PS.  My girlfriend, Jill, had her twins on Wednesday at 1AM in Chicago.  Mom and babies are well and they were big for twins!  Both well over 6 lbs!  Benvenuto,  Reese Taylor and Kendall Shae.  Can't wait to meet you.

Ciao!! Greetings from the one spot in Urbania with wireless internet that actually works with efficiency.  An added bonus is that there is plenty of cafe freddo and panini at the Kikki Rikki, wine bar and cafe.   So as Maddie reported, we will be staying in Urbania an extra week.  We loosely planned next week for Florence, thinking Matt would join us on Saturday (the 30th).  But he has to attend a leadership meeting for work so won't be here until the 4th.   We weighed options...Lug our bags to the big city without additional man power to stay at our hotel by the airport with a 20-minute commute to Florence, or stay in our cozy little Urbania and continue to experience and learn about Italian culture with new friends?  Not really a choice.   Maddie will keep dancing, Delaney will keep painting, and I will keep attempting to not butcher the language (my teacher, Corinna keeps encouraging me with, "bene, bene" so I think I must be a stellar student.  Surely she doesn't say that to all the girls).  Life became infinitely better yesterday when we were presented with new wheels:

Thanks to Luigi the Landlord, we now have two bikes for transport.  Amen.  Any soreness I am experiencing in the seat region is a small price to pay for the convenience.  Grazie, Luigi.    Please pray for Madeline to stay upright on her bike.  She scares me a little.  

So, on we go.  We've settled into a routine and have even cooked a few meals in our tiny kitchen.  We've managed not to offend anyone with our savage American ways, and even made a few amicizia (friends).  Bruno, owner of our favorite restaurant, loves, loves, loves the girls, and showers us with attention and more importantly, free treats.  Can't wait for Matt to meet him.  All of the girls and teachers at the dance studio are so sweet and helpful, and so diverse.  There are dancers from Moscow, Italy, Germany, Texas, Colrado, Washington DC, and Slovenia.  Instructors are from Germany, South Africa, London, and Italy.  All are so encouraging to sweet Maddie.  Her Ballet teacher said she is "....a fighter who rises to the challenge of being the youngest in the class."  True words!

Delaney went on an excursion to Urbino, a larger town about 40 mins away, today with her art teacher.  I can't wait to hear about her experience there.  They were going to visit several art museums.  Yesterday she went to the teacher's studio to sketch still life.  Pretty cool.  Next week we are starting a ceramics course.  If you read about Urbania, they are known for their ceramics.  Not sure how we will get our creations home...

Girls at Bruno's

Next week on Wednesday, we will celebrate our independence day by taking the train into Bologna to meet Matt.  We plan to spend the day there visiting all the spots Andy recommended.  He spent a lot of time cooking and eating there!  From there, we will drive a rental car back to Urbania for a few more days before we head to Milan.  

I'm off to collect Maddie from dance on my awesome new wheels.  Love to all!! xoxox

Leah

          So far our Urbanian adventure has been great!  The food is amazing, everyone is so nice, and my dance intensive is really fun! Dad wasn't able to fly in on time next week, so we decided to stay an extra week in Urbania!! We concluded that we loved it here and why not stay instead of going to Florence and taking day trips. I know that Florence might sound like fun but our hotel is by the airport and is twenty minutes away, plus we would have to take another disasterous train ride with our 50 lbs bags!

            Anyway, I have learned soo much from my dance camp, and discovered muscles that I NEVER would have thought existed! I love all my teachers, an their accents! my jazz teacher ( Bianca ) has a British accent... me and Delaney love it! Me, Mom, and sometimes Delaney walk a mile and a half to get to the dance studio, and it is HOT!  Apparently its not usually this hot, it's just this summer has been really hot. But its all worth it! The nice cold sweet chocolate gelato helps a little!


            There is the cutest little car that we call a "truckcycle" (credits to Delaney for the name). We call it that because it is a tiny truck with only three wheels like a tricycle! There are so may here--they are everywhere! But its a little weird because usually the people driving them are old men! We all want one, but it only fits one person! Its like smart cars, but in Italy!!

             well, off to go rest before my next dance class love and miss everyone!! Delaney will post soon!



                                                               love,

So much to report, and such an unreliable memory.  Thankfully, someone who loves me gave me a handy Moleskin notebook for my purse...lifesaver!

Imagine this:  Three American ladies, 7 large bags, 2 planes, 4 trains, one hotel room,  and one cab ride for a total of 36 hours of European travel before we arrived in Urbania (which I have totally been mispronouncing).  Navigating our bags from the train station the three blocks to our hotel in Milan at 10:30 at night was a highlight.  Also suffered a casualty, sadly.  As we triumphantly stepped off the train in Pesaro, where a cab would collect us and take us to Urbania, Delaney notices a woman on the train gesturing wildly and yelling at us in Italian.  The train was already moving and this poor woman looked crazed, but we shrugged and chalked it up to Italian enthusiasm.  It wasn't until hours later in the cab that Maddie asks the fateful question, "where is the camera bag?"  Oops.  Not a fun phone call to make to Daddy informing him the brand new camera and very fancy lens we just purchased for him for Father's Day was halfway to Bologna.  The bright side is that Daddy was smart enough to buy the security plan which should cover the loss.  Thank God for his unending foresight.

All in all, we loved train travel.  The ride through Germany, Switzerland, and into Italy was breathtaking and we felt very glamourous having dinner in the dining car.  The girls made themselves right at home, clearly (you can see the edge of my computer screen playing "Under the Tuscan Sun"--I'm such a dork).

Urbania is a picturesque little town with cobblestone streets and ancient buildings.  Our apartment is perfect, minus the lack of air conditioning.  Maddie wisely spent 14 of her precious Euros on a fan for her room.  I rolled my eyes at the purchase, then proceeded to march down to the electronics store after my first night of sleeping in my own sweat and did the same.  Maddie and Laney...oh wise ones.  Our landlords speak no English, but through the translation ap on my phone (not kidding) I finally understood why Luigi (not kidding) was emphatically gesturing and working on the small TV in the kitchen.  He wanted to make sure we didn't miss the Italy/England Euro game on Sunday.  We did catch the game but missed the big win so we could get Maddie to bed for dance the next morning.  Two things about that experience:  Nothing like watching soccer in Europe with the locals when their team is playing (thanks for the tips, brother Matt); and even though we missed the ending, we heard the shouts and celebration in the streets.   Here is our abode:

And the town square:

The food is amazing, of course.  I will let the girls write about this at length when it is their turn. It is a wonderful gift to have two little foodies as traveling companions.  I will say this--I'm not sure how many days I can have chocolate croissant and cappuccino for breakfast before my pants stop fitting, but I am up for the challenge.

To combat the fat factor, Maddie's studio is 1.5 miles away from our apartment and we don't have a car.  Yesterday I logged about 6 miles walking throughout the day going back and forth. It's not quite as hilly as our neighborhood loop, but it is hot and no joke!!  She dances for 4.5 hours then ends her day with pilates and the hike back home.  That girl is earning her carb-loaded delicious dinner after that...and the gelato that inevitably follows.  Her dance teacher is very impressed with her and kept her in the senior group.  Delaney and I are very proud of our little dancer.

Tomorrow Delaney begins working with her painting and drawing teacher.  They will be heading to the museum for inspiration then finding a spot in town to work.  I will start language lessons.  One week of Italian probably won't make much of a difference long term, but I think it will help us get through the next few weeks.

Here is the birthday treat Delaney surprised me with after returning from Maddie's dance studio.  It's hard to see but it is tomatoes with gouda on crackers.  Delizioso! 

So far, this experience has exceeded my expectations.  I really didn't have a plan or agenda, I just wanted to peel away all the layers of our every day lives that kept us from really connecting.  That is definitely accomplished here.  My big girl and I had such fun spending time together while Maddie is dancing--that is priceless to me these days. Of course I am having pangs of homesickness (my dear friend Jill is giving birth to twins any day now and I will miss that--heartbreaking) for Matt, family and friends.  On my birthday  I was a little teary missing Daddy and the girls were so sweet and concerned.  I told them that after 18 years if I am still crying because I miss Daddy, then they are in good shape!  Mostly I am blown away with the girls' bravery and fearlessness.  Maddie didn't hesitate to jump in with the "big girls" who are clearly well trained dancers, and shine her very bright light.  Delaney is every bit willing to have an adventure with an art teacher in this strange country.  Both remind me how important it is to live and love in a very big way.  

Love to all.

Leah

I'm celebrating my birthday Italian style!  Although it's a little sad...Matt reminded me this is the first birthday in 18 years we haven't spent together.  The girls are making up for it.  Maddie is at her first day of dance right now--she is the youngest but is really holding her own. I had tears (shocker, I know) watching her at the barre with all those big girls.   Tomorrow Delaney and I will go to the Scuola Italia and get her signed up for art classes.  They offer language classes so I think we might all try to do those, as well.  Am learning quickly the Italians really like to speak Italian and since we will be here a while, it might be helpful.  We love Urbania and our little apartment.  The people are so friendly and there is good food everywhere you look.  Tonight we will have dinner with the rest of Maddie's dance class--there are three girls from Dallas.  Small world.  I know it's only been a day, but I could see Maddie wanting to come back year after year.  I'm on board with that.  What do you think, Daddy...???

I will post more tomorrow and include some pics.  Internet is tricky but I have found a spot that works and will have more time in the morning.  Miss everyone but am LOVING having my girls all to myself.  They have both gone out of their way to make sure today is special for me.  Lucky, lucky mama...counting my blessings tonight for sure.

Love to all.
Leah

And so the adventures begin. Who knew that the Fort Meyers International airport would house things we wouldn't forget. On the sight of our arrival, the man checking in our bags outside was a drummer father with ADD (he told us), 2 kids, and a phenomenal sense  of humor. Quite the character. After that painless and entertaining experience, we faced security. We spotted her from the back of the line.  Fran, the grouchy, grumpy, miserable worker living out her dream job (picking up any sarcasm?). Nice girl. Once we got through, Maddie chugged along behind us in her own world like usual, carrying a bag twice her size, but we finally made it to our gate. The three of us plopped down and realized it was 11:00. we boarded at 12:50. Way to go mom!! Great timing! I guess we will have to ease in to having patience, but if it were up to me, I wouldn't be starting now. But i guess I might as well. I'm already seeing it now... the people on the plane who should have bought 2 seats, sitting right next to me, the snacks that taste like cardboard, fighting with Maddie over the window seat, those annoying people who pack an entire meal and eat like pigs, cramping up in the tiny seats, the silent killers of nasty gas... it all sounds just so pleasurable! But, knowing that all of that will lead up to a European adventure really is assuring. Here we go....

Love, 

Delaney

Welcome to our blog! We are  in Ft. Myers, visiting with our Florida family about to go on our adventure around Europe. We will fly into Dusseldorf, Germany on Thursday and immediately take a train to Milan then onto Urbania, Italy where I get to participate in a Master Dance Class and my sister will take painting and drawing classes.  From there we will be in Florence, back to Milan, Nice, Paris, Brussels, and back to Dusseldorf and then home.  Along the way we hope to catch up with the Tour de France and even have tickets to a Women's US/France Olympic soccer game in Glasgow.  Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts--it is our plan to use this blog to record our trip and stay connected to our friends and family back home.  Feel free to check in and leave comments--we will love hearing from you all.  Bon voyage!!  xoxo

Love,