Month: November 2024

6/12/24

Beck Family Vacation: Day Four in the Alps/Dolomites.

Today we drove 20 minutes to our hike at Lago Di Boe (The Lake of Boe). It was cold and foggy but we were hoping the sun would come out and change that pretty quickly. No such luck today. It stayed pretty cold and even drizzled on us a bit.

The whole first part of the hike was a STEEP climb up a pebbled road.:

“Wait, what!? We’re climbing that?”:

The wind made it colder:

Lizzy tried to run it! She made it pretty far at a run:

Rest break!:

We turned the corner and the climb continued. Rachel creates her own switchbacks along the way to make it a little easier:

We made it up to the first ‘lake’. Well, based on the trail info we read we thought this was going to be a lake:

A retention pond! Really!?:

Rachel’s expression is quite fitting as well:

There’s a restaurant up the hill. Perhaps they have hot chocolate!:

Ducking down beneath the wind chill helps a bit:

When I got to the top I found Lizzy riding a zip line!:

Mom thought this was a slingshot so Lizzy tried to launch a rock. Oops, it was a kiddie swing:

The restaurant was closed so we kept hiking. The trail drastically changed to a pretty rocky climb:

The clouds were thick but we could make out the large rock formations:

It was still an uphill climb for another mile:

We ran into a group who decided to abandon their hike and wanted directions to the quickest way down:

As we continued our assent there was snow and ice along the trail:

And the rocky climb continued:

There are some pretty wildflowers along the trail too. See the pink/purple flowers up on the right:

Back in the snow:

Even more snow:

The trail narrowed and it got a little cliffy and the fog was thickening:

I bet the view from up here is spectacular when the fog is lifted:

Hiking in the edge:

Snowball fight up here!?:

Lizzy built a snowman:

We could hear water flowing under the ground around us and it was a little bit creepy. We also saw lots of scat along the trail and we were hoping to see some wildlife.

We had several little detours around snow and ice:

We saw an Alpine Marmot and lots of marmot scat.:

We made it to Lake Boe! I’m sure it’s an awesome lake but it was more creepy with the fog.

We were enjoying the hike while also wishing we could actually see the lake:

Lake Boe if only we could see you:

We are sure it’s beautiful on a clear day:

Swimming anyone?:

One last look:

A creepy ski lift currently closed:

Another snowball fight:

Dad got Lizzy!:

Racing back for more snow:

She got him!:

This was a loop trail. Can you see the road we climbed up this morning in the distance?:

Up there:

We hiked down below the clouds and it was a little warmer too:

This is a pic of the mountain views we would have seen on a clear day:

As we approached the end of the hike we somehow lost the trail and had to hike through a very pretty yet soaking cold wet grassy field. We are all ready to get warm and dry! We did hard things today as a family and that always brings us closer together as a family.

6/11/23

Beck Family Vacation: Italy! Day Three in the Alps/Dolomites.

Today we drove a half hour to our hike in Puez-Odle Nature Park near Antermoia, Italy. There was rain in the forecast so we got somewhat of an early start. At the trail head and ready to hike:

It started off on the chilly side but not raining. We made some rabbit friends right from the start:

More rabbits this way!:

This way:

Awe!!

Beautiful views are calling us away from the cute bunnies:

Rachel saves her Lizzy from…well nothing really:

Wow!:

What animal could have possibly made this track!?:

Obviously this is going to be a beautiful hike!:

A crime scene of sorts:

Again, the views along the trail are so beautiful.

The girls flying the coop:

These flowers are along the sides of the trail:

Still a bit foggy but no rain yet:

We found snow!

Snowball fight!

Get’m Lizzy!:

Relaxing at a crest along the way:

Up high on the mountain:

Rest break for Lizzy. What a great sister Rachel is to carry her up the mountain!

There are restaurants along the way!:

Enjoying the amazing views!:

Time for the final steep climb before the summit:

Almost at the top:

Lizzy made it to the top first:

Listening to music to get her to the top:

Mom and Dad made it too:

A cool sculpture at the summit:

And these:

Awesome summit views:

Resting before the descent:

It started raining and then HAILING!!

They started off tiny pebble size and got just a little bit bigger:

The hail stopped and it continued to drizzle but we kept on going. We also saw goats, cows and small mammals we couldn’t identify:

The Spring wildflowers are so pretty:

A little wet, but it was an excellent hike!

We had another awesome day hiking in the Dolomites!

6/10/24

Beck Family Vacation: Italy! Day two in the Alps/Dolomites/Badia, Italy.

Today we drove 10 minutes to a bakery. This area is highly German influenced so we got apple strudel and some German pretzels (and some other treats for later). We drove just a couple of minutes to our hiking location. The views were amazing right from the parking lot!

We sat on a bench and enjoyed our breakfast strudel:

Ready to hike:

Along the trail:

The trail signs were nice to have but the trail was really very easy to follow:

There were quite a few snails along the trail:

We’ll call him ‘Scooter’:

There were statues and other interesting things along the trail:

Of course beautiful views!:

Relaxing by a pond:

Mom gave us her phone:

We are going to that waterfall:

So pretty!:

It really was an easy hike and a beautiful day:

There were several of these cabins along the way:

We’re definitely enjoying this hike:

We made it to the first waterfall:

Do you see Lizzy and Dad?:

On to the next waterfall:

Another beautiful waterfall:

This is great!

We enjoyed our German pretzels at a beautiful picnic area down from the waterfall. We relaxed here for awhile and enjoyed the rest and the views:

We really relaxed!

Time to head back the rain is coming:

We saw a pent up herd of sheep, goats, and a donkey:

The water is the clearest stream water we’ve ever seen:

It rained a tiny bit but it didn’t really stop us:

We were having a good time obviously!:

The clouds were clearing:

There were pretty flowers along the way:

A statue memorial:

End pic of our 5 mile hike:

We had a wonderful day with spectacular views!:

This strong flowing stream was beside the trail almost the whole way. We had a wonderful day today in the beautiful Dolomites!

6/09/24

Beck Family Vacation: Day Five

Today we went to church in Verona. They had English translation through headphones. The ward family were very welcoming. After church we drove to the Alps:

A waterfall along the drive:

Driving in Italy is quite an experience! We made it to our planned hike for the day at Puez-Odle Nature Park on the Zans Geislergruppe Trail a 3.3 mile hike:

We had our animal cracker snacks ready to go:

There was a building at the park and we stepped inside looking for a restroom and were greeted by this?! Some sort of exhibit but not today, we are hiking:

We could not read the signs very well to locate our hike. They were in German and Italian:

We found another set of signs also in German and Italian:

We figured it out and headed up the trail. There were a few small cascades along the way:

It started off all uphill on this road:

Quick rest break:

The views of the Dolomites were incredible:

A turnstile is a fun addition:

The Dolomites!:

Rachel enjoying the view:

Lizzy wading in the frigid water!:

Despite the fog they are incredible:

Lizzy exploring:

Mom and Dad are so excited to be here:

Snowball fight!:

Lizzy climbing barefoot on the snow..brrr:

Another viewpoint:

Do you see Lizzy way out there exploring?:

The adventurous Beck Family:

One last look at the mountains at the end of the hike:

End of hike pic:

Our Airbnb in Badia, Italy. The house looks out at the Alps and they are so beautiful!

Goodnight:

6/08/24

Beck Family Vacation Day Four Venice, Italy

We took a bus to the train station:

We made it on the train:

In Venice we had to pay a fee to go out past the train station:

There were tempting treats everywhere:

We walked over at least a dozen bridges:

We walked through narrow passages that are like a cool maze:

The canals were stunning!

The fresh food market was amazing:

Seafood galore!:

We rode this sea bus (boat) later:

We visited several churches:

This book store was truly unique:

The books are in gondolas and all sorts other recycled objects:

A quick perusing of the art work:

These stacks of books outside have truly been weathered:

Back outside to see some amazing architecture:

A music hall:

We tried to go in the tower but the reservations were booked solid:

It was so pretty everywhere:

Time for Gelato:

Dark chocolate for Mom:

Making our way through the maze:

Our 10th bridge:

So pretty:

The churches are all unique and intricate:

The large plaza squares are beautiful too:

We did not partake in the gondola rides:

We ride a sea bus (boat):

It was fun seeing the buildings from the water:

Enjoying the ride:

After the boat ride we walked to a pretty park:

We shopped, we ate, and navigated crowds of people:

Just one of these too:

Another amazing church:

The plazas had more fresh fruit:

Looks like a beautiful painting!:

Venice is a beautiful and unique city for sure and we had a wonderful day.

We walked back to our airbnb (3 miles) and ate dinner at the restaurant next door. We walked 10 miles today!

6/07/24

Day Three in Verona, Italy:

Today was a beautiful day in Verona. We took a bus back to the center of town and then walked over 6 miles exploring the city:

We are going to seize the day just like this statue!:

The Very Happy Couple :

Chiesa Di Sant’Eufemia (church):

Absolutely gorgeous!:

Cattedrale Di Santa Maria Matricolare (cathedral):

The Cathedral:

A welcoming statue. Statua di un angelo blu:

Inside was stunning!

The Nun’s Cloisture:

There are beautiful sculptures all over the city:

The streets are narrow and beautiful!

The Basílica Di Santa Anastasia. There was a wedding here so we weren’t able to go inside:

We ended up back at the park we went to yesterday and visited our pigeon friends:

A tomb outside the Chiesa Rettoriale Di Santa Maria Antica. The church was closed:

In the center of town in the Piazza Delle Erbe there are unique statues on the tops of the roofs:

A statue of Dante in the center of the square:

Fontana Madonna:

Church of Saint Sebastian:

Gelato anyone?

The Chiesa Di San Fermo Maggiore:

Inside we saw the statue of the Angel Gabriel speaking to the Virgin Mary:

The paintings in this church were all so beautiful:

The ceiling is spectacular! Hand carved wood ceiling:

We then walked to the natural history museum. This hologram was quite entertaining as his eyes followed you around the room:

Dad was convinced this was a buttocks from a woman who sat in the mud and died. He was so convinced he looked it up on the internet to prove his declaration. Come to find out it was a water coconut:

Dad looking at a topographic map seeing if we he can find the part of the Dolomites we will be visiting next week:

We crossed over the river a few times today:

Juliet ‘s tomb:

Lizzy’s ‘friend’ Shakespeare:

A love lock window above Rachel. There are many locations for love locks throughout the city:

More stairs! We have climbed a lot of stairs in the past two days!

The empty tomb of Juliet. Not sure what we expected??:

A depiction of scenes from Romeo and Juliet:

Wishing well:

G.B. Cavalcaselle Fresco Museum on the site at Juliet ‘s toomb:

Monument to Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai near the Tombe di Giulietta:

More stairs to a park:

There are supposed to be goats in this park:

A loquat fruit tree:

Too tart for Mom but everyone else enjoyed them:

We found the goats!

They were very friendly:

They wanted food and to be petted:

Porta Nuova:

We rented a car today although we won’t need it until Sunday (tomorrow we will be in Venice via a train).

This car rental experience was an adventure. Although Dad can drive a manual car this one had some tricky features. We actually watched a YouTube video to figure out how to get it in reverse so we could get the car out of the parking lot! We figured it out but it was not smooth sailing from there. Dad eventually got the hang of it all and we made it back to the Airbnb safely. Another fun-filled adventure in Verona, Italy!

6/06/24

Day Two in Verona, Italy. Dad and Lizzy took a taxi back to the airport to pick up our luggage!:

The girls are ready to go explore Verona, Italy!:

Let the adventures begin:

The streets of Verona are filled with interesting things to see and there is a smell of flowers in the air everywhere you go!:

The Adige River with the castle we will visit next in the background:

The Happy Couple :

The castle door:

We walked the castle bridge first:

Of course we had to climb:

A nice view from up here:

A cool cistern:

Inside the castle was an incredible museum. This artifact depicts Christ with Peter and Paul:

We got to explore most of the castle with only a few areas blocked off but even that looked cool!

A gorgeous depiction of stories from the bible:

We will be climbing that tower later but first we must go to Juliet’s house:

Shakespeare has a special place in Lizzy ‘s heart. She was Katherina in Taming of the Shrew, Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing, and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet:

Lizzy is definitely in her happy place:

Bellissima!:

Reliving her performances along the way:

The fake poison scene:

When they stepped onto the balcony people from the crowd below yelled out “Bella Giuliettas!”:

So happy!:

This bronze statue sits beneath the balcony in a tiny courtyard where Romeo is said to have wooed Juliet. The tradition is to touch the breast as part of a ritual that is believed to bring luck in love:

Lizzy said that the ritual has nothing to do with the story of Romeo and Juliet so she declined the touching part:

After Juliet ‘s house we walked to the tower. 368 stairs or the lift?:

The stairs of course!

Lizzy made it to the top first! Despite the protective barrier the views were spectacular!:

Views of Verona from the top of the tower:

We climbed back down the stairs and into the courtyard:

We found a beautiful park to relax and enjoy. These Acanthus mollis ‘Morning Candle’ flowers were so pretty:

Romeo and Juliet are ever present in Verona:

This statue had Mom feeling whimsical:

We were having a great day!

Pigeons are Lizzy’s favorite bird so she made a friend:

The doors to this catholic church were open so we looked inside. The picture hardly captures the spectacular interior:

Our last stop was the arena. The Verona Arena is a Roman amphitheater in Piazza Bra built in 30 AD. This portion of the wall was preserved:

These stone seats were also preserved:

It is still in use and serves as a venue for large-scale opera performances.They were setting up for a performance:

Some of the old seating and structures were still intact:

The outside of the arena. One of the best-preserved ancient structures in the world.

We decided on dinner from the pizzeria right next door to our Airbnb:

Deliziosa!

Wow! That was an awesome day!

June 3rd, 2024

This year we were so excited to go to Italy for our family vacation! We drove to Orlando Monday evening and stayed at a Marriott by the airport for their park and shuttle service (much cheaper than airport parking):

June 4th, 2024

Tuesday morning we found this globe at the hotel and scoped out our travel plans:

We took a shuttle to the airport and flew from Orlando to Toronto, Canada.

On our first flight to Toronto, Canada. We weren’t able to print all of our boarding passes here for the next flights so stay tuned as the drama unfolds. We had a bewildering and bedraggling experience at Customs in Toronto.

We had a delay here giving us a 6 hour layover.

6/05/24

Wednesday in the wee hours of the morning we flew to Frankfurt, Germany and finally to Verona, Italy. We were told we had to go get our luggage at baggage claim and then go back through all the check points. I almost got trapped outside of the security check point because I went back out to go dump out water bottles and my passport and boarding pass were at the security checkpoint with the rest of the family:

The girls were highly impressed with the extras provided by Condor:

The meal was actually good! We had a nice 7 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany. We had to go through customs again. Although it was a bit intimidating it was better than the Toronto customs experience. We also had a security check point again. The flight was delayed so we had to go right to our gate. We were very concerned about our luggage getting to Verona because were were told it was labeled as going to Frankfurt but when scanned it would go to Italy. We got on the flight:

We made it to Verona:

But our luggage didn’t. There is a flight tonight so hopefully we get our luggage tomorrow! We got a taxi to our Airbnb which was also an adventure. Apparently stop signs are optional and lane changes require little forethought. He was very friendly and we made it safely to the Airbnb:

We walked to a market and then a Bakery!:

Decisions decisions. . .

We also stopped for some Gelato!:

The Airbnb has a tiny lift:

Up we go:

During this travel adventure we had to go through the Security Checks three separate times and three customs checks. Our luggage is still in Frankfort although it will be boarding a 10pm flight to Verona. We are so excited for another Beck Family Vacation Adventure!

5/29/24

The Young Men and Young Women all went to the Coopers pool for the Wednesday Activity. The pool party starting off pretty chill:

Then the ball came out:

That was fun!

5/28/24

Rachel has gotten really good at cutting hair. Lizzy was ready for a change and Rachel was up for the challenge. Bangs and a trim:

Awesome job Rachel!

Rachel also colors Mom’s hair and does an awesome job with that too!