5 days of activity in one post, with not much involving cycling.

It has been a while, but I am catching up this afternoon.  With Ben visiting, I am simply not riding much, but enjoying the time together as a family.  Sunday, I got a ride in late afternoon, then this morning before the weather really went bad and we all met for lunch, I got another hour ride in.  As I often say, it simply makes me happy to ride.  I forgot to reset the garmin between rides, so the statistics came in together.  So, 2 shorts rides which together equalled 46 kilometers in 2:06 for an average of 21.9 kph with 1086 meters of climbing.  The pictures show some of the other fun going on this week.  

On Sunday, I met Kate and the kids in the wonderful Boboli gardens,

then Emily and Ben joined us after an hour or so.  Kate and I were spotting

and helping Viola and Vittorio climb this tree in particular.  Fun, and

good climbing, kids.

Monday, Emily, Ben, and I went to Rome for the day.  On the train

before 7am, then a private tour guide for the collaseium, the forum,

and Capitoline hill.  It was supposed to be a group tour, but we were 

the only people, so we lucked out.  Great guide, and fun tour.  I love the

Roman antiquities, even if I cannot seem to spell colloseium correctly.

After lunch, we made our way over to the Vatican, and were able 

to get into Saint Peter's as it was getting dark.  Truly amazing scale

to this church, although a little over the top for me.  This picture was

from when we were leaving to make our way back to the train.

Beautiful structure and perfect light.

After a whole day Tuesday meeting and helping students get settled for a 

semester abroad with a local company who sets this up for many American

Universities, on Wednesday, Kate, Ben, and I spent the day having a hiking

adventure outside of Santa Brigida, where Emily and I lived when we first 

moved here over 3 years ago.  I explored and found a wonderful trail system then,

and although I had only been back a couple times since we moved to the city, I

happily remembered the system well enough to have a great day with Ben and

Kate hiking the area.  The system is centered around "Burraie, which were structures

dug into the ground where people made and stored butter in the early 1900's.

Another fun day and the last, for now, of the beautiful weather.

Kate and Ben at the Santuario Madonna del Sasso.

Kate and Ben in front of my favorite Burraie, the Bacio Burraie.