Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday  /  24, 25, 26, & 27 December 2012

On Monday we were going to leave the gorgeous city of Florence and move to our next stop which was in the country about an hour to the south.  We got up early and were greeted by sunny skies which was a change.  The church of Santa Croce was just a few blocks away from the hotel and we wanted to show the girls the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo which are inside.  From there we jumped in a cab and went to the south side of the historic district and visited the Capella di Medici and the funerary sculptors done by Michelangelo which are located there.  The scale of this mausoleum for the dukes of the Medici family is beyond compare.  The scale of the place is huge and the detail of the decoration is comparable to anything in Italy.  These guys took themselves seriously!!  Leaving town we stopped for one more grand view overlooking the city at the Pizzale Michelangelo.  This vantage point give a wonderful view over the Arno river and the city below.  From here one can get a great feel for the scale of the city and the locations that have been visited.  We bid Florence good by from here and set off for La Amorossa.

We spent a quiet Christmas day at the hotel and did a short driving tour to show Claire and Allie some of the places which we had visited during our time at Montepulciano.  The highlight of the first day was the visit to some of the movie set locations of the Twilight film “New Moon” which were in Montepulciano.   We moved on to Pienza where we were greeted by a warm glowing fire in the main piazza in front of the church and the streets filled with locals greeting and mingling each other.   Wednesday we spent a drizzly day backtracking through Cortona and Arezzo.  Thursday was a trip to Sienna which was a hit.  The girls were thoroughly impressed with the Duomo and the night scene on the narrow streets was quite lively.

Next stop is Rome!

The down river vies from the Ponte Vecchio.

I wonder if the feed sack is from Chanel???

The side aisle of Santa Croce. The main altar was covered with scaffolding.

Michelangelo’s tomb.

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The last bit of street side sights in Florence.

Details from the fountain bronzes.

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Christmas runners making their way through Florence.

Not only are the kids with matching jackets check out the parents!!! This is going to be weird.

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Arrivederci Florence. My guess is we will be back again.

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This is a large panoramic photo looking west over Florence. Click on it to enlarge.

The view of la Amorosa from the back side of the property.

Claire thinks this walk in fireplace is what we need at the ranch.

Into downtown Montepulciano.

Allie doing her best scary bat thing/vampire act hoping it will bring a hunky guy around to kiss!! Just like in the movies.

Same town. Same place. Just short one hunky guy.

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A couple of the local nuns heading to church.

The church over in Pienza.

A well decorated well.

Warming up next to the fire in town.

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Over in Cortona Allie wanted just one bottle please Dad??

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A rainy day in Arezzo.

Inside the Duomo in Siena.

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Sunday  23 December 2012

Allie and I woke up early and headed out into a slight drizzle so that we could go to the Galleria dell’ Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David.  It was well worth it, but again a no photo zone after I had taken a couple.  Ooooops!   The city was still quiet and we crisscrossed Florence to visit he church of Santa Croce.  According to the guide book it was supposed to open at 9:30.  But it didn’t.  Back to the apartment where we grabbed a bite for brunch and then into our trusty little car for a short drive to our main activity for the day.

Our friends Jim and Patricia Allen, whom we had caught up with way back in Milan, had been on a wine tour and discovered this activity.  It is run by a pair of artist brothers who also make wine and, it turns out one is a darn good cook in addition.  There art medium is a sort of fresco style where plaster mud is spread onto plywood  boards and then painted while wet and “speed dried” with a hot air gun. So the four “artistic” Puzios grabbed a glass of prosecco for inspiration and painted away.  It really was an entertaining and educational morning.  The brothers, Rudolfo and Roberto lent artistic helpful hints and historic background but pretty much let us do our own thing.  After the painting was finished we were invited into the house on the property where we made ourselves quite comfortable in the large kitchen and dining room complete with walk in fireplace glowing with a warm fire.  Each delicious course at lunch was accompanied with one of their vineyard produced wines.  Allie decided that red wines were actually pretty good when they are not coming out of a box.  The finale of the day was a winding trip up a multi floor spiral staircase up onto the roof of the tower for a view over the very beautiful  and fog shrouded countryside.  Back inside we persuaded our hosts to ship 3 dozen bottles of wine back to Houston for us and we said our goodbyes.  It was a great family outing and a slower day than art hopping in Florence.

On the way to the Accademia we entered a piazza where there were a pair of these wonderful bronze sculpted fountains.

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Right on cue and straight from the casting call this little nun comes walking through the piazza.

Ooooops, no pics allowed.

The city must have been a beautifully colored place back in history, based on what still survives.

Artist at work.

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It took Alessandra a few minutes to find her ‘groove’ but then she got after it with the pretty in pink Duomo.

Claire, making progress.

The kitchen smelled and felt so nice and welcoming.

Even on a grey day the Tuscan country side is beautiful.

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Lichen frescoes on the stone of the tower.

Retrieving our “artwork” before heading back into Florence.

A Christmas angel on the streets of Florence.

Christmas colors reflected in the piazza.

25 December 2012

Laura and I want to take a moment to wish our families and all of our dear friends back home the very best and most heartfelt wishes for a wonderful Christmas.  Even though we have been gone for quite a while, and the traveling has kept us quite busy, there truly has not been a day when we do not think of everyone and hope all is well.  I am glad that so many have expressed their happiness of following the blog and allowing us all to keep in touch over the miles.  We will be home in a few weeks and look forward to hugs and meals with everyone.

Merry Christmas everyone.  We love you all.

Michael, Laura, Claire, & Alessandra

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Merry Christmas!!!

Friday evening & Saturday,  21 & 22 December 2012

Getting to Florence is not a problem at all.  It is the getting into Florence part that is the challenge.  The pedestrian only area has recently been expanded and what roads you can drive on are almost exclusively one way.  Couple that with a good amount of traffic, the iPhone software not having addresses in the correct geographic position, and poor location capability due to the narrow canyon like streets and it can take a while to get from point A to B where ever it might be.  We resorted to backing up the one way street were we on, driving through the piazza, parking the car and calling the hotel.  We were 100 feet from their door but the sign for the place is about the size of a post card!

Location is everything!  The hotel is located on the Piazza della Signorelli in the heart of Florence.  It is a two minute walk to the Ponte Vecchio or the Duomo in the historic center of the city.  During the Renaissance, and the rule of the Medici family, it may have been some of the most important real estate in the world.  The list of historic figures who live and worked here is a Who’s Who of of culture, science, and art.  We headed out at 8 in the evening to get our bearings and show the girls a little bit of the neighborhood.   The Christmas lights  were the most beautiful we have seen on the trip and there were a good number of people out and hustling about.

Saturday was planned for a guided tour of the Uffizi gallery.  Our guide, Paola was fantastic and steered us through not only the slightly crowded galleries but also the history of the major highlight paintings of the Uffizi and the sculptures of the Loggia di Lanzi.   We thoroughly enjoyed the morning with her.  http://www.guidedflorencetours.com/  Regretfully, but understandably you can not take any photos in the galleries.  Following the Uffizi we had some lunch and then Claire, Alessandra, and I decided that we had to climb the 404 steps from the ground up to the base of the cupulla  atop the dome.  It is an effort  but the view from the top is worth it.  Just make sure sure you don’t mind small enclosed areas and then being close to edge at the top.  Otherwise stay on the ground.  You will be much happier.

We stepped outside the hotel and were greeted with the moon rising over the Palazzo Vecchio.

The sculptures in the piazza have ab entirely different look at night.

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As Claire and I walked around the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio I could not help but think of all the historic people who have been in exactly these same places.

Always look up.

The Ponte Vecchio at night.

Main street Florence Christmas lights.

A couple of shoppers hurrying along the wet street.

The Baptistery, Duomo, and Bell Tower.

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This guy must be asking for a new bike tire for Christmas.

This is not the easiest map to carry around.

It’s the little things that count.

The decoration atop the carousel.

The horse drawn carriage business was getting off to a slow start.

Another bicycle wish list person.

The “sky way” to the top of the Duomo. A bit snug.

But at the top the view makes the effort all worth it.

Thank you to the fellow visitor for snapping this photo.

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This lady sits stone still until you stop, put a coin in her purse and then she reaches into her horn of good fortune and chooses a small curled piece of paper for you.

The smile makes it all worth it no matter what the fortune reads.

I saw the owner wash every horse and the floor each morning and vacuum the carpet tread way along the edge of the ride. He was obviously proud of his ride. The feathers were put on each morning.

If you have ever been to the Village Arcade in Houston to shop you can see a copy of this statue outside of the Victoria’s Secret store.

Thursday & Friday Morning  20& 21 December 2012

Thursday was the end of our stay in Venice.  Early in the morning we walked across the Academia Bridge into the Dorsoduro portion of Venice on the opposite side of the Grand Canal from where we had spent most of our time.  This is a quiet part of town with broad walkways and inviting piazzas.  Our goal was the imposing church of Santa Maria della Salute which stands on the edge of the canal and overlooks the entry of the waterway.   As we entered one of the piazzas along the way we were surprised by tightrope walking mime performer who was very cute and had attracted a small group of admirers.  We watched for a bit and made a donation to her tip jar before continuing.

The church was rather simply decorated inside but the interlocking pattern of stone in the floor and the octagonal shape was quite different from what most of the churches have been.  After a short visit we wound our way back to the apartment since the day was quite cool and damp and rested for our last night in Venice.

Thursday evening was pure magic.  While we were on our guided tour the previous day we went past the Venice Opera House and saw posters advertising the Nutcracker Ballet.  We decide that we would try to attend if tickets were available.  It turned out to be a wonderful evening in an absolutely beautiful opera house.  We were able to buy two separate pair of tickets and traded seats at intermission so we could sit with both girls.  The building has a long history but little of the original structure remains due to a few fires but has been rebuilt in its original style.  The seating is only 1100 so it is quite intimate and the production was beautiful.

We got up early on Friday and had ourselves packed up with the plan of catching the 9:30 Vapporetto boat to the parking garage where the car was stored.  Keep in mind this entails hauling ALL the luggage through the streets and over the small bridge to the dock.  At 5 minutes before nine I tossed out the challenge that we could make the 9:00 boat and get the show on the road early.  We made it by about 10 seconds.  Literally walked up to the stop with suitcases clacking away behind us, got on, and the boat took off.  Timing is everything.

We arrived in Bologna, made our way into the center of town and I eventually found a parking spot while Laura took the girls to show them the town and got a head start.  It was a quite drippy day but our spirits were good and we had a fine time.

A morning Nutello crepe to start the day!! It has to be a good day after that.

She was really quite entertaining.

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It may not be very high but the stone beneath her is quite hard.

This is a very peaceful and quiet part of the city away from the bustle of the busy shopping and major tourist areas.

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Santa Maria della Salute exterior.

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The main altar.

If it had not been quite so cool we would have wandered more.

I missed the shot of the U.P.S. boat but everything moves by water in Venice.

This is an iPhone panorama shot of the Venice Opera House interior. Click on it to enlarge so you can see just how beautiful it is.

And if you have big bucks you can sit in the Royal Box.

I’ll get this. You get that. And we will share the other stuff! Checking out the menu for dinner after the ballet.

By the time we got to Bologna with the girls it was drizzling pretty good.  We did get some shopping in and a quick lunch before getting back in the car and making our way to Florence.

We tried to give the girls just a bit of a flavor of the city and the covered arcades and markets.

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There was little intention to buy them but she at least got to try them on!!

Wednesday,  20 December 2012

Claire and  I decided to start the day at sunrise in Piazza San Marco to take advantage of the clear skies and a slightly less hectic scene in the city.  We made our way through the city, stopped and had a cappuccino, and the timing was perfect as the sun just began to peak above the horizon.  Allie and Laura were ready to go at the apartment at 9:30 so we headed back, met up with them and our tour guide for the morning, and headed back out.  The primary topic of the tour was the Doge’s Palace and the Cathedral of St Mark.  After a late lunch we took a gondola ride along some of the small canals.  Our gondolier was a man with lots of personality who made the tour quite enjoyable.  I am amazed at their skill at rowing these long slender boats along the narrow canals and not touch anything on either side even though at times the clearance is only a few inches.

Sunrise along the Grand Canal.

The evening frost is just beginning to melt on the cafe tables in Piazza San Marco.

The shadow cast by the bronze statue of the lion of St Mark cast along the colonnade in the piazza.

Not a lot of business for an early morning gondola ride.

Funky green hat and all Claire is out and hard at work.

Waiting for the first costumers at her shop.

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The delivery guy is not going to loose this dolly because he can’t find it.

A restaurant window box.

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The tourists have yet to invade the quiet of Piazza San Marco.

Taxi stand Venetian style.

The Doge knew how to live the good life in Venice.

Fancy stairwell ceiling.

Fancier stairwell ceiling.

Famiglia Puzio in the courtyard.

Slip sliding along the canals in our gondola.  Even Bruno the stuffed dog made the trip!

A view up the Grand Canal.

Canal side scenery.

Nice pic Claire!!

And another.

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Our captain!

Tuesday,  18 December 2012

This was the girl’s first full day in Venice.  We had planned a tour of the clock tower located in Piazza San Marco.  Turns out it is not the very tall bell tower, but rather the much shorter, but still very impressive clock tower on the north side.  Our tour guide was wonderful, had a great personality, and charmed us with her sense of humor.  Afterward we decided to warm up just a bit by walking through the Correr Museum on the west side of the piazza.  Photos are not allowed so this portion of the day is not well documented.

Our bell tower guide had suggested that we take advantage of the sunny day and visit the island of Burano which is about 5 miles northeast of Venice itself.  We did a bit of group consulting and Laura’s vote carried the day.  Off we went “as the crow” flies across Venice to try to catch the one vaporetto line that goes to the island.  The gods were with us and we made the boat as it was being untied to leave!!  How can this not be a good day with that kind of luck.  Burano is a magical place of brightly painted houses that look like the neighborhood design committee is right out of a Dr. Seuss cartoon.  We dashed around like typical tourists taking photos as the late afternoon sun was getting lower by the minute.   The island also has a wonderful hand made lace industry with a number of little shops selling everything from lace book marks, to table linens, and clothing.  By the time we got back to the city the weather had cooled and fog had set in.  We shopped a bit in the neighborhood around the Rialto bridge before dinner and then called it a night.

A busy morning at the gondola stand.

Look out Venice here they come!

Getting hooked on cappuccino.

Light stands in the Piazza San Marco

The clock tower exterior. We got to view the all of the entire interior rooms or floors and look down on the piazza from the bell level balcony.

An iPhone fish eye view from the top of the clock tower toward St Marks.

Domes of St Marks.

Allie reflecting on a possible purchase.

An entirely new take on your lipstick is smudged.

On our way to the island of Burano.

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Still liking the water taxis.

Laura’s boat.

This is the slow way to get there.

This guy slept the entire way. And didn’t fall down!

Abandoned buildings on some of the very small islands in the lagoon.

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I was lining up a photo when all of a sudden this seagull came into the frame. He skimmed over the water grabbed something and was gone.

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Even away from the canals the houses and building are wildly painted.

Might need a redo here.

The lace shop cat was definitely enjoying the warm sun.

This is your Burano house on drugs!

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Shadows in the passage ways.

Last one of these. Promise.

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And the winner of the decorating contest is…..

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Leaving just at sunset.

By the time we got to the Rialto bridge the view up the Grand Canal was a little soupy.

Decked out in holiday lights.

The late night gondolier slipping into the shadows and mist.

Sunday & Monday  16 & 17 December 2012

Laura and I arrived on Sunday afternoon to get ourselves in the apartment and situated before the girls were to arrive on Monday.  It all went pretty much without a hitch.  A small 20 Euro “tip” to the parking garage attendant upgraded our spot from on the roof to the second level in a more secure and monitored area.  Not that we were going to be needing the car in Venice for obvious reasons but we felt better about it.  We could also fetch anything from the car more easily this way.

We had a wonderful seafood dinner at a restaurant that specializes in southern Italian cooking styles and we loved it.  I finally got a large helping of mussels which  I had been craving for the past couple of weeks and Laura opted for fresh tuna.  We wandered, which translates to getting “unlost” from the maze of pathways and what one might call streets here in Venice, and then called it a night.  A big day tomorrow with the new arrivals.

Claire and Alessandra are here!!!  We met them at the airport at noon and all went well on their journey across the globe.  Allie was especially hungry and they both thought a nap would be in order before too much serious touring could commence. We sprung for a water taxi back to the apartment instead of the slower and more crowded Vapporetto.  It was a nice ride and we heard all about the plane trip.  Once we got in the apartment and luggage placed it was back outdoors to “feed the beasts.”   We then “unlost” our way over to the Piazza San Marco thus giving the girls a taste of the lay of the land.  I think they were suitably impressed and equally confused about how in the world you figure out how to get someplace without repeated “unlost” moments.

Welcome back to Italy girls! Let the fun begin!

Claire! Allie! Where are youuuuuu????

The neighborhood piazza 100 yards from our door.

I wonder what would happen if somebody showed up in one that was RED!!!?

Sunday evening in Piazza San Marco was very quiet.

They made it back to Italy. Styling in the water taxi.

Along the canal to the apartment. A Venetian high traffic area.

I hope she is not looking for the well that is supposed to be in the piazza according to the map.

Sorry girls wandering with dad entails a few photo stops.

Love locks on a bridge over the Grand Canal.

Shopping has begun.

Quick! Look! The sun is shining!! And, St Marks is looking good all cleaned up since the first time we were here.

Why does anyone want to be a pigeon roosting post?

Sporting one her new trip appropriate early Christmas scarf presents.

Friday & Saturday 14 & 15 December 2012

We sadly left Montepulciano and Tuscany on Friday at 10:30 and began our transition to Venice so we could be there when Claire and Alessandra arrived on Monday.  The drive takes you right past the city of Bologna which we had never visited on any prior trip so we made plans to change that.  An over night stay would be perfect.  We both were thoroughly impressed with the beauty of the city and the vibrancy of the the street scene and night life.  Holiday lights were strung along most of the main streets and a number of smaller ones in the main shopping zone.  There was a large Christmas tree standing in the main piazza and in front of many stores were smaller trees decorated and lighted.  The whole atmosphere was very joyful and the citizens were in full stride as they went about their shopping and socializing.

While Bologna never gets anywhere near equal billing as the other major Italian cities when compared for its beauty and art riches we were very impressed and would say that the city is a undiscovered gem and should absolutely not be missed.  The most striking features are the number of well preserved medieval buildings and the astounding amount of wide vaulted archways covering the sidewalks in the city. I read that there are 42 kilometers (24 miles) of arcades in the city ranging from fairly simple to wonderfully painted and groin vaulted structures.  Unlike many of the Italian cities where pedestrians “share” the road with tour buses, cars, scooters, bicycles, and anything else the arcades offer a safer and nicer respite from the craziness.

The holiday shopping was in full swing.

The prosciutto was hung from the ceiling with care and decorated with garlands!!

Oblivious to the whirlwind around him.

Free mulled wine was being offered on the streets. I love the warmth of this place.

The concept of bike riding was not something that these two were able to handle.

They eventually got it figured out and made there way without any further “incidents”.

This is a small part of the main piazza in the city. The fountain was not working quite up to specs but was still quite impressive.

Our lunch stop was tasty and very busy.

Anybody need roses?

Just one of the wonderful churches in town. There were no photos allowed in the main cathedral San Petronio.

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There was a drum marching corp working the way VERY loudly along one of the wide streets. Lots of folks added in behind them as they moved along.

I guess the tongue helps keep the beat.

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A bit of the night shopping scene and the lights.

Christmas trees and 600 year old facades.

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A bit of a quieter street in the city.

If you are going to shop and spend money at least do it some place pretty.

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Sunday morning we did a bit of exploring that was not shopping bag driven.

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When you don’t have tree trunks to wrap like in Houston you drape the lights along the length of the arcade.

There is wonderful architecture throughout the city.

Games with reflected window light.

I am certain that there is a specific term for these arched extensions outward from the ground floor wall. It is a widely used style of construction in many of the older buildings.

A larger portion of the central city is close to vehicular traffic for most of the day. It makes for large almost park like areas to wander while shopping.

The Christmas bike.

We first saw these craftsman who formed animals out of reeds while in Milan right at the beginning of the trip. These dragons were quite ornate!

More street scenes.

I did not take the time to figure the meaning of this wall mounted decoration.

Apparently back in the sixties there was a whole electric powered street car system that ran throughout the city. It is now gone but for some reason all of the overhead wiring has been left in place???

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The last arcade and then it is off to Venice!

Wednesday  12 December 2012

Wednesday was a wonderful sunny and brisk day in Tuscany.  I wanted to take a road trip to a remote, abandoned abbey which was one and a half hours to the west.  Laura decided that a close to home afternoon walk sounded more appealing so we did “our own thing” for the day.  The countryside did not let me down for the drive.  It was a very hilly mix of farm land and beautiful woods with a healthy dose of charming old houses, castle ruins, and broad vistas to challenge your ability to keep your eyes on the road.  Driving here can be bad for your health.  The temperatures in the sun never climbed more than a couple degrees above freezing and the shadowed sides of hills kept a thick coating of frost on the ground all day.

The abbey was constructed beginning in 1218.  The entire roof is now gone, leaving a soaring stone and brick structure open to the skies.  As  I walked around in silence, having the entire place to myself, I kept thinking how much fun it would be to be able to see this place in all of the different light and conditions that we have experienced while in Tuscany.   It really is a fantastic sight.  It may have been cold but as I left and drove past the parking lot with spaces for 400 cars  I was again thankful that even though my fingers were numb from the cold, it was my abbey for the day.

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Don’t forget to look down.

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I was hustling on the way to the abbey and did not stop to since I was not certain of the timing of the drive.  On the way back there were a few things that I pulled over for.  One car went past me during 5 different stops.  Which is good because there was almost no shoulder and the car was mostly in the road.

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You can see the frost on the ground hiding in the shadows.

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That is a lot of cypress trees to plant and water.

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