Gearing up

As I prepare for the upcoming trip to Everest Base Camp (1 month from today), I realize that
www.rei.com,
www.backcountry.com
www.rab.uk.com
www.sierratradingpost.com
and
www.patagonia.com

Have replaced my usual sites
www.ruelala.com
www.netaporter.com
www.outnet.com
www.nordstrom.com
www.neimanmarcus.com
and
www.gilt.com

I also realize that I have now spent the equivalent of an Hermes Kelly Bag on Mountaineering gear!
http://www.rei.com/product/832232/scarpa-mont-blanc-gtx-mountaineering-boots-womens, and that these new boots are almost as stylish as my favorite Jimmy Choos!!!!

Mag speak

1. Recognizing my high school principal Sister Mary Walters in the World Club. She is the General Advisor for the American nuns in Rome. Wow, the sis can get under the hair dryer and Joe, you never fooled her.

2. Babies whining on an 8 hour flight is only accepted when they are cute, chubby, and JoAnne and I kept the wine coming.

3. Said I would never ride a bike in Amsterdam; Katy proved me wrong. 9 am to 5pm and had the time of my life.
I even had Nea for a time on the back of my bike.

4. Standing in 100 degrees waiting for the bus to get us to our rental cars. The only thing that kept me going was the possible FIAT 500 in the end. BINGO!!

5. Realize in some other life I was Italian, born to drive the on the A1 and narrow steep cliffs, with speed.

6. No words can describe Tuscany and our villa. I feel like I am in Fellini movie...wait I am!

7. Katy and JoAnne prepared our first dinner and it was fungi perfecti.

8. Skinny dipping at night with the smell of rosemary, wisteria, and oleander.

9. Did I tell you how much I love driving the FIAT in Cortona?

10. Thank god we are here when Porcini mushrooms are in season! Mooto bella!!!

(typed by Linnea, verbatim by Maggie.)

JoAnne chimes in!

1. Totally in touch with the Amsterdam casual fashion style. Don't know if it is because of the pot in the air or the strawberries I ate.

2. Grooving at the gay pride street party. Was it the naked chaps or the gorgeous queens? No it was the spontaneous bookending by two fun guys who jumped into Denise and I's Gay pride picture.

3. Now to the driving part; Florence to Cortona in the back seat of a FIAT 500 with two crazy woman in front. I thought when Maggie was talking about going 80 or 120 she was talking about MPH but she was refering to KPH.

4. I closed my eyes and prayed to Jesus and I am not even sure about Jesus.

5. It was worth it! Going on a vertical road on a ridge to La Certosa at 80 KPH was a thrill I think, but my eyes were closed.

6. La Cielo, I am little more sure about Jesus.

Driving with two of the Hens by Linnea

1. Getting up at 6 am sucks!

2. Standing in 100 degree hot sun is stressful.

3. Driving without a GPS in Florence will not work.

4. One needs to know how to drive a stick shift if you are going to drive a stick shift.

5. Speed limit on the A1 is 80 KPH not 60 KPH so if you want to stay with Maggie Andretti, step on it.

6. Food at Italian gas stations is much better than American restaurants.

7. Big hills in Cortona with a stick shift are hard. Smoking engine is not a good sign.

8. Fire very bad.

9. Italian men can be of help. WATER WATER WATER!!!!!!!!!

10. Donetella is an angel from heaven and it helps that she speaks Italiano!

Leaving Holland, Italy here we come!

1.Maggie Rorke makes a wonderful travel companion!

2. Getting up at 5:45 AM, Holland time or 11PM Minnesota time, is really difficult.

3. The Hotel Toren on Keizergtacht in Amsterdam, is a hotel experience one can only hope for when traveling abroad!

4. No matter how easy going, sweet, darling a 13 year old girl is, she is still 13!!

5.The alps are pretty impressive from the air!

6. The Dutch take Gay Pride week very seriously. We were lucky to be there and experience what tolerance and acceptance really means! Wake up America!

7. It is really a big treat to have dinner with some of your closest friends who happen to be in Amsterdam at the same time. Thanks Lor, Herbie, Charlie and Jazz. See you in a week!

Observations August 1

8/1
1. A beer in Vondel park is 2.20 US
a water 4 dollars!

2.N Y lawyers are no less annoying abroad. Their kids are just as obnoxious. I swear I've seen this family on the Tewinott chair lift in Jackson Hole!

3. American teenagers are a big part of the reason Americans are not well liked in other countries! Spoiled, entitled, complaining, whiney, loud!

4. A KLM 747 flying down Prinzengracht canal is an amazing sight! 2 in a row even more impressive!

5. Sitting in a cafe, reading The Diary of Anne Frank, across the street from her hideout house, tells me that 70 years is not that long ago!!!

6. It also tells me that we have not evolved as far as accepting religious freedom! I think the Dutch have!

7. Bees sting in Holland same as home!

8. It would be a lot of fun to have an old wood Chris Craft boat, a bucket of Champs, and a load of great friends with which to cruise the Amsterdam canals !

9. Most people in Holland can fit all their belongings into a 4 or 5 room flat....I can barely fit my belongings into 2 large houses!

10. When you sit down to dinner it is 70 degrees without a cloud in the sky. By the time you get your first course, downpour!!!! By desert, sun out again!

12. Dutch guys are ruggedly adorable! Who needs to shave, really?

13. Leave the beef to Americans, stick with fish in a country surrounded by water !

14. We cannot even begin to complain about humidity in MN, the Dutch get that honor!

15. Europe has the greatest sunscreen anyplace!!!