Cinque Terre

There is just something profoundly unique about Italy and that applies even moreso to Tuscany. Lucca was magical with its cobble stoned streets and winding vineyards that seemed to stretch to the ends of the earth. Cinque Terre, the five earths, is another of my 'top ten' places on the planet. Pastel pink, blue and yellows streak the mountainside with homes that seem perfectly painted by a fine brush. The water, with its vibrant blue hues, provides a picturesque border of these five quaint villages on a hillside.
We are staying in the first village, my personal favorite. Yesterday we made a trek to the beach with pebbled rocks and cascading cliffs. Attempting to actually get into the water was something pictures could not even do justice. I've never laughed more in the Mediteranean than in the past few days. Foccaccia, wine, cheese and olives was what are fare was for the evening overlooking the marina. Fisherman's boats bobbed to the hum of water lapping against the rock and locals bantered back in forth about the day's events. Man do I love Italy. Until tomorrow...



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Loving Lucca

While travelling I typically check in daily to update the blog, but have been somewhat slack in that area. The past week has officially ranked as one of the best in a long time. We hopped a plane to Pisa and made our way to Lucca, one of my favorite towns in all of Italy. Janet, Deb and I rented bikes and busted out of the city walls in pursuit of wine, pictures and some new stories to add to our many on this trip. About fifteen minutes out of town we popped into a stellar winery owned and operated by Paolo and his family for the past four generations. It began with a tour of the wine cellar followed by a lesson in wine production. The three of us perused the vineyard, sunflower fields and snacked on grapes plucked right from the vine. Epic could possibly be an understatement. We biked, took heaps of pictures and made many stops at the frequent fountains to fill up on water pumped in from the fresh water aquaducts underground. Could it truly get any better?
We head to Cinque Terre at some point this afternoon & I just may be able to have a response to that question.




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Walk like a Parisian

Arrived in Paris a few days ago and find myself typing awqy in an internet cafe shop with a half dozen others speaking dialects from across the globe. The last time I was with my mom in 2003. Returning, six years later, Paris has the same feel and finding myself having a blast.
Most of my travels have lead me on a solo route all over the globe. This time around my friend, Janet, and I decided to tackle Paris with plans of meeting a mutual friend from the States. From dodging wild pigeons, abiding by Paris traffic patterns and engaging in random conversations with locals I have not stopped laughing since we arrived.
Yesterday walking near the eiffel tower we popped into a small grocery store picking up a little vino, baguette, chocolate and some ridiculously epic cheese. A picnic lunch with the eiffel tower looming above would indeed claim one of my top five meals in my lifetime. Blue skies and a cool breeze has made the past few days ideal. Will check back soon... viva la francais!






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Peacin' out...again

I've been back in Jersey since Wednesday late afternoon & now find myself scrambling around throwing things in my duffle bag before my flight destined for Paris reaches 15,000 feet. I'm not sure why I always wait until the last minute for everything, but I'll just blame it on A.D.D, genetics and my big hair.

This weekend, Jenna, my cousin from Bayonne visited. She is entering eleventh grade & it means a great deal that she still enjoys spending time with me. When your sixteen anything over twenty one is equivalent to fossils and spam. It was wonderful being able to catch up, do a little school shopping and really just spend some quality time together. There's nothing sweeter than being in good company, with solid conversation and plenty of laughs in between.

Looking at the clock, my ride for Philly Centrale arrives in 2.5 hours and I'm digging it. I met Mama B for a little cafe at the Golden Arches this a.m; we really are quite a posh pair : ) I haven't seen her in a few weeks & her & the whole Blong crew are truly family. It's funny how large one's circle can be when it comes to 'family.' I consider myself blessed to have her and so many others in my life; they make me a better person.

I will refrain from anymore Halmark references and complete my packing process (aka grabbing things from my closet & drawers and giving it a toss in the duffle). I'll check in once settled in Paris.


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E-I-E-I-OOOOO

If you were to have asked me back in high school where life would lead, what line of work myself and my family would be in I may have guessed farming on the 128th attempt. Farming....so unconventional and in so many ways it embodies who my parents are. Since I was a kid my parents have broke the mold when it comes to taking life by the horns (no pun intended:) and refusing to settle in any way, shape or form.

The last two days on the farm I spent walking around and really trying to capture what they've created through the lens of a camera. In the height of summer the trees hang heavy with apples and pears, cattle graze from the plush green grass and pigs and chickens seem to find solace in one another's company. It really is amazing, but it is a level of beauty and serenity that has come through an incredible amount of work, time and ongoing efforts to maintain the needs of the animals and the land.

What I feel people have just recently began to realize the importance of knowing where their food comes from. Going to the markets with my mom has really opened my eyes. Beautiful flowers, fruits and veggies line tables. Fresh jams, cheeses and meats are loaded into vans in the early morning hours to reach the market by 7 am. It really is an amazing service to the Richmond community, but what I wonder is how many that frequent their local markets realize how demanding, back breaking and intense the work is to get the product to the point of sale? I watch my dad spend tireless hours with his animals caring, tending and ensuring that their standards are high. There is so much that goes into what finally arrives at the market and ultimately on the plates of those within the community. It has totally altered my view on food, farming and truly appreciating what it's all about.

Your local community farmers work hard, very hard. The big dudes at Tyson, Purdue and wherever else are pumping these crazy hormones into animals that really have no quality of life. I watch Tristan chasing chickens, the cows leaning against the fruit trees to knock down a few pears and think how beautiful all of it is. The problem is that the big companies are now pressuring those up in high places (nudge, nudge..wink,wink) to put strain on the local farmers. They are proposing a tax on small farmers and taxing each and every animal. If that were to go through the many local farmers in Virginia will inevitably go under. Unfortunately, that includes my parents.

The hope is for those concerned to contact their local government officials and to speak up. My parents and other farmers I've come in contact with over the past two years have really opened my eyes to what is involved in small community farming along with the dark side of big corporations. I'm not trying to get all postal on this issue, but too often we settle for complacency and at some point that's going to bite us in the bum.

Although I'm so not anywhere near a farmer (although I try like all get out while on 8996 Nutbush) I so love the beauty that accompanies good old Faith Farm. Tristan and I walked aimlessly around the night before I left taking pictures and just talking. As I was hurrying to take a pic of a few pigs under the tree he seemed to notice my frustration and leaned over to me, grabbed my hand and said, "E, no worries." All I could do was smile : )





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Super Fun

Last night Tristan passed out in mid-sentence while we planned out our second day at Kings Dominion. The little dude was rockin' until the late hours of the night and stoked for another day of action. He slept solid until near nine and the first words out of his mouth were, "E, I'm ready to go to the water park." The three of us were able to knock out a bunch of rides getting there before the mid-afternoon wave of park visitors. I am pretty ant-lines and am not about deep breathing practices when its near 100 degrees. Nope.

Hands down, Tristan's favorite ride was bumper cars. I couldn't help but laugh as he was smiling ear to ear as his little car was going in circles almost the whole time. It was awesome. When he hopped out he ran over to my dad & I laughing in excitement. As we walked towards the next ride he looked up at me and said, "E, the lady on the ride said I was the best driver ever." The dude doesn't lack confidence & if you grade driving skills on how efficiently one maneuvers I guess he didn't do so bad. For right now, we'll keep him rolling his wheels on the farm.

Agua, sol y some fairly massive veggies

The past week or so the heat has felt almost unbearable. The market on Saturday was stifling as we sold honey, jams, goat cheese & heaps of other goodies. Even with an almost oppressive heat, spirits were high and it was an all round great day. I managed to steal my dad away from the farm for the day & we hit the road for an overnight venture to Kings Dominion (amusement park) located about an hour outside of Richmond.

With temps feeling more like 110 than what the thermometer was reading it was wonderful to wade in the wave pool and take a day to totally chill. My pops, Tristan & I headed back to the park after resting a bit at our hotel. Hitting parks in the evening is pretty much always a great strategy. The air was cool, the lines were thin and we were ready to go.

We took in a little Sponge Bob in 3D along with a few rounds on the carousel where Tristan had a permanent smile on his face. Farm life doesn't permit an awful amount of down time & getting away doesn't happen all too often for my dad. Being able to be away from cows, tractors & chickens is a nice break for him.

Tristan and Pop took charge of navigating us through the park with a map laying out every ride in the park. I got a kick out of Tristan confidently showing us which direction we needed to head. One of his favorite rides was the carousel where we had an awesome view of the park when it was still light out, but the sun had lessened in intensity. Tomorrow we head out again and the goal of my Dad & I is to keep out with our little dude & his seemingly endless supply of energy.





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Farmville...tiny dot on that mighty big map

I'm sitting in a coffee shop in downtown Farmville, Virginia attempting to catch up on some last loose ends with work along with beginning the 'planning stages' of a short trek to Europe in less than two weeks. I've spent a significant amount of time here feeling a bit like one of the locals receiving a pleasant wave and greeting by the owner and the many who hang here. To be honest, I sort of dig this tiny, quaint southern town that has quite a bit of personality. With sweet tea in hand and some seriously solid tunes with Coltrane & a little Johnny Cash in the background, you can't really go wrong. Coffee + tunes = super productivity. Go me.

I know the economy is unstable and we're all pinching our pennies, but I took a second glance at Wally World's advertisement for blueberries. Dude, really? Jess and I very proudly invested in enhancing our countries economy by buying some mighty fine blueberries (not as good as Jersey, may I say) and fairly stoked about our two cent savings. Now the question...what to do with the extra pennies? Allow me to ponder that & I will get back to you on that one...

Our venture to Wally World consisted of perusing the diaper aisle, searching for John Deere fruit snacks, wrestling for a nerf gun & Tristan becoming unintentionally tangled in a makeshift seat in the bathroom. Boredom is definitely not ever present when the little dudes are present.


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Yesterday Tristan and I took a walk about along the perimeter of the farm and discovered an impressive supply of blackberries
I get a kick out of just watching him do his thing and become impressively independent. As summer begins to draw to a close I find it hard to prevent my mind from wandering to the inevitable return to the real world. I am so profoundly blessed to have these weeks with Tristan & Gabe, but as they get older it tugs at my heart only being with them sporadically through the year. But as my Uncle Meyer would always say, "it is what it is."

If you've never gone blackberry picking there is a difference between eating them out of a container and actually picking them from the bush. Trying to manipulate one's fingers around prickly thorns and buzzing bees can prove interesting. Tristan found it resourceful to just simply point out which berry he thought best and have me get it for him. So at the end of our berry fest his face was stained a lovely purple from heaps of berries and my hands had about fifty thorns stuck attached. He may be just shy of four, but sometimes that little dude seems a little too wise for his own good : )





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Just Beachy

For the past week I've slept in, caught up with old friends and sort of re-charged the spirit. I've been off duty & totally loving it. Wednesday I hopped in my car and drove down to the south end of the island later in the afternoon hitting Salvo and Waves. I love treking around the dunes taking some quality pics on the camera and hearing nothing but the wind blow along the shore line.

I floated along the island over the week catching up and slowing down. I loved being able to hang with Nathan, Trish & little Gwen who are some of the most dynamic people I've ever come across. If you have a chance to check out their blog and get a sense of who they are and how God has totally worked in their lives over the years. Tricia has CF (Cystic Fibrosis) and although the past few years have been intense, God is so very real and working through them. Totally awesome... I was able to hang with them and the crew at Rita's in Southern Shores where a chunk of the proceeds went towards CF Research. Check out their site: http://cfhusband.blogspot.com

Before rolling out of town two close friends and I, Ginny & Jan, hit the Nags Head Pier for a great breakfast and some killer views of clean surf rolling in below. The Pier is one of my favorite joints to have a meal when in town and just soak in some epic surroundings. Ginny owns, Cloud Nine, a bead shop located in Nags Head. If you're ever in town it is seriously a great place filled with jewelery that is truly one of a kind. Although time went fast, as it always does, it was a great week.


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Goin' to Carolina in my medulla oblongata

I've been in Carolina since Friday with the intention of spending two nights and it seems my stay extends as I continue to bump into old friends on the island. On Saturday I spent the day hanging with some friends who were running a surf clinic through Nags Head Church for kids of all ages. The water was a tad on the 'refreshing side' and the waves were equivalent to the ripples one might find in a toilet, but it was fun for them nonetheless. Having kids 'stoked' about something in life is so critical to avoid boredom and ultimately getting into things they just shouldn't be involved in. This was the 10th anniversary of Hukilau Surf Camp and over the years hundreds of kids have been exposed to the concept of surfing. What I think is so awesome is that not only do they get a little taste of surf, but instructors get the opportunity to briefly share that there is so much more to this life then us. There is great beauty in surf. I find it totally poetic, breathtaking and I am in awe that God created something so truly epic. With that I believe it is so important to let these kids know that they too were created, have a purpose and are part of something much bigger than just what's on the surface. God is good, God is great & I truly am stoked to be able to consider myself a child of His.


Last night was fun hanging with some friends of mine in town from France. They live in Grenoble, about 4 hours via train from Paris. I had the opportunity to stay with them about ten years ago while backpacking through Europe. Since then, we've stayed in touch and re-connect when they are back in the States. I have some great pics of them, but for some reason my camera is being a tad on the obstinate side. So, next blog will come bearing some great shots of my past few days here. Until then... have an epic day.