Life and Leadership

Tell Me, What Is It You Plan To Do With Your One Wild and Precious Life?

February 18, 2018 by Shelli

I love poetry. Poems are a great source of inspiration for me. During 2018, I’m working to memorize my favorites. I work on the memorizing every morning while doing “ball planks,” which are part of my weekday morning rituals. I will turn 50 in June, and memorizing is apparently helps keep sharp an aging brain. 🙂 Mostly, though, I’m memorizing these so I have them with me at all times without having to carry printouts of the poems.

This is my first of what will be a series of videos of me trying to recite a poem by memory. Appropriately, my first effort is my favorite poem, “The Summer Day,” by Mary Oliver.

Thanks for watching. And please feel free to share with me some of your favorite poems! (See all of my recorded memorized poems.)

Wyoming’s Indian Basin and Fremont Peak – An Unforgettable Epic Adventure

August 30, 2016 by Shelli

You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.–René Daumal

I am back in the “lower regions,” but still thinking about what I saw up high. As I write this, I’m still exhilarated from an adventure I experienced in my backyard, Wyoming’s Wind River Range, this past weekend. As you have gathered by the many blog posts I’ve published here, I spend a lot of time in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, which is essentially my “backyard.”

This blog post is my attempt to share about what I consider to be one of my most memorable Wind River epic adventures – time in Indian Basin and a climb up Fremont Peak. I apologize in advance for the blog post’s long length. But, as the saying goes, I would have made it shorter, but I didn’t have the time.

I put this adventure together at the last minute when a work trip was cancelled. I invited my dear friend, Kathy Swanson, to accompany me, and she said Yes.

I only had three days, and I wanted to climb Fremont Peak. I also wanted to experience the Indian Basin region, which I had read about in numerous stories and trip reports related to the Titcomb Basin region. My friend, and well-known adventurer and writer, Mark Jenkins, wrote about Indian Basin in a Backpacker article called “Perfect 10–North America’s 10 Most Memorable Hikes, “I’ve hiked trails from Tibet to Timbuktu and found nothing more gorgeous.”

And in 2012, my husband, Jerry, and I had taken a long day hike to Island Lake. I remember taking in the views of the lake, and being awe-struck by the big mountains beyond the lake, which include Fremont Peak. I promised to one day return so I could go deeper into the area. Last weekend was my chance.

The plan was to backpack in about 15 or so miles on Friday to Indian Basin, where we’d camp for 2 nights. On Day 2/Saturday, we’d climb Fremont Peak, and on Day 3/Sunday, we’d backpack back out.

Fremont Peak is the third tallest peak in Wyoming, and the second tallest in the Wind Rivers. At 13,745′ tall, it’s just 64′ lower than Gannett, the tallest, and 31′ lower than the Grand Teton (which I’ve also climbed). Fremont Peak is the tallest peak in Wyoming that doesn’t require technical skills or gear. The main reason I wanted to climb it is because directly on the other side of it (on its north side) is Upper Fremont Glacier, one of the largest and last remaining glaciers in the American Rockies. I couldn’t wait to look over the other side of the mountaintop to see that for the first time.

We started at the popular and well-used Elkhart Park trailhead near Pinedale, WY. We started up the Pole Creek Lakes trail with our too-heavy backpacks at 6am, and made great time. After about four-and-a-half miles, we took our loads off and snapped some photos at an overlook called Photographer’s Point. “There’s Fremont Peak,” I told Kathy. “That’s the mountain we’ll climb tomorrow.” She didn’t say anything, and I think she purposefully looked away from the view at that point. At a little over five miles, we continued on the Seneca Lake Trail.

Kathy, at about 5 miles into our 15.5-mile day.

A major highlight of this route are all of the lakes you pass. We hiked past Eklund Lake, an unnamed lake, and Hobbs Lake, before reaching the stunning, and rather large, Seneca Lake.

Kathy, at the beautiful Seneca Lake, reached after about nine miles.

The views of the mountains from Seneca Lake warrant a break, so we removed our packs and enjoyed a lunch break here before refilling our water bottles and continuing up. Shortly after Seneca lake, we hiked past Little Seneca Lake, and soon after, crossed over the Continental Divide Trail and continued up and toward Island Lake and Titcomb Basin.

At about 11 miles, we reached Island Lake. Seriously – this is such a spectacular scene I always feel like I have to check the map to make sure we’re not in Heaven. It’s that spectacular. We took our loads off here briefly to take some photos and enjoy another snack. I also commented about the clouds over the mountains, which were building up pretty quickly. I knew there was a chance for some weather today, but was hoping we’d reach our destination before it came to pass.

I should probably mention here that Kathy doesn’t consider herself a backpacker, nor does she want to be one. She’s a phenomenal athlete, and is very adventurous, and we share a love for long distance day hiking. Kathy and I both “grew up” in Lander, WY, but she’s a year younger, and while we had some friends in common in those early days, we weren’t very well acquainted. It wasn’t until she read about my Grand Canyon rim-to-rim-to-rim, and other epic day hikes, that she reached out to me. That was about six years ago, and Kathy and I have since shared the trail on many epic adventures, mostly epically long day hikes.

But back to the point I was trying to make a minute ago… Kathy pretty much only backpacks when I invite her on one of these trips. In 2012, I roped her into going on a 3-day backpacking and mountain climbing adventure with me, along with two other friends. The adventure served as a sort of “test drive” for a portion of my Epic Women expedition’s route. She was a great sport, even if she didn’t fall in love with carrying a backpack, “camping” without lawn chairs and a cooler of beer, and climbing mountains. (We climbed Mitchell Peak from Lizard Head Meadows, and she was terribly uncomfortable with every step, and although she did amazing, I wasn’t sure I’d ever find myself leading her up another mountain.)

The night before this adventure, when Kathy tried on her borrowed – and loaded – backpack, she remarked with a few choice words I don’t want to print here, along with “my knees just buckled.” She wasn’t joking. Did I mention Kathy is a trooper? She’s one of the very few friends I call when I have something this epic planned, and on short notice. So far she has always said Yes. But for the record, and to be completely up front, had she said No, I still would have set out on this adventure. That’s how bad I wanted to experience Indian Basin and Fremont Peak. That said, I was thrilled I had a taker in Kathy, because we always have meaningful conversations, a lot of fun and laughter, and we both love pushing our limits.

The reason I’m bringing this all up right here is that a little bit past Island Lake, about 11.5 miles into our backpacking adventure, I could sense that Kathy might be approaching that threshold at which things start to go downhill, and it’s not a lot of fun anymore. This has nothing to do with her fitness level and everything to with her borrowed, and heavy, backpack. Oh, and add to that she was experiencing significant pain in one of her ankles caused by her hiking boot.

All that said, Kathy is one of the toughest people I know, and she has a awesome attitude. About this time I was also worried about the clouds that were developing, and how torrential rains and prospective thunder and lightning might wear on her (us) should those conditions present themselves.

Kathy, leading us down the trail toward Island Lake.

After hiking down to, and around, Island Lake, we made our way up the trail to the Indian Pass junction. Here, we took a right and headed toward Indian Basin. Shortly after the junction, we came upon a young couple, and I asked them if they had been in Indian Basin. They said Yes, and then they asked where we were headed. I told them we were headed into Indian Basin, and that we had plans to climb Fremont Peak the next morning. They shared that they had climbed it earlier in the day.

Before our trip, I had talked to a couple of friends (Hank Williams and Gabe Joyes) about climbing Fremont Peak. Each of them told me that Fremont Peak was a “walk up,” and that I’d have no problem. I believed them, but was still interested in hearing a first-hand report from strangers. The couple, who was visiting from Grand Junction, CO, told us that the route up the SW buttress was pretty straight-forward, but that there were some pretty hairy sections that were loose, and some “Class 4” terrain. “But I’m sure you’re experienced, and will have no problem with it.” I felt assured by this, and yet the Class 4 comment wasn’t something I was expecting. Everything I had read about the SW route to Fremont Peak was that it was Class 3. I filed that interesting tidbit in my mind, but didn’t mention anything to Kathy, who was already terrified at the prospects of climbing a mountain. Before we parted ways with the couple, the man mentioned that there were some established sites protected by boulders in Indian Basin that we should look for, adding, “It’s a bit of a climb into Indian Basin.”

Kathy, heading toward Titcomb Basin, and specifically, Indian Basin.

Almost to our destination, Indian Basin.

That “bit of a climb” the man mentioned to us felt like Jackass Pass, one of my favorite high altitude trails and passes in the southern Wind Rivers near the Cirque of the Towers. Normally a high pass wouldn’t be that challenging for us, but this was coming to us with about 14.5 miles already on our legs, and too-heavy packs on our backs. Oh, and did I mention that those developing clouds were now expressing themselves? At this point, at about 2pm on on Aug. 26, the skies were spitting snow on us. Awesome.

We sucked it up, and continued hiking up the trail in lightly falling snow. I stopped to capture a quick video and take in the moment. Although I would have preferred blue sky, the scene felt magical. When snow falls on an August epic adventure, it makes the whole experience more unforgettable. Kathy and I both agreed that snow was better than rain, and continued, but only after Kathy remarked, “Living the dream.” She took the words right out of my mouth.

Finally, we arrived at Indian Basin, and found a protected and established site for our tent that was up against a rock wall, at about 11,500′ elevation. I instructed Kathy to remove her pack, bundle up with some layers and warmer gloves, and to eat a snack and drink some water. Not to brag, but I set up our tent in record time. As I did so, it wasn’t snowing as much as “spitting”on us. We quickly inflated our sleeping pads, and placed our sleeping bags in the tent. As soon we both climbed in to get horizontal, and out of the elements, the snow really came. (See the video below for proof!)

Suddenly we couldn’t see the lake that was in front of us, or the mountains. (I think Kathy preferred it that Fremont Peak wasn’t visible because it was easier to keep it out of her mind.)

Because we had started our adventure early in the day and made good time, it was only 3pm as we rested in our tent while the snow fell.

“Well that was a solid 9 hours of exercise we had today,” remarked Kathy. I laughed at her choice of words – “solid”– to describe our 15.5-mile trek in with too-heavy packs on our backs, and a route that included 3,500′ of elevation gain. (My FitBit recorded 44,000 steps for the day.)

Kathy rested her sore neck, shoulders and legs, while closing her eyes. As for me, I reached for my book, Consolations, by David Whyte, and read two of his amazing essays in that book, Gratitude, and also, Beauty.

About one hour later, I unzipped the fly, and peeked out. The snow-filled air was gone, and blue sky was emerging. We could see Fremont and Jackson peaks. Yeehaw! I thought to myself.

I made an early Epic noodle dinner for us, and we ate it with gusto. I would share more about the recipe, but it’s complex, and I don’t want to give away my secret wilderness recipe. 🙂 We called it a night when it was still light out, and woke up (from not sleeping!) at around 4am.

The big day was here. We were going to climb Fremont Peak. I love to start mountain climbs before the sun comes up. This is for the obvious reason. Starting early provides us with a bigger window and opportunity to climb a mountain in a place where weather can change quickly. The second reason, though, is I love to be under way when the sun comes up, and to experience alpenglow on the peaks we’re approaching. However, because this was all new country for me, and given Kathy’s – to use her words – “dread,” we opted to depart camp at first light so we could better see the terrain. So I had an extra two or three cups of coffee, while Kathy enjoyed a double hot chocolate, and we ate our breakfast bagels.

Kathy, excited (not so much) about setting off to climb Fremont Peak.

We had instructions from everyone I consulted with before this trip to head for the grassy saddle below Fremont Peak, so from our camp, we started traversing a slope at an angle oriented toward the top of the saddle. The lakes we passed were like mirrors – still, and reflecting the mountains above them.

Kathy, scrambling over some rocks and tundra during early morning reflections in one of the lakes of Indian Basin.

Kathy and flowers and lakes and reflections. — Kathy and flowers and a lake.

I didn’t expect to see many wildflowers on this trip since it was late August, but we were pleasantly surprised.

This was the terrain at the start of our mountain climb. That's Fremont Peak, and this is the terrain leading to the saddle, which you see at center left of this photo. — This was the terrain at the start of our mountain climb. That’s Fremont Peak, and this is the terrain leading to the saddle, which you see at just left of center in this photo.

As we approached the saddle to Fremont Peak, the terrain was mostly rocks. We acted like mountain goats and made pretty good time getting to its top. Once at top of the saddle, we took some photos and I captured a short video. We snarfed a snack and guzzled some water and then found a trail, and followed it toward Fremont’s S/SW face.

Here’s a video of our view from Fremont’s saddle:

The “trail” petered out shortly due to the terrain being mostly rocks and not dirt or tundra. We spied some boot tracks here and there and used those to link routes up the mountain.

The first Wind River mountain I climbed was Wind River Peak (which I’ve climbed two times, including in a day with my husband as a birthday present for me in 2012.) I have since climbed many peaks in the Wind Rivers. I don’t choose peaks based on their height or popularity. Rather, I’m looking for unique experiences, and often, those experiences include climbing a peak. And I won’t lie, I am always curious about what it looks like from the top, and “on the other side.”

Near the beginning of the climb up Fremont, when we stopped to find sections to piece together into a route, I found myself reflecting a bit on the previous mountains I had climbed. I remembered I was only 28 when I climbed Wind River Peak that first time. Today, I’m 48. That’s not helpful right now, I thought to myself. I’m not very young anymore. This caused me to recall a conversation I had recently with a friend, who is also 48, and how I reminded her, “You’re only 48.” I am so grateful for my health and abilities. To reassure myself, I recalled all of the hard training I have done throughout the year so I can embark on adventures like this one.

As I carefully selected routes, I was pushing my mental limits, feeling very aware of Kathy’s discomfort and fear, and also managing some of my own fears. One thing I’ve learned is that most, if not all, of us have an inner critic, and that critic usually shows up when we’re stretching our abilities. Instead of supporting us and encouraging us, our inner critic beats us down in an effort to get us to retreat “to safety,” to the status quo, to our comfort zones.

The climb was not above my abilities, but the stakes in the wilderness, and up on mountains, are high, and I was constantly aware of what those stakes were, as well as Kathy’s trust in me. This made me a little teary-eyed, but (thankfully) my sunglasses concealed my emotions. I was part fearful, but mostly feeling blessed that someone would trust me enough to follow me. This caused me to be grateful for all of the people who sign up to work with me and follow me into the wilderness, and sometimes up mountains. That’s a lot of trust, and I don’t take it lightly.

With only a few steps (moves) to reach the summit, I was filled with anticipation. I couldn’t wait to see what was on the other side. I love this stage of a mountain climb – when the summit is in reach, and you’re about to stand on it. Full of potential is how I would describe this state. I couldn’t wait to get a look at the Upper Fremont Glacier. (In May and June, our family went to Europe, where we explored 7 countries in 30 days. One of many highlights was riding a train to the Gornergrat Glacier, above Zermatt, Switzerland.) I couldn’t believe I was about to get a close-up view of a glacier in my own backyard.

And there it was, before me: Upper Fremont Glacier. I recalled the words of John C. Fremont, for whom this mountain is named. From Fremont’s 1842 Report: “I sprang upon the summit, and another step would have precipitated me to an immense snow field five hundred feet below.” Measuring about 690 acres, Upper Fremont Glacier is one of the highest altitude glaciers in the American Rockies.

Looking over the summit’s edge at the great expanse of old snow was an experience I’ll never forget. The views from Fremont’s top are panoramic, the scenery in all directions, astounding. In addition to the glacier, we could look up (and down) the Continental Divide and see numerous granite peaks, and also, the many lakes that dot Titcomb Basin and beyond.

Kathy and I hugged, and congratulated each other before capturing some summit photos and video.

As if often the case in the Wind Rivers, and during other wilderness experiences, I was for a moment moved to tears. I was inspired by the spectacular beauty, feeling fulfilled by our accomplishment, and filled with gratitude. I remembered what I had read in the tent the day before from Consolations. That gratitude isn’t a passive response to something we have been given, and that it arises from paying attention, from being awake in the presence of everything that lives within and without us.
Gratitude is the understanding that many millions of things come together and live together and mesh together and breathe together in order for us to take even one more breath of air, that the underlying gift of life and incarnation as a living, participating human being is a privilege; that we are miraculously, part of something, rather than nothing. (David Whyte)

Kathy was also overcome with emotion, and used my cell phone to call her husband and daughter, and her parents. I also sent out some texts to special people, and then we snarfed some lunch while taking in the experience.

The view from Fremont's top is epic. — The view from Fremont’s top is epic.

After about 45 minutes, we agreed it was probably time to start down. I always remember that the summit is only the halfway point. We still have to get down off the mountain. And based on our route up, I knew our descent could be more challenging than our ascent.

We took it slow, and I reminded Kathy to be deliberate and to stay focused. I said these words often, and in order for both of us to remember. We took frequent breaks to keep our wits, to breathe, and to look up and take in the views.

As we descended, we could see more of the mountains up north along the Continental Divide.

Soon, we were back at the saddle, where now the tundra stood out in its brilliant early Fall colors. There were burnt red patches mixed in with golden tundra, and all around us were greenish-blue lakes, and tall gray granite mountains. The angle of the light on this landscape was breathtaking, and we couldn’t help but stop to soak in the scenery, and to enjoy it for a bit.

Here's a screen capture of our route in Google Earth. — Here’s a screen capture of our route in Google Earth.

(By the way, I have our route saved as a .kml file. If you have Google Earth, and are interested in the file, please send me a note, and I’ll be happy to share it with you.)

While returning to our tent, we passed numerous lakes. — More flowers.

One more lake to hike around before getting back to our site. — One more lake to hike around before getting back to our tent.

We found the trail, and descended the saddle toward the lakes in Indian Basin, and before long we were back at our tent. It was 2pm, and all we wanted to do was rest. We put our sleeping bags on a flat granite slab, got horizontal, and rested under a blue sky, occasionally looking up at the mountain we had just climbed.

Pointing to the top of mountain we climbed.

I fixed us some Epic cheesy quesadillas with spicy tomatoes and we had a bit of a “Happy Hour,” made possible by some special treats we had hauled in. We watched as the sun started to set and marveled at the way the sun highlighted the mountain peaks. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

Our campsite was stellar. Evening alpenglow.

Morning came early. Our third day would be a big one. We had to pack up our camp, and backpack 15.5 miles to the trailhead, then drive 2 hours to Lander, and then Kathy had an additional 2.5-hour drive to get home to Casper.

We were on the trail before sun up, and we were rewarded accordingly. There was pink in the sky, and perfect reflections of the pink sky, granite and pine trees in the lake.

Headed out. — Me, happy to be hiking at my favorite time of day – during sunrise.

The beautiful Island Lake, with morning reflections. — Kathy, ascending a trail above the beautiful Island Lake, with morning reflections.

Unfortunately, once at Island Lake, I led us up a wrong trail. We ascended about 300′ and a quarter of a mile before I had a hunch we were on a wrong trail. Fortunately I realized my hunch was correct and we returned to the lake, skirted it for another quarter mile or so, and then ascended via the correct trail.

Once above Island Lake, we stopped for one last look at this spectacular scene. It was almost 8am, so I figured I deserved a Snickers. As usual, it was delicious. While stopped, we watched as a cute pika came out from under a rock.

For the last 11 miles, we hiked pretty non-stop. We had places to go, and had got what we came for. We stopped briefly at Seneca Lake to refill water bottles, before continuing the rest of the way out.

Fremont Peak, in our rearview mirror. We could make out the route we had climbed the day before.

We were back at the trailhead, and our truck, by 2pm. We bought some chips and cold drinks in Pinedale and headed to Lander, stopping in Farson to get epic servings of ice cream.

This was an adventure I’ll never forget, and one I highly recommend. If you can, though, add more days to the adventure so you can have more time to experience, explore, and enjoy what is truly a magnificent Wonderland.

We did it this Epic Adventure in three days only because we had only three days of available time, and that is much better than zero days.
Ours was a tall order, and we were lucky to achieve what we set out to experience. You’d think I’d be beat, but instead I feel invigorated and “restored” to whole. Which reminds me of a Rebecca Solnit excerpt from one of my favorite books, Wanderlust: A History of Walking:

“Suddenly I came out of my thoughts to notice everything around me again-the catkins on the willows, the lapping of the water, the leafy patterns of the shadows across the path. And then myself, walking with the alignment that only comes after miles, the loose diagonal rhythm of arms swinging in synchronization with legs in a body that felt long and stretched out, almost as sinuous as a snake…when you give yourself to places, they give you yourself back; the more one comes to know them, the more one seeds them with the invisible crop of memories and associations that will be waiting for when you come back, while new places offer up new thoughts, new possibilities. Exploring the world is one the best ways of exploring the mind, and walking travels both terrains.”

What We Learned During our 29-Day Epic Europe Family Adventure

June 19, 2016 by Shelli

Greetings from 30,000’ in the air, somewhere above England. We are just starting our long flight back to the United States. Our hard-earned, dream-come-true Epic Family Europe Adventure is coming to an end. It’s been an unforgettable experience, and one that has impacted us in so many ways. (I’m adding this sentence on Sunday, June 19: As we drove into our small town of Lander, Wyoming, a charming town in the foothills of the Wind River Range that is home to just 7,000 people, one of our sons remarked from the backseat, “It’s so great to be here. It’s the same, but somehow it feels different.” This says it all, really. We are changed because of all that we have seen and experienced and learned that was new and different.)

During our great adventure, we kept a family journal. At the end of every single day, we each contributed our thoughts about what was special or noteworthy about the day’s events, and what we’d like to have on record. (I’ve also blogged throughout this great adventure. In fact, this is my 15th blog post. If you’re interested, all previous trip reports from this Epic Family Adventure include are listed and linked to at the bottom of this blog post.)

Today, as we sat in Heathrow for two hours waiting to board this flight, we all shared with each other takeaways and observations we are taking home with us from this experience. They are numerous. I’m including them below. First I’m listing mine, and then I’m going to include some of the notes from Jerry and the boys. I hope you enjoy!

Takeaways and/or observations from our 29-Day Epic Europe Family Adventure:

• I still love my family! In fact, I love them more today than I have ever loved them. Before this trip, we were a close family. By design, we have a pretty simple life, and we spend a lot of time together. We just finished spending almost every single moment of every single day for 29 days together, sometimes in tight quarters. We traveled on trains together, buses and planes. We were packed together like sardines on many subway rides. Some of our apartments and flats were quite small. We did everything together. I was expecting that our relationships with one another, and as a family would be enriched, but also that there’d be a lot of arguing. There was even more enrichment than I expected, and less arguing than I expected. I have made new discoveries about each of our sons, and my husband. The togetherness we have experienced, combined with the fact we got to discover and see so many new sights together was priceless. Sharing this type of adventure as a family is in itself a reason to make a trip like this happen!

• We are very lucky in the U.S. We have it so good in so many ways. I believed we had it great in many ways, but now I know it firsthand. For one thing, our restrooms. We have them everywhere, and they are for the most part clean, and free. True, sometimes we buy a candy bar or pack of gum at a convenience store in order to use the restroom, but we don’t have to pay an attendant $1 to use the bathroom, or wait in long lines to use them, and compared to Europe, they’re abundant.

• Kindness is a universal language, and it matters a lot. In so many countries, we didn’t speak the language, and were able to get by with kindness, and knowing how to say Please, Thank you and I’m sorry in the native language. Smiling and showing appreciation is important, and goes a long way when traveling to foreign countries.

• I love wine. I loved red wine before this trip. Now I love it even more. In Italy, I became accustomed to drinking red wine on a very regular basis. And Portugal had inexpensive, delicious wine. It was the good life – shall I say, La Dolce Vita. (After my 16-day NOLS course in Alaska in 2011, upon my return, I had to learn how not to yell bear calls. We had to make bear calls so often. After this Europe trip, I will have to learn how to not drink wine every single afternoon and evening!)

• We need to walk to places more often. We logged, on average (and including our rest and travel days), 24,500 steps (10-11 miles) a day. We walked everywhere, and, except for the hikes from train station to apartment in each new destination, when we had our big duffel backpacks on, no one complained! It was just our way of life. We saw more, had more freedom and independence, and slept better each night. We all agreed that we ought to walk to more places in Lander. (The boys related how walking to Mr. D’s for donuts is only 1,500 steps. Considering our 24,500 steps/day average, this seems pretty reasonable!)

• Related to the previous takeaway… when you’re fit you get to see a lot more of a place. We had no problem walking from morning ’til night, and as a result we saw more and experienced more than if we were not fit, AND we slept better each night.

• For 29 days, we watched no television, and followed no news. I didn’t miss it – the bad news, especially all the Trump stuff.

• I loved being exposed to so much diversity. The people we met in each of the cultures we experienced were unique and different, fascinating and wonderful. The people watching, also, was remarkable and part of experiencing each place. While every area we toured had lots of diversity, we noticed it especially in London, where reportedly more than 300 languages are spoken.

• You can’t experience a culture without eating its foods. I love food. At home, by choice, I live with a lot of food restrictions, and am very disciplined. I indulge, but only occasionally. For this trip, I wanted to fully immerse myself in the experience, and that includes all of the delicious foods. What a treat! I loved the attention put into the food and wines and desserts, and the experience of slowly eating and enjoying consuming it. Italy, in particular, influenced me. They are laid back, and take their time at cooking foods, and gathering to enjoy it, always with lots of family and friends around. As our oldest son put it so perfectly: “Tasting and enjoying food, and just eating food quickly are not the same thing.”

• At least in our experience, with relative ease, in Europe, trains can get you anywhere you want to go. We explored destinations in 7 countries, almost all by trains. And the Underground in London is nothing short of remarkable. We could go anywhere using the subway, and always be somewhere even if we made a wrong connection. (By the way, Jerry is nothing short of a Hero. He deserves ALL of the credit for navigating and successfully orienteering us throughout 7 countries in Europe. He was responsible for figuring out our Rail pass, and all of our train connections. There were 100, give or take, train connections in all, and we made all of them thanks to Jerry!)

• Rome is my new favorite city. All of the Piazzas, the old age and remnants of a time that was thousands of years ago, the statues and fountains, and little restaurants, the street performers and gelato, vino and food… We had some really meaningful walks and evenings in Rome, not to mention all of the sights we explored at a very deep level.

• Germany was raucous, fun, festive and “on time.” We loved it, and immersed ourselves in the beer gardens, the way of life, the scenery of the Bavarian Alps, Marienplatz, outdoor markets, etc.

• Restaurants in Italy and Portugal are small and very personal. Some felt like you were eating in someone’s house, and the service & pride in their food were exceptional. And, I like that they tried to earn your business. Outside most restaurants was someone with a menu trying to convince you to eat at their place. This was not obnoxious selling, but rather prideful inviting, and there is a difference.

• It is hard on your feet to walk so many steps and miles on marble and granite and cobbled tile streets! I don’t want to complain, but the feet protested quite a lot at the end of the day. But I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything, and walking on marble floors and tiled streets was temporary. There are not a lot of those surfaces in our beloved Wyoming!

• Sometimes in the hiking world we call them trail angels – someone you meet on the trail who is helpful. We met some real angels on our trip. These were people who appeared as if out of nowhere to offer help when we needed it. (We had to disembark a train in Paris, and find another train station to find our next connection, all in a very short time period. We didn’t speak French, and this was a lot of pressure to try to get help and find the train station. We were struggling and wandering a little aimlessly outside of the train station, when a father who was pushing his daughter in a stroller approached us out of nowhere and asked if he could help us. This happened again in Monterossa, Italy, when a German man & woman showed us the way to an alternative trail once we learned the Cinque Terre Trail was closed. We had another angel in the form of an elderly lady in the Lagos, Portugal train station. These experiences cause me to love humanity even more, and have inspired me to pay it forward.

• Our boys were eating us out of house & home BEFORE this trip… With all the good food everywhere this was going to potentially be a problem for our budget in Europe, and indeed, by Day 12, we were way over budget when it came to food. (Usually our vacations are a week long, and managing a food budget for a family that includes growing boys isn’t an issue. But for a 30-day trip, managing the food budget was critical, and we didn’t start out doing very well. Add to this the boys were asking for food constantly. I am not exaggerating, and I was beginning to get depressed having to say No so often! You would have thought we weren’t letting them indulge at all, and we were saying Yes a lot, contrary to their continued asking for things. Switzerland, in particular, broke the bank. So, our solution? We decided to delegate the daily food budget management to our sons – or, specifically to our middle son, Hayden. We all chose Hayden because, of the three boys, it is well-established that is he is the saver of money. Once we gave Hayden the budget, he did a great job of keeping us on budget for the remainder of the trip, while still allowing them to indulge significantly. We even had some “2-gelato days!” This turning the budget over to one of our sons was a learning experience for all of the boys, and it was liberating for Jerry and I to turn over. (It was fascinating to see how Hayden strategized on all of our behalf, and to see how all of the boys became more miserly about what they asked for, and what they ultimately got once we explained that “money doesn’t grow on trees,” and that we had only a finite amount of it! Among other things, we observed the boys were willing to go longer between eating, and that they deliberated more when it came to ordering a small (1 scoop), medium (2 scoops) or large (3 scoops) gelato. Once they were in charge of gelatos, we ordered many more smalls and mediums! 🙂 We saw the boys often discussing, depending on the day and if we were in Italy or Portugal, if the bulk of money would be spent on dinner, or several treats throughout the day with just a pizza by the slice at night, vs. an entire pizza for each of them.)

• Before this trip, I had already been working hard to minimize and slow down on our accumulating of stuff. I definitely have a long way to go on this goal, as I’m quite a consumer. But this trip has made it more clear than ever that accumulating stuff is ridiculous. It costs money, requires space, and is not sustainable, not to mention it keeps us from spending our hard-earned money on ore important things – namely, experiences.

• When riding trains from one country to another, go to the bathroom before getting off train, so that you can use your short time while changing trains efficiently, and not have to pay to use the WC (Waste Control).

• Don’t be afraid to open a closed door. We discovered some really cool and beautiful places by daring to open a closed door. We were surprised every time by what was on the other side.

• Rainy days are sometimes welcome. The few rainy days we had made it possible – and even pleasurable – to do some laundry, to write, to read, to nap – to “chillax.”

• Always make the effort to see the sun set. We saw so many sunsets, and so many of them were extra meaningful. Our family likes to “chase the sunset” – race to a high place or to the edge of somewhere to get there right as the sun sets. We do this often in Wyoming, and on our adventures to national parks, etc. We chased sunsets upon arriving in Rome for the first time, and during our last night in Rome, and again upon our first arrival to Lisbon, Portugal. In Rome, after checking into our AirBnB, we hit the ground running toward the Sant ‘Angelo Bridge, and enjoyed seeing that wonderful sight for the first time, marveling at the beautiful statues of angels, as a harp player strummed a beautiful song in the background and the sun set. It was magical. Then, on our last night in Rome, we walked to St. Peter’s Square, with the fountain and Basilica in the background, our boys played fetch as the sun set behind them, and Jerry and I sat together and watched them. I had an overwhelming feeling of God’s presence, and have probably never felt so blessed. And, let me not forget to mention the sunsets in Rome’s Piazza Navonia, especially one night as the boys watched all of the street performers, and Jerry and I enjoyed a cheeseboard and wine tasting. Then, as we arrived at Lisbon, Portugal, for the first time we checked into our flat and then raced up several staircases and many maze-like and steep uphill, anciently-tiled narrow streets to reach the apt overlook, Ponta Del Sol, where we saw watched as the sun set and cast its angled light over the Tagus River. Other meaningful sunsets were on the beach in Lagos, Portugal, with Jerry after a romantic dinner date. Another was walking along the boardwalk above the Ligurian sea’s shoreline with the boys, as we ate gelato. Another was on the balcony of our flat in Moneglia, Italy, with the church bell ringing in the background. We also had unforgettable sunsets in Munich. As we returned to our flat each night in Munich, we watched men play chess in the park, and people gather on the beaches at sunset along the Isar River.

• Plan b can be as good as plan A. The Cinque Terre Trail was closed during our time in the area due to landslides from rains. At first this was a major bummer. Hiking the Cinque Terre Trail was something we were really looking forward to. But, thanks to a wonderful German couple we met, we discovered an alternative hike that was amazing in its own right. (From Monterossa to Levanto.)

• Do not hydrate when toilets are holes in the ground that are not kept clean. The worst toilet was the one at the Monterossa, Italy, train station. We were especially hydrated when in that area due to the hiking we had planned, and going to the bathroom, at least for me, was a problem. It was a hole in the ground, with no toilet paper available, and very gross and unclean that you had to wait in line for.

• As we expected, there are more nude sunbathers in Europe than in Wyoming. 🙂

• Italians are passionate. While in Italy, we often saw couples, in all age categories, kissing passionately.

• Tight, skinny jeans are everywhere in London, often considered the Fashion Capital of the World. After seeing so many people wearing these jeans, especially when I was in the hip and happening part of the city to give my presentation to leaders at the Sapient office, I wanted to wear some. Of course, I’ll have to work off all of the carbs first. 🙂

• We stayed in flats & apartments. Every time we’d arrive at a new destination, we’d load on our heavy Patagonia Black Hole Duffels/Backpacks and walk one half to one-and-one-half miles to find our AirBnB, flat or apartment. We all agreed that it was exciting and a little like unwrapping a present whenever we searched for our accommodations. In Rome, after struggling to find our flat, we finally found it. We had to pass through a door that was cut into an ancient bigger door, through a gate, and up one flight, two flight, and one flight more more, and through one more big green door to arrive at our surprise — a sprawling flat in a 17th Century building in central Rome. We learned from the flat’s owner that Gioachina Rossini, who composed the opera, The Barber of Seville, once lived in the flat!)

• We opted to stay in flats and apartments, and to avoid hotels, and that was an amazing plan. By staying in the central part of each destination, in an apartment or flat, we had more of a cultural immersion experience.

• I often feel insignificant with respect to the spectrum of time – for example, when I hike in Grand Canyon, which includes layers of rock that is billions of years old. But during this trip, it was more apparent than ever how short one life is. Particularly in Rome, where we stood on the floor of a home that was built in 64A.D., & walked the sacred street (date?), a 90-year life seems like less than a blip. By the way, words fall short in describing how it felt to stand, walk – and to touch – such ancient remnants, and to be transported so far back in time. It was nothing short of remarkable.

•Being open, flexible and unscheduled allows you to happen and stumble into things. We had many unexpected surprises as a result.

• That said, for a trip of a lifetime like this one, which was a significant investment of time and money, a certain amount of planning is critical to ensuring you have a trip of a lifetime. On the advice of some good friends who are world travelers we did schedule some private small group tours for particular attractions, such as the Neuschwanstein Castle, Vatican, Crypts and Catacombs and the Colosseum. These tours were invaluable. After each one, we remarked that we couldn’t have imagined seeing the colosseum on our own without a tour or seeing the Vatican Museum without Alberto there to give us in depth, and what felt like “insider” information. The same goes for the biking in the Bavarian Alps, and hiking to Neuschwanstein Castle. We were privy to so much additional fascinating and rich information thanks to our guides.

• Michelangelo was a badass. We learned so much more about Michelangelo and his life and artistic pursuits by our Vatican Museum private guide, Alberto. We were enamored by Michelangelo’s sculpture, David, in Florence, and Pietà, St. Peter’s Basilica, as well as his famous and inspiring frescoes in the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

• Keep a journal, or a family journal on a trip like this. Our experience lasted 29 days and included a wide range of deep experiences. There’s no way we could remember some of the details of each of our experiences had we not written them down when they were fresh at the end of each day. We will be forever grateful for our leather-bound, hand written journal will be a priceless memento for our family and probably our best “souvenir.”

• Jerry and I (and Wolf) didn’t drive for 29 days. And, for that matter, we didn’t see any open roads. As we walked everywhere, we still had to dodge the traffic-filled streets of Rome, Munich, London, etc. It was hopping. So we didn’t drive, and we didn’t see open roads for a month. That was okay. But now that we’re back, it’s good to have wide and “open” roads.

• Some people have remarked that, given all we saw and did in a month’s time, our schedule and days must have been crazy. They were not! When we had tours, they were usually 3 hours so we had lots of free time to do as we wished the rest of the time. We had long train rides to rest and recover in between major destinations. There were naps and lots of laying around, despite all we saw. And, I read a 531-page book (All the Light We Cannot See) during the trip.

• We are, at most, a middle class family. We saved and planned for this trip. We don’t have car payments, even though we need a bigger car. (Our family car, year 2000, is on its last leg, and has 180,000 miles on it.) For several years, we have eaten out only once per month, and we have made several other sacrifices in order to make this dream of a trip come true. I can tell you, every single hardship and No we had to say in recent months and years to make this possible, was worth it.

• A trip like this was a dream come true. There is no other way to describe it! But it also makes us appreciate, and love even more, what makes our beloved frontier of Wyoming, so wonderful. We are looking forward to returning to our simple life and the wide open spaces of Wyoming.

Other takeaways and observations from Jerry and the boys:

• We didn’t need to wear that many outfits. (This is from our youngest son, Fin. So funny, we have several photos that all look like the same photo, of Fin posing next to a huge Margherita pizza, wearing his Arizona Cardinals t-shirt and a huge smile.)
• We saw the Pope, which was a surprise. We didn’t think we would have the opportunity, and we ended up being within 30’ of him.
• To become world travelers, we have to start somewhere. This has been a terrific start, and it has whet each of our appetites. We all want more of this.
• Food is very delicious, and given all of the destinations we visited, we were fortunate to get to try a wide range of foods in a relatively short amount of time. This was a gift, and we now appreciate food more. (One son added, “Really tasting food, and just eating food, are not the same thing.”)

• Art can be whatever someone creates and is committed to. (We were struck by all of the street performers we saw, whether it was someone holding a pose for hours on end, playing and singing Pink Floyd in front of the Pantheon, accordion bands, two people sitting with seemingly invisible heads, etc., we were enthralled. And in Portugal, in particular, there was wall art everywhere, and it was intriguing and beautiful, weird and spectacular all at once.)

• You can go back in time in the present moment.

• Religion is a large part of life in Europe. There are churches are everywhere. (Churches were everywhere, and we stopped in to many of them. They ere all beautiful and unique. We visited 17 churches, and in each one, lit a candle, prayed and thanked God for all of our blessings.)

• Pork knuckles are epically delicious.

• Grilled sardines are very tasty, and a staple in Portugal.

• Olives. Pesto. Vino. Salami. Pizza. Cheeseboards. Tiramisu. Gelato. Fondue. Obazda. Augustiner beer. Pork knuckles. Yum.

• We also saw, and met, many beggars. Poverty is everywhere. I know we have it in our Lander, WY area, but it isn’t as obvious to us as it was on our Europe trip, especially in places like Pisa and Rome.

For fun, here are some statistics our son, Wolf, computed at the end of our adventure:
29 days:
40,320 minutes
310 miles of walking for EACH of us
11 pizzerias
18 gelatos (each, and there are 5 of us so technically 90.😅)
26 Calzedonia ads (Only our teenage sons noticed these!)
7 countries
87 man buns
2 pianos
10 languages
9 pretzels (each)
17 churches
4 planes
5 bus/taxi services
100, give or take, train connections
6 tall mountains
5 Epic hikes
11 apartments/flats (including some remarkable AirBnBs)

Totaling up to one heck of a life-changing, epic and unforgettable experience for our family.

If you’re interested, here are all of my previous blog posts about this Epic Europe Family Adventure so far:
• From Wyoming to the British Museum and Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in 24 hours
• Big Ben, River Thames, Tower of London and Ice Cream
• Munich Day 1: Glockenspiel, Deutsches Museum, Englischer Garten and Beirgarten
• Biking in the Bavarian Alps, Exploring Neuschwanstein Castle, Epic Beer & Food
• Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland: The Land of Many Fountains, Cows with Bells and Epic Food
• Zermatt: Gornergrat Glacier, the Matterhorn, Mountain Lakes and More Delicious Food
• Moneglia, Italy: The Cinque Terre, Epic Focaccia, Pizza, Pesto, Wine, Olives, and Gelato
• Leaning Tower of Pisa, Michelangelo’s David, Cathedral of Florence, and Giotto’s Bell Tower.
• Rome, Part I: Ponte Sant ‘Angelo, St. Peter’s Basilica, Piazza Navona & More
• Rome, Pt. 2: Capuchin Crypt, Catacombs of Priscilla, and Ancient Underground Churches
• Rome, Pt. 3: The Pope, Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and a Date
• Rome, Pt. 4: The Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and our Last Night in Rome
• Lagos, Portugal: Stunning Beaches, Kayaking Through Caves and Passageways – and R&R
• Lisbon, Portugal: São Jorge Castle, Miradauros, Tagus River, Portuguese Wine, and Live Fado

Lagos, Portugal: Stunning Beaches, Kayaking Through Caves and Passageways – and R&R

June 13, 2016 by Shelli

Greetings from Lagos, Portugal. I write this from the balcony of our apartment overlooking the ocean, enjoying a soup-bowl-sized cup of coffee Jerry just served me. The boys are still in a slumber. It is Day 22 of our 29-day Epic Europe Family Adventure, and I have not a single complaint…

Greetings from Lagos, Portugal! Dessert before dinner. Something for each of us. :) — Greetings from Lagos, Portugal! Dessert before dinner. Something for each of us. 🙂

(By the way, this is my 13th blog post published so far during our 29-day “Epic Europe Family Adventure.” If you’re interested, all previous trip reports from this Epic Family Adventure include are listed and linked to at the bottom of this blog post.)

We rode a bus from Lisbon to Lagos. We disembarked the bus, and quickly converted our Patagonia Black Hole duffels into backpacks, and started our walk to the apartment we had rented near the beach. This was one of our longer walks from train or bus to hotel, but at the end of this one was a beach and an ocean – and rest and relaxation. So, though it was very hot and sunny, and our bags were heavy, and the last half mile uphill, and our apartment was up three floors of steps, the boys “leaned in,” and were like eager beavers.

The boys, with their heavy Patagonia Black Hole backpacks on, on our mile-and-a-half, uphill walk to our apartment near the beach.

The boys leaning in during the final half mile of our walk to our beach apartment.

Lagos is in southern Portugal’s Algarve region, the southernmost region of continental Portugal. The Algarve is the most popular tourist destination in Portugal, and one of the most popular in Europe, and we can sure see why. Pronounced Lah-goosh, Lagos is situated along the bank of the Rio Bensafrim.

We are in an area known as Praia Dona Ana. Some of the locals we have talked to claim this to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth. We concur! We have been to beaches in Mexico, Hawaii and California, and so far, this particular beach, Dona Ana, is our favorite. I think the best way to describe this part of our Epic Adventure is to say it is our “R & R” portion. As I write this, we are colored by the sun, and moving at a snail’s pace. It is wonderful.

Months ago we had booked a half-day kayaking tour that promised to take us into caves and through the many grottoes and narrow passageways for which this area is famous. We couldn’t wait to get on the water, and to see some of the natural wonders beyond the epic sandy beach. We were not disappointed!

We also have enjoyed hiking the cliffside trails to get that exhilarating and spectacular vantage of the shoreline and grottoes. We also made sure to explore the Ponta de Piedade Lighthouse, the beautiful Igreja Santa Maria church (in which we lit a candle and offered prayers for all those wounded and killed in the mass shooting in Orlando that we learned about this morning), Forte Ponta da Bandeira, which according to PlanetWare was built in the 17th century to defend the approaches to Lagos harbor, this square-shaped, pocket-sized fortress remains in remarkably good condition considering its age. Situated over a wedge of sand overlooking a shallow bay, four turrets shaped like spinning tops set at each corner help distinguish the fort’s squat profile. A narrow moat lends the stronghold an impregnable quality, and sightseers have to cross a drawbridge to reach the inner courtyard. We also walked to the Castelo de Governadores, a medieval castle, which are 16th Century walls, after reading about them in Lonely Planet: Aside from its hedonistic appeal, Lagos has historical clout, having launched many naval excursions during Portugal’s extraordinary Age of Discoveries.

And, from Portugal-Live.net: Historically, Lagos’ greatest allure has been its geographical position. Lying opposite the north African coast in the Bensafrim estuary, it attracted settlers, foreign invaders and became a focal point for discovery voyages at the time of Portugal’s Golden Age of Discoveries. Prince Henry the Navigator brought fame to the region by founding his navigation school in nearby Sagres, by residing in Lagos and building his famous caravels in the town. Lagos soon became a hub of maritime activity as explorers such as Gil Eanes, the first to round Africa’s Cape Bojador in 1434, departed from the town in search of new land and fortune. Vessels returning laden with riches and slaves transformed Lagos into a base for African trade and brought increased wealth and prosperity to the area.

Following are photos (and two videos) that are better than my words…

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A view from a clifftop trail Jerry and I hiked.

The sunsets, like everything here, are stunning:

16th Century walls that used to protect the city of Lagos.

A beautiful church in Lagos, Portugal, the Ingreja Santa Maria.

The Ponta da Piedade Lighthouse, Lagos, Portugal.

And some miscellaneous photos from the town of Lagos:

We are approaching the end of this great epic journey. We have about 6 days left until I do a presentation in London, and then we will board a flight back to the U.S. We will be happy to reunite with our family and friends, and of course, our beloved Lander, Wyoming. But until we have feet on the ground in Wyoming, this epic adventure is not over, and we still have experiencing and discovering to do! Thank you so much for reading this blog, and for following along with us on this great adventure.

Next up: Lisbon, Portugal!

Rome, Pt. 4: The Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and our Last Night in Rome

June 9, 2016 by Shelli

Hello again! We are still in Rome. It is our last day here; we leave tomorrow around lunch-time. As we were eating lunch on a bench in a piazza today, our middle son, Hayden, remarked, “I never want to leave Rome. I love it here.” Indeed, we have fallen in love with Rome. We are totally smitten. We all had high expectations for Rome, and we all agree they have been exceeded. Yes, it’s that great.

(By the way, this is my 12th blog post published so far during our 29-day “Epic Europe Family Adventure.” If you’re interested, all previous trip reports from this Epic Family Adventure include are listed and linked to at the bottom of this blog post.)

Today, as per usual, we explored many sights on foot. However, the highlight of the day, by far, was our guided tour of Rome’s Colosseum.

Rome's Colosseum, which opened in 80 A.D., and is the largest amphitheater ever built. — Rome’s Colosseum, which opened in 80 A.D., and is the largest amphitheater ever built.

The massive stone colosseum, known as a Flavian Amphitheater, is the largest amphitheater ever built, and I am here to report that it is massive. The building’s dimensions 615 feet long and 510 feet wide, with a base area of 6 acres. The Colosseum was commissioned to be built in 70-72 A.D. by Emperor Vespasian as a gift to the Roman people. In 80 A.D., Vespasian’s son, Titus, opened the Colosseum with 100 days of games. These games included combats between gladiators (who were slaves) and wild animal fights. The Colosseum was used for four centuries.

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It is hard to describe how it felt to stand in the arena – something so massive and old, and that was at one time a place of such raucous and violent “sporting events.”

During our family’s daily gelato fix, and during that, we shared what we found to be the most interesting points learned during the Colosseum tour. I’ll share some of what we all mentioned as learning highlights from that conversation…

• There were usually three events. In the morning was a hunt, complete with a wide range of animals, ranging from lions, bears, leopards, tigers, wolves and wild boars. During lunch, on display were the public executions, where wild animals were set loose to kill criminals for all to watch. Then the afternoon event was the gladiators who fought one another.

• By the way, apparently, the gladiators were not tall and handsome and ripped like Russell Crowe. Rather, the gladiators were “more like Danny DeVito.” Apparently, the gladiators were fed lots of barley to fatten up their stomachs in an effort to provide additional protection for their internal organs.

• Some people attended the events at the Colosseum.

• During the Colosseum’s 100-day opening, 9,000 animals were killed, and 2,000 gladiators were killed.

• As an event approached, the animals were not fed, and they were caged so they’d be more aggressive come the day of the event.

• There were 20-30 elevators/”lifts” that lifted up wild animals, as if magically, through “trap doors” in the colosseum’s arena floor during the events. Each lift required 6-8 slaves to manually operate them and lift the animals up. Their working conditions were awful… they were under the arena floor, in pitch dark (with a small oil lamp), surrounded by wild animals, and their roars and their waste, no circulating air, and add to that, there was a sewer under the arena.

An illustration on exhibit at the Colosseum that shows what was going on under the arena floor before and during events as slaves worked with the caged animals, and had the task of operating manual lifts so the wild animals would each appear, as if by magic, onto the arena floor.

• Gladiators were trained for 6 months, so they didn’t just get picked one day, and put out to fight the next.

• Even though the gladiators were slaves, they were famous, and admired by some.

• According to our guide, the gladiators were chosen from a wide ranging regions of Italy “so that they would be less likely to bond, since they’d be going at battle and were instructed to kill.”

• The steps in the colosseum were purposely built to be very steep, so that the entire crowd of people could exit the amphitheater in about 15 minutes time. We also learned that “arena” means sand, and that the Colosseum used sand because it was easiest to remove and clean up and replace in between events.

A close up of the area under the arena, where wild animals were contained.

Remains of a sculpture from the Colosseum. Most everything was looted, except for a small quantity of remnants such as this one.

Getting a guided tour of the Colosseum was a fantastic experience that I highly recommend. Our guide was fantastic. We learned so much more than we would have had we just walked through the Colosseum on our own.

We then enjoyed a tour of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill that was also fascinating, even if it was a little more exciting than we bargained for. (It rained, and there was a lot of lightning and thunder over and around us.) I hope to write about that fabulous tour in a future post, but for now, am including some photos, with captions, from that part of the tour at the very end of this blog post.

During our daily gelato break today this afternoon, I was asking everyone to mention some of the things they love most about Rome. One son remarked, “I don’t want to leave Rome. I love this place.” We have all fallen head over hills for Rome! We all came up with the following ways to describe this fabulous place, use the letters of ROME:
Jerry: Rich, Outstanding, Moving, Exciting.
Me: Romantic, Old, Masterful, Epic.
Wolf: Rich, Old, Miraculous, Extravagant.
Hayden: Renaissance, Ominous, Mastery, Exciting.
Fin: Riveting, Outstanding, Margherita pizza, Enjoyable.

Later, the boys put collared shirts (polos!) on for the first time during this adventure and we all went out to Piazza Navona, one of our new favorite places, and had one last epically delicious Italian dinner. We had a wonderful time! Here are some photos and videos.