Our Recent Travels- Part 1

Seeing that I am (or was, not sure how this traveling thing will work out now that we are in the States) a Traveling Bandita, I thought I should talk about our travels over the past few months.  We knew that our time in Europe was coming to an end, so we left London whenever possible.  Anyone who has followed my blog knows that Kenny and I don't need much of an excuse to travel; once we were pretty certain of our move back date, we had a real incentive to fly away on a (near) weekly basis. 

In early June we spent a long weekend in Milan and Lake Como.  We had heard terrible things about Milan from just about everyone but thought it would still be worth seeing.  Plus, Lake Como is an easy drive from the city.  We only spent two nights in Milan, and that was honestly enough time.  The main thing I wanted to do was see the Last Supper.  Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible for people who don't plan their trips months in advance to view the Last Supper.   Tickets are inexpensive but book up very quickly.   The easy alternative is to take a group tour of Milan that includes the Last Supper.  Sorry, but I don't like being trucked around like a bunch of cattle.  Instead, I arranged a few hours with a tour guide in advance, and we were able to have a private tour of the Last Supper. 

Our guide was a very chic Milanese woman who loved my dress.  She incorrectly assumed that I had purchased it in Milan-- a compliment I was happy to receive!

From Milan we drove to Tremezzo, in Lake Como, for the weekend.  Milan was wonderfully warm and sunny; Lake Como was significantly cooler.  It was still beautiful, but I would have welcomed a slightly warmer experience.

We had a wonderful lunch at Vill@ D'este on our first day... we enjoyed our visit so much that we had lunch there on our way back to the airport as well.  The property is amazing-- click on the link to see how perfectly manicured the grounds are!

The obligatory photo after lunch:)

 

Multiple towns sit on the lake, connected by a fantastic ferry service.  We spent a cold, rainy day hopping from town to town.  The owners of our hotel suggested a little restaurant for lunch.  It consisted of four tables, a little glass-enclosed kitchen with the chef and one waitress.  The establishment was so small that the wine was kept at a neighboring property!  In true Italian form, we started our meal with pasta and then moved onto a fish course.  I loved my pasta but could sadly (or happily?) only eat a little.  Thank you Band.  The chef cleared our plates and incorrectly assumed that I didn't enjoy the dish.  I have refined the art of complimenting the dish/meal immediately rather than explaining, defensively, that I really enjoyed the meal but just don't have much of an appetite. 

 



The view from our hotel

We had such a great time and were thrilled that we missed the madness surrounding the Queen's Jubilee.  We ate well and drank like fish.  Still, I came home weighing the same amount as when I left!

I'm BAAACCCKKKK!

Hi there Blogland.  I am back, or at least I think I am back.  Sorry I have been MIA since May, but I have just had too much going on to focus on blogging.  Here is the short of my spring and summer...

Remember when I was all happy about the house Kenny and I planned to buy?  Well, that became a debacle.  One week before the closing my attorney called (yes, I was in London, and yes, the house is in New Jersey) to tell me that the seller was $50k light for the closing and that the house would be going to a shortsale.  Fun times.  Luckily his bank was willing to proceed with the closing on the condition that we agreed to give up a small credit the bastard seller had previously agreed to.  As annoying as this was, giving up the credit was a lot cheaper than losing the house entirely.  So a month later than expected we flew home and closed on the property.  The next morning we had locksmiths come in so Senor Shady couldn't get into what was by then OUR home.  This was the last weekend in June. 

Since then I have been flying back to NJ for about a week a month to deal with housing issues.  We had to change about 90% of our electric from aluminum to copper, we've redone the hardwood floors and installed wood where we had really ugly tile, installed new garage and fire doors, and so on and so on.  Luckily my mom has been really helpful with letting my contractors in when I have been in London.  Without her, only a fraction of this would have been accomplished.

The exciting conclusion is that Kenny and I moved from London to NJ on September 15th.  We are not yet in the house, but I spend most days here dealing with contractors.  We hope to be moved in by the middle of November.  We shall see.   

I have a lot more to catch everyone up on, but this is a decent start.  Most importantly, I am OK and I am back in the States.  I did not fall off the blogging wagon because I was gaining weight (promise- my weight is pretty stable).  Balancing travel, life in London and the house was just all I have been able to focus on.  Now I need to catch up on all of your blogs.  I have something like 15,000 posts to read, and that just isn't going to happen.  I will try to figure out the big things that I've missed in the last few months. 

More to come:)