If It Looks Like a Mallard and Quacks Like a Mallard...

...it must be a NEW mallard, Mally II!!

Lucky Toby got a new mallard from our friends that are in town visiting.
Thanks Noah and Holly!!

Greece with Eric: Marvelous Mykonos

The minute we stepped off the ferry and on to Mykonos soil, we knew we had come home. Not to a home we'd known before, but to a new home welcoming us with its remarkable sights, tantalizing us with its tastes, and engulfing our senses with its brilliant blue beauty.

The sights of Mykonos arrested our vision with their dreamlike allure...

The intoxicating view from our balcony:

A peek through the crystal sea:

A candid shot of our favorite residents:

A still of the sun slipping off to sleep after a long day's work of warming the Grecian skies:

A glimpse of a pristine façade:

The tastes of Mykonos treated our taste buds to a bounty of flavor and freshness...

The anise-scented ouzo:

The expertly rolled dolmades:

The crisp and deliciously simple Greek salad:

The unique bouquet of Greek wine:

The homey creaminess of spanakopita:

The color of Mykonos livened our spirits with refreshing exuberance...

The azure punches of windows and doors:

The turquoise and cobalt of sanctuary and sky:



The unexpected periwinkle porch:

The sapphire and aquamarine of a secret spot:

Mykonos tickled our senses and embraced our inner islander souls. We love you Mykonos!

Eric - Thanks so much for making the trek out to Greece to see us. We had a blast and can't wait to see you up in Camp Nelson for Christmas!

If you'd like to view all of our photos from our visit from our visit with Eric, please click on this link:
Eric's Visit Photos

Greece with Eric: Ferry Ride to Mykonos

We woke up bright and early on our second morning in Athens to catch a cab to our (ginormous) ferry to Mykonos:

We hopped on board, found some cozy seats and settled in for the 5+ hour ferry ride. As the massive ship pulled out of the port we headed to the outdoor deck to take in the view and watch the traffic, noise, and grit of Athens drown in the deep blue of the sea.

For the first few hours of the ride we stayed inside where it was warm and cozy. There were snacks, naps, and some map-gazing. Once we realized the sun was peeking out we made our way back to the outdoor deck. Here are some photos from our deck sitting:

The first major stop the ferry made was at Syros, a big-little city on the sea:

Back on the sea to Mykonos. Bye, Syros!

After a quick stop in Tinos we rode the waves to Mykonos, sparkling like a diamond in a sapphire sea:

We greatly enjoyed our ferry rides to and from Mykonos; we were AMAZED at how quickly they were able to get people (and vehicles) on and off of the boat at each stop. As fun as the ferry was, we were dying to check out our new destination...

More from Mykonos tomorrow!

Greece with Eric, Photo Essay (with captions!): Athens

The view of the Acropolis and a busy Athens avenue from our hotel room:



Making our way, through the rain, to the Acropolis and Parthenon:

The majestic Parthenon:

Scenes from our first Athenian lunch:

Rick Steves' "Restaurant Steps":

Our darling restaurant:

Best baklava in the world:

Grab the sunscreen because our next stop is the island of...Mykonos!

This is a Weird Picture...Right?

Wanna know what's not weird?
We get to see that knife-wielding-guy-in-the-background today...in GREECE!

We're off to Greece to meet up with Brian's brother, Eric, and explore what Athens and Mykonos has to offer. See you in a few days!

Joan, the Finale: Normandy

Our second full day in France started out bright and early. We bused to the D'Orly Airport in Paris to pick-up our rental car for our drive to Normandy. As a light misting rain began to fall in Paris we silently zipped out of town in our rental. The farther we got from the city, the more open and blue the sky became. The sun was leading us to the coast.

We decided to follow Rick Steves' suggested itinerary for a day in Normandy and we are so glad we did. The first stop on our voyage was at Port Winston in Arromanches:

None of us had ever heard of Port Winston before and were enthralled by its tale. Since the Germans controlled all of the ports on the French coastline, the Allies needed to figure out a way to ship cargo, supplies and men to the front lines. This need spawned Winston Churchill's brainchild, Port Winston (aka Mulberry Harbour). This port was constructed in just 12 days after D-Day. The construction of this port included: sinking old ships off the coast to create breakwater, constructing platforms/decks a year in advance in England, towing all of the construction material used across the English Channel in the 12 days after D-Day. It truly was an amazing feat of engineering ingenuity and sheer "I think I can, I think I can" attitude.

Here is what's left of Port Winston today:



We walked down the beach for a more up-close experience:



After a quick seaside lunch, and a gander through the Port Winston Museum we hopped back in the car and made our way to Omaha Beach and the American Military Cemetery.

Finding ourselves staring at the serene, brilliant blue water at Omaha Beach, it was hard to imagine the chaos and horror of June 6th, 1944:

In homage to the brave souls who lost their lives here, it is a place of great peace and beauty.

From the beach, we made the 20 minute walk through the sand dunes up to the American Military Cemetery. Again, we found ourselves engulfed by an overwhelming sense of pride for the brave soldiers, tranquility of the pastoral landscape, and pain for the young lives lost.

After we quietly meandered through the Cemetery and Memorial area, we slowly walked back to the car feeling so appreciative of our lives today and so very thankful to all of the remarkably brave heroes, past and present, who made it all possible.



If you'd like to view all of our photos from our visit from our visit with Joan, please click on this link:
Joan's Photos

Joanie - Thanks so much for making the trip out to see us. We had a fantastic time!