Three Turkeys go to Prague

The cold weather hit Europe just as we landed in Prague last week, and it's had the UK in its icy grip as well.  The poor folks up in Scotland and Northern England have been slammed with snow for days, and although we haven't had more than a few inches here in North London, the southeast suburbs are getting it as well.  The reaction is reminiscent of our early days living outside of Washington, DC - the snow removal equipment is inadequate and public transportation is a nightmare.  And just for us normal people, walking to the local grocery store (where they ran out of milk yesterday) is a bit hazardous due to the icy sidewalks.  I'm hoping for a thaw soon as the weather has also forced my beloved fitness walks to be cancelled until further notice!

But back to Prague.  We arrived in the dark (4:30 pm) so the breathtaking sites of the city had to wait for the next morning.  But the first night was still beautiful with Christmas lights all around, and we went to a really lovely restaurant for my birthday dinner.  We caught up with my nephew Matt back at our hotel, and he & Kyle left to hang out in his dorm with young'ns their own age.  Matt goes to Union College in New York State and is spending the fall semester of his junior year in Prague.

Sun greeted us the next morning, but it was cold!  We met back up with the boys in the stunning Old Town Square which was very busy with preparations for the Christmas markets that were to begin on the weekend.  Matt led us across the river Vltava and up the New Castle Steps to Prague Castle.  Once the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, most of what is there today was built in the 16th century, and it now houses government offices, including that of the President of the Czech Republic.  It's more of a complex of buildings, including the amazing St. Vitus Cathedral and the Royal Palace, as opposed to one big castle building, and you can walk around the grounds at no charge; if you want to see the interiors you need to buy a ticket, as we did.  We hoped getting inside would get us out of the cold, but the unheated Cathedral felt more cold than being outdoors.  Interestingly, although work on the cathedral was started around 1344, the "Hussite Uprising" in the 1400's interrupted the construction, and believe it or not, work was not finally completed until 1929.  There's a beautiful chapel inside devoted to Prince Wenceslas, or Saint Wenceslas, or as he is more familiar to the rest of us, "Good King" Wenceslas.  I know that he went out on the Feast of Stephan; after that, his story gets fuzzy.

After finding a charming little restaurant for a traditional Czech lunch, we walked back over the beautiful landmark Charles Bridge, and the boys left us to go back to Matt's dorm for another traditional meal - an American Thanksgiving dinner.  Chris & I decided to completely do a 180 from tradition and opted for an Argentinian steakhouse that was quite good.  Kyle & Matt met back up with us later and we visited the Prague Beer Museum pub to sample their wares.  The next morning, Kyle was back with us and we hit some shops as we meandered through the lovely streets of Prague.  We also took a walk to the Jewish Quarter, where we toured the Jewish Museum & Old Jewish Cemetery.  The museum is an impressive tribute to the important history of Jews in the Czech Republic, both before and after the Holocaust (during which nearly 80,000 Jews from the Czech Republic were killed.)  Later in the afternoon, we met Matt and two of his friends at their dorm, then we all walked to one of their favorite spots, Budvarka, for pork ribs.  Then it was off to the Pivovarsky Klub, where they have over 200 beers from all over the world.

Our last day was Saturday, which was also the first day of Prague's Christmas Markets.  It was the coldest day so far, so we bundled up as we headed first to Wenceslas Square then back to Old Town Square to check out the outdoor market stalls.  I was a bit disappointed with what was on offer from the vendors - a lot of the same tourist-y items that were on sale in the souvenir shops, repeated over and over again.  But when it got dark, the Old Town Square tree was lit and choirs were singing and "hot wine" was being sold and we had a good time anyway.  Our restaurant for dinner warmed us up nicely as we were seated at a lovely table right next to a fireplace; it was a nice way to top off the day and mark the end of our trip.  We made a final stop into the Prague Beer Museum pub before saying our final goodbye to Matt and calling it a night.

Although a beautiful city, our visit had a few downsides: first, smokers!  Indoors!  It was real turn-off at first, and although you do get used to it to an extent, it's still pretty yucky.  Second, the people for the most part would not win any "warm & fuzzy citizen of the year" awards.  Although there were certainly exceptions, many of the workers in the shops and restaurants had a tendency to make us feel like we were inconveniencing them when we were say...ordering food, or perahaps... buying things.  As Matt told us, he & his friends have determined that the Czech marketing motto is, "the customer is always wrong."  That didn't feel too far from the truth in some situations, but it absolutely did not stop us from having a wonderful time.  Despite the affinity for dumplings (bread dumplings, pork dumplings, potato dumplings, liver dumplings) and absence of fresh vegetables, the food was pretty good.   The crystal and glass pieces were gorgeous.  And Chris enjoyed the beer more than here in the UK!  The history of this country is a complicated one including war, genocide, communism and a rough economy.  We spent real quality time with our nephew, brought home some exquisite souvenirs, and had another opportunity to visit a great city of Europe.  We can handle a little Eastern European smoke & "attitude."  They're entitled.

http://picasaweb.google.com/swronsky/Prague?feat=directlink

Did We Really Go to Stonehenge??

Yes, we did actually. Still kind of pinching myself.          

One of the really wonderful but underrated facet of this London opportunity is that on any given Saturday morning, we can wake up to the alarm, look out the window, assess how we feel, and decide whether or not we want to go to... oh, say... Stonehenge perhaps. That's the way it went down yesterday, and our original choice, believe it or not was to bag it and do it another time. (It was early, cold, and grey and it had been a really nice bottle of red the night before, which always gives me a headache.) So, I turned off the alarm and hunkered back down under the covers, and a little voice said, "WHAT ARE YOU, CRAZY? IT'S STONEHENGE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!" Within about a minute, I realized that in not too long of a time from now, our choices on a Saturday morning may very well be whether or not to clean the garage or go to Home Depot. Stonehenge will no longer be available as an option. So clearer heads prevailed - and the coffee and shower helped.

We utilized once again the terrific walking tour group, London Walks, which required our meeting at the Waterloo Train Station, about a 30-minute tube ride from Hampstead, where we met our guide, Gillian and a group of about 20 others for the tour. We all boarded the Southwest train to Salisbury for the hour and 1/2 ride. The sun threatened for a bit but never really was able to make it through the clouds.

Upon arrival in Salisbury, Gillian led us on a walk of about 15 minutes to the Salisbury Cathedral, which was really something. Not quite the "wow" factor of Westminster Abbey, or the historical feel of Notre Dame, but I really think that each one of these amazing places has a character all its own. And Salisbury also has two other important claims to fame: its 404-foot spire is the tallest in all of England, and the Cathedral's Chapter House provides the home to one of the 4 remaining copies in the world of the Magna Carta - just a little document from 1215 that contains the basic principles that were eventually incorporated into the Constitution of the US.  I did have a hard time reading said document (must brush up on Latin), but it was cool nonetheless.  As for the church itself, I've already seen many of these types of structures since we've been here, and I'm sure I'll see many more before we leave; hopefully I'll continue to be impressed by the beauty and history that each contains.

After an hour break for lunch, we all gathered again for our 30-minute coach (bus) ride to Stonehenge. The route was a pretty one, despite the grey day, and Gillian took care to point out the impressive architecture in many of the homes as well as the unique thatched-roof cottages that we passed along the way. No outing would be complete without a celebrity connection, and indeed, we passed the home (or should I say castle) of Sting on our ride. (What you could see of it through the trees was really beautiful.) We also passed several burial mounds - or barrows - as we got closer to the Stonehenge monument. These apparently were tombs for individuals or families, who not unlike the ancient Egyptians, were buried with a variety of personal possessions to accompany them into the next world. The barrows date back to between 4000 and 3500 BC.

And then we came to the monument, the entire experience being somewhat hard to describe. First the facts, as only an American tourist who knows little about ancient cultures can describe them: A "henge" by (loose) definition is a certain type of earthwork consisting of a ditch and a bank, often near ritual structures. In this case, the ditch surrounding the monument was originally 6-feet deep and the bank 8-feet high; however now it looks like no more than a dip in the field. This henge was built around this particular stone monument, hence the name. The current predominant theory of why it was built is one of hope - of light and warmth following the cold & dark winter in this part of the world, (which we are currently already witnessing to be cold and dark.)  Stonehenge apparently was built to mark not the longest day of the year, which was long the theory, but the shortest day - after that, things could only be looking up. Using carbon dating and lots of other archeological processes that I could not begin to understand, scientists estimate that the monument was built in phases over about 1,000 years beginning in around 3000 BC. This is older than Dad.

What truly boggled my mind is that the stones used for the monument came from up to 240 miles away. Larger stones - weighing up to 40 - that's 4-0 - tons, were closer - only about 19 miles, but it's estimated that it would take 200 people 12 days to move one of them that distance. There were originally about 30 of these. There was no wheel invented back then. No pencil to put behind your ear or cigarette to smoke while drinking your coffee thinking, "Hmmm. How're we gonna do this?" These stones were erected (a feat in and of itself repeated countless times) in a precise way so that at a precise time in the year, the position of the rising or setting sun would be precisely marked. There had to have been an awful lot of mathematics, logistics, physics, not to mention cooperation and patience, going on. Speaking for myself, I can say that I generally haven't given humans from 3000 BC this sort of credit in the past.

It was after 4 pm and almost dark when we finally boarded the bus back to Salisbury, and it had gotten quite cold as well. Gillian had more tidbits of ancient history to bestow on us as we rode, but I think by then we were all pretty tuckered. The train ride back to London was uneventful and we were home in the flat by about 7 pm.

So what to make of Stonehenge? I really can't say. I think it deserves its title of "World Heritage Sight" and its place on various "Wonders of the World" lists, just for the herculean effort it must have been to get it built. I'm stumped about the juxtaposition of the stones, and the alignment with the sun, and why in the heck this thousand-year project began in the first place. Of course, I'm not alone. Folks a heckuva lot smarter than me are somewhat stumped too. One thing is for sure - I sure am glad I listened to the little voice and got my bod out of bed yesterday morning. It was quite a day.

http://picasaweb.google.com/swronsky/SalisburyCathedralStonehenge#5542121116233534930

Not Quite 15 Miles on the Regents Canal

A few weeks ago we got together with Cristina & Wycliffe for the first time since their wedding in July. At my suggestion, we decided to try out a boat ride on the Regents Canal which - thank goodness - turned out to be a lovely excursion.

It was the last weekend outing of the year for Jason's Trips, a canal tour company that's been running in London since the early 1950's. The boat we rode in was an authentic 100-year-old canal boat which was originally used as a cargo vessel on the canals before being fitted with a diesel engine and converted to its current duties carrying leisure passengers.

It was a bit chilly and not quite sunny, but completely enjoyable; we started out from the Warwick Pier near an area of London called "Little Venice" (no doubt named for the canals) and disembarked at Camden Lock after about a 45 minute ride. We were able to see the paths that were used for the horses (not mules) that pulled the boats, and on many of the bridge abutments the markings from the ropes connecting the horses to the boats are still visible. Camden has some wonderful street markets that we found by surprise once we got off of the boat, so that was an added plus for the day.

http://picasaweb.google.com/swronsky/JasonSTrip#

The Wallace Collection

(Apologies if this sounds a bit too much like an art history lesson. I like to share what I'm learning!)

Jenny calls it "a hidden gem" and she's absolutely right. From approximately 1760 to 1880, the 4 Marquesses* of Hertford and the son of the 4th Marquess, Richard Wallace, acquired an amazing collection of paintings, porcelain, furnishings, and other objets d'art from all over the world. The widow of Richard, Lady Wallace survived her husband, and honoring his wishes, left the entire collection to the State upon her death in 1897. It's called the greatest ever single bequest of art to a nation, and after visiting last Wednesday, I think that description is fitting.

Richard Wallace was the illegitimate son of the 4th Marquess, and his paternity was not acknowledged by the family until the death of his father in 1870, when the entire collection was bequeathed to him. According to our tour guide, Richard himself did not know that the 4th Marquess was his father, but acted as a sales room assistant and advisor to him. Can you imagine the reading of that will?!

The bulk of the collection was acquired by the 4th Marquess and by Richard Wallace. Wallace was living in Paris, as was his father at the time of his death, and in 1872 moved to the family home in London (the Hertford House) and eventually brought the collection there. The house was modified in order to accomodate the impressive works, and today it is as much a part of the museum as the objects it houses. (Fun fact: the house itself was first leased by the 2nd Marquess because of the substantial duck hunting in the area. It sits now a block from Oxford Street, arguably one of the busiest streets in London. Didn't see any ducks the day we were there... notta one.) It is a stunning place - in going through the first few rooms I felt as impressed as when we visited the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace over the summer.

A few highlights: One of the 83 known self-portraits of Rembrandt (original of course); François Boucher's portrait of Madame Pompadour, who was mistress to King Louis XV of France (back then the King's mistress would have her own title and status); and an unbelievable collection of Sèvres Porcelain, created at a factory in Sèvres, France in the mid-18th century - a factory that is still in production today. Most impressive on this visit was a gorgeous collection of furnishings commissioned for - and used by - Marie Antoinette! Wife to King Louis XVI! Queen of France! Had her head cut off! That Marie Antoinette! Pretty darn amazing.

Another pretty darn amazing fact is that the Wallace Collection is another free national museum. Truly hard to believe. There's talk of a policy change that would charge an entrance fee at national museums such as these - and I absolutely think they should. Starting in late 2012.

*A "marquess" is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European monarchies.

http://picasaweb.google.com/swronsky/WallaceCollection?authkey=Gv1sRgCI_79engxfOnIA#

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium

So... six months in and we've visited our third country outside of England. But who's keeping track?

A European Regional Conference for Chris's company brought us to Brussels last Monday - my blog title is appropriate as we were still there on Tuesday. Chris's boss, who we were traveling with, has the very cool privilege of traveling on the company's corporate jet, and since we were accompanying he & his wife to Brussels, we had the very cool privilege of being invited to join them. Talk about the friendly skies... I have officially been spoiled. It was just the four of us as passengers, with our own personal flight attendant and a crew of 3. What a hoot. No security lines, no taking shoes off, no showing up 2 hours early, no going through customs... Needless to say, it will be very difficult to go back to flying economy ever again.

Landing in Brussels, we taxied to one of the further out non-commercial terminals and noticed right away a huge China Air 7-something-7 (it was HUGE); we found out later that it belonged to the Premier of China who was also in town for a conference of his own, a Euro-Asia Summitt at NATO headquarters which of course is in Brussels. Could this little city possibly be big enough for the Wronskys and the Chinese Premier?

We headed straight for the company's Brussels office for a sort of welcome reception, then to the hotel, which was very contemporary and European. It wasn't until we started getting ready to go to the scheduled dinner that I realized I had left my makeup bag on the sink in my bathroom at home. After convincing Chris that yes - this was in fact a situation worth freaking out about, we made a quick shopping trip near the hotel where in about 5 minutes I purchased the most expensive makeup I will ever own in my life (and may never even use again - it's from Paris and very cake-y.) I looked trés chic (my face did anyway) as we met the others and were driven to the Grand-Place, a remarkable and breathtaking square in the center of the city bordered by buildings dating as far back at the 1400's - hotels, cafés, the Town Hall, and our restaurant, the beautiful Maison du Cygne ("cygne" means swan.) The food was fabulous and the service superb.

The following day, poor Chris had to work (someone has to keep me in French makeup) and I met 6 other spouses in the hotel lobby for a ride to the Flemish countryside and a visit to the "Kasteel van Gaasbeek" - or Gaasbeek Castle, originally built in 1240 as a fortress, then reconstructed in the 16th century. It was the home of the Count of Egmont, whose story is a popular one in Brussels as he was beheaded during the Spanish Inquisition (leaving a wife and 11 children) after opposing Spanish policies in the Netherlands. The castle was hosting a special exhibition about dragons (which many people thought real during those times) which was neat. Lunchtime brought us to "In den Appelboom" (Dutch for "The Miraculous Apple Tree") for a lovely Belgian meal. Then it was back to Brussels and chocolate sampling in the Sablon Square. This beautiful shopping area has nearly as many chocolate shops as Manhatten has Starbucks. Besides purchasing my share of Belgian chocolate, I also bought an array of their cookie specialty, Spekuloos, that you might recognize as the dark spice cookie with a windmill imprinted on it. After meeting back up with Chris at the hotel, dinner that night (as if I had room for it) was a reception at the Château Saint-Anne, which was a really magnificent building.

Our group was down to 6 the next day, and we stayed in the city for a visit to the Musée Magritte Museum, where we were given a tour of the works of the surreal artist René Magritte. You might recognize his work, "The Son of Man", which is a painting of a man in a bowler hat with a green apple for his face, made famous in the movie "The Thomas Crown Affair" (the Pierce Brosnan, not the Steve McQueen, version.) That particular work wasn't on display here, but our enthusiastic tour guide added much interest to the works we did see. Next, we visited the "Villa Empain" which is a newly renovated art-deco style building (originally built in 1930) that contained an eclectic collection of Asian & European art works. Our final stop before heading back to the hotel was for lunch at the Chalet Robinson, which was a lovely restaurant on a little island all its own - we had to take a short ferry boat ride to get there.

With the conference concluded, we bid farewell to our travel companions. Chris and I had a nice dinner at a local Brasserie - we thought we were going for traditional Belgian food but got French instead - but it was still delicious. The next morning we had just enough time to walk to the "Place du Jeu de Balle" where the locals hold a flea-market style street market every morning, then back to the Sablon so that I could show Chris the chocolate shops. Then it was back to the hotel and on to the train station where we Eurostarred it back to London.

Brussels is a wonderful city, and the Grand-Place especially evoked thoughts of what I always imagined a quintessential European city to look like. It's officially a bi-lingual city, with French and Flemish (Dutch) as its official languages, so I was able to practice my French again (although I found more locals seemed to speak English there than in Paris.) One story that left an impression on me was that of a Belgian pilot who volunteered with the RAF during World War II. After flying a mission and heading back to England, he defied orders and, using sight navigation, mounted a solo attack and bombed the Gestapo's headquarters in Brussels where interrogations and torture of Belgian Resistance fighters were rumored. The pilot, Jean de Sélys Longchamps, was demoted for acting without orders, but subsequently awarded the Distinquished Flying Cross for these same actions, and a monument to him currently stands in front of the building - which also happens to be located just across the street from the Brussels company headquarters. These stories are an amazing reminder to me of the fact that so much horror and destruction occurred in Europe a relatively short time ago, and its citizens truly had to overcome a massive amount of devastation, the likes that we Americans fortunately have not had to experience ourselves. (I don't need to be reminded of 9/11, but I think you get my drift.)

Since returning home we've gotten back to something of a routine. Autumn is definitely here and the holidays will be upon us before we know it. We hope to make it to Prague before the snow flies... or the cold rain begins.

http://picasaweb.google.com/swronsky/Brussels?feat=directlink

Les Mis!

Over the years I've been fortunate enough to see productions of the iconic musical "Les Miserables" in Washington, DC, New York City, and Philadelphia. I've sacrificed myself to many a droning, donation-seeking PBS executive in order to watch the spectacular 10th Anniversary Concert special of the show, recorded at London's Royal Albert Hall in 1995, and have listened to the cast recording countless times. Today, I had the amazing good fortune to attend in person the phenomenal 25th Anniversary concert at the 02 Center in East London. I still have goosebumps.

Friday, Chris's US boss and his wife arrived in London for a weekend of sightseeing before we all head to Brussels together tomorrow for a 3-day regional HR conference. Chris & I completely enjoyed our time with them from the time we sat down to dinner Friday evening until we dropped them at the hotel this afternoon. Saturday was spent touring Westminster Abbey, walking to Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament and having a lovely lunch at Fortnum & Mason (called the quintessential English store, opened in 1707). After some R & R back at the hotel, Kyle met up with us and we all had dinner at our favorite London pub, the Audley - it's near the hotel we stayed in and we wanted to make sure our guests tried some authentic - and good - pub food.

The big event for today was the Les Mis concert, and although I was exited to see the show again, I had no idea what we were in for. Our seats were amazing, on the floor in front of the stage in Row L. The concert version obviously doesn't have the staging that you would normally see in a musical, but the cast was huge, and was not only joined on the stage by the full orchestra, but also a choir of hundreds. The music in the show is stirring and emotional, as anyone who has seen or heard it knows, but to be able to view and listen to it from today's vantage point was truly special. One of my favorites was Lea Solonga who played Fantine (and has previously played the tragic Eponine); and this production's Jean Valjean was the best I've heard other than the man himself, Colm Wilkinson. You can imagine my initial horror to realize that Marius was being played today by Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers - surely the show didn't need a publicity boost? - but after a disappointing first act, he improved in the second and even made a decent go of it during "A Little Fall of Rain", thank goodness.

Following the finale was the best surprise: out on the stage marched the original cast of Les Mis, which debuted at London's Barbican Theatre on the 8th of October, 1985. And then, as if we could stand another spectacular theatre moment, out came 3 previous London Valjeans (including the original, Wilkinson) who all took turns singing "Bring Him Home". Goosebumps followed (or I should say continued and just got bigger.) The show's producer Cameron Macintosh was in the house to say a few words, as were the gentlemen who wrote the music & lyrics. Everyone on the stage seemed just as exuberant as we all were as audience members, and I think every person in the building had to have left with the sense that we had all been a part of something really amazing.

By the way, if you've never seen "Les Mis" and have survived this blog post, I hope I have encouraged you to see it one day soon. It's truly one of the best.

http://www.lesmis.com/about/25th-anniversary-year/

Back "Home"... Away from Home

Returned 5 days ago from a 3-week trip to the US, and am still fighting the jet lag! It's much easier to go west than east... I am laying awake until at least 2 am, then sleeping fitfully; I probably don't hit solid sleep before 8 am and am absolutely willing myself out of bed at 10:30. By the time I drink my coffee, watch a few episodes of "Two and 1/2 Men" and take a shower, half my day is over with! Must... get... back... to... regular... routine...this...week!! This will include returning to my beloved fitness walks, starting tomorrow.

And how was my trip to my real (as opposed to surreal) home? It was really great. Kyle & I flew over with Chris - rather, behind Chris as he was up in Business Class and we were back in Economy Plus (it was a work trip as well for him) and we all spent a week at our beautiful home in Vestal, NY. It really is a beautiful home, darn it. Huge kitchen with full-size appliances, a prep sink, and a pot-filler! Walk-all-the-way-in-and-close-the-door-behind-you laundry room with a humongous Whirlpool duet washer & dryer - you can wash more than 2 towels at a time! And my shower... don't get me started on that shower. I was absolutely giddy for the first 15 minutes after we arrived.

Michael & Sarah and Eric & Lauren came up from NoVirginia and we had a wonderful Labor Day weekend together, joined by Chris's brother Mike, their parents, and mine as well. Steaks on the grill were of course in order, as were stops at Heid's of Liverpool when we drove up to Syracuse for a day, and the Speedie & Rib Pit in Vestal. Forgot to mention that Kyle & I arrived a day before Chris did and our first dinner back home was Five Guys Burgers in Binghamton. Almost heaven! We also made it to the Ithaca Brew Fest where people actually - and I'm not making this up - stopped Chris to take photos of him and his "Bob the Boozer" shirt that he bought at the British Beer Fest! He was eating it up, of course. Add in a game of whiffle ball and a few evenings around the ole' fire pit, roasting marshmallows and melting beer bottles, and you could almost call it a perfect holiday.

Following the much-needed and well-enjoyed family time, we headed out. After driving Chris to Dulles airport, Kyle & I spent 3 wonderful, warm, sunny days in Manassas, VA, practically our home town (actually, it really is Kyle's hometown.) Got the chance to spend more time with Michael & Eric and see some old and very dear friends. Then it was off to Kennett Square, PA for a stay at the Koetz's - Auntie Gramma needed her fix and we had a lovely visit with Olivia & Riley - oh, and Meg & Glenn of course. The last stop on our road trip was South Jersey, where we again had the opportunity to see very dear friends and do some catching up. Boy, did the time go by fast. After a week on the road, we headed back to Vestal, where (in between watching our favorite Food Network shows) Kyle & I vacuumed up crumbs, did laundry (pure bliss) and cleaned out the fridge in preparation for vacating the house once again.

Our last 5 days were spent up in Liverpool, mostly with family - although I did get the chance to see one of my HS BFF's Nancy, who doesn't even read my blog so won't know about this shout out. All of the Manning side of the family gathered at Dad & Darlene's that Saturday for our traditional "Early Thanksgiving" and had a ball just being together.

How thankful I am - I just traveled to 4 different states in 3 weeks and had the chance to spend true quality time with our wonderful families and many fabulous friends that I count myself so blessed to have. And now I'm back in London, familiar but at the same time still foreign, and am fortunate enough to have a few friends that I'm returning to. What did I appreciate most about being back in the US? Being together with all of our kids at once. (And the above mentioned modern conveniences, of course.) What do I appreciate most about being back? Hmmmmm... besides the obvious, which is Chris & I being in the same time zone, I'm going to have to give it some thought. I'm still reveling in the memory of that Five Guys cheeseburger...

(Note: album below is the same one that was e-mailed to family)
http://picasaweb.google.com/swronsky/TripToUS#