We left Israel very early (and by early, I mean 3 AM) on a Sunday. While it’s no fun to get up in the middle of the night for any reason, our travels that morning couldn’t have gone better. Our flight to Rome from Tel Aviv was not only on time but got in early, our pre-arranged transportation was waiting for us at the airport, and we were at our (very cute) Rome apartment by 9 AM! After a breakfast of espressos and pastries we checked out the nearby – and famous - Trevi Fountain )see photo 1) before fighting fatigue by doing more shopping and exploring (me, Safta and Pop Pop) or relaxing back at our place (Q and the girls).

That afternoon the six of us hopped on golf carts for a four-hour tour of the city; we had arranged the tour before we got there, and it was one of the smartest things we did. We would only be in Rome for a short period, and were able to see a lot more than we could have on foot without a tour guide. Our fabulous guide (named Valerio) zipped us all around the city – hitting, among other spots, the gorgeous Villa Borghese gardens (where we stood on the Temple of Diana and saw gorgeous views of the city – see photos 3-5) the Piazza del Popolo, the famous Spanish Steps (though they were closed for renovation), the ruins of Circus Maximus, the Colosseum (see photo 6), the San Pietro in Vincoli (the church that houses Michelangelo’s statue of Moses – see photo 7), the Piazza Navona (one of Q’s favorite spots in the city – see photo 8), and the Jewish ghetto (though much of it was closed). We also stopped for gelato and pizza, as you do in Rome!

-M

As you may have read on Facebook, when we told the girls months ago that we were going to Israel, their only request was to visit the Dead Sea. They’ve been hearing about it since preschool, and they were eager to float in the water. I was less excited about going: It was extremely hot during our visit, and it wasn’t a short drive there from Tel Aviv. But, of course, Q convinced me and off we went on our last day of the trip…

The water, which I only walked in, was oily and as warm as soup, but the girls (and Q and Pop Pop) didn’t seem to mind: They all floated, while I took refuge from the heat in a nearby spa.

As an extra treat, we did something on the way home that the girls weren’t expecting: We took camel rides. For those who haven’t been on a camel before, it’s somewhat scary: Because the camel stands up with its back legs first, you’re sitting diagonal (facing the ground) for several seconds. The girls were unfazed, but let’s just say this this mama was a bit freaked out when her camel got up!

-M

Our Friday in Israel was our most mellow of the trip: It started with Zoe getting a beloved croissant at Da Da & Da with Daddy and Safta and ended with a pizza dinner and sunset with family on the roof at home. In between we wandered around nearby Jaffa – exploring, eating, shopping, and simply enjoying the (hot) day.

-M

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Our third day took us outside of Tel Aviv again; after a quick bite to eat on the patio, we found ourselves in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Old City is divided into four quarters, and we didn’t have time to see them all (Q and I later jokingly called our time there “Jerusalem express”), but with the help of a very knowledgeable tour guide – i.e. Uncle Gil – we saw a lot.

We entered through the Armenian Quarter before heading to the Jewish Quarter and walking through the Cardo (Jerusalem’s main street 1,500 years ago) and the Western Wall. Because there are separate areas for men and women, I was the one to take the girls to see the wall, which I found to be a very moving experience. They are too young to understand the history and the significance of what we were seeing, but I felt the weight of responsibility as I held their little hands and guided them to the holy site (see photo 4). We made a quick stop at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the holiest places in the city for Christians, before heading home and, later, meeting friends from school (who were also on a summer vacation) in nearby Jaffa. The sunset there (see last photo) was a gorgeous ending to the day.

-M

Our first road trip in Israel took us up north, to Rosh Hanikra, home to white chalk stone cliffs, beautiful grottoes, and turquoise water. (In guidebooks, it is referred to as one of the most beautiful spots in the country – and I was eager to see it.) The grottoes are located just steps away from Lebanon so we took a peek over the border and snapped some photos (see photo 4 below) before heading down to the Old City of Akko, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The ancient buildings were amazing to look at (see photos 5-7 below) but it was so hot that we didn’t stay terribly long; instead we headed to Haifa, cooling off at Gil, Karin and Lily’s house for the rest of the afternoon.

-M

So, our journey to Israel – much like our trip to Madison – started out a bit rocky. Due to a mechanical problem with the plane, we missed our connecting flight (original plan was Detroit – Rome – Tel Aviv) and had to be re-routed (Minneapolis – Paris – Tel Aviv), but only after sitting in the Madison airport for four hours. Luckily it was relatively smooth sailing after that: The girls got a good amount of sleep on our long flight to Europe and were in good spirits by the time we finally got to Israel at 9 PM on a Monday. (Bonus: We had some amazing croissants in the Paris airport.)

Everyone was all excited when we woke up on Tuesday, and our day was filled with exploring the city, visiting the marketplace and shopping, and spending time with relatives – including Cousin Shani. (Another highlight for the girls was watching glass-blown necklaces made for them – see photo 5.) We also had great food, including breakfast at one of Safta’s favorite spots, Da Da & Da, and falafel and shwarma for lunch. We wound up walking for more than five miles, and some of my favorite memories of the entire trip are from that day, as we happily wandered around this new city with no agenda other than to have fun.

-M

Our last day in Madison coincided with Art Fair on the Square, an annual event that I hadn’t been to since college. With Q now in town (he flew in the night before), the four of us headed downtown to check out the art and activities – and to enjoy a few minutes at the nearby Union Terrace.

-M

We’re back! The reason for my hiatus is that we were on a vacation – a three-in-one vacation (Wisconsin, Israel and Italy), in fact. We saw and did tons, and I’ll do my best to (slowly) chronicle our adventures here – starting with our five days in Madison.

Our trip started a bit rocky, when storms and a related plane issue caused the cancellation of our original flight from Minneapolis and the girls and I (who were flying sans Q) wound up being stuck in the airport for six hours. (Side note: The girls are total rock stars about traveling and dealing with delays and related problems. One of these days they’ll rub off on me!) Arriving at my parents’ house in the middle of the night, and being so tired the next day, was less than ideal, but we made the best of it – and the rest of our trip was filled with relaxing family time. Just what we needed before heading out on our long trip.

-M

I’m doing something I haven’t done in our (almost) ten years of blogging: taking a little break. I’ll be back in a few weeks with lots of stories and pics…

-M

For the second year in a row, we went to Sonoma to celebrate 4th of July. We met up with friends and got a front-row view of the annual parade before heading to a nearby pool party. No fireworks for us this year (the girls and I have an early plane to catch tomorrow), but it was a fun holiday just the same! (And we always love escaping San Francisco’s foggy skies this time of year.)

-M

For the last day of zoo camp, Zoe and her team made conservation pledges. “I pledge to tell others about what I learn and let them teach other people,” Zoe wrote in hers.

As for the girls’ time there, it was a success. “We don’t bring tons of stuff home in bags” (like other camps), Zoe told me one night. “But we come home with something better: knowledge.”

-M

Love this recent pic of the girls (courtesy of Q)…

-M

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It’s off to zoo camp for the girls this week, and among the animals they got to meet were Zebede the bearded dragon (Zoe) and Gunner the blue-tongued skink (Avery). I hadn’t heard of a skink before, but it turns out they hail from Indonesia.

-M

Well – we’re got our first official week of summer behind us! The girls went to Camp Galileo last week (this was Zoe’s fourth year there), where the theme was space exploration. Avery made planets and aliens in art and a functional rocket ship in science; Zoe sewed an alien in art and built a rover in science, which she displays below.

-M

The girls don’t fight a lot, but they do bicker from time to time – and Q and I have encouraged them to talk through things (versus running to us) when they’re upset. I had to chuckle this morning, then, when I heard Avery yell at her sister after a Lego-inspired argument, “We tried to work it out! And now I’m stomping away!”

-M