Lilly Evans came to stay with our family for three months. She arrived on May 4 and left us on July 30. It was an incredible three months. I had a built-in best friend. We painted nails. We watched ridiculous movies. We ate a lot of cookie dough. We laughed. We cried. And we learned a lot about each other.
I'm sitting in a car. Ben is driving. And we are driving away from Utah. Away from family. Away from best friends. Away from beloved mountains and running trails. Away from Costco. Away from rooms where I brought my three babies home from the hospital and rocked to sleep. Away from conveniences I don't yet know are conveniences.
But it isn't hard to drive away. It's been a long-time coming. We feel prepared. And the allure of Europe makes driving away really easy.
I picked Ben up from work at 4 pm last Friday with two goals: attending the LDS Temple and eating at Chipotle in Frankfurt, Germany by 7:30 pm.
We weren't sure if we would make it to the temple in time (due to traffic and the length of the drive) and I was secretly not sad knowing that this would guarantee a trip to Chipotle.
Fortunately (or unfortunately), we made it to the temple just in time but wouldn't leave the temple before Chipotle closed. I spent a lot of mental energy reminding myself what was most important that evening.
Venice has been beckoning to Ben and I for a while.
With Otto, Aksel, and Ingrid happily in the care of Lilly for four days, we took the one hour and 20 minute flight to Venezia for a long weekend.
Things we did in Venice:
Purchased an Italian SIM card for a phone. We waited in line so long that Ben started audibly counting down from 100 (a self-imposed personal limit on how long he was willing to wait in line).
Toured Palazzo Ducale.
Stood mesmerized inside Basilica di San Marco.
Cried a few times about missing our kids. (Just kidding. Only I cried. And I only missed Ingrid.)
Got lost in the crowds of 12 cruise ships and their passengers anchored in Venice.
Wandered past Squero di San Troves to glimpse gondolas being built.
Got harassed by Africans selling knock-off Prada bags.
Talked a lot about the movies The Italian Job and The Tourist.
Googled a lot of information about Venice and how it was built.
Browsed boutique-lined backstreets buying scarves, a tie, man coin purses and tee shirts.
Paused atop wooden Ponte dell'Accademia to look at the Grand Canal.
Got rained on several times.
Walked and walked and walked around San Marco.
Ate a lot of mediocre street food.
Took a lot of photos.
Talked to a lot of secret service.
Tried to get a glimpse of First Lady, Michelle Obama (who was also staying at the Hilton).
Ate a lot of gelato from Grom and Suso (Thank you Star and Russ!). And by a lot, I mean twice a day until our last day and then we increased our consumption up to three.
Listened to a violinist outside the Frari Church.
Hunted down a pizza/calzone shop outside the Frari Church.
Watched Titian's red-hot Madonna light up the room in Assunta inside the Frari .
Took naps.
Cursed Italy for not having Netflix.
Threw out old shoes and bought new ones.
Marveled at the ingenuity and beauty of Venice.
Walked through Rialto Market.
Ate a fish and became friends with a couple from Durango.
Talked a lot about the similarities of Venice and New York.
Took a vaporetto out to Murano Island.
Gloated in Ben's disappointment when no one spoke French.
Stopped by a grocery and bought blackberries, cherries, blueberries, and babybells.
Caught a vaporetto up the Grand Canal.
Crossed the Rialto bridge 100 times.
Saw lightning strike at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco.
Paid a man 80 euro for a 30-minute gondola ride that was only 18 minutes.
Ate dinner on Giudecca for one last, long view of San Marco.
