Monday Morning Shocker

Pictures are worth a 1,000 words, possible more on a Monday morning in early November with a forecast for rain and temperatures in the 50's.  It was supposed to snow in Bozeman, MT today, according to Michael (Sheri's brother).  We thought we had a few more days of fall before it arrived here!

CD of the Month: Eilen Jewell - Butcher Holler

Our current favorite CD is a tribute to Loretta Lynn by Eilen Jewell.  It's called "Butcher Holler" after the town in Kentucky where Lynnn was raised.  This YouTube video captures the spirit of it, but the CD is even better.

We hope to be going to see Eilen at our local venue, the Knickerbocker Cafe in Westerly, on Friday November 19th.  Join us there if you can!

Available at Amazon and other fine outlets......

Trip to Kalamazoo, MI

This week Bruno was in Kalamazoo, Michigan for a business trip.  The Pfizer site in Kalamazoo was formerly the Upjohn company and it has a very storied history (More details...).  It was good to be back in the mid-west and to enjoy some warm late-Autumn weather, and to learn about the work that is being conducted at this manufacturing site.

Trip to Amboise

This week Bruno was in Amboise, France for a business trip.  Travel to and from France went smoothly, despite the strikes and blockades due to the protests against the French government.  Amboise is south-west of Paris and situated on the River Loire.  It has a fantastic chateau (see above) and many good places to eat and drink.  A great place for a few days away if you ever have the chance.

More pictures

Celebration in Keene

We made a trip to Keene, NY last weekend to celebrate the nuptials of Andrew and Brenda who were married the previous weekend on Grand Manan Island.  Were were joined by a large group of friends from the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) that we have known for many years.  It was a tremendous event!  The  weather was perfect and the leaves were in peak color creating a backdrop for some great climbing, gentle hikes and all-around good fun.  Friends traveled from as far as Edmonton, and many with kids in tow.  Thanks to Andrew and Brenda for hosting a great party, we were so glad to be part of it. 

Views of the Great Range in the High Peaks, Adirondacks

More photos here

Kerry and Brandon

Last weekend Kerry (Sheri's sister) and Brandon were married near their home in Fort Collins, CO.  The weather was spectacular (not so different from the weather in Tuscany, in fact).  The weekend began on Friday evening with a gathering on Brandon and Kerry's new deck, enjoying brews from New Belgium Brewery (where Brandon works), and chicken/steak fajitas prepared by Kerry and grilled by Michael (Sheri's Architect by day and grill master by night - brother).  The wedding was held outdoors on Saturday at the Historic Flowers House in Bellvue, very close to Fort Collins.  It was a perfect day for a wedding and the Miller-Shamblin extended families and friends celebrated with a well orchestrated party that featured live music and great food. The setting offered beautiful views of the Colorado hills and the festivities continued through a lovely sunset into a warm summer-like evening.  Congratulations Brandon and Kerry!

More photos at this link

Tuscany

We spent ten wonderful days in September with Pam and Nick (Bruno's parents) in Tuscany.  We stayed in the town of Cortona, a splendid hill town in central Tuscany.  Cortona alone offered much of what is best about Tuscany- beautiful views, cafes, gelaterias, ancient walls, and a rich history.  We made this classic Tuscan hill town our "home" for a brief time.  We stayed at 5 Pancrazi, an "in-town" location that enabled us to explore the town on foot, stroll to a pizzeria for lunch, or make a trip to the local bakery for fresh bread.    We also beautiful views from the rooftop terrace.

View from rooftop terrace at 5 Pancrazi

Cortona at Sunset

In Cortona we explored many of the churches, an ancient fort and several Piazza's, and dined at as many of the cafes and restaurants as time would allow.  By the end our our stay we learned to appreciate the Vin Santo (a locally made fortified wine) and Cantucci (a type of biscotti local to the region), after our evening meal.  The smell of breads and pastries from a local bakery that would wake us every morning was also something we grew to love!

From the nearby town of Camucia, we took the train to Florence, which presented a nice contrast to the sleepy character of Cortona.  Favorite stops in Florence included the Boboli Gardens, where one can amble through gardens sprinkled with sculptures by some of Italy's most famous artists, and the Mercato Centrale (Central Market).

Mercato Centrale in Florence

We also explored the nearby towns of Assisi,  Montepulciano and Sienna. The weather was perfect and our time was nicely balanced, with ample time to enjoy the afternoon sun whilst sitting in a Piazza with an espresso, to read a book on the rooftop terrace at 5 Pancrazi, or to explore the architecture, history and locally produced foods and wine that make Tuscany famous.  You can see more photos from our trip in our Tuscany Album.

Thanks to Pam and Nick for giving us an excuse (not that we needed one?) to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in Tuscany!