and I don't flip people the bird. Yes, we are dorks. No, we aren't white-trash, at least not completely. Our mothers DID teach us well...

Of all places....

Stephen and I went to a new Italian restaurant that opened up in Liege a few weeks ago. We had Gracie with us, so we sat outside and enjoyed the cooler weather. Our waiter came up shortly after we sat down and brought us our menus. We had pretty much decided what we would have when the chef walked up. He started vomiting French words at us, and we were following pretty well, answering when questions were asked. I guess our non-local accents gave us away because here is what follows:

Chef: Ah, flems or allemagne? (Flemish or German)

Me: No, no, Anglais!

Chef: Oh, veally. Liverpool?

Me: (look of complete confusion...look at Stephen)

Stephen: (look of utter astonishment...why Liverpool, of ALL places)

Me: No, Texas. America.

Chef: Ah, America. Bon Appetit!

So random. Why Liverpool? We laughed so hard, trying to figure out why in the world he would have chosen that city. Then, Stephen looked at me and goes, "Liverpool plays Standard (soccer, Liege team) this weekend don't they?" It all came together...

"These guys whip it out so fast!"

*Said as the Great Britain Men's Rowing Team left the start...

We're deep in the Olympics here at the Dotson house. The problem, unfortunately, is we only get to watch British teams/individuals. With the exception of Michael Phelps. They seem to have an uncanny fascination with him. Guess it's because he's pretty great. So, we'll get to watch him and a lot of people we don't know and don't care about...

RP (Stephen's dad) is in China right now. He was able to see the opening ceremonies, some beach volleyball, and he gets to watch the USA whoop up on China in Basketball. We probably won't get to see it. Sad. I'll let you know how GB does, though :)

How great are the Olympics???

WE DID IT!!

Stephen and I have been in Belgium for ONE YEAR! Can you believe it? In some ways I think it has flown by, and in others it seems like an eternity. I think it's natural to feel that way. In celebration of our anniversary here, I thought I would list a few things we have learned since moving to Europe.

• Personal space is an American thing.
• Deodorant is optional.
• You get over being homesick, but not over missing those you love!
  
• Dreaming of Ranch on fries is not normal.
• The things I miss the most about the US aren't things, but people.
• Driving a standard car in traffic is so annoying.
• Driving a car that you don't pay for is amazing.
• Cabin Fever is very real.
• Cold showers before bed make nights without A/C bearable.
• Public transport is awkward.
• Being in walking distance to the city center is awesome.
• I'm not as independent as I thought I was.
• I'm not as strong as I thought I was.
  
• I can ask for help, even in French :)
• Sitting on terraces in nice weather is something to take advantage of.
  
• Short days in the Winter are depressing.
• Long days in the Summer are incredible.
• Having Gracie over here has enriched our lives more than we admit.
• Having each other is such a blessing.
• Europe has so much to offer, and the festivals are pretty cool, too.
• You can have too many frites.
• Going to a doctor that speaks "pretty good" English is a bad idea...get references.
• As a couple, we can do anything!!!

Thank you for keeping up with us and our past year of adventures...we are so thankful for this opportunity and thank you for your prayers and encouragement along the way!